Agenda item

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Members considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding the Culture Mile Learning (CML) case for investment 2020/23. The Director of the Museum of London was invited to address the Board as the lead for CML.

CML represents an ambitious programme which contributes significantly to the Education Board’s Cultural and Creative Learning Strategy.  The programme includes the School Visits Fund (SVF), originally established by the Education Board and benefitting children from the poorest backgrounds by using a targeted approach towards schools with high numbers of pupils in receipt of Pupil Premium.

Members watched a video showcasing the end product of an animation workshop undertaken by pupils in Key Stage 2 highlighting how the various projects run by CML promoted the concept and development of Fusion Skills.

Alongside its four co-partners and 26 additional partners, CML coordinated more than 3000 hours of volunteer time to an approximate value of £134,000 regarded as exceptional value for money given the small cost per child. The request for funding from the Education Board for the 2020-23 programme featured a 10% reduction from the previous year. This reduction had come as a result of sufficient additional support being generated from these other organisations that had joined as CML partners.

In response to a Member’s question about measurement and reporting of impact, CML officers responded that developing the impact framework around Fusion Skills was an area for continued improvement and was being addressed collaboratively across the partnership.

In light of possible ramifications of the Fundamental Review, the Board was being asked to endorse the proposed three-year programme, but only commit to the first year of funding for 2020/21. The Board would then consider the release any additional amounts subject to the annual impact assessments and the Fundamental Review.

RESOLVED, that Members

·         Endorse the proposed investment of £274,500 from the Education Board’s budget on an annual basis over 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 to Culture Mile Learning to deliver the activity proposed in Appendices 1 and 2; and

·         Approve the release of £274,500 to Culture Mile Learning in the 2020/21 financial year with subsequent approval requests in 2021 and 2022 following a report to the Education Board which demonstrates impact of the previous year’s activities on delivering the Cultural and Creative Learning Strategy.