Missions to boost outcomes in left-behind regions risk being ineffective with questions over the schemes’ funding and leadership unanswered, the government has been warned.
Two place-focused programmes, mission north east and mission coastal, will be launched in a bid to tackle entrenched disadvantage.
Chris Zarraga, the director of Schools North East, described the announcement as a “significant step forward”, but this “must now translate into redistribution, capacity-building and long-term commitment”.
“The north east does not need higher expectations, it already has them, it needs structural conditions that make those expectations achievable.”
The white paper said mission north east will “focus explicitly on radically improving outcomes for white working-class children”. Meanwhile, mission coastal will centre on disadvantaged seaside communities.
The programmes will bring together clusters of schools facing similar challenges and develop improvement strategies.
Schools North East noted key elements of the missions “remain under-specified”, like the amount of cash the regions will get and who will deliver them.
‘Pay teachers substantially more’
Without these details hashed out, the body fears the programme “risks becoming symbolic rather than structural”.
Officials said funding will be “determined as we work collaboratively with schools and local partners to develop the approach”.
But the DfE has said the missions will seek to build on the “revolutionary impact” of the London Challenge, the Blair government’s school improvement programme in the capital.
At its peak, the initiative had an annual budget £40 million.
Sir Alan Wood, who was involved in the scheme while director of education at Hackney council, said that for such a programme to work “you have to be able to rely on a sufficient supply of highly skilled teachers and leaders”.
“If you haven’t got that, then you can’t get off the ground because you’re then just recirculating the things that have failed.
“You also have to recognise you will have to pay substantially more for teachers and ensure their career development is looked after.”
Your thoughts