Schools – a truly universal public service

The long-awaited white paper, ‘Every child achieving and thriving’, was published on 23 February. Billed as the SEND white paper, it is easy to overlook some of the more subtle points which permeate through the document. One in particular is the consistent references to the role of schools and colleges as the cornerstone of public service. 

The discussion about schools and colleges being civic institutions is not new, and this language has trickled into Bridget Phillipson’s public voice for the last two years. Her speech at the Confederation of School Trusts (CST) conference in 2025 and 2026 referenced this concept. Therefore, at least a nod to this model is not surprising. However, the references to public services and education institutions being societal anchor institutions is a consistent and dominant message throughout the white paper. It is acknowledged that schools are “agents for change” from a societal perspective, but this must sit alongside a re-build of the wider public service, in particular the health service, in order to be effective. 

This is undoubtedly an ambitious proposal in itself, which sits alongside the suite of wide ranging proposals in the white paper as a whole. Most education institutions are already occupying a critical public service role, acting beyond their remit as educators without fuss nor an expectation of praise. The hope is that the emphasis in the white paper on the role schools and colleges play in the communities in which they are situated will serve to acknowledge and support this vital work, as opposed to increase its burden. We eagerly await the finer details to understand how we can support this in practice.