On 7-8 March 2016 a conference in Brussels discussed the results of the ET2020 Working Group on Schools Policy – an expert group of policymakers and stakeholders from more than 30 European countries. The Group’s work over the last two years had focused on identifying successful policy approaches to reduce early school leaving and to raise the quality of Initial Teacher Education. The peer learning in and between country delegations was a central element of this conference. Acting as each others’ critical friends country delegations explored strengths and weaknesses of their school education systems and defined possible future actions. The European Parents’ Association (EPA) states that the policy messages are appreciated by the stakeholders, especially parents. The challenge ahead is to support and empower national level stakeholder representatives to make these recommendations a reality.