Recommendation 12

We were disappointed that the Department is investing another £18 million in a policy which is reaching limited numbers of pupils and seems to be generating little return on investment. We urge the Department to set out a clear methodology to define what the programme’s success criteria are. These should emphasise that the funding is not to be spent on “convene-itis” and discussion, but should go to frontline services, using statistics to micro-target struggling communities, with explicit targets for: i) Improving support for families, through targeting Family Hubs to deprived communities and closing the early years attainment gap ii) Focussing resource to schools that most need it, through a better measure of disadvantage and funding that is micro-targeted to areas of need iii) Channelling funding to schools that struggle to recruit and retain the best staff, through more local teacher training initiatives iv) Ensuring all pupils get the best careers advice, particularly in areas where varied career options are less visible.

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