Around 150 schools in five local authority areas are taking part in a pilot scheme to boost educational attainment among Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils.
Bradford, Central Bedfordshire, Essex, Hillingdon and Surrey are the areas to benefit from the £1 million programme, which will also aim to reduce exclusions and drop-out rates and help improve pupils’ “pathways to employment”.
Announcing the programme today, communities minister Lord Greenhalgh said: “Access to education is absolutely key to improving the life chances of all children.
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“Our £1 million education programme will reach over 600 children and young people in areas across the country.
“This work will help ensure no community is left behind in the government’s drive to level up the nation.”
The pilot programme is aimed at:
- Reducing drop-out rates by engaging families with preschool children and those transitioning from primary to secondary school.
- Targeting young people not in education, employment or training.
- Fostering better cooperation between councils, schools and families.
- Tutoring for catch-up lessons to support pupils whose education has been disrupted by the pandemic.
The pilot areas were chosen as those with the highest number of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils attending primary and/or secondary school, according to data from the Department for Education’s 2020 National Pupil Database.
The DfE said that the money includes funding for the Open Doors Education and Training organisation to continue catch-up tutoring for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils, and builds on £400,000 invested last year to deliver catch-up support and guidance to help young people progress.
