Agenda item

To receive the report of the Interim Managing Director of City Bridge Foundation. 

The Board received the report of the Managing Director of the City Bridge Foundation noting that the City of London Corporation is the sole corporate trustee of this Charity: the City Educational Trust Fund (CETF) (Charity No. 290840).

The Board noted that it had agreed, at its April 2024 meeting, to award a £3,649,998 grant to A New Direction (Charity No. 1126216) to deliver Primary Arts.

Acting collectively for the City of London Corporation as Trustee of the City Educational Trust Fund (CETF) (290840) and being satisfied that it is in the best interests of the charity to do so, Members noted the evaluation of the pilot of the Primary Arts programme funded by the CETF, and noted the update of the work-to-date of the rollout for the full-length Primary Arts programme funded by the CETF.

A Member sought confirmation on the extent to which consideration has been given to the sustainability and longevity of the project once the Primary Arts project is completed. The Board heard that visits are under way to ascertain what has been embedded in schools from the project, noting that feedback so far suggests that activities and structures arising from masterclasses are being rolled out in schools.  

A Member commented that there is merit in more extensive linkage of the programme with the CoLC’s cultural and heritage assets, noting the involvement of Tower Bridge and the Guildhall Art Gallery among others. 

On the target to reach out to under-served schools and children, a Member asked for progress on how that recommendation has been implemented. The Board heard that a selection matrix has been devised for completion by schools that includes criteria such as EHCP, EAL and PP numbers.