As election fever grips the nation and the 7th of May looms, thoughts turn to what the future holds for education.

Over the next few pages, we will look at the pre-manifestos offered by Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and UKIP.

So, in no particular order…

Quick jump:   UKIP   Green Party   Labour   Conservatives   Liberal Democrats

The Conservatives claim over the past four years that they’ve raised standards, improved discipline and given head teachers and parents the freedom to improve and expand their schools

If elected, the Conservatives will:

• continue to demand the best of our schools;
• go even further to tackle underperformance, giving Regional Schools Commissioners the power to intervene in a failing school from the start;
• give teachers, who rise early every day, go to work and turn their plans into action, the tools they need to deliver the highest standards;
• introduce a National Teachers’ Service, ensuring that some of the most deprived areas of the country benefit from excellent teaching;
• continue with the EBacc initiative, and expect schools to enter every young person, as appropriate, for a minimum of five core academic subjects.

The Conservatives say they trust teachers and heads to know what is best for their schools. That’s why they’ve “given schools greater autonomy, and put professionals in the driving seat over what they teach, when they teach it, as well as who is best to teach it.”

Throughout this period in power, they say they have raised the quality of teaching through the creation of a national network of 600 teaching schools and by attracting a record number of first-class graduates and teachers from other professions.

Alongside these reforms to teaching, they assert that they have toughened up the National Curriculum so that young people leave schools with the skills they need to succeed.

Over the next five years the Conservatives want to build on their “record of success” and ensure that every young person leaves school prepared for life after school, and able to succeed in modern Britain.

Next Party:   Liberal Democrats

Do these policies cover everything you want to see?

If not, take a look at the alternative policies — these were provided by some of the country’s leading educationalists who work with Osiris Educational. We asked them what policies they would bring in if they were Education Secretary. The results are thought-provoking and centred upon what is best for the learning of all children.

Osiris Educational is a non-party political company and no bias or endorsement of any political party is implied. Research conducted January 2015 and correct at time of print. All the five main parties were contacted to offer them the chance to tell us about their education policies. Information presented here is either directly in response to this request or based on the information provided by the parties’ websites and documentation.