Council report reflects on extraordinary year for education in Northumberland

The impact of the Covid pandemic is at the heart of this year’s Education and Skills Annual Report from Northumberland County Council.

The report outlines the council’s ambitions to further support Northumberland’s children and young people and empower existing workforces looking to upskill and reskill across 2021 and beyond, navigating the new ‘normal’ together.

Cath McEvoy-Carr, executive director for adult and children’s services, said: “The support offered to children and young people across Northumberland continues to improve as a direct result of the tireless efforts and dedication of teachers, support staff and partners; efforts which have triumphed through adversity this year.

“Throughout the report we have tried to capture a snapshot of resilience, of achievement and of ambition - to recognise our collective journey and the key milestones already accomplished, but also look to the future for our children and young people; reflect on what has happened and where we can go.”

Despite the most challenging of circumstances, she says there has been much to celebrate this year, including: an agile approach to learning with digital classrooms and virtual support to facilitate continuous learning; the growing number of primary and secondary schools that have been judged to be good or outstanding by Ofsted; falling absenteeism and reduced permanent exclusions in most settings; and thousands of apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities.

Looking to priorities in 2021 the council seeks to ensure residents and their families are able to access appropriate and inclusive learning provision that meets their needs and is close to their homes.

“Every child and young person should have access to good education, and it is our ambition to ensure this is the case in Northumberland by investing in our educational settings. We need to give them the opportunities to thrive, and if we have learnt anything over the last year, there are many ways we can help make this happen” continued Cath.

“We are extremely proud of our strong relationships with schools and learning providers across Northumberland and beyond, and together we will continue to support the development of each and every individual.”

The council’s investment programme includes four new build schools, 30 maintenance projects, two major refurbishment schemes and six extension projects.

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