Board meeting: 12 December 2024
Updated 14 August 2025
Applies to England
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Attendees and presenters
Member attendees
- Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP – Secretary of State for Education (from 3pm)
- Rt Hon Baroness Smith – Minister for Skills and Minister for the Board (Chair)
- Richard Pennycook – Lead Non-executive Board Member
- Susan Acland-Hood – Permanent Secretary
- Toby Peyton-Jones – Non-executive Board Member
- Sir Peter Bazalgette – Non-executive Board Member
- Stuart McMinnies – Non-executive Board Member
- Jack Boyer – Non-executive Board Member
- Jane Cunliffe – Chief Operating Officer
- Tony Foot – Director General, Strategy Group
Presenters
- Warwick Sharp – Director, Strategy and Delivery
- Tom Stephens – Deputy Director, Delivery Unit
- Caroline Halls – Head of Schools Strategy Unit
- Simon Blake – Deputy Director, Attendance Division
- Lucy Livings – Regional Director, South West Region
- Matthew Stevenson – Deputy Director, South West Region
- Stuart Miller – Director for Curriculum and General Qualifications
- Tanya Arkle – Deputy Director Strategy Group
- Nick Fussell – Legal Director
Other attendees
- John Edwards – Director General, Regions Group
- Juliet Chua – Director General, Schools Group
- Kate Ridley-Pepper – Director, Apprenticeships and Skills Bootcamps, deputising for Director General, Skills
- Justin Russell – Director General, Families Group (from 2:45pm)
- Helen Alderton – Private Secretary to Secretary of State
- Laura Hoskins – Board Secretary
1. Introduction, minutes and action tracker
Rt Hon Baroness Smith, Minister for the Board, took the Chair and welcomed Members to the meeting. Apologies were noted from the Secretary of State for the first half of this meeting and from Julia Kinniburgh.
The minutes of the meeting held on Monday 11 November 2024 were approved as a correct record.
2. Departmental performance
Board members reviewed the interactive 10DS dashboard, which included data on departmental performance against milestones set for each pillar of the Opportunity Mission and the People pillar for the Growth Mission (to 2028).
Board members discussed the Mission Pillars and the missions-led ways of working, including the benefits of cross-governmental working.
3. Achieving and thriving
Board members noted the priorities and targets that sat under the Every Child Achieving and Thriving Opportunity Mission Pillar.
Discussion took place on the data used to support delivery of Pillar targets, including on attainment and the sense of pupils’ belonging in schools.
Board members agreed with the scope and headline priorities for Every Child Achieving and Thriving and to the approach to the January Opportunity Mission Board and Prime Minister’s stocktake.
4. School attendance
The Board received an update on school attendance, which was a key measure in the Achieving and Thriving Pillar of the Opportunity Mission (along with attainment and belonging).
Board members discussed the repercussions of low attendance and the potential reasons for this and acknowledged work that had been carried out with multi academy trusts and local authorities on parental engagement to improve attendance.
Officials would attend the Prime Minister’s stocktake on Achieving and Thriving with multiple levels of targets and ambitions on attendance.
The Secretary of State joined the meeting at this point.
5. Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE)
Members noted the aims and aspirations of RISE for the School sector, including early priorities and the targeted support offer that RISE work would offer for schools. A small number of RISE advisers would start their roles in February 2025.
Board members discussed the importance of celebrating high and rising standards in regions in addition to those providing support for improvement at a local or regional level.
The important and consequential work of RISE was noted by Board members.
6. Children’s Wellbeing Bill
Board members were presented with an update on the progress of the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, key measures and next steps.
7. Any other business
There were no additional items for discussion on this occasion.
The meeting concluded at 4pm.