£20m/year strategy to improve North schools
The Government is to invest £20m/year in improving education standards across the North of England as part of its Northern Powerhouse initiative, it was announced yesterday.
Bradford academy head Sir Nick Weller has been appointed to lead a review of education in the North which will identify where the money should be allocated.
In making the announcement, Chancellor George Osborne outlined his desire to see “the same improvement in Northern Powerhouse schools as in London”.
SCHOOLS NorthEast has contacted Sir Nick to request a meeting to ensure that North East schools have a strong voice in the report.
The Budget document states: “This new funding will ensure rapid action is taken to tackle the unacceptable divides that have seen educational progress in some parts of the North lag behind the rest of the country.”
Mike Parker, Director of SCHOOLS NorthEast, said: “The Government has repeatedly stressed its commitment to the North. Our concern has, to date, been that the Northern Powerhouse doesn’t appear to stretch much beyond the M62 corridor. SCHOOLS NorthEast was created in 2007 to give schools a voice in regional and national strategies and we will support Sir Nick Weller in his work to ensure there is strong North East representation.”
Sir Nick Weller is currently the executive principal of Dixons Academies Trust in Bradford.