my mission to build a country that works for everyone.

Today I want to talk a little more about what that means and lay out my vision for a truly

meritocratic Britain that puts the interests of ordinary, working class people first.

We are facing a moment of great change as a nation.

As we leave the European Union, we must define an ambitious new role for ourselves in the

world.

That involves asking ourselves what kind of country we want to be: a confident, global

trading nation that continues to play its full part on the world stage.

But at the same time, I believe we have a precious opportunity to step back and ask

some searching questions about what kind of country we want to be here at home too.

In fact, it's not just an opportunity, but a duty.

Because one thing is clear.

When the British people voted in the referendum, they did not just choose to leave the European

Union.

They were also expressing a far more profound sense of frustration about aspects of life

in Britain and the way in which politics and politicians have failed to respond to their

concerns.

Some voted for the first time in more than 30 years.

Some for the first time ever.

And they were inspired to do so because they saw a chance to reject the politics of 'business

as usual' and to demand real, profound change.

Fed up with being ignored or told that their priorities were somehow invalid, based on

ignorance and misunderstanding, or even on occasion that they were simply wrong to voice

the concerns that they did, they took their opportunity to send a very clear message:

they will not be ignored anymore.

They want to take back control of the things that matter in their lives.

They want a government that listens, understands and is on their side.

They want change.

And this government is going to deliver it.

Everything we do will be driven, not by the interests of the privileged few.

Not by those with the loudest voices, the special interests, the greatest wealth or

the access to influence.

This government's priorities are those of ordinary, working class people.

People for whom life sometimes can be a struggle, but who get on with things without complaint.

They get on with their jobs – sometimes 2 or even 3 of them – because they have

families to feed and support, bills to pay and because to work for a fair reward is the

right thing to do.

They get on with their lives quietly, going about their business, going out to work, raising

families, helping neighbours, making their communities what they are.

They don't ask for much, but they want to know that the people that make the big decisions

are on their side, working for them.

They want to believe that everyone plays by the same rules and things are fair.

And above all they want to believe that if they uphold their end of the deal – they

do the right thing, they work hard, they pay their taxes – then tomorrow will be better

than today and their children will have a fair chance in life, the chance to go as far

as their talents will take them.

These are not outrageous demands or ridiculous desires, but for too many of these people

today life does not seem fair.

They are the people who made real sacrifices after the financial crash in 2008, though

they were in no way responsible.

They wonder if others – some of whom really do bear responsibility for the crash – did

the same.

More than anything else, they worry – truly worry – that the changing world around them

means that their children and grandchildren won't have the same opportunities they have

enjoyed in life.

They deserve a better deal.

And to give them that, we should take this opportunity to step back and pose a fundamental

question: what kind of country – what kind of society - do we want to be?

I am clear about the answer.

I want Britain to be the world's great meritocracy – a country where everyone has a fair chance

to go as far as their talent and their hard work will allow.

I want us to be a country where everyone plays by the same rules; where ordinary, working

class people have more control over their lives and the chance to share fairly in the

prosperity of the nation.

And I want Britain to be a place where advantage is based on merit not privilege; where it's

your talent and hard work that matter, not where you were born, who your parents are

or what your accent sounds like.

Let us not underestimate what it will take to create that great meritocracy.

It means taking on some big challenges, tackling some vested interests.

Overcoming barriers that have been constructed over many years.

It means not being afraid to think differently about what disadvantage means, who we want

to help and how we can help them.

Because where once we reached for simple ways of labelling people disadvantaged and were

quick to pose simple – and often fairly blunt – solutions, in these modern times

disadvantage is much more complex.

It's often hidden and less easy to identify.

It's caused by factors that are more indirect and tougher to tackle than ever before.

But tackle it we must if we are to give ordinary, working class people the better deal they

deserve.

It means marking a significant shift in the way that government works in Britain too.

Because government and politicians have for years talked the language of social justice

– where we help the very poorest – and social mobility – where we help the brightest

among the poor.

But to make Britain a great meritocracy, we must move beyond this agenda and deliver real

social reform across every layer of society so that those whom the system would currently

miss – those just above the threshold for help today yet those who are by no means rich

or well off – are given the help they need.

It means putting government firmly on the side of not only the poorest in our society,

important though that is and will remain, but also of those in Britain who are working

hard but just about managing.

It means helping to make their lives a little easier; giving them greater control over the

issues they care about the most.

This is the change we need.

It will mean changing some of the philosophy underpinning how government thinks and acts.

It will mean recalibrating how we approach policy development to ensure that everything

we do as government helps to give a fair chance to those who are just getting by – while

still helping those who are even more disadvantaged.

I don't pretend this change will be easy – change rarely is – but this is the change

we need if we are to make Britain the great meritocracy I want it to be.

Over the coming weeks and months the government will set out an ambitious programme of economic

and social reform that will help us make this change and build a true meritocracy in our

country.

But there is no more important place to start than education.

Because if the central concern ordinary working class people have is that their children will

not enjoy the same opportunities they have had in life, we need to ensure that there

is a good school place for every child, and education provision that caters to the individual

needs and abilities of every pupil.

Schools that work for everyone We start from a position of strength.

This government has a proud record of school reform.

