Yesterday Schools Minister Lord Agnew launched the ONE Vision Schools initiative at a meeting of school , education , business, and university leaders. A central part of Opportunity North East, the programme aims to support thirty schools in the North East, improve social mobility and raise aspirations for up to 25,000 young people.
The schools involved will be partnered with high-performing institutions who can provide support and share best practice. They will also be given bespoke support from expert leaders in education to raise standards and help children learn the skills and knowledge that will help unlock their potential.
Some of the schools identified to be part of the initiative include:
Duke’s Secondary School, Northumberland
Trinity Catholic College, Middlesbrough
Berwick Academy, Northumberland
St Aidan’s Church of England Academy, Darlington
Haughton Academy, Darlington
Unity Academy, Middlesbrough
Hetton School, Sunderland
While the region has some of the best performing primary schools in the country, some data shows secondary school performance to be below other regions, and the region has one of the highest proportions of young people not in education, employment or training after year 11.
Young people in the North East are the least likely to apply to higher education of any region in the country. 18 year olds from London are 50% more likely to apply to university than 18 year olds from the North East.
Opportunity North East will invest £24 million, with half of this designated for targeted approaches to improve the transition from primary to secondary school and drive up standards at secondary schools. The remaining £12 million is earmarked for training for new teachers and to help improve the quality of teaching in North East schools. Other aspects of the programme include working with secondary schools and colleges to encourage young people to consider progression routes, such as university and degree apprenticeships, and working with local businesses to improve job prospects for young people across the region.
Schools North East will be representing schools from across the region on the Strategy Board alongside other local experts.
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