North East education: looking to the year ahead
A very warm welcome back to everyone who has returned to school this week. We hope you had a good summer and found some time to rest and recharge ahead of what promises to be another significant year for education.
Schools and trusts continue to operate in an increasingly challenging environment, while major developments including the Schools White Paper and SEND reform will bring further change in the year ahead.
Through all of this, Schools North East’s role remains clear: to support our schools, champion our region and ensure the North East has a strong voice in the national conversations that shape education.
A major focus of that work this year will be continuing to challenge the ‘structural divide’.
Challenging the ‘structural divide’
Children and young people in the North East do not lack talent or ambition, nor do our leaders and teachers lack expertise or determination. What our region continues to face is a very different set of circumstances.
Differences in poverty, opportunity, access to support and wider economic conditions all affect children long before they reach the school gates. These challenges cannot be addressed by schools alone, yet too often educational outcomes are considered without sufficient recognition of the context in which they are achieved.
This summer’s exam results provided another stark reminder.
Unsurprisingly, there was plenty to celebrate. At A Level, 23.1% of North East entries achieved an A or A*, slightly higher than last year and broadly in line with the region’s pre-pandemic position. At GCSE, 65.2% of entries achieved grade 4 or above.
However, look past the headline statistics and a worrying regional picture remains.
The gap between the North East and London for GCSE grades 7–9 now stands at 10.9 percentage points, compared with 9.3 points in 2019. At A Level, the gap in A/A* grades has widened to 9.6 percentage points, which is more than double the 3.9-point gap recorded before the pandemic.
North East outcomes have remained broadly comparable with their pre-pandemic position. What has changed significantly is the distance between our region and London.
That divergence cannot credibly be explained by a growing difference in the quality of schools or the potential of pupils. It points instead to the very different circumstances in which children, young people and schools are operating.
Changing the conversation
Throughout results season, Schools North East worked to make sure this context was part of the national conversation, securing coverage across outlets including The Guardian, Sky News, ITV News, the BBC and The Chronicle.
During one BBC interview, we were asked whether the results meant teaching standards in the North East should be questioned.
Our response was an unequivocal: ‘no’.
The issue is not, and has never been, a lack of talent, ambition, leadership or teaching quality in North East schools. Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not.
Challenging narratives that underestimate our region and ensuring national policymakers understand the barriers facing North East children and young people will remain central to our work throughout 2026/27.
But we need the insight and experiences of our schools and trusts to do that effectively. What you see every day provides the evidence we need to challenge assumptions, influence policy and make sure the realities facing our region are heard nationally.
Partner Schools & Trusts: join our first Policy Briefing
One of the first opportunities to get involved will be our first Schools North East Policy Briefing of 2026/27, taking place on 17 September in Newcastle and Middlesbrough.
With education policy continuing to move quickly, the briefing will cover the key policy and funding developments shaping 2026/27, what they mean for North East schools, and our latest work on the structural divide.
Crucially, it is also an opportunity for us to hear directly from you. The experiences and insight of our Partner Schools and Trusts help shape our policy positions and strengthen the case we make to national decision-makers.
The Policy Briefing is free and exclusive to Schools North East Partner Schools and Trusts. Spaces are limited and filling quickly, so book your place at either venue for 17 September now.
Join us at Summit 2026
The bigger conversation about the future of education and our region will continue at the Schools North East Summit on 8 October at St James’ Park.
What role should education play in the North East’s future? How do we tackle the structural barriers holding back too many of our children and young people? And how can our region make the most of the renewed national focus created by Mission North East?
More than 500 Trust CEOs, Head Teachers and senior leaders will come together to explore these questions at one of the biggest dates in the North East education calendar.
This year’s programme is almost ready to be revealed in full, with a thought-provoking line-up taking shape. Already announced are leading voices from education and beyond, including Lord Sewell of Sanderstead CBE, Sir Jim Mackey, Chief Executive of NHS England, and former World and European Champion Steve Cram.
Summit is an opportunity to look beyond the immediate pressures facing education. Together, we will hear fresh perspectives and consider what needs to change if we are to create greater opportunity for every child and young person in our region.
Places are limited, so secure yours and book now for Summit 2026.