Nelson Mandela said 'education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world'. Ensuring that every child has an excellent education is a crucial, ongoing challenge across politics and society.

The reality, as identified last week by Sir Michael Wilshaw, is that we are currently failing to meet this challenge.

Mr Wilshaw's Ofsted report on pupil achievement said that children now most at risk of missing out on the benefits of education are no longer in large cities, but in rural, leafy areas.

He said:'They coast through education until – at the earliest opportunity – they sever their ties with it.' This is not the way to equip young people with the skills needed for long-term employment, to sustainable incomes and healthy and happy lives.

London, Manchester and Birmingham now have some of the best schools in the country and it is here that we can identify the conditions we need to provide excellent educational opportunities.

The London Challenge saw successful schools help struggling ones. Schools are not silos and we must ensure that all schools work together to raise standards for every child.

For these high levels of collaboration we must extend the freedoms that some schools have to all schools.

This requires extending the freedoms enjoyed by academies and free schools, including over the curriculum, the length of the school term and on the procurement of goods and services.

Academy schools in my constituency say freedom to innovate over the curriculum has given them a new sense of confidence and professionalism. All young people should benefit from the positive impact this brings.

We must also all ensure that all schools are accountable to their local community and that key decisions about schooling are taken by local people.

This includes stronger local oversight of schools so that struggling schools are spotted earlier, there is strategic planning of school place planning, fair admissions and that schools have a clear relationship with local community.

Collaboration, freedom and devolution – these are the three strands towards providing an excellent school place for every child.

Andy Sawford is MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire.