Bridget Phillipson - Education Secretary

BRIDGET PHILLIPSON

How is education in the UK doing since 2024? Actually, not bad at all.

In 2025, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has made school attendance and the "rebranding" of school standards her primary battlegrounds. While the government claims success in certain areas, the data shows a complex picture of marginal gains balanced against widening regional and social gaps.

1. School Attendance: The AI and "Stuck Schools" Approach

Attendance has been Phillipson’s most vocal priority. She has moved away from the "stick" of just fines toward a system of "support and data."

- The Plan for Change: In late 2025, she launched AI-powered individual attendance targets for every school. These "Attendance Baseline Improvement Expectations" compare schools with peers in similar socio-economic areas to set realistic goals.

- The Results: The government reported that 5.3 million extra days were spent in school in 2025 compared to the previous year, with 140,000 fewer "persistently absent" pupils.

- The Reality: Despite these gains, absence remains higher than pre-pandemic levels. Friday absences remain a significant "cultural" hurdle, which Phillipson has publicly criticized as a "casual attitude" toward education.

2. Examination Results (Summer 2025)

The 2025 exam season (A-Levels and GCSEs) was characterized by "stability" rather than radical shifts, as grading returned completely to pre-pandemic norms.

GCSE Performance: Results were remarkably similar to 2024.

- Grade 4 (Pass) and above: 67.1% (down slightly from 67.4% in 2024).

- Grade 7 and above: 21.8% (up slightly from 21.6% in 2024).

Key Stage 2 (Primary): This was a bright spot, with 62% of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths, up from 61% in 2024—the largest year-on-year increase since the pandemic.

3. The Widening Gaps

The most significant criticism of Phillipson’s 2025 tenure is the North-South divide.

The gap in university placements between the North East and London reached a record high of 18.5 percentage points in 2025.

While London’s results continued to soar, the East Midlands and North East struggled, leading to accusations that the "Opportunity Mission" is not yet reaching the most disadvantaged regions.

4. Major Policy Shifts in 2025

Ofsted Reform Single-word headline grades (e.g., "Outstanding") were abolished in late 2024. As of September 2025, they have been replaced by "School Report Cards" to give a broader view.

RISE Teams "Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence" teams were deployed to 600 "stuck" schools, with grants of up to £100,000 each for specialist support.

Breakfast Clubs A massive rollout of free breakfast clubs began in 2025 to tackle hunger-related absence.

Uniform Costs New legislation introduced in 2025 limited the number of "branded" items schools can require, aimed at easing the cost-of-living crisis for parents.

The Verdict on Bridget Phillipson (so far)

She is viewed as a "hands-on" Secretary who is willing to take on the teaching unions (as seen in her 2025 clash over reading tests) while maintaining a focus on "accountability." Her success is currently measured by "incremental stability"—holding the line on exam results while slowly chipping away at the post-COVID absence crisis.

Well done Secretary Phillipson : )

Bridget Phillipson had been Sir Keir’s shadow education secretary since November 2021, following her promotion from shadow chief secretary to the Treasury.

CONTACT SIR KEIR & HIS CABINET

Westminster Office
House of Commons

London, SW1A 0AA

Tel: 020 7219 5437

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