The National Drought Group met on 4 June 2019

Government ecnourages schools across the North East to express interest in proposals to improve transitions from primary to secondary school

Schools across the North East are being urged to come forward with ideas to help children fulfil their potential as they move from primary to secondary level.

The performance of young people in the North East means the region’s primary schools are the highest-ranked outside of London, now the government is stepping-up efforts to ensure young people continue to reach their potential at secondary school.

To do that, the Department for Education (DfE) has today (4 June 2019) published a call for proposals to draw on the expertise of teachers, school leaders and local authorities in the region by asking them to pitch ideas to help children fulfil their untapped potential, supported by funding from the DfE’s £24 million Opportunity North East programme.

Every school and local authority in the North East is invited to get involved as Schools Minister Lord Agnew seeks the views of local educators on how to maximise the talent of youngsters when they move to high school – particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The best proposals will be granted up to £1.8 million for projects to help boost the prospects of young people across the North East – schools or local authorities interested in putting forward a proposal must submit an expression of interest by 24 June 2019 and can apply here.

Schools Minister Lord Agnew – chair of the Opportunity North East board – said:

Nobody knows the children and young people in the North East like the teachers in schools across the region, so it’s absolutely crucial that we tap into their knowledge in a way that helps deliver long-term improvements in secondary schools.

This expertise will help build on the work already underway as part of Opportunity North East – to ensure more people leave schools in the North East with the qualifications and skills they are capable of achieving.

The Department for Education will host an event at Shotton Hall Research School, Peterlee, on Wednesday 26 June to invite suggestions from local education leaders – and applicants have until 19 July 2019 to submit proposals.

Successful applicants will help to build on the momentum of the Opportunity North East programme – launched last year by the Education Secretary Damian Hinds – which pledged up to £24 million to tackle issues holding back young people in the North East, including the fact that the region has:

• Some of the best performing primary schools in the country, but secondary school performance is below other regions; and

• One of the highest proportions of young people not in education, employment or training after year 11. Opportunity North East aims to tackle these issues by:

• Investing £12 million in targeted approaches to improve the transition from primary to secondary school, drive up standards – particularly at secondary level – and improve outcomes for pupils post 16;

• Working with secondary schools and colleges to encourage young people to consider university, degree apprenticeships and other high quality technical education options;

• Partnering with local businesses to improve job prospects for young people across the region; and

• Investing a further £12 million to boost early career training for new teachers and help improve the quality of teaching and raise standards in the region’s schools, ahead of roll-out in other regions.

Today’s announcement follows the news that 30 under-performing schools will be partnered with successful schools to raise standards and help boost the prospects of 25,000 young people and offer extra more support as they move from education to work or further education.

Next Wednesday (12 June) the board of the Opportunity North East programme – comprised of local school and college leaders, local authorities, businesses and higher education institutions – will meet in Darlington to continue the group’s efforts to tackle the issues holding back young people in the region.

Thirteen local authorities were represented at a housing policy for Veterans workshop held at the RAF Club in London on Monday, June 3.

Delegates discussed homelessness and Veterans; the allocation of social housing to Veterans and working with others to achieve a coherent approach.

London VAPC chairman Lynn Verity said she was delighted with the commitment shown:

We hope the workshop will lead to a coalition of the willing. Housing is an incredibly complex and emotive subject; put it together with a special group like Veterans and it can become even more so.

But after today we think it’s possible agreement may emerge on, for example, what is best practice; something that could be of real use not just in London but also in other parts of the UK.

The event, organised by London VAPC, included as stakeholders the University of Kent Law School, the Royal British Legion and Renewing the Covenant in the Capital.

In addition to the boroughs, GLA members, major military charities and organisations involved in the welfare of ex-servicemen and women, including Veterans UK and the MOD, also attended.

Contributions from the delegates will now be analysed by the University of Kent, who will formulate a research programme. The aim is to work with local authorities and interested groups to produce practical outcomes.

London VAPC would like to thank the following local authorities for attending: Bromley, Camden, Greenwich, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Haringey, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Newham, Richmond, Southwark, Wandsworth and Westminster.

In addition, we appreciate the contributions made by Len Duvall, Gareth Bacon and Deborah Halling from the GLA, charities Blesma, COBSEO, Stoll and Veteran’s Aid and the RAF.

We’re extremely grateful to the Royal British Legion and Tesco for financial support and the RAF Club for hosting the event.

A copy of Homeless Veterans in London, Investigating Housing Responsibilities report 2019 (PDF, 534KB, 6 pages) .

The number of reported cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has exceeded 2,000, the country’s Ministry of Health confirmed today (Tuesday 4 June).

The UK remains one of the largest donors to the outbreak and last week the Department for International Development announced new UK aid to help the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) carry out safe and dignified burials.

International Development Secretary Rory Stewart said:

More than 2000 people have now contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is more important than ever that we grip this outbreak.

The UK continues to be at the forefront of the response, but this needs to be a global effort with others stepping up their support. This outbreak is potentially devastating for the region. It could spread easily to neighbouring provinces and even to neighbouring countries.

Last month I convened a meeting of experts and concluded as well as funding, we need more people on the ground to help coordinate efforts to contain this deadly disease. We need to act fast, and we need to act generously.

Last week, Minister for Africa Harriett Baldwin visited the DRC for the first time since the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri provinces began last August.

ENDS