Education and Skills Priorities 2023-24

Listed below are the priorities for the Education and Skills Division of the local authority for the 2023/24 academic year: 

Celebrate and build upon what we do well

• publicise the great work that happens in our schools and services more often and more widely in the city and beyond
• all schools in Newcastle to be rated at least ‘good’ by Ofsted

Mainstream and specialist inclusion

• create sufficient good quality places to educate children and young people near to their families, friends and communities
• identify and create diverse curriculum opportunities to support schools to help pupils to remain engaged in school and in their education
• flexibly adapt the resource available to support all types of education providers in the city to meet the needs of children and young people, this includes flexibly planning for and deploying the various funding streams that are available

Absence, suspension and exclusion rates, especially for those pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged

• reduce these steadily to at least core city, regional and then national benchmarks

Multi-agency and external partner support and resource

• improve the visibility of education and ensure that the voice of education is heard in policy-making forums in the city and the sub-region, particularly key partners in health, the Combined Authority and the VCS sector
• improve the collective understanding of the priorities and work of strategic partners by sharing relevant information across the education sector

Employability

• drive further improvements in the range and regularity of independent careers information, advice and guidance for all school-aged pupils in Newcastle
• working with council services and external partners, contribute effectively to the offer for school leavers and adults most at risk of not being able to engage with work-based training or employment