Written by David Ralph, CEO of the Heart of the South West LEP.
The Ofsted Inspection Framework expects our early years settings to ‘help children experience the awe and wonder of the world in which they live’. This challenge was very much front of mind at the recent launch of the Social Mobility in the South West report, published by the LEP and the University of Exeter’s Centre for Social Mobility – the only such dedicated resource in the country.
The report is a sobering read about long-standing issues across the region, and an important contribution to national efforts to improve the skills and education of young people across the country. It makes very clear the urgent need for levelling up in the South West.
The research delved into the education and social mobility for children young people in Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset, revealing that the region has the worst educational outcomes for disadvantaged young people in the country, the lowest rate of disadvantaged students going on to attend university, and only 40% of disadvantaged pupils attaining a passing grade in GCSE English and Maths. The South West also has the largest school attainment gap between poorer pupils and the rest out of all English regions.
The South West also has low social mobility compared with other areas, and with fewer professional jobs available and a low return to education, the South West is seeing the highest number of young people leaving the area than any other region.
These are the three key challenges we must address in order to improve opportunities across the region:
- A low wage economy, impacting working families and job opportunities for young people
- Disconnected areas, with rural and coastal communities facing barriers to accessing services and education
- A lack of impetus for change, with little national and political advocating on behalf of the region
There are four recommendations laid out for national government and regional businesses, focusing on spreading opportunities, improving public services, and empowering local leaders and communities:
- School-centred cradle to career (C2C) models
- A university-led tutoring service
- Sharper focus on disadvantage
- Post-16 skills reform
We also welcome the recommendation to establish a dedicated regional body, the South West Social Mobility Commission, to drive forward the work needed to tackle the issues outlined in the report.
I do what I do because I am passionate about social justice. I spent half of my career working in and amongst some of the UK’s most disadvantaged communities. Unfortunately the uneven playing field is getting wider, and whilst this is a long-standing issue, disadvantaged communities have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and recent cost of living rises. I am passionate about doing things differently, and working with our partners in local authorities, national Government, education, business, and local communities to make a difference for young people a local and regional level. No one organisation can tackle this on their own, but together, we can make a different and better future for young people.
