Michelle, I had hoped that I had made it very clear in my opening statement and in my subsequent answers to colleagues across the Chamber that these results are not good enough. There is no doubt about that. It should also be noted that, today, the OECD has issued a stark warning to countries not to move to greater forms of selection within education systems. With all due respect to your contribution, I will be following the advice of the OECD.

Let’s be absolutely clear: to suggest that we are not differentiating our teaching in school to adapt to the different needs of children is to not understand what is going on in the best of our classrooms. Good teachers know that they need to differentiate their lessons. They plan in that way, they deliver their lessons in that way, and they make sure that each child performs to the best of their absolute ability. Now, that goes on in our best schools; but if we’re honest, that is not going on consistently in all of our schools, and that’s what we need to do to ensure that we make progress. That’s why we will be introducing new teaching standards for the profession in the spring of next year.

You say that we don’t want mediocrity, and I would absolutely agree with you. I have no time for mediocrity in our system. I do not believe, like some say, that adequate is good enough. It’s not. And I have no time for those who think they are the finished article. Every teacher—every good teacher—knows that they will be a better teacher tomorrow than they were today, because the biggest student in the classroom should be the teacher themselves, continuously reflecting on their practice, looking at international best practice, learning new techniques and new skills, and incorporating that into their work. That’s the very best of teaching, and that’s what our teaching standards will expect of the profession.

You say we need competition. I suggest we need competition like I need a hole in my head. Although after today—. [Laughter.] Let me be absolutely clear: we know that high-performing education systems in the world rely on a system of self-improvement and collaboration and co-operation across the profession. Our best schools and our best teachers don’t keep that practice to themselves because they are fearful of somebody coming up on the rails and overtaking them in a league table; they share that best practice. They share those good ideas, and they do so knowing that they can be generous with their skills and generous with their time, and not have to worry about being overtaken by somebody on the flanks. We need our schools to co-operate, not to compete, because doing that will drive up standards for all.