In July, after almost three years in the shadow education team, Helen Hayes waited for her call to serve in government. That call never came. Now she鈥檚 bagged the job of holding her former colleagues to account as chair of the powerful parliamentary education committee. Hayes was shadow children鈥檚 minister from December 2021 to July of this year, and 鈥渓oved that work鈥. And while she says she had 鈥渘o expectation鈥 that she would get a ministerial role following Labour鈥檚 landslide win, 鈥渙f course I鈥檇 hoped to be able to continue the work in government鈥. 鈥淚 felt, in having not been appointed to the front bench, that serving as chair of the education select committee would be a really good way of putting everything that I鈥檇 learned and all of that work to good use.鈥 She has also spent seven of her nine years in parliament sitting on committees, which are 鈥渨here some of the most productive and impactful work takes place鈥. Holding government to account Hayes will also be . Will this be an issue? 鈥淣ot at all. When select committees work effectively, they鈥檙e looking at the evidence and going where the evidence takes them. 鈥淎nd there are plenty of times that the evidence would point to legitimate criticisms and challenge to the government. That鈥檚 the role and I鈥檓 comfortable with it.鈥 With government working at pace 鈥 huge Ofsted reforms have already been announced 鈥 the committee has much to discuss. But the timing of July鈥檚 election and the impending party conferences recess means the full committee won鈥檛 be constituted until October. 鈥淔or reforms that are being introduced very quickly, there’ll be a question for the committee to discuss about whether that’s something that we want to get stuck into ahead of time during the process of reform, or whether we want to look at the government’s proposals once they’re more fully formed. But we’ll get to that in due course.鈥 鈥楾ransparency鈥 needed over 6,500 teachers pledge Another key Labour policy is its manifesto promise to recruit 6,500 鈥渘ew鈥 teachers in shortage subjects. Schools Week revealed last week the pledge may not be delivered for years, with officials considering whether to also include retention. Hayes says it is 鈥渋mportant that the government is transparent about what is being delivered with the funding that鈥檚 been allocated鈥. Headteachers had told her that retention was key, but 鈥渢ransparency is the most important thing and that鈥檚 something I鈥檓 sure the committee will want to take an interest in鈥. SEND is also an issue Hayes expects the committee to get into quickly as it is 鈥渢he stand-out issue that is presenting itself in constituencies right across the country鈥. She believes there is 鈥渜uite a big piece of work, potentially, that is about understanding the different aspects to the crisis and the different types of pressure that there are鈥. Hayes also wants to understand 鈥渢he experience of families and children who, at the moment are battling far too much and far too often in that system鈥. Hayes joins calls to maintain school funding levels Schools face 鈥渕ultiple challenges鈥f which funding is one鈥, alongside falling rolls, she says. Her south London constituency straddles Lambeth and Southwark, where more than 25 per cent of primary places are unfilled. Hayes this week joined the growing chorus calling for falling rolls to be used to boost per-pupil funding, by keeping school funding level in cash terms as numbers fall. The impact of the pandemic, the rising presentation of SEND, and 鈥渟ignificant鈥 challenges in mental health 鈥渨ould point to a need to keep the funding where it is, and then to look at how that funding can best serve the needs of children and young people鈥. Hayes is critical of the previous government鈥檚 approach to the national funding formula 鈥渨here we’ve seen it reallocated away from schools in [deprived] areas and towards more affluent areas of the country鈥. Labour has a big majority, and governments in its position can become complacent. How will she stop the party resting on their laurels? She plans to be 鈥渞obust in our scrutiny鈥, while making a 鈥渃onstructive contribution to the development of policy鈥. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to run a really effective select committee.鈥