Best start - Council Plan 2020/21
Children have the best start in life
The first few years of every child's life help shape the skills they gain and the choices they make throughout their lives. We want children and their families, communities and services to work together to provide positive childhood experiences, support when it is needed and to ensure every child in the district starts school healthy, happy and ready to learn.
Children's journeys through school and into adult life shape the rest of their lives. We want to prepare all children for successful, independent lives where they have the skills they need to achieve their aspirations.
What we're aiming to achieve
- Confident children ready to do well at school and in life.
- Better outcomes for vulnerable children.
- Child focused activities which support families.
- As many children as possible staying with their families.
Tackling inequalities
Education-related inequalities have a defining impact over a person's lifetime, not just in childhood and we recognise that civic appointments are not representative of our society in terms of Black and BAME (Black And Minority Ethnic) representation. Permanent school exclusions for Black African/Black Caribbean/Black British children in England are around three times the exclusion rate for all other pupils. The Breaking Barriers project will focus on delivering meaningful engagement and positive youth-led activities, to help tackle this - including by working with Black & BAME young adults aged 16-30 to design a leadership programme; delivering a campaign to listen to and involve black young people in social action and opportunities to explore issues of heritage and identity in Black History Month. The project will support BAME young people to develop the skills, knowledge, resources and confidence to engage and aspire in education, learning and leadership.
Measuring our impact
- School readiness - Good Level of Development at the end of Reception
- Placement stability for our looked after children