Poverty and education - the disadvantage gap is widening but there are ready counters if the Government is prepared to use them

From silo to synergy

Councillor Christine Morrissey offered a very big thank you to all the officers who were involved in setting up the Evry launch earlier this summer when speaking to her motion at Newcastle City Council urging a response to poverty in our schools.

She went on - It was an excellent event seeing so many different organisations there, many of whom committed to making promises. However, my most heartfelt thanks go to the young people, who were there on the day and told their own stories of what it is like growing up in Newcastle and had very clear ideas of what they thought could be done better.

Thinking of how things could get better - I'd now like to mention a name some of you may recognise from the dim and distant past - a certain Mr Tony Blair…..during his first term of office he advertised nationally a position for someone who had the flair and vision to take his government from quote " silo to synergy".

I'll refrain from any comment on whether he actually achieved his aim but what is clear is that he knew that there was not enough cohesion within different sectors, not enough sharing of information, knowledge and skills and that partnership working is more than just shared working practices or joint arrangements. We are at that stage now here in Newcastle. We have lots of organisiations doing lots of things to help lots of people, however, there are lots of duplications, a lack of understanding about what is actually out there and a need for not only joined up thinking but also joined up working too.

The Evry event, laudable as it was, was a springboard for an eight year project. We are presently facing a cost of living crisis not seen for the past 40 years, which will only get worse. We can't wait 8 weeks to act, nevermind 8 years. This is why I am calling for a poverty commission to be set up in Newcastle to coordinate all the excellent work being done around the City to alleviate poverty, starting with poverty proofing the school day. During the Evry event I saw so many organisations present who didn't realise they were working in a similar way to others. This included the LA, the private and voluntary sectors and small community groups. We know of local and national charities working now to help poverty proof the school day, we are aware there are foodbanks supporting communities and families with food, there are other groups helping with finance and debt concerns and there are some doing all of this. If we had a coordinated approach to what is happening across the City we could streamline services, work more effectively and save money in the process which could be reallocated to where it is most needed. We know there will be families asking for help and support this year who have never done so before so resources will be stretched even further. Surely it can only make sense to deliver this support in a coordinated way moving out of our individual silo's to the synergy which will provide more of our residents with a timely, cost effective service. Other local authorities have done so - why can't we?

As prices of essentials including food, heating and fuel continue to rise, families on low-incomes are facing more uncertainty and pressures. Many of these families were struggling to get by even before the current crisis and are not helped by the rollercoaster real value of Universal Credit payments, and short-term fixes to help benefit claimants.If you really want our children to reach their potential and grow into healthy, contributing adults please support my motion for a poverty commission to be set up in Newcastle now.

There is a direct relationship between poverty at home, performance at school, life prospects, social mobility and life expectancy, Cllr Robin Ashby told Newcastle City Council.

Over the decade before lockdown, the educational disadvantage gap between 11 year old children on free school meals or in care, and their peers, had been narrowing.

But according to reports on this year's SATS, this disadvantage gap has widened again. Only 59% reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. The Government target looking forward is 90%.

This is an early warning klaxon. But are your ears open, new Education Secretary Kit Malthouse?

His predecessors weren't. At GCSE, the North East this year was once again the lowest performing English region. Levelling up isn't just about vanity projects in parliamentary seats Tories won unexpectedly and hope to hang onto. Any decent, one nation, Conservative would know that a nation isn't just its buildings, it's its people that must be invested in.

Some of the necessary tools are readily to hand to tackle the short term crisis in schools. Like a doubling of pupil premiums - a Liberal Democrats policy where money follows the greatest need. This could scotch rumours that schools are going to have to get rid of Teaching Assistants in order to pay their heating bills. A civilised Government would add a per capita fuel allowance to this autumn's school budgets when it announces measure tomorrow.

It could provide additional funds to extend after school activities so that children don't have to go back so early to cold homes. All children of school age should be provided with a meal half way through the school day. This promotes learning, provides internal central heating, I'd say hot meals except not all schools have such facilities any longer.

And of course Newcastle Liberal Democrats have already suggested public "warm welcomes" from shopping centres and community centres. An idea which despite scoffing from some is being adopted in other places.

Lord Mayor, the aftermath of the pandemic and Russia's murderous assault on the people of Ukraine have compounded the endemic problems of poverty in Britain. Our children will suffer the most - and will have to pay the cost in more ways than one for a long time to come. Ignoring them and their future is not an option.

The full text of the Liberal Democrats mtion was :

Councillor Morrissey

"Council notes that:

· Child poverty has continued to increase in the North East and the North East has now overtaken London to have the highest after housing costs (AHC) child poverty rate in the UK.

· In recent years, in-work poverty has become a major issue for families - since 2014/15, the proportion of children in poverty who live with at least one adult in work has risen from 67%, to 76% in 2019/2020. In-work poverty is highest in London, and increased notably between 2016/17 and 2019/20, but fell in the more recent year. In contrast, in the North East, the proportion remained fairly flat until 2018/19, when it showed a sharp increase that continued until the most recent timepoint.

· The North East, in particular, is not generally a high housing costs area, but has shown a persistent increase in rates of child poverty after housing costs have been accounted for.

· Children living in poverty often face multiple forms of stigmatisation during the school day.

Council further notes that:-

· In declaring a poverty emergency in June, Council identified that much more needs to be done to support families and children in Newcastle

· The immediate establishment of a Newcastle Poverty Commission tasked with poverty proofing the school day would be a useful step towards this goal.

· The launch of the Evry event in July was a useful springboard to ensuring all babies, children and young people can thrive by making Newcastle a City where "Every child can!" but this is an eight year project and some of the issues around poverty cannot wait.

· Effective partnership working with the voluntary sector and community based initiatives can offer a practical route to addressing these concerns and providing access and support when and where it is needed over the coming months.

Council resolves to:-

* Ask Cabinet to establish a Pupil Poverty Commission with a remit to:

· Focus on 'in-work poverty' as well as pupils on FSM

· Identify good practice from neighbouring authorities and the voluntary and community sectors.

· Identify practical measures to help parents and schools to cut the cost of the school day, such as by

o reducing need for uniforms which have sewn on badges allowing parents to purchase plain items at a range of reasonable outlets

o implementing a no uniform policy for PE so any suitable top and shorts can be worn

o rethinkng fundraising events which require all children to pay to take part

o supporting the development of uniform shops, where pre-loved garments can be made available to include items such as swimwear, winter coats and wellies on school premises, community venues or through local volunteer initiatives

o ensuring no child is digitally excluded through lack of access to IT equipment in the setting of homework assignments

o exploring changes to the school day which have not previously been regarded as a priority

· Extensively utilise input and information from student, staff and parental experiences

· Facilitate the development of school support strategies which seek to improve attendance and attainment a result of this cultural shift and enable all school staff (including reception staff, administrators, cleaners, dinner staff) to have a nuanced understanding of the impacts of poverty to support positive change in attitudes to parents in poverty;

· Consider allocation of pupil premium funding sources of information for schools about this issue such as the Sutton Trust Education Endowment Fund (EEF) Teaching and Learning Toolkit

* Write to the Minister for Children and Families to inform him that statistics still highlight major inequalities in rates of child poverty in the North East, indicating that 'levelling up' is far from becoming a reality in the case of child poverty, and to ask for reinstatement of the £20 uplift on Universal Credit and to restore Child Benefit to every child in common with the practice of every other country in the developed world."