Last month in Rye News, I wrote about my commitment to ’levelling up’ because our beautiful coastal communities of Hastings and Rye have so much potential to unleash if they are given the opportunity to do so. ‘Levelling up’ must also be about releasing individuals from that which is holding them back, helping to set them up for success – to fulfil their full potential. Investment in people, in families, in education and skills, and in jobs – as well as investment in better transport connectivity – are all vital in achieving this, to combat poverty and level up.
In my contribution for this piece, I want to focus my attention on education and families. Education is a vital aspect of levelling up and we must not only ensure that everyone has equal opportunities, but that everyone has proper access to them. This means that for some children and young people, we need to ‘lift them up’ - ‘level the playing field’ to ensure that they have the ability to access opportunities that should be available to them. Huge progress has been made in the past few years on improving performance in local schools, including Rye College, but it is a fact that children from more disadvantaged areas are still much less likely to be taught by teachers who are described as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. Leadership, structure and high-quality teaching is what makes a school outstanding and excellent teaching gives children in more disadvantaged areas and from more disadvantaged homes a better chance of improving their potential.
I hear time and time again from schools, the NHS and local businesses of the difficulties in attracting and often retaining good staff. When it comes to teaching, projects such as Teach First are vital, as is the new £10 million funded pilot to improve the quality of teaching in certain areas. I shall be pushing the government to continue to evaluate and expand successful initiatives to attract high quality teachers and leaders to schools where they are most needed, including via the Hastings Opportunity Area Funding (HOA), which has benefited not only children in Hastings and St Leonards, but also Rye. Opportunity Area funding helps to improve educational outcomes and local job opportunities, and I am delighted that I secured a fifth year of HOA funding - but will be pushing for this to continue in order to reach the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children in our local communities.
I was motivated to get into politics due to my role as a local magistrate in both the adult criminal and the family proceedings courts. It was clear to me that education and getting children and families right is vital to a child’s future outcomes and social mobility. Since becoming an MP, I have consistently lobbied government ministers to deliver the 2019 Conservative manifesto commitment to strengthen families and will continue to do so. I am delighted that in autumn last year the chancellor announced funding to expand support for children and families including funding for the comprehensive family support Start for Life programme, funding to continue the Holiday and Activity Food Programme, as well as funding for the creation of a new network of family hubs in 75 local authorities.
Family hubs are centres which, as part of integrated services, ensure families with children and young people aged 0-19 (or 25 if special educational needs and disabilities 'SEND') receive early help to overcome a range of difficulties and build stronger relationships. Evidence shows that children and family services do not always work together as well as they should and all too often people do not know where to go to get the help and support they need. Family hubs are built on the tried and tested, but rather limited, Sure-Start or Home-Start models, and extend their reach to wider services and social care. This will deliver better outcomes for everyone involved.
There are already over 100 family hubs around the country and thanks to initial government funding, they are proving to be effective. The whole family approach - including ‘no stigma’ advice on debt, housing, job searching, relationship counselling, parenting, care for elderly relatives to name a few - providing much broader support proves effective. Importantly, family hubs are a partnership between local statutory and voluntary services - boosting the capacity of both. Many parents need support in their parenting or support in relationship advice. There is no shame in this; nobody teaches us how to parent or how to deal with difficulties in our family relationships. Supporting people to be good parents, helping parents share care and stay in work, minimising the adverse impacts of separation on children, and supporting children and parents’ mental health is vital.
I have been a bit of a pain to East Sussex County Council – perhaps a better phrase would be persistent – in advocating family hubs for Hastings and Rye. I am delighted that it has submitted its innovative bid for family hubs funding and am confident that it will be successful.
Education and strong families – in whatever form the latter takes – are the fundamental foundation and building blocks in a child’s development and I am determined that every child in Hastings and Rye has the very best of chances.
Hot off the press – as I finished this piece, the Department for Education has contacted me directly to inform me that East Sussex has been designated as an education investment area meaning it will attract extra investment including retention payments for the best teachers. Watch out for a press release on this! I am really very excited about this development.
