October 31, 2025

What do UK Political Parties Propose for Education and Skills?: Key Policies and Debates, Autumn 2025

As the Autumn 2025 party conference season draws to a close, the Harrison Foundation is

keen to explore what the UK’s political parties have to say about education and skills, and

how their policies reflect the foundation’s vision of breaking the cycle of poverty and

levelling up the Northeast.

For the past eighteen years, the Harrison Foundation has worked tirelessly through a range

of targeted schemes to expand opportunities for young people across the Northeast of

England. Our priorities have been clear from the outset: a strong focus on vocational

education and the creation of new routes into employment; the reduction of skills

shortages; a firm commitment to promoting equal opportunities and breaking the cycle of

disadvantage; the pursuit of genuine regional levelling up; and an emphasis on child

wellbeing and personal development.

We were pleased to see these key priorities reflected in the policies of several political

parties this conference season. A clear emphasis on vocational education featured in the

proposals of Reform UK, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Liberal Democrats, and the

Conservatives. The SDP, in particular, called for a decisive shift from theory-heavy, academic

pathways towards technical and vocational routes designed to better prepare young people

for the realities of the workplace. This reinforces the important work already underway at

the Harrison Centres, where vocational education is a key focus.

The reduction of skills shortages is another of our priorities, highlighted in the policies of the

Liberal Democrats, Labour, and the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats, for example,

drew attention to their new Science, Innovation and Technology paper, outlining plans to

address the UK’s skills gaps, while Labour reaffirmed its commitment to recruiting 6,500

new specialist teachers. This mirrors the ongoing efforts of the Harrison Foundation to

tackle local skills shortages and expand training opportunities across the Northeast.

Breaking the cycle of disadvantage is another of our core priorities, reflected in the policies

of the SDP, Liberal Democrats, Labour, and the Green Party. The SDP and Labour, for

example, advocated for free school meals and breakfast clubs, while the Liberal Democrats

proposed expanding the Pupil Premium to cover young carers. In terms of special

educational needs and disabilities (SEND), Labour reaffirmed its plan to invest in new SEND

facilities, and the Green Party reiterated its intention to raise SEND funding. These policies

are consistent with the ongoing work the Harrison Foundation is undertaking with The Dales

School in Blyth and the new Harrison Wellbeing Hub, soon to open at Acomb First School.

As well as the priorities outlined so far, levelling up the Northeast remains central to

everything we do at the Harrison Foundation – from our work with the Newcastle United

Foundation to our partnership with the Sunderland Foundation of Light. We were interested

to note the SDP’s plans to establish new grammar schools in regional towns with relative

disadvantage, however beyond this we feel that more attention could have been given to

addressing regional disparities such as that between the Northeast and the rest of the UK.

Finally, child wellbeing and personal development are two of our central priorities, also

highlighted in the policies of the SDP, Liberal Democrats, Labour, and the Conservatives. The

SDP, for example, proposed replacing the long-standing subject of Personal, Social, Health,

and Economic Education (PSHE) with new ‘Wellness Studies’, aimed at better equipping

young people with the tools to manage modern life challenges, while the Liberal Democrats

and Labour reaffirmed their commitment to expanding mental health support in schools.

The Conservatives, meanwhile, emphasised their plan for two hours of mandatory PE per

week. These policies echo the Harrison Foundation’s ongoing partnership with The Open

University, where the Digital Harrison Centre offers training in financial literacy and money

management, as well as our new partnership with Ponteland RFC, reflecting our belief in the

importance of sport as part of a well-rounded education.

Aside from the discussed points, the Harrison Foundation was pleased to see Reform UK and

the Conservatives reaffirm their support for private education at their respective

conferences. Whilst the foundation is committed to promoting fairness across all sectors,

we continue to believe in the importance of ‘hand ups, not handouts’ and in preserving

genuine parental choice in education. The Harrison Theatre at Mowden is a prime

example of the benefits private schools can offer to entire communities. Reducing tax

breaks and imposing VAT charges would mean that fewer pupils could attend these kind of

schools, leading to diminished revenue for valuable community facilities such as this. This is

why the Harrison Foundation continues to support private education alongside its broader

commitment to social justice and equal opportunity.

Policymaking at a national level matters greatly to the Harrison Foundation. Our work not

only supports young people directly through targeted education and skills initiatives, but

reflects a long-term vision for the Northeast – one where children and young people have

the same educational and employment opportunities as their peers elsewhere in the UK.

We firmly believe that birthplace should not determine life chances, and we remain

committed to raising standards, expanding opportunities, and addressing regional

disparities. This research was conducted to highlight where party policies align with these

priorities and where further action is needed to ensure that every child in the Northeast has

the tools, opportunities, and support to thrive.

 

Thank you to Katie Homer and Peter Bould for their contributions toward this paper.