Agenda item

To receive the TRT recommendations tracker

The Board noted the key recommendations of the education workstream of the Tacking Racism Taskforce, noting that section 1 (Staff) was not in the remit of the Education Board.

The Board noted two further projects agreed during the last week: 1) a bid that features a four-day poetry festival led by poets from the global majority in a partnership between London Metropolitan Archives and Keats House exploring colonial stories around coffee, tea, opium and spices to benefit c.240 children; and 2) an opportunity to work with the FlashAcademy (that supports EAL) to support up to 75 children at two CoLAT primary schools.    

A Member sought clarification that the objectives shown would remain live – the Board confirmed that the objectives would continue to be scrutinised and progressed.

Members commented that there was merit in further leveraging support around role models for black students, and supporting disadvantaged groups including white boys as well as supporting anti-racism initiatives and promoting work experience initiatives, noting that the City Premium Fund gives schools the autonomy to identify groups in need.   

A Member expressed an interest in the take-up rate of independent school bursaries as recently promoted to CoLAT schools. The meeting noted that some able children were leaving CoLAT schools before Y6 to attend CJS thereby compromising the outcomes of the CoLAT school, and heard that there did not appear to be any PP/disadvantaged children entering the independent school system via the bursary system. Some Members commented that there was merit in reviewing the bursary system to address those issues, noting that the relevant entities were already having discussions on that topic.