Priority b) Education and skills: High quality skills and learning for all
We've taken action to provide opportunities from early years to adult education.
Supporting children and young people
In May 2024, an Executive Decision saw approval, for the tender and capital funding, to provide for the creation of early years and childcare places at Lowfield Green.
The Children and Young People’s Plan is now live and sets out ambitious plans and a strategic framework for partners to address the things that matter most to children, young people, and parents.
The Early Talk for children’s speech and language programme won a national Learning Award at the Children and Young People Now Awards.
The Free School Meals pilot at Westfield and Burton Green Primary Schools, continue to provide access to nutritious meals that support children’s development, encourage attendance and support family household budgets.
We've also been successful in securing £10,000 from the Department for Education, to support the commissioning of specialist after school provision, for children with complex needs. York is the only local authority to successfully secure this funding via a strategic support partner, and is the first in the country to test the market for specialist provision.
In September 2024, Executive approved the creation of a new Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Hub in Clifton to bring practitioners together across different disciplines and agencies within a single physical environment. This will enhance the service offer, improve partnership practice, and ensure greater accessibility for families to specialist early advice.
Skills for Life
Work has continued to support multiple routes into employment for all residents. This includes:
- the SEND Supported Internship Hub launched in September 2023
- promotion of health and care careers via the York Health and Care Partnership
- the launch of the Construction York Skills Initiative, which aims to equip York residents, particularly those from disadvantaged, underrepresented and underemployed groups, with relevant skills, qualifications and experience to progress in green construction skills
York Learning’s published accountability statement details a closer working alignment between the Council Plan and the opportunities available through the funding of adult learning. The statement details how provision will:
- increase:opportunity for adults to be able to navigate cost of living issues
- develop a range of essential and transferable skills
- develop opportunities for families to work, learn and play together
- support greater community cohesion and civic pride
The Reducing Inequalities, Supporting Employment (RISE) programme is a groundbreaking support programme that offers one-to-one advice and employability support, empowering those involved to overcome both personal and professional challenges.
We've worked with partners, including the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority on the development of adult skills provision, offering support and guidance to plans ahead of devolution of the Adult Education Budget. We've also been integral to the work that has seen the approval of an Adult Strategic Skills Plan for the region.
What we plan to do over the next three months
- consider a York Learning Strategic Plan 2024 to 2025
- develop a York Youth Strategy
Areas of Positive Performance
Council delivery
The number of Free School Meal eligible children, who took a Free School Meal on Census Day was 3,289 in January 2024, compared to 2,987 in January 2023.
City outcomes
The percentage of working age population qualified to at least level 2 and above was 90% in 2023 to 2024, compared to the national benchmark of 86.5%.
The percentage of working age population qualified to at least level 4 and above was 53.8% in 2023 to 2024, compared to the national benchmark of 47.3%.
Read more about what qualification levels mean.
