The government’s new will prioritise English and maths attainment, the quality of the reception year, attendance and inclusion, the education secretary has said. Bridget Phillipson also told the ASCL leaders’ union conference that she expects all schools to keep phones out of the classroom, and that she has commissioned officials to examine “how we can more effectively monitor what’s happening on the ground”. Leaders were also warned government will have to make more 鈥渄ifficult decisions鈥 as “14 years of damage” across the sector “cannot be undone in simply eight months”. She also stated: 鈥淭here is proof that the inclusion versus standards compromise is no such thing.鈥 Here鈥檚 what you need to know鈥 1. The four priorities for RISE teams The government鈥檚 new school improvement squads, known as RISE teams, launched last month. Among other things, they鈥檝e been charged with brokering support for struggling schools. They will also have a universal service for primaries and secondaries with minimal issues. Phillipson revealed this morning this support will spread 鈥渂est practice following four national priorities鈥. One of these is 鈥渁ttainment with a focus on English and maths鈥. Another RISE team 鈥減riority鈥 will be 鈥渞eception-year quality鈥. The other two are attendance and inclusion. 鈥淲e will drive progress across the board, but especially for kids from tough backgrounds, and that progress must start early in life, when the possibilities still stretch out ahead. 鈥淭hat’s why the [prime minister鈥檚] plan for change also sets the milestone of a record number of children starting school ready to learn.鈥 2. Officials look for ways to monitor phone disruption Phillipson revealed technology secretary Peter Kyle 鈥渉as commissioned a study led by the University of Cambridge to assess the impact of social media and smartphones, strengthening the evidence base on their impact on children’s wellbeing鈥. She added the devices 鈥淭hey have no place in our schools, and the government’s position is clear, you have our full backing in ridding our classrooms of the disruption of phones. “And I know that will be the case in the overwhelming majority of your classrooms, but I expect it to be true in all classrooms. So I’ve tasked my officials to look at how we can more effectively monitor what’s happening on the ground.” Officials have been tasked with examining 鈥渉ow we can more effectively monitor what’s happening on the ground鈥. 3. SEND best practice survey to launch Tom Rees, CEO of Ormiston Academies Trust, was in November appointed chair of the government鈥檚 new expert advisory group on inclusion, which will oversee reforms aimed at making mainstream schools more inclusive. Phillipson said he is working with researchers from ImpactED and 鈥渨ill launch a survey on best practice tomorrow鈥. Dame Christine Lenehan, the government鈥檚 strategic adviser on SEND, is also 鈥渄rawing on the wisdom of parents, professionals and leaders鈥. Phillipson continued: 鈥淏ut this is a complex and difficult challenge. It will take time we need to get this right.鈥 4. ‘No inclusion vs standards compromise’ She also referenced a school in Sheffield with a 30-place integrated resource unit for autism, with SEND pupils spending 鈥渕ost of their time in mainstream lessons supported by specialist learning assistants鈥. It 鈥渇ocuses not just on support but on outcomes too鈥, with attainment above local and national averages. Pointing to this example, Phillipson said: 鈥淭here is proof that the inclusion versus standards compromise is no such thing. They go together.鈥 5. Buckle up for more ‘difficult decisions’ During her speech, Phillipson stated chancellor Rachel Reeves 鈥減rotected key education priorities at the budget, [including] 拢8bn for early years, a 5.5 percent pay award for schoolteachers鈥, despite 鈥渢he toughest fiscal inheritance in a generation鈥. But having made 鈥渟ome incredibly difficult decisions鈥, she stressed 鈥渕ore are coming鈥. 鈥淚 have to be blunt about our inheritance as a government, not just fiscally, but all the fabric of education too. You know this all too well. 鈥淵ou see it every day, children turning up still in nappies, not able to speak, absences, stubbornly high, vacancies up, the SEND system creaking after years of neglect. The damage of 14 years cannot be undone in simply eight months.鈥 6. DfE looking at ‘options’ over overlapping complaints Speaking to journalists after her speech, Phillipson revealed her department was 鈥渢hinking about what more we can do to provide support for schools鈥 around parental complaints, particularly “overlapping” complaints to multiple agencies. She said it was 鈥渋mportant鈥 parents had avenues to air complaints, but that she was 鈥渋ncreasingly concerned about the sheer volume of what school leaders are having to deal with鈥. 鈥淲e are looking carefully at what more we can do as government to ensure that parents鈥 complaints don’t weigh down too heavily on schools and school leaders.鈥 She added: “I think there’s a question about the nature and the way in which complaints are made, and the challenge that comes of parents complaining to multiple avenues at the same time. So that’s one area that we’re considering what the options might be like.鈥 7. No answer on whether getting an EHCP will get harder The i Paper quoted a source stating the government鈥檚 direction of travel was 鈥渃hanging the threshold for EHCPs to make [them] harder to get鈥. Asked if it would become harder to get an EHCP, Phillipson did not directly answer the question. She said she understood 鈥渢he anxiety that parents feel鈥. She added she wanted to get to a system 鈥渨ith much earlier identification of need, much more timely intervention and support鈥 with more specialist support in mainstream. 8. ‘No plans’ to change Oak and LocatED as other quangos cut The government is reviewing its use of quangos, or quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, and announced this week it would scrap NHS England. Asked if DfE quangos the Oak National Academy and LocatED property company were safe, Phillipson said: “We have no plans to make any changes there.”