Sharing learning: introduction from Minister Donelan
Updated 27 May 2022
Applies to England
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The opportunities that a young person gets should not be determined by their place of birth - everyone deserves a great start in life. The opportunity area programme has been helping children and young people in some of the most disadvantaged places since it started in 2017, tackling the obstacles in their way so they can reach their potential.
The programme is a key part of the government’s wider work to support the most vulnerable and make sure no community is left behind as we chart our recovery from the pandemic and build back better. The opportunity areas are working with colleges, schools, and early years settings to support raised aspirations and improve outcomes, with wider support outside the school gates to make sure children and young people are ready to learn and can benefit from a world-class education. The programme covers coastal, rural, and urban areas so that we gain a better understanding of what works to tackle regional inequality, convene resources, and unlock barriers in those geographic areas where the challenges are greatest.
To achieve these aims, the Department for Education is investing £108 million over 5 years, working with local partnership boards in 12 opportunity areas to target support where it is most needed. We are already seeing the early signs of success from projects that range from work with early years settings to teacher recruitment and retention, careers work, and support for mental health and wellbeing.
This, the fifth year of the programme, focuses on consolidation, sustainability and on spreading impact to other places. I have asked all partnership boards to expand their reach and impart the knowledge they have gained, and around 20% of our funding will be used for sharing learning with other areas facing similar challenges.
These insight guides are another way for us to further spread that knowledge, by sharing the lived experience of those working hard to make a difference in the opportunity areas. They offer an invitation to others who face similar challenges to gain insights into this place-based way of working with a view to exploring similar approaches and interventions to help young people elsewhere and help level up our country.
The opportunity areas rely on partnership work with local councils, community organisations and leaders in business and education to develop this evidence-based policy. I would like to thank everyone involved for the fantastic work they are doing. I know that dedicated professionals around the country are going above and beyond to give young people the best start in life in spite of the challenges of the pandemic. These guides are designed to help professionals to carry on this work now and in the future. I hope that the insights elaborated here, together with the subsequent webinars that we are running, will help others to adopt and adapt similar work to add value to their communities as we build back better together.
The latest information on the social mobility and opportunity areas programme is available.