Fylde Coast

Education Partnership Officer 

Andrea Sandiford 

Period 

Autumn - October 2024 

Priority 

Reducing numbers of young people Not in Education, Employment and Training  

Intended Outcomes- Linked to the EET strategy 

  • To develop careers provision and conversations in primary schools to enhance children’s understanding and awareness of pathways into different careers, to increase ambition and goals for their education beyond primary school.
  • To form local networks of support; connecting schools and colleges to further develop careers provision.
  • To identify young people at greater risk of becoming NEET, working with schools, colleges, and partners to further develop information sharing and transition procedures.

Activity last period 

  • Discussions furthered regarding Risk of Neet Indicators and sharing of information between LCC and B&F College with a view to creating an agreed and simplified protocol to be taken across all the colleges with school and LA agreement.
  • Introductions made with secondary leads for careers, meeting moved to November 2024 to look at existing practice, strengths and gaps.
  • Additional key contacts identified in relation to local businesses
  • B&FC now offering Maths and English alongside access courses in Fleetwood for school leavers
  • Linked Youth Futures team member for the North with 16-19 co-ordinator
  • Linked 16-19 Co-ordinator with LCC Attendance Lead to discuss enhanced support for YP with lower attendance to have a route into post 16 education
  • B&FC offering enhanced support to all Fylde & Wyre secondary schools
  • Discussions with local Neighbourhood Police and new sergeant about support networks and local providers of services for young people.

Planned activity next period 

  • Discussions with high schools around their support to engage our NEET children where there is a connection to school via siblings.
  • Multi-agency meeting planned to identify children not in education / with poor attendance and at risk of NEET, to look at alternative strategies to engage with them and link them into the college.
  • Continued exploration of local businesses / entrepreneurs and potential career links.
  • Set up working parties between secondary schools, the McKee and Brookfield schools, and post 16 providers to agree potential protocols around extending support into Year 11 and beyond to facilitate transition on leaving school. 
  • Meeting with young people through the Youth Hub for informal conversations with Fleetwood Town Community Trust and the Youth Hub staff about what is working well, what their concerns are and what they need to succeed.
  • Discussions to be held with Targeted Youth Service, Youth provisions etc on reaching more young people and pathways for sharing information.
  • Introductory meeting to be held with Aiming Higher about their work with families of children and young people with SEND to look at support available, gaps analysis and potential future joint working.
  • Meetings planned with Hope Community Hub to further conversations around all our priorities.

 Impact so far 

  • We now have 16 schools signed up for Positive Footsteps, looking to recruit 9 more.
  • Fleetwood Town are looking at how they extend their careers fair to the primary schools in Fleetwood and the potential of creating a large town wide event bringing all the contacts and companies in house to one event.
  • The EHE lead from Blackpool and Fylde College and LCC's Post 16 lead are in discussions about information sharing to facilitate contact being made with young people by the college
  • Two Wyre schools have signed up to the Start Small Think Big Initiative, a third has expressed an interest.
  • Schools are now aware of the offer from the Careers Hub including a community of practice and resources schools can access free of charge including provision and brokering with local businesses.
  • Increased awareness and recognition from schools and partner agencies of the need to expand children's experiences of quality opportunities to drive ambition and a sense of purpose and self-worth.
  • A number of professionals from the college are now connected with wider LCC teams.
  • The college are more aware of the strategic vision of LCC, the priorities, challenges and needs.
  • Potential solutions and opportunities for significant joint working have been identified to take us into the next phase.
  • More pathways of support, advice and guidance have been identified to engage our young people more at risk of becoming NEET

Exit Strategy 

It is envisaged that the work will become self-sustaining through established links and networks around career conversations in primary schools and beyond. 

There will be agreed protocols in place to identify and support those young people at risk of NEET with tailored programmes of support in place.  

Priority 

Develop a multi layered approach to support and prepare parents for the Y6 / Y7 transition to positively impact attendance, engagement, suspensions, exclusions, mental health, and wellbeing in Year 7 and beyond.

New strand to prepare parents for the transition to high school to develop positive relationships, manage expectations in terms of communication, staff priorities and to broaden understanding of practices that are in the best interest of their child to secure positive outcomes.

Intended Outcomes 

  • To increase parental awareness of their impact on their child's behaviour, attendance, attitude to learning, accountability, independence and ability to succeed.
  • To equip parents with knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to positively support their child in secondary school.
  • To manage expectations and develop communication pathways with parents of children in Year 7 to promote positive relationships and enable effective and productive conversations to resolve issues.
  • To co-produce communications and messaging with parents throughout year 6 that will prepare them for the transition into high school and beyond.
  • To create a sense of belonging for parents and build trust between parents and the school.

 Activity last period 

  • Working party considering suggestions for approach and content, how to recruit parents etc.
  • Discussion with Public Health around potential funding re: building parental resilience, emotional wellbeing
  • Preliminary meeting held around content for parental programme and support materials / signposting

Planned activity next period 

  • Meeting with SHINE team around existing offer for parents and feedback.
  • Identification of parent networks including amongst own staff.
  • Exploration of potential collaboration with the Communities Team around gaining parental experiences and views with regard to transition and being a parent of a child in high school.
  • Identifying platforms to disseminate throughout Year 6
  • Discussion with high schools about Induction Evening materials and Y7 Inductions with regard to developing connection, forming positive relationships and increasing parental understanding of impact.

Impact so far 

This is a relatively new priority in the preliminary planning stages

Exit Strategy 

It is envisaged that the programme will be self-sustaining through schools and identified partners. A more specific exit strategy will be created as the project progresses.

Priority 

Develop a multi layered approach to support and prepare parents and staff of our early years children, to understand brain development in the early years, positive and negative impacts and influences.

Intended Outcomes 

  • Parents and staff of our children in early years education will be introduced to the fundamentals of brain development and the impact of stress / ACES and positive protective factors.
  • Parents and staff of our children in early years education will have access to a common understanding and shared language of brain development and a Trauma Informed approach.
  • Parents will be encouraged to adopt behaviours that lead to positive brain development and given support. They will be given the opportunity to have a greater understanding of positive influences and increased awareness of a trauma lens.
  • To positively impact parental engagement in the education of their children with a ‘no judgement’ approach.

 Activity last period 

  • Long, medium- and short-term plan developed for training, delivery and impact.
  • First session of training held
  • Participants completed plans for short and medium term goals- dissemination to parents and wider staff networks
  • Feature in local magazine to raise awareness

Planned activity next period 

  • Continuing to approach agencies for screening of Building Better Brains video (schools, GP surgeries, 3rd Sector, (Screening opportunities and social media opportunities to be identified).
  • Participation in steering group with a view to piece of work being taken over by them.

Impact so far 

  • Staff trained from local schools, alongside representatives from the Children and Family Wellbeing Service, LCC Early Years Consultancy, HCRG and Children's Champions

Exit Strategy 

It is envisaged that the programme will be self-sustaining through schools and identified partners as part of the steering group. A more specific exit strategy will be created as the project progresses.