South Cumbria headteachers joining forces against poverty
Last updated at 16:46, Thursday, 31 January 2013
HEADTEACHERS are placing the issue of poverty high on their education group agendas.
Around 30 school leaders from across Furness and South Cumbria met to add their experience and views to the work of Furness Poverty Commission.
The commission was launched by Barrow and Furness MP, John Woodcock, to shine a light on hidden deprivation, identify the underlying causes of poverty, and what these figures mean for children growing up in the area.
The commission will examine how existing agencies work to combat poverty and it will make recommendations to improve the lives of struggling families. In Barrow 2,900 children are living below the poverty line, the highest rate in Cumbria.
The commission is led by Caroline Hoggarth, the headteacher of Greengate Infant and Nursery School.
Mrs Hoggarth said: “It was very clear that across our schools we are all touched by poverty, whether it is pockets of poverty or high numbers of poverty, and it is increasing.
“Everyone was happy to work together and share experiences and ideas. We have decided that we will put poverty on the agendas of our heads meetings.”
Poverty will go on the agendas of the primary heads groups for Barrow, Ulverston and Dalton, and Furness Education Consortium.
Mrs Hoggarth said: “It is raising the profile of the issue. There was so much to talk about that we did not get through everything.
“The overriding feeling is that we are already doing a lot as schools.”
She said schools feel they have had to take on more roles because of the scale of cuts to local services.
Mrs Hoggarth added there was also huge concern among heads that the new curriculums being prepared for primary and secondary schools are “not fit for purpose”.
Mrs Hoggarth said the curriculums need to prepare children for their working lives through teaching key skills, giving them aspiration for work and showing them the important roles they can play in society.
First published at 16:41, Thursday, 31 January 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
Have your say
good work assistance is needed amongst the community.
does the present situation not show we are not all in this together?we are going backwords if we have come to this. I remember the stigma which was attached to free school diners.
Posted by onlooker on 31 January 2013 at 19:00