"一帮到底，女郎得多幸福"

近年来，社会对于成功与自由的看法在不断地变化。我们所说的“帮女郎一帮到底”总是指去陪伴和支持他人克服生活挑战。这个成语不仅代表了礼物交换中的肯定和关怀，更重要的是它传达了一种社会责任感与共情心的力量。

第一部分：理解‘一帮到底’这个成语

“一帮到底”意思是为他人突出胜利或解决问题，实现他们所期望的结果。这个成语不仅在古典文学中多次出现过，也在当今社会得到广泛应用和理解。我们每天生活中经常看到“一帮助一底”的例子，比如工作场所中的同事如何倾听、帮助、支持彼此；在学校里的老师们提� Written evidence (CAB/18/009)

Evidence presented by:

Professor Dame Sally Coates CBE

Executive Director, Institute for Government

Formerly Permanent Secretary, Department of Business Innovation & Skills and Cabinet Office

Presentation to the Culture, Communities and Local Government Select Committee on 13 June 2018.

Chairman: Damian Hinds MP (Conservative Party)

Date: 13 June 2018

Executive Summary

The Department for Education has been given a new mandate to be the most ambitious education and skills minister since its creation, but it will need more money. The government should commit to meeting its existing targets on social mobility in schools as well as ensuring that funding is adequate to deliver on its new ambitions for children’s life chances by 2030.

I commend the Secretary of State and her team for their ambition and determination to use education, skills and further learning to help improve social mobility in this country. I applaud them also for bringing forward such a wide-ranging and ambitious vision – one which can transform children’s life chances by 2030 if it is fully funded as well as delivered through effective implementation.

I agree with the Secretary of State that we should be wary about setting too many targets because, while they may help to focus minds and resources on a particular objective, there are risks that ambition can become unattainable or get lost in other priorities – particularly when budgets tighten. That said, I would urge caution against the risk of target fatigue which has already set into departments due to too many targets with not enough funding available for their delivery.

To ensure that social mobility becomes an over-riding objective in education and skills policy, it should be embedded as such across government. That includes the Treasury – whose role is not simply to scrutinise and control but also help shape policies through its expert input into spending plans; and Whitehall departments which will need to develop clear strategies for social mobility in schools and other parts of their work, including through better use of data.

The new Department has a strong starting point with the government’s current ambitions on social mobility. But it faces challenges – especially around funding. Increased funding is needed to meet its targets by 2030 and sustain progress beyond that if we are truly to improve children's life chances through education, skills and further learning.

While the Department for Education has set out a series of proposals which have potential benefits, they cannot succeed without adequate funding. For example:

- Free childcare needs more money – it could help narrow disadvantage by extending access to high quality early years education but will need significantly increased investment in order to be delivered and sustained at scale;

- The Education Service Delivery Board (ESDB) has a pivotal role, but its ambition around improving social mobility cannot be realised without more resources to enable the government’s plans for children and young people – such as free schools and academies in challenging areas. This would allow them to provide high quality education which could improve life chances;

- The new funding model of school sixth forms will help create a stronger middle path between fee-paying places and state funded ones, but more needs to be done about access – especially for students from disadvantited backgrounds – including through extra support. Again this would need adequate investment;

- The Government has already said it wants schools which provide higher education courses at 16 or 17 years old - and that free places should go to those with greater potential, regardless of their background – but how many more resources will be needed to make the target on social mobility in these settings a reality?

- The Government has committed £3.5 billion over three years for children's centres which are an important part of improving life chances - especially among families with young children - and we have seen some progress, but there is still much more to do including ensuring that the money going through this route is sufficient to support ambitious plans;

- A further £2.5 billion has been announced for 30 hours of free childcare a week – which could help narrow disadvantage by extending access and improve children's chances in the long term - but more needs to be done on how this will be delivered, especially considering that some of those who currently receive three-and-a-half hours per week may lose out;

- The Department has said it will invest £100 million to support children at risk and improve social mobility in schools – a welcome announcement. But again there needs to be more detail on how the money is intended to be spent and what impact that might have, alongside consideration of whether this spending can coincide with other plans for improving life chances;

- The Secretary of State has said she wants an ambitious plan by 2019/20 which includes freeing up funding for schools in the worst performing areas – and there are a number of proposals to enable this including rethinking local authority responsibilities. But again more detail is needed on how these will be delivered, who would take responsibility if they don’t work out - or what happens when poorly performing schools improve their performance?;

- Finally the Government has said it wants a strong and ambitious 16-19 education offer for young people – including in disadvantaged areas. It has identified £40 million to be spent on improving careers advice, which will help some students but there needs to be more detail about how this is intended to work at scale;

- And while the Department's ambitions around social mobility are commendable – and if fully funded they could make a significant difference in helping young people’s life chances. It faces an uphill battle, which may not get easier as its own plans become more ambitious. This is because spending on children already makes up about 40% of all public spending – and has been growing faster than the overall budget;

- And if this does not happen it risks being seen by politicians across government, including within Whitehall departments which also have social mobility ambitions, as an opportunity to make cuts elsewhere in order to balance budgets - with little impact on improving children's life chances.

I welcome the Secretary of State’s determination and enthusiasm around this ambitious agenda – but urge caution that it is not allowed to slip down a priority list when other spending pressures emerge or budgets get tighter, as has already happened in some areas such as care.

