Improved education standards, making England one of the top performing countries for education in the western world. In addition to primary aged children in England being named ‘Best in the West’ for reading, England significantly outperformed the international average and rose from 27th in 2009 under Labour to 11th in maths for 2023 under the Conservatives, giving children the best platform to build successful careers (data according to PISA).

Drove up school standards across the country with 90 per cent of schools rated good or outstanding in 2024, delivering a world-class education system to students. Since 2010, Conservatives improved school standards across the country meaning 90 per cent of schools in 2024 were rated good or outstanding, up from 68 per cent under Labour.

Delivered on the Conservatives’ manifesto commitment to have starting salaries of £30,000 or more for teachers in all areas of the country, to continue to attract and retain the best talent into teaching. They did this in 2023 by increasing the pay of teachers and leaders in maintained schools by at least 6.5 per cent – the highest School Teachers’ Review Body award in three decades, in recognition of the hard work of our teaching profession.

Delivered over 5.8 million apprenticeships since 2010, giving people the skills they need for the workplace. The Conservatives built the apprenticeship system from the ground up, and during when they were in office, there were over 5.8 million apprenticeship starts, with almost 560,100 participating in an apprenticeship in England between August 2023 and October 2023.

Built one of the most powerful apprenticeship systems in the world, reaching almost 70 per cent of occupations, giving people the opportunity to choose their life path. The Conservatives built one of the most powerful apprenticeship systems in the world, reaching nearly 700 different occupations, from level 2 through to master’s degree level 7.

Created over 235,000 fully subsidised jobs for young people through the £2 billion Kickstart Scheme, giving young people the best chance of getting a job. The Conservatives invested £2 billion in their Kickstart Scheme to fully fund and create 235,000 jobs for young people at risk of long term unemployment, with 163,000 16-to-24-year-olds starting roles by May 2022.

Launched the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, giving people the skills they need at every stage. The Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) aims to transform the post-18 student finance system in England. It has been continued and from September 2026, learners will be able to apply for LLE funding for the first time for courses and modules commencing from January 2027 onwards. When fully rolled out, the LLE will create a single funding system to help people pay for college or university courses, and train, retrain and upskill flexibly over their working lives.