Here’s my letter in today’sThe Guardiancalling on the Conservative Government to look at what’s worked in London’s schools, rather than focus on structures whether that’s Grammar Schools, Free Schools or Academies.

You can read the full letter here:

As young people collect their A-level and GCSE results this month, London’s experience shows that it is good teaching, effective leadership and funding that gets results. Not fixating on structures whether it’s Grammar Schools, Academies or Free Schools.

Despite high levels of deprivation, London’s children now consistently outperform their peers at Key Stage 2 and GCSE and London has the highest percentage of schools in the country that are good or outstanding. This hasn’t always been the case. Schemes like the London Challenge, established by the last Labour Government, played a key role in the transformation by focusing on the quality of leadership, teaching and learning and providing much needed new funding.

Thanks to the huge progress that has been made in education across London, children growing up here from poorer backgrounds are much more likely to achieve good results than anywhere else. It is essential that the funding that has made this possible is protected.

If Theresa May meant anything on the steps of number 10 when she spoke of standing up for the many not just the privileged few, she should look to London rather than selective areas where the opposite is the case.

Catherine West
Member of Parliament for Hornsey & Wood Green
Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on London