£24 million educational boost for North East

Gavin Williamson has said that £24 million of government investment will drive up school standards in the North East through extra training and greater access to employers and universities.

The Education Secretary said that the finance will provide extra training to teachers, improve key secondary schools in the region, develop young people’s access to employers and universities and bolster links between primary and secondary schools.

The Department for Education has published its Opportunity North East (ONE) delivery plan, setting out a series of ambitions to deliver on the programme’s long-term commitment to level up on educational outcomes and unleash the potential of young people in the region.

Schools in the North East will also benefit from two years of structured training and support for teachers at the start of their careers through the Department’s Early Career Framework – a year ahead of schools in other parts of the country.

Speaking at the Schools North East Academies conference in Newcastle, Williamson said: “No child should be held back because of where they come from so it’s of the utmost importance that we level up aspirations for all children in all parts of the country.

“Since we launched Opportunity North East, we have connected with expert school and business leaders in the North East to create more opportunities and offer tailored support so that we can tap into the outstanding talent we know exists in education across the region. Our task now is to build on the foundations the programme has set down over the last year. This delivery plan sets out how we will drive this forward by strengthening training for teachers, providing bespoke school improvement support and opening up more career pathways for young people.”