Welcome for Pledge scheme backing

The County Council has welcomed a Government initiative which backs its own innovative scheme to raise the aspirations of young people in Scarborough. Scarborough is one of six Education Opportunity Areas across England which together will receive £60million to help local children and young people to get the best start in life. However, the County Council had already taken the initiative in Scarborough and as the new academic year begins it is working with schools, businesses, cultural partners and the district council to roll out a range of groundbreaking schemes branded the Scarborough Pledge. The aim of The Pledge is to improve educational attainment, increase cultural, training and work opportunities and generally broaden horizons for young people along the coastal area. A County Council recruitment drive to attract top quality teachers to the resort is already bearing fruit. The Government’s Education Opportunity Area funding will help to build on this work. The County Council has committed £750,000 over three years towards Scarborough Pledge to bring about a community-wide shift in attitude about expectations for the area’s young people. This is intended to achieve an overall improvement of educational standards, a closing of the attainment gap for the most disadvantaged young people, a reduction of the number who are not in education, training or employment at 16 and 17, an increase in the recruitment and retention of good teachers in key subjects and to make parents better equipped to support their children’s learning The Scarborough Pledge will now be boosted by the Government’s Education Opportunity Area funding which is intended to create local partnerships between early years providers, schools, colleges, universities, businesses, charities and local authorities to ensure all children and young people have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Barker, County North Councillor Yorkshire’s Arthur Executuve Member for Schools, said the Government’s announcement would only serve to build on The Pledge’s innovative collaboration.