- More than 11,000
vulnerable young people to receive support to move into next
stage of education or employment
- Funding worth £7
million to help pupils moving out of Alternative Provision who
may otherwise become NEET
-
Children’s Minister: We must get these pupils back
on track
Teenagers in Alternative Provision at risk of falling out
of education after their GCSEs will benefit from mentoring,
pastoral support and careers guidance under plans to level up
their opportunities after they leave school at 16.
Children and Families Minister has today announced a one-off
funding package worth £7 million to boost the support offered to
11,300 Year 11 pupils making the transition from secondary school
into post-16 education, work, or training, amid concerns that
many may become unemployed after completing their GCSEs.
The money will help schools and colleges pay for tailored
support such as transition coaches and mentors to provide
one-to-one support for young people in making decisions about
where to go after they finish their GCSEs, and helping them stay
in education or training in post-16 settings.
Children and Families Minister said:
“All pupils deserve an excellent
education that sets them up for life - and being excluded from
school does not mean being excluded from education.
“As many young people stayed at home to stop the spread of
coronavirus, they missed out on time with their teachers and
peers. For those attending Alternative Provision, who may have
relied on additional support to ease this important transition in
their lives, this new funding will help get them back on track,
re-engage them in their education and direct them on to the next
chapter of their lives.”
Data shows that just over half (59%) of young people who attend
Alternative Provision go on to a sustained post-16 destination,
compared to 94% attending mainstream schools, and 23% of the
cohort are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).
We asked schools to close to many young people to stop the spread
of coronavirus and save lives, and the government is working hard
to make sure those pupils who may have missed out on time with
their teachers can catch up and move successfully on from their
GCSEs into further education, an apprenticeship or training, or
into employment.
Mark Vickers, Chief Executive of Olive Academies
Multi-Academy Trust, said:
“I am delighted that additional funding has been secured
for targeted transition and mentoring support for Year 11 pupils
in alternative provision schools and academies. This announcement
has been warmly welcomed by AP and SEND Multi Academy Trust
leaders from across the country who can now access extra funding
to deliver crucial transition support for pupils who are now at a
greater risk of ending up not in employment, education or
training. This funding will help ensure that our Year 11s are
better equipped for the next stage of their learning
journeys.”
Sarah Dove, President of the National Organisation of Pupil
Referral Units and Alternative Provision, said:
“Coronavirus has accentuated the
vulnerabilities of children in year 11 that are educated in PRUs
and Alternative Provision. This transition fund will help support
continuity of support and help allow PRUs and AP provide targeted
support to help these children to further engage in education and
employment opportunities.
“PRUs and AP have worked incredibly hard to develop and
maintain positive relationships with children and young people
during coronavirus, even whilst those children may not have been
able to attend. This fund allows a continuation of these
professional relationships to bear fruit in terms of ensuring
successful outcomes for the students.“
Further information:
- APs can retrospectively
claim up to £750 per sole-registered pupil to cover the actual
costs of activities undertaken to help prevent that pupil from
becoming NEET
- The Department is taking
forward an ambitious programme of action on school behaviour and
is working to rapidly improve the availability of good AP, so
that permanently excluded children and children at risk of
exclusion receive a high quality education suited to their
individual needs. We will provide further information in due
course.
