OVER the long weekend, the education secretary Nicky Morgan spoke to teachers’ unions about her plans to turn all schools into academies – a status which gives them greater autonomy and control over their own budgets.

Earlier this month, the budget also contained a number of announcements touching on education, including the possibility of deepening our nation’s maths skills by making the subject compulsory until the age of 18.

I have often said that education is the most important policy area of all, when it comes to promoting the long-term wellbeing of this country.

Our productivity and prosperity as a nation grows directly out of the skills we imbue in the next generation.

Changes to education are always controversial but when you look at the global picture and understand that our competitiveness all begins with improving standards in education, it would be irresponsible not to look for new ways to deliver power and resources to where they are needed – in the classroom.

In some areas of the country – fortunately not here – local authorities have presided over generations of poor performance and the chain of underachievement badly needs breaking.

In Salisbury we have already seen a number of schools taking a self-driven decision to explore going down the academy route, particularly in Laverstock, where schools are looking at coming together to form a multi-academy trust.

This grouping enables schools that share the same community to keep their own identities while sharing resources and management expertise and offering improved development opportunities for staff.

I also think it is important schools that need more support are actively included in MATs to spread the benefits of cooperation as widely as possible.

I am also keeping up the pressure on the minister to bring forward the planned changes to the funding formula for schools, which has, in the past, left Wiltshire badly disadvantaged when it comes to per pupil funding.

I hope that, given our starting point, a lot of our schools will see a significant uplift when the changes take effect.