Agenda item

Education, Skills and Culture Strategy

Report of the Strategic Education, Culture and Skills Director.

 

Minutes:

Members considered a report of the Strategic Education, Culture & Skills Director regarding the Draft Education, Skills and Cultural and Creative Learning Strategy. The following points were made.

 

·         The Strategic Education, Culture & Skills Director advised Members that following discussions at the Board’s strategic planning away day on 19 January 2018, Education, Skills and Culture strategies for the future have been developed to establish the overall direction, goals and key performance indicators for the period 2019-2023. If approved at the July Board meeting, it is planned that this strategy would start soft implementation including some training with the aim that it should become fully functional in January 2019.

 

·         Members were asked to provide feedback to the Strategic Education, Culture & Skills Director on the Strategy and to indicate which strands they might be interested in leading on.  Alderman Estlin indicated he was interested in the “Skills” strand. The Strategic Education, Culture & Skills Director advised the Board that the draft strategy documents could be shared widely and that the deadline for feedback was 22 June 2018. Electronic versions of the strategy can be made available upon request.

 

·         The Chairman congratulated the Strategic Education, Culture & Skills Director for pulling together the priorities for schools, cultures and skills and hoped the new plan would help to strengthen activity with existing and new Partnerships which would be critical to its success.

 

·         In response to a query regarding the limited focus on the importance of adult learning outside of schools, Members were advised that this focus was repeated in all three strategies at different points of the life scale. Members agreed it was important to ensure the whole broad spectrum of learning was covered adequately.

 

·         A Member found the strategies to be very forward thinking and highlighted data regarding millennials and how it was likely that they might experience nine different types of career across their working life. 

 

·         A Member noted that there was a blank space in the table summarising how each key area delivers the key identified activities for “Skills” in providing a broad and balanced curriculum.

 

·         With regards to the key focus “aspiration building and links to the world of work”, a Member suggested including broad business engagement. He noted that Germany was a leading country for technology engagement and saw an opportunity to involve employers to inform the curriculum, especially at the academies. It was agreed that it was crucial to increase links between business and education.

 

  • A Member stated that the section on culture was very dry and felt that it would have greater impact if it was more directive and exciting. It was noted that primary schools were a key place for cultural learning.

 

·         It was noted that there had been a discussion at the Community & Children’s Services Committee regarding the different perceptions of culture and that social mobility was changing. Members agreed that the strategy must reflect the benefits of a diverse culture.

 

RESOLVED – That Members note the report and comment on the draft strategies.

 

Supporting documents: