A new report released by the Good Schools Guide has revealed that the performance of state schools has increased “massively” over the last three decades.

The proportion of state schools in the top 1,200 list has increased from 48 in 1986 to 300 in 2016 – a sixfold increase in thirty years.

Lord Lucas, who edits the advisory guide, has said that he expects many independent schools to either turn into government free schools or close altogether due to the strong quality of local state schools.

The MP for the Windsor constituency, Adam Afriyie welcomed the figures:

“As someone who got into politics in the first place to improve social mobility this is simply fantastic news. Improving state schools is the silver bullet to solving the issue of social mobility in this country.

“It confirms that free schools are helping to lift standards across the spectrum.

“Despite the progress, we must not rest of our laurels or lose momentum because private schools make up 75% of the school on the Good Schools Guide. I want us to look beyond secondary schools to further education and increase the awareness and esteem of non-university higher education streams such as apprenticeships and other professional and vocational qualifications.

“Just a few weeks ago I chaired a Westminster Education Forum event on social mobility. One of the headteachers who spoke at the event told us how the school she heads in one of the poorest areas of the south of England was transformed by receiving Academy status and went on to win the National Pupil Premium Award for being the most improved school in the country in 2015.

“Conservatives have made good progress in Government and there is a real prospect that levels of social mobility will improve in the years to come.”

 

ENDS

Note to editors

1.    Adam Afriyie has written at length on education and social mobility. To see his full record please see here and here.

2.    To read the article on care homes referenced in the above press release please see here.

3.    Adam Afriyie has a strong background and interest in science, technology and innovation due to his entrepreneurial background in the IT sector and a variety of posts he has held and/or currently holds, including Shadow Minister for Science, Chairman of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) and President of the Conservative Technology Forum (CTF).