We have opened up the system, introducing a real diversity of provision.

We have schools where teachers and headteachers are free to make the decisions that are best

for them.

And through successful policies such as a renewed focus on learning the basics of reading

in primary schools, and initiatives to help young people pursue a strong academic core

of subjects at secondary level, we are ensuring that every child has the opportunity to develop

the core knowledge that underpins everything else.

We have put control in the hands of parents and headteachers, and encouraged people from

all walks of life who are passionate about education to bring their best ideas and innovations

to our school system.

The Academies and Free Schools movement overseen by pioneers such as Andrew Adonis and Michael

Gove has been a huge success and begun to build an education system fit for the future.

As a result, there are more good or outstanding schools today than ever before in our country.

And there are now more than 1.4 million more pupils in schools rated good or outstanding

than in 2010.

Our curriculum reforms mean that the proportion of pupils taking core academic subjects at

GCSE is up by almost 4-fifths.

We are driving up school standards to match the best international comparisons, with a

record number of pupils securing a place at one of our world-class universities this summer.

We can be proud of these achievements but there is still a long way to go.

Because for too many children, a good school remains out of reach.

There are still 1.25 million attending primary and secondary schools in England which are

rated by Ofsted as requiring improvement or inadequate.

If schools across the north and Midlands had the same average standards as those in the

south, nearly 200,000 more children would be attending good schools.

Let's be honest about what these statistics mean.

They mean that for far too many children in Britain, the chance they have in life is determined

by where they live or how much money their parents have.

And they mean that for far too many ordinary working class people, no matter how hard they

work, how many hours they put in or how many sacrifices they make, they cannot be confident

that their children will get the chances they deserve.

For when you are working 2 jobs and struggling to make ends meet, it is no good being told

that you can choose a better school for your children if you move to a different area or

pay to go private.

Those aren't choices that you can make.

And they are not choices that you should have to make.

So we need to go further, building on and extending our reforms so that we can truly

say that there will be a good school place for every child, and one that caters to their

individual needs.

But as we do it, we also need to change our philosophy and approach, because at the moment

the school system works if you're well off and can buy your way into the school you want,

and it provides extra help and support if you're from a disadvantaged family.

If you're eligible for free school meals, and your parents earn less than £16,000 a

year, then there is extra help on offer.

That is good and right – and as long as I am Prime Minister, the pupil premium for

the poorest children will remain.

But the free school meals measure only captures a relatively small number of pupils, whose

parents are on income-related benefits.

If we are going to make the change we need and build a great meritocracy in Britain,

we need to broaden our perspective and do more for the hidden disadvantaged: children

whose parents are on modest incomes, who do not qualify for such benefits but who are,

nevertheless, still only just getting by.

If you're earning 19, 20, 21 thousand pounds a year, you're not rich.

You're not well off.

And you should know you have our support too.

At the moment there is no way to differentiate between the school experience of children

from these families and those from the wealthiest 10%.

Policy has been skewed by the focus only on those in receipt of free school meals, when

the reality is that there are thousands of children from ordinary working class families

who are being let down by the lack of available good school places.

Putting this right means finding a way to identify these children and measuring their

attainment and progress within the school system.

That work is underway and is central to my vision of a school system that truly works

for everyone.

But we must also deliver a radical increase in the capacity of the school system so that

these families can be sure of their children getting good school places.

And this is really important.

Because I don't just want to see more school places but more good school places.

And I don't just want to see more new schools, but more good new schools that each in their

way contribute to a diversity of provision that caters to the needs and abilities of

each individual child, whoever they are and wherever they are from.

Every child should be given the opportunity to develop the crucial academic core.

And thanks to our reforms that is increasingly the case.

But people understand that every child is different too, with different talents, different

interests, different dreams.

To help them realise their potential and achieve those dreams we need a school system with

the capacity and capability to respond to what they need.

School capacity So as we radically expand the number of good

school places available to all families – not just those who can afford to buy an expensive

house, pay for an expensive private school, or fund the extra tuition their child needs

to succeed – I want to encourage more people, schools and institutions with something to

offer to come forward and help.

In the last 6 years, we have seen individuals and communities put staggering amounts of

time and effort into setting up good new schools.

Some of the best state schools, charities, universities, private schools, and businesses

have stepped forward to get involved.

And, increasingly, the best state schools are sponsoring the least good.

This has been a revolution in our schools system.

But with 1.25 million children still attending schools that are struggling, we need to do

much more to increase the capacity of the system so every child can get the education

they deserve.

So let's now build on the success of school reform, let's encourage others to play their

part, and let's remove the barriers they face so we can do more.

Let's sweep away those barriers and encourage more people to join us in the task of delivering

a good school place for every child.

Let's build a truly dynamic school system where schools and institutions learn from

one another, support one another and help one another.

Let's offer a diverse range of good schools that ensure the individual talents and abilities

of every child are catered for.

That is my ambition.

And there are 4 specific proposals I want to talk about today that I believe will help.

Universities Firstly, I want to build on the success we

have already experienced when some of our great universities have stepped in to help

by sponsoring or supporting a local school.

Universities have a huge amount to offer England's schools.

They have been part of the fabric of our education system since the 13th century and have had

a profound impact on our schools over generations.