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Liverpool Challenge
launched at education conference
A drive to further improve
educational attainment in Liverpool is being launched at a special
conference on Friday, 22 January 2015. The Mayor of Liverpool's Education
Conference is taking place at Liverpool Hope University and will see head
teachers and representatives from universities, employers and creative
organisations coming together to celebrate the progress the City has made
and discuss working together to take it to the next level.
Former education minister for school standards, shadow secretary of state
for education and West Derby MP Stephen Twigg will be unveiled as Chair of
the:- 'Liverpool Challenge'; an initiative which will run for at least the
next four years to drive up standards, particularly in maths. He led the
hugely successful London Challenge which improved attainment in schools in
the capital from 2003 to 2005.
Mayor Joe Anderson said:- "There is no doubt that education standards
in Liverpool are unrecognisable compared to a decade or more ago and the 17
new and refurbished schools being delivered as part of my Mayoral pledges
are making a significant difference to teaching and learning. This
conference is an opportunity to reflect on the areas where we are doing well
and identify the things that we can do better by working together in
partnership to make sure that every school pupil achieves their potential."
Assistant Mayor and Cabinet member for education, employment and skills,
Councillor Nick Small, said:- "Liverpool schools have lots to be proud
of but in a changing world we can't stand still and must keep challenging
ourselves to do even better. We need to make sure pupils are supported
properly in the transition between primary, secondary and sixth form
education and to ensure that we are giving them the skills to enable them to
get into the jobs where we know there will be growth in the future. We
want to concentrate very much on making sure that we have an education
system in Liverpool that meets the City's needs and delivers the skills that
employers want and need."
Stephen Twigg MP said:- "I am absolutely delighted to be chairing the
Liverpool Challenge and am confident that my experience in Government and
working in the capital leading the hugely successful London Challenge will
help drive further improvements here. As a local MP, I know about the
amazing work that goes on in our schools and the difference that the
teaching and support staff make to the lives of pupils. This is about
building on our success and spreading it further and wider throughout the
education system in Liverpool, working in partnership with universities and
employers."
The keynote address at the conference will come from respected education
expert Sir Ken Robinson via video link from Los Angeles.
Sir Ken is an internationally recognised leader in the development of
creativity, innovation and human resources in both education and business.
He works with Governments and education services in Europe, Asia and the USA
as well as international agencies, major companies and leading cultural
organisations.
Eleanor Benson, Chair of the Liverpool Association of Secondary Headteachers,
said:- "The headteachers of Liverpool secondary schools welcome the
launch of the Liverpool Challenge initiative. We are grateful for the
resources which have been poured into many schools in the recent past and
this new initiative promises that the attention and resources of the City
Council will continue to be focused on this vital part
of the City's life.
Our schools are caring and safe environments, which nurture and challenge
pupils from all backgrounds. We want to press ahead and enable our pupils to
reach the highest academic standards, and integrate them into a cohesive and
supportive community.
We believe that, with this support from theCity, we can make Liverpool a
national leader in secondary education."
Ruth Town, Chair of Liverpool Learning Partnership - an organisation of
education leaders in the City who support and challenge each other - said:-
"The Liverpool Learning Partnership exists to ensure that all learners
in Liverpool, including the most vulnerable, are given every opportunity to
achieve. The Partnership is looking forward to working with the
Liverpool Challenge to develop strong links with businesses and employers,
to raise aspirations and standards, as part of the City's overall strategy
for Education." |
