Sadiq investing £750,000 in 15 schools to deliver programme of activities for the most vulnerable primary-school leavers.
2,100 at-risk young Londoners to benefit from latest phase of £45m Young Londoners Fund.
The Mayor Sadiq Khan today announced funding for schools to provide safe, positive summer activities and ongoing support for more than 2,000 of the most vulnerable young Londoners.
Through his new £45m Young Londoners Fund, the Mayor has awarded £750,000 to 15 schools – spanning 10 boroughs from Barking & Dagenham to Ealing and Croydon to Enfield – including much-needed free and positive activities during the summer holidays when education standards are known to drop and young people can be led astray.
Schools started rolling out the Mayor’s ‘Stepping Stones’ programme in the first week of the school holidays, supporting at least 2,100 young Londoners over the next two years. Each school works with a minimum of 100 Year 7 pupils (10-11 years old) and 40 Year 10 pupils (14-15 years old) who act as mentors. The scheme aims to give pupils a head start in making the transition from primary school to secondary school.
Stepping Stones is a targeted, school-led programme for vulnerable pupils from deprived and disadvantaged backgrounds who are most at risk of disengaging with the education system and therefore susceptible to being drawn into criminal activity. Pupils may be considered vulnerable if they have poor attendance, low attainment or an older sibling with contact with the police or gang involvement. Activities offered as part of the programme include:
A two-week summer school of educational and teambuilding activities to help immerse incoming Year 7 pupils in the secondary school environment before term begins. Morning sessions are typically focussed on improving core Maths and English skills, followed by an afternoon teambuilding exercise concentrating on social skills and integration.
Peer mentoring from Year 10 pupils to support Year 7 pupils via weekly one-to-one sessions throughout their first year of school.
Sessions for Year 10 pupils to support them in developing skills required to mentor Year 7 pupils through their first year.
Aspirational and career-based activities working with external organisations to inspire Year 7 pupils about different careers and future goals.
Targeted lessons for Year 7 students, helping them to develop their confidence and ability to deal with different social and academic situations.
Engagement with parents to decrease their own anxiety about how their children are coping with the transition and life in secondary school.
Today, the Mayor visited Gladesmore Community School in South Tottenham. Gladesmore ran the programme last academic year as a pilot and have chosen to continue it due to its success, which included improved performance in Maths and English compared to previous Year 7 cohorts, a strong improvement in attendance rates and more confident pupils both in the classroom and social settings. The Urswick School in Hackney and Heathcote School and Science College in Chingford also ran successful pilots.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Leaving primary school and starting secondary school is an important crossroads in any young Londoners’ life, but for some communities it can be a particularly crucial time where the decisions and paths taken can affect not only that child but their entire community.
“Stepping Stones offers help, advice and support to young people, giving them structure during the summer holidays – as well as sustained support during their first year of secondary school – a time when the most vulnerable can be led astray.
“That’s why, after a successful pilot, I am announcing £750,000 for 15 schools to roll out the programme to help and support thousands of young Londoners, including summer schools like these to give them something constructive and safe to do during the summer holidays.
“Massive Government cuts have decimated youth programmes and there are now far fewer opportunities like this for young people, making it all too easy for them to make poor choices.
“As Mayor, I am determined to give those that work hard a helping hand and that means providing opportunities to support young people so they make the right choices in life and fulfil their potential.”
Tony Hartney CBE, Headteacher at Gladesmore Community School, said: “I am absolutely delighted that the Stepping Stones project is to be expanded so that many more vulnerable children moving from primary to secondary school can be supported. This is a superb initiative that has proved to be effective in combating disaffection and transforming attitudes to education and learning. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
“Some of the stand out benefits includes improvements in the School Ethos, where trained older pupils act as responsible role models and guide the younger children. They help them settle into secondary school, help them make good choices and generally help them get into good learning habits. The engagement of the young people, gives them something positive to aim for over the long term and activities to participate in, in and out of usual school hours. This has all notably contributed to improved progress, behaviour and attendance.”
The Mayor will be funding more projects this summer and throughout the course of the year as money is allocated from the first major bidding round of the Young Londoners Fund, which closed earlier this month.
Sadiq will shortly be publishing an interactive map with details of all the activities and projects that City Hall and partners have funded to help young people and their parents plan their summer and beyond, by finding out what is happening in their local area. The map will form part of Sadiq’s comprehensive programme of measures to protect Londoners from knife crime, which includes publishing a dedicated Knife Crime Strategy for London last summer, investing a further £138m in the Met Police over the last two years, including £15m specifically for the police to tackle knife crime, and launching his £45m Young Londoners Fund for projects that offer skills, training, mentoring and help young people aspire to reach their potential and avoid getting caught up in crime.
ENDS