The role of Minister of State for School Standards,[1] formerly Minister of State for Schools[2] is a mid-level position in the Department for Education in the British government.

United Kingdom
Minister of State for School Standards
since 8 July 2024
Department for Education
StyleMinister
NominatorPrime Minister of the United Kingdom
AppointerThe Monarch
on advice of the Prime Minister
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
Websitehttps://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state-for-schools

The current minister is Catherine McKinnell.[3]

History

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In the Major ministries, the role was known as Minister of State for Education and Science and Minister of State for Education.

In the Brown ministry (2007 to 2010), the position of Minister of State for Schools and Learning worked at the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

In the Cameron ministries, the role was known as Minister of State for Schools.

Under Liz Truss's tenure, the role was demoted to a parliamentary under-secretary position known as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for School Standards.[4][5]

Responsibilities

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The minister is responsible for the following:[6]

  • recruitment and retention of teachers and school leaders (including initial teacher training, qualifications and professional development)
  • supporting a high-quality teaching profession and reducing teacher workload
  • Teaching Regulation Agency
  • admissions and school transport
  • school revenue funding, including the national funding formula for schools
  • curriculum and qualifications (including links with Ofqual)
  • Standards and Testing Agency and primary assessment
  • school accountability and inspection (including links with Ofsted)
  • support for raising school standards
  • school sport
  • pupil premium
  • relationships, sex, and health education; and personal, social, health and economic education
  • behaviour and attendance and exclusions
  • early education curriculum and teaching quality
  • coronavirus (COVID-19) response for schools

List of ministers

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Name Portrait Took office Left office Political party Prime Minister
Minister of State, Education and Science
Angela Rumbold

MP for Mitcham and Morden

June 1987 24 July 1990 Conservative Margaret Thatcher

(Third Thatcher ministry)

Tim Eggar

MP for Enfield North

24 July 1990 14 April 1992 Conservative John Major

(First Major ministry)

The Baroness Blatch 14 April 1992 20 July 1994 Conservative John Major

(Second Major ministry)

Eric Forth

MP for Mid Worcestershire

20 July 1994 2 May 1997 Conservative John Major

(Second Major ministry)

Stephen Byers

MP for North Tyneside

2 May 1997 27 July 1998 Labour Tony Blair

(First Blair ministry)

Estelle Morris

MP for Birmingham Yardley

  28 July 1998 8 June 2001 Labour Tony Blair

(First Blair ministry)

Stephen Timms

MP for East Ham

  11 June 2001 24 October 2002 Labour Tony Blair

(Second Blair ministry)

David Miliband

MP for South Shields

  24 October 2002 16 December 2004 Labour Tony Blair

(Second Blair ministry)

Stephen Twigg

MP for Enfield Southgate

  16 December 2004 5 May 2005 Labour Tony Blair

(Second Blair ministry)

Jacqui Smith

MP for Redditch

  6 May 2005 5 May 2006 Labour Tony Blair

(lll)

Jim Knight

MP for South Dorset

  5 May 2006 5 June 2009 Labour Tony Blair

(lll)

Gordon Brown

(l)

Vernon Coaker

MP for Gedling

  8 June 2009 11 May 2010 Labour Gordon Brown

(l)

Minister of State for Schools
Nick Gibb

MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton

  13 May 2010 4 September 2012 Conservative David Cameron

(Coalition)

David Laws

MP for Yeovil

  4 September 2012 8 May 2015 Liberal Democrat David Cameron

(Coalition)

Minister of State for School Standards
Nick Gibb

MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton

  12 May 2015 15 September 2021 Conservative David Cameron
(II)
Theresa May
(I)(II)
Boris Johnson
(I)(II)
Robin Walker

MP for Worcester

  16 September 2021 6 July 2022 Conservative Boris Johnson
(II)
Will Quince

MP for Colchester

  7 July 2022 7 September 2022 Conservative Boris Johnson
(II)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for School Standards
Jonathan Gullis

MP for Stoke-on-Trent North

  8 September 2022 28 October 2022 Conservative Liz Truss
(I)
Minister of State for Schools
Nick Gibb

MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton

  26 October 2022 13 November 2023 Conservative Rishi Sunak

(I)

Damian Hinds

MP for East Hampshire

  13 November 2023 5 July 2024 Conservative
Minister of State for School Standards
Catherine McKinnell

MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North

  8 July 2024 Incumbent Labour Keir Starmer

(I)

References

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  1. ^ "Minister of State (Minister for School Standards) - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  2. ^ "Minister of State (Minister of State for Schools) - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  3. ^ "Catherin McKinnell MP". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  4. ^ "Profile: Robin Walker, Minister for School Standards". schoolsweek.co.uk. 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  5. ^ "Schools minister rebuffs calls to decolonise English curriculum". The Guardian. 2021-07-21. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  6. ^ "Minister of State for School Standards - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2020-10-31.