By Bethany Ruby Rose-
Twenty-four primary schools on the North Yorkshire coast are to be given financial support to improve pupils’ speech, language and communication skills.
The support comprises the government’s opportunity areas programme, set to benefit from a provision of £72 million in funding in 12 parts of the Uk with low levels of social mobility.
The grand programme aims to help young pupils and their families improve early learning at home and also access extra-curricular activities. As part of the scheme, parents who experience difficulty in helping their children with reading, writing and language skills, will be offered workshop time with experts. Included in the scheme is for 40 speech and language ‘champions’ to work with local nurseries and preschools to help identify children who might need additional support.
The proposals were announced on Tuesday by education secretary, Damien Hinds, during a visit to Scarborough. He said:
“It was great to visit Scarborough today and hear first-hand how the opportunity area programme is having a positive effect on families’ lives and young people’s opportunities,” he said.
“The opportunity area programme is about making sure we create the right conditions to broaden the horizons of young people from disadvantaged areas, and give them the best start in life.”
Another scheme to improve access to sports, arts and cultural activities for more than 3,500 young people between the ages of 5 and 18 is also to be launched in Scarborough, Whitby and Filey will launch in September. North Yorkshire primary schools are varied in academic ability, many ave long been exposed to slow academic development, partly due to their environment and limited high quality teaching in some schools. Other North Yorkshire schools have been responding to the national pressure for education standards to rise across the Uk, especially as exams have become tougher in primary and secondary schools in the Uk. The strength of the Yorkshire accent for some makes clear and coherent speaking difficult for a number of children and adults- The Eye Of Media.Com has learnt that many parents privately provide elocution lessons for their children to improve the clarity and delivery of their spoken english.
Disadvantaged young people will be provided with access to free extra-curricular activities from September, through 18 new projects to help them develop life skills in “leadership and teamwork, character, resilience and confidence”.
These projects will include an out-of-school ‘Life Skills Club’ for young people from nine schools, offering sessions in street dance, drumming, drama, film-making, and singing, and workshops with the computer training school Krash Labs, which will use gaming and digital tools to boost children and young people’s social skills, especially those with special educational needs.The scheme is part of the British government’s commendable efforts to boost the quality of education in Britain, and address those issues that can hinder a child’s development. Establishing a solid foundation in children right from primary school is an important aspect of development and confidence building, a successful secondary education is usually built on a well grounded education and development.
Extra curricular activities also helps young people develop in a rounded way, making the academic experience an inspiring one.
The scheme follows calls from former education secretary Nicky Morgan for the government to revive its programme of character education awards and grants.
Sir Martin Narey, who chairs the North Yorkshire coast opportunity area partnership board, said: “Too many children along the coast do not fulfil their potential. The Opportunity Board, all volunteers, and which I chair, is determined to address that.” With education standards rising fast in Britain, school pupils and teachers, as well as the government are aware of the need to take drastic steps to prepare this generation and the next for the advanced level of intellectual growth expected of youngsters today. It will make them great champions of success in the future.