New support to ‘transform life chances’ of Scarborough pupils as part of Government plan
Scarborough will be part of the Government’s new education ‘missions’ that have been launched to open doors for children in the most underserved communities.
Children in the town are set to benefit from targeted support that will “transform their life chances” through a pioneering new education programme, the Government has announced.
Mission Coastal will bring “expert support into classrooms and new opportunities beyond the school gates” for children in Scarborough, the North East, and Hastings from this September.
These are “communities where too many young people have been held back for too long, with persistently low results” and the programme promises to give the most disadvantaged children the mentoring, careers support, and enrichment opportunities they need to achieve and thrive.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced the plan recently but did not say how much funding would go into the programme.
Alison Hume, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that this Labour government has heard my calls and has selected Scarborough as one of two coastal towns for the pilot of our Mission Coastal project, which is an innovative project with a laser focus on improving educational outcomes in towns with a high level of deprivation.
“This programme builds on the success of the London Challenge, which launched in 2003, and proved what is possible when you concentrate expert-led, place-based support in communities that have previously been left behind.”
Ms Hume said she had also made the case for Whitby to be included in the scheme.
Earlier this year, the CEO of an education trust with several coastal schools welcomed the plan but noted that “the intentions are good but are at risk of being misunderstood if implementation is poor”.
Writing in TES, Seamus Murphy, the CEO of Turner Schools in Folkestone, urged those making the plans to spend time in schools across the coast.
“They’ll see why inner-city approaches cannot simply be lifted and shifted to the coast – and that it’s just as important we get it right for generations to come,” he wrote.
As part of the programme, expert practitioners will work “directly with leaders and teachers, building teacher capacity and raising standards”, and schools will work together in local clusters, learning from each other rather than tackling challenges alone.
Beyond the school gates, new partnerships with employers, sports clubs, faith groups and youth organisations will provide vital mentoring, careers support and cultural enrichment, the scheme states.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “I grew up in the North East and know the challenges families face.
"I want every child there, and in coastal communities like Hastings and Scarborough, to have the same opportunities I was lucky enough to have.
“For too long, children living in these areas have grown up without the opportunities that they need and deserve to be able to achieve and thrive.
“That is not a matter of ability. It is a matter of justice. Mission North East and Mission Coastal are our commitment to change that postcode lottery for good.”