“My government will continue to work to ensure that every child has the opportunity to attend a good school and that all schools are fairly funded. My ministers will work to ensure people have the skills they need for the high-skilled, high-wage jobs of the future, including through a major reform of technical education.”

So said Her Majesty the Queen, delivering the government’s plans for education for the next two years.

Whilst earlier proposals for the expansion of selective education were not mentioned, and whilst no legislative measures for education were put forward, commitment to a national funding formula and technical education routes are clearly in the DfE’s plans.

Further background notes on the Queen’s speech revealed the Government’s commitment to:

• Establishing new free schools
• Converting failing maintained schools into academies
• Encouraging the growth of multi-academy trusts
• Delivering Institutes of Technology
• Expanding the apprenticeship programme.