Agenda item

To receive an update on A New Direction.

Members viewed a presentation delivered by A New Direction, noting in particular the following:

-        In April 2023, A New Direction was awarded £650K towards a 14-month pilot to build a cultural arts programme in primary schools;

-        All CoLAT schools have been invited to take part;

-        The Primary Arts pilot programme was launched on 21 January 2024;

-        All available programme offers are fully booked;

-        The programme works with a range of agencies including The Crafts Council, The Polka Theatre, and the UCL Centre for Educational Leadership;

-        Matrices are being developed for the selection of participating schools to ensure a balanced and equitable approach using criteria such as PP, EHCP and EAL student numbers;

-        Feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive; and

-        The rollout phase is expected to retain the programme’s fundamental structure and partnerships, and expand capacity and involve more cultural partners.

In response to a Member question, the Board heard that successful applicants’ access criteria would be made available to the Board (see action point 3).

Members commented on the merits of a formalised academic study to examine the benefits and measurable outcomes of accessing the programme (as against a cohort that does not have access to the programme) once the programme is up and running, as well as of sharing the learnings to maximise impact. 

The Board noted that the timing of some of the offerings did not always work well round key points in the school year, particularly in the pre-exam periods.