Australians rightly expect each of our schools to provide an excellent and enriching education. But giving schools the support they need to deliver on this expectation has proved difficult.

While Australia has many exceptional schools, it has struggled to spread success to all. Indeed, one in three Australian students fall short of learning expectations in the key areas of reading and numeracy, according to NAPLAN assessments. Too many children are treading water in schools that struggle to improve academic performance.