Education programmes to help support Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils have been launched by Communities Minister, Lord Greenhalgh.
The new programmes will focus on boosting educational attainment, tackling exclusion and drop-out rates and improving pathways to employment for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children, backed by £1m worth of government funding.
The pilot programmes will reach 150 schools and involve a range of targeted work, including:
- Reducing drop-out rates by engaging families with pre-school 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 Covid-19 pandemic.
Bradford, Central Bedfordshire, Essex, Hillingdon and Surrey have been chosen as pilot areas, with the programmes informing future government work that make a real difference to the lives of people in the community.
Commenting, Lord Greenhalgh said:
“Access to education is absolutely key to improving the life chances of all children.
“Our £1m 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 announcement includes funding for the Open Doors Education and Training organisation to continue catch-up tutoring for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils.
It builds on the £400,000 invested last year to deliver catch-up support and expert guidance to help young people progress.
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.
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