The Government agrees that good teachers and leaders are the most important lever for improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Our reforms since 2010 have been driven by the ambition to ensure that every child has access to a great education delivered by a great teacher in a great school, regardless of their background or where they live. Our reforms have delivered improvements across the country. The proportion of schools rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted has risen to 86% from 68% in 2010. This means tens of thousands more children are receiving the education they deserve, and that most disadvantaged pupils now attend Good or Outstanding schools, giving them better prospects for a successful adult life. The Department has launched a range of policies to support the recruitment and retention of high-quality teachers and leaders in all schools across the country. These include: • the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework, introduced in 2019, which ensures all new teachers receive a minimum entitlement of high-quality training; • the Early Career Framework (ECF) reforms, implemented in September 2021, which provide all early career teachers with two years of funded, structured support, training, and mentoring, based on the best available evidence; • a reformed suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), including new specialist NPQs, to deliver world-class professional development for teachers and leaders at all stages of their career; • financial incentives for teachers in priority subjects, including bursaries and scholarships of up to £28,000; and • targeted support for schools in challenging areas to attract and retain the best teachers through the ‘Levelling Up Premium’ for teachers and specialist grants such as the Strategic School Improvement Fund. We are confident that these measures, alongside our wider education reforms, are addressing the challenges of teacher supply and quality in disadvantaged areas. We continue to monitor their impact and keep them under review. We also recognise the significant role played by teaching assistants in supporting pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Department is committed to ensuring that teaching assistants are supported to deliver high-quality support to pupils, and we fund the Education Endowment Foundation, which publishes guidance for schools on how to make the best use of teaching assistants. We will continue to work to support all teachers and leaders in schools across the country, to ensure all pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, including disadvantaged White pupils, have access to an excellent education.