Agenda item

To receive the report of the Managing Director of Bridge House Estates.

The Board received the report of the Managing Director of Bridge House Estates updating the Board on A New Direction for the City Educational Trust Fund (CETF) (290840) for which the Board acts as Trustee on behalf of the City of London Corporation. The update follows the decision to award A New Direction £650,000 across 14 months to deliver a pilot phase to build a cultural arts programme within London’s primary schools to enhance the teaching and education of cultural arts.

The Education Board recalled the agreement in July 2021 to Corporate Charities Review Recommendations that the CETF’s funds would be spent out on a high impact grant programme over a 3–5-year period and then be closed.

The meeting viewed a presentation from A New Direction, noting that the programme comprised four main strands working with teachers and students: cultural education leadership, touring, masterclasses, and ‘Go and See’, with 22 schools confirmed onto the programme and 6 learning sessions planned.

In response to a Member question, the meeting heard that primary schools in the wider City family of schools (aside from CoLAT schools) would be invited to be involved in the project and that further vacancies for pilot schools were available.

The meeting noted (in response to a Member question) that the project’s sustainability and impacts were carefully measured, noting that further evaluation details would be submitted to the Board alongside other updates to enable the Board to track the spend-out.

A Member commented that there was merit in working alongside other City of London entities including Destination City and the Natural Environment Board for some areas of the work.

CoLAT primary schools are welcome to join the programme and A New Direction will reach out to them.