Editor’s Letter

Dear Reader

When Justine Greening came to Scarborough in January last year to officially open the UTC, the Education Secretary generously devoted two days talking to education professionals, pupils and the business community. She attended a comprehensive school and used to come to Scarborough as a schoolgirl to take part in swimming events. In preparation for her visit last year, she announced that Scarborough was one of the new £72m Opportunity Areas to help children get better starts in life. Tackling what jargon calls our social mobility ‘coldspots’ is the most serious issue facing Scarborough. Some children are starting school with limited linguistic abilities, can’t say their names, some using dummies, some not knowing where they live or their parents’ names ... or being shouted at in public because they are lagging behind or just wanting to peer in a shop window. This corrosive, sad social culture has to be uprooted.