“Ensuring every child has the opportunity to make the most of their talents and be anything they want to be is at the very core of what I believe – and we know the vital role you and your colleagues play in that.

But I’m really concerned that this Government have got their priorities about how to improve schools and support teachers all wrong – so I wanted to take this opportunity to share some of ours instead.

Liberal Democrats believe we should be giving teachers the pay rise they have waited so long for. We’re also going to fight the Government on scrapping Qualified Teacher Status – we think it is right that your training and experience is officially recognised.

We also think you should have much more freedom to get on and do the job you’re trained for.

We have proposed reforming Ofsted so that inspections are less burdensome and don’t take so much of your time away from teaching. We also advocate a minimum curriculum entitlement, so every child receives a slimmed down core national curriculum, taught in all state-funded schools. Outside of that, teachers would have more autonomy to reflect the specific needs of their classes in the way that they teach.

I have never understood why the Government think that converting a school to an academy will automatically drive up standards. They’re wrong.

What drives up standards is a well-funded education system and a teaching workforce who receive proper support and recognition for their work.

My fear is that this policy is worse than misguided – it is downright harmful. It will be a costly and disruptive process for thousands of schools across the county, most of whom are already facing significant pressures including squeezed budgets and falling teacher morale.

Tim Farron Leader, Liberal Democrats “