Last week, University Technical College (UTC) South Durham were delighted to host the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove to see the impressive technical facilities and hear from students about how they are being successful in their professional and educational experiences.
UTC South Durham
UTC South Durham is a STEM specialist School and Sixth Form for 14-19 year olds located on Newton Aycliffe Business Park. UTC South Durham focuses on professional and career experiences alongside the development of core skills to create students who are positioned to succeed within the STEM sector.
MP Visit
MP for Sedgefield, Paul Howell arranged the visit which took place on Friday 27 th January.
Mr Gove said of the visit:
“The students who I spoke to this afternoon were true advocates and so passionate about their education at the UTC. It is clear that they are confidently preparing for their future careers and are willing to travel from across the region to access this opportunity”.
Back in 2017, former Education Secretary Micheal Gove stated UTCs were the “biggest institutional innovation in vocational education” made by David Cameron’s government. Gove was the key architect of the government’s policy on UTCs.
The Secretary of State was keen to understand the very strong industry links and the success of the recently launched Engineering T-Level at the UTC, as well as gather feedback about how the new courses could be improved to ensure their future success. He heard about the achievements of UTCs across the country, 85% of which now have Ofsted ratings of Good or Outstanding.
He added:
“Our country needs more skilled professionals to meet the opportunities of devolution and growth, and the transformation of UTCs means they are now an excellent example of how the education system can prepare young people for their careers. Over the past five years there has been a clear transformation in the UTC programme, it is now delivering against the original vision our country needs more skilled professionals and UTCs are an excellent example of how the education system can prepare young people for careers in engineering, digital, and health care”.
Levelling Up in the North East
Last week, Micheal Gove was also in North East news for signing a historic £1.4 billion devolution deal with eight local representatives, transferring new powers to local leaders.
The deal gives people across Northumberland, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland, and County Durham the power to elect a ‘Mayor of the North East’. The government say:
‘The historic deal will also give the Mayoral Combined Authority control over the multi-million pound Adult Education budget, so local leaders, colleges and training providers can work together to arm local people with the skills needed to drive local growth’.
Gove added:
“I am proud to sign this historic devolution deal for the North East today, which will give local leaders the flexibility and freedom they need to tackle the most pressing issues affecting the day-to-day lives of people in the area. Levelling up the North East remains an absolute priority for the government, and I look forward to working closely with local leaders to unlock fresh opportunities that create tangible benefits for people right across the region.”
Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East commented:
“We are glad to see the Secretary of State for Levelling Up taking such a keen interest in the North East and feel hopeful that the devolution deal can – in theory – give our region more independence to tackle the unique challenges we face. We urge the government, Mr Grove and the Mayor of the North East to refer to our Manifesto for North East Education when planning how to support our sector long term.”
The key recommendations from The Schools North East Manifesto for North East Education include:
Recognise the regional context
Education policy that supports positive outcomes for North East schools must take into account the context in which it is implemented.
Promote a positive narrative around North East education
All parties must sign up to promoting a positive narrative of North East education that
encourages teachers to remain in and join the profession.
Depoliticise education
Politicians and policymakers must sign up to a set of non-partisan principles to underpin
education policy.
Evidence-based policymaking
All policy should be able to show a clear evidence base supporting it, with the voice of the
teaching profession front and centre.
A long term view
A 10 year view of education, including funding, must be adopted by all parties to allow for
realistic plans and the assessment of what is or isn’t effective.
Greater support for Early Years
Greater support for Early Years is crucial for tackling the disadvantage gap in attainment,
and this support must focus on quality teaching and learning, not just childcare.
A joined up approach from cabinet to the chalkface
Schools are not an island, and policymakers must recognise schools alone cannot be the answer to all social issues.
Support the North East’s teaching profession at every level
More must be done to attract the best teachers to the North East, by ensuring clear continuous professional development and giving more support to school leaders when improving schools.
Ensure all pupils can access an appropriate curriculum
Support is needed for a curriculum that develops more than just academic skills, and to ensure schools can provide a minimum ‘curriculum guarantee’ to all pupils.
Targeted support for those with the greatest needs
Funding and resources must target the region’s pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, with the ambition of making the support they receive the envy of the world.
Click here to read through our full Manifesto.
UTC South Durham is a Schools North East Partner School. If you’d like to find out more about our Partner School Programme click here.
As well as the importance of UTCs, apprenticeships help our region’s young adults develop skills that help them get into industry. This month, the 16th Annual National Apprenticeship Week is running between 6 – 12 February. Many events will be taking place in the North East.
We love to hear good news from North East Schools, to share your news with Schools North East please tag @SchoolsNE on Twitter or apply here.
