Released: 14 March 2022
Everyone in West Sussex is invited to help shape a new Education & Skills Strategy which will set out how the County Council supports children’s learning from their early years into adulthood.
The Council is in the early stages of developing its three-year strategy and is seeking a wide range of views to a survey available for people to complete online, which is open until 3 April, 2022. Parents, carers, students, school staff, people connected to community groups, professionals and anyone with an interest in education is encouraged to share their views.
The new plan will respond to the priorities and challenges being experienced in education both nationally and locally, many of which have been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Key local issues it will address include:
• Increasing the pace of academic improvement shown by West Sussex pupils and schools in recent years
• The inequality of education standards depending on where people live, particularly in primary schools
• A lack of specialist school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities amid increasing demand
• Helping children who are disadvantaged to be better prepared to start school
• Closer working with partners
• The pressure on some schools due to surplus primary places in identified locations in West Sussex
Nigel Jupp, Cabinet Member for Learning & Skills, said: “We want to support all children and young people to enjoy their time in school and achieve their potential into adulthood. There is much to celebrate in education in West Sussex but also areas of challenge and where improvement can be made. Our new Education & Skills Strategy will be key in outlining how we will work with schools and partners to meet those challenges. Children and young people are at the heart of our plans so we want as many people as possible to take part in this survey and tell us the priorities we should focus on.”
The work will align closely with the Council’s Children, Young People and Learning department improvement programme and meet the priorities in Our Council Plan 2021-25.
Responses to the survey will ensure that the Council understands the priorities of its residents and is able to have the right discussions to develop a common vision.
A full consultation on the draft strategy is due to take place in the summer term and it is anticipated the completed document will be ready for launch during the autumn term 2022.