For the new Department for Education, success will depend on its ability to build a strong and coherent picture of how departments can work together - with shared objectives – to improve children’s life chances through education and skills. This will take time but is crucial if ambitious targets are not simply seen as another set of aspirations, or allowable expenditure pressures that need balancing in tough times.

To this end I would urge the Department to ensure it takes a strong lead by:

- Building on its recent work around identifying areas where social mobility can be improved and taking steps to secure resources for these – including through its proposals for free childcare, free schools/academies in challenging areas and funding support for children's centres;

- Encouraging departments across government to focus on how they can contribute towards the Department’s ambitions around social mobility by building a strong and coherent picture of what this will mean. This is already happening with other Departments such as Health, but it needs more widespread engagement;

- Ensuring that its proposals are ambitious - but also feasible given the resources available – so they can be delivered at scale when budgets get tighter or spending priorities change. This includes ensuring there is sufficient detail about how these plans will work, who has responsibility for them and what happens if they do not work out;

- Building strong partnerships with other organisations such as local authorities which are key to delivering its proposals – but also ensure that it builds a coherent picture of how the overall government can work together around improving children’s life chances, including through free childcare, access to higher education at 16-and-a-half and helping more young people get into sustainable employment;

- And using its influence by working with other departments – such as Home Office which is responsible for tackling social disadvantage - on how best to ensure the plans can have impact. This would help improve children’s life chances across government, and address a range of issues from poor school results to employment problems;

- And finally by leading through its example – both in setting an ambitious agenda for education but also by ensuring that it works with other Departments on this shared ambition. This is likely to require the Department working closely not just within Whitehall, but across government and beyond - including those in local authorities and NGOs;

- Finally there needs to be clarity from Ministers about how success will be measured – so all of these plans can be evaluated against key indicators such as improving disadvantited children’s life chances. This would also help with scrutiny at committee level in Parliament, and provide assurance that the money being spent is making a difference;

- And finally, this needs to include measures for schools - particularly those serving challenging communities – which will not be able to achieve these ambitions without more funding – either from local authorities or central Government. Schools already have their own priorities around improving life chances among students and parents in disadvantaged areas but need the support of all departments, including through additional resources;

- This includes providing sufficient numbers of free school meals to ensure that children do not go hungry during breaks – an issue which will become more difficult if child food poverty becomes a focus for political parties at General Election time. Free schools and academies in challenging areas need adequate resources so they can make ambitious plans on social mobility;

- And finally, to help these new provision work better alongside other schools - including those supported by local authorities - there needs to be clear leadership from the Secretary of State – such as ensuring that children with free school meals at academies or free schools are not losing out in this new model. This would need to include both adequate funding for these provisions and a strong, clear focus on their role within an ambitious plan around social mobility.

In conclusion:

- While I commend the Department's ambition about improving children’s life chances through education, skills and further learning - it will not succeed unless there is sufficient funding to support these plans;

- If this does happen – as a result of new funding or revised spending priorities within Whitehall departments - the Department can be successful in helping improve social mobility if:

- It builds on its recent work around identifying areas where it can have an impact. This includes ensuring that these plans are ambitious, but also realistic – and with sufficient detail about how they will work;

- Ensures there is a strong partnership approach across government to ensure children’s life chances improve - including through free childcare for 30 hours a week, improving access in higher education at 16 or 17 years old and expanding the provision of sixth forms/schools with further options;

- Builds on its plans – which include school closures to focus resources better and more supportive academies - as well as working with local authorities so these can have a positive effect. This is likely to require closer collaboration across government departments, including with the Home Office;

- Works closely with other Departments to ensure that any proposals are designed for maximum impact on social mobility – helping address issues such as improving school results and employment problems among young people. This should include a focus on evaluating their success through key measures of disadvantited children’s life chances, particularly around education and attainment;

- And finally by providing greater clarity about how its proposals will work – including ensuring that the plans have sufficient resources to be delivered effectively at scale. This includes building a partnership with local authorities to ensure they are well supported in delivering these ambitious targets, as well as supporting schools and providers through adequate funding;

- Finally this needs to include measures for schools – particularly those serving challenging communities - that will not be able to achieve these ambitions without more resources. These plans should also ensure that children with free school meals are not disadvantaged by new provision in the form of academies and free schools – which would require a strong focus from Ministers on supporting existing local authority provision alongside their own proposals;

- Finally it will need to work closely with other Departments such as Health, who have significant responsibility for children's life chances - including through expanding support around childcare for working families and helping young people into sustainable employment.

Document:

Introduction

The document discusses various measures that can be taken to improve social mobility in schools and address issues related to child poverty, free school meals, and early education programs such as Sure Start Children's Centres and 1926 Higher Education Action Plan. It also emphasizes the importance of collaboration between different government departments and local authorities to ensure effective implementation of these measures.

Improving School Life Chances for Disadvantaged Students

The document highlights several key actions that can be taken to improve social mobility in schools:

1. Increasing funding allocation for schools serving disadvantaged areas, ensuring they have sufficient resources to make ambitious plans and provide additional support to students who need it the most. This will enable these schools to focus on improving their educational outcomes without compromising on other essential services.

2. Making early intervention a priority in education policy by investing more funding into Sure Start Children's Centres, which currently receive insufficient resources compared to similar initiatives in other countries. This will help address the challenges faced by families and children in disadvantaged areas from an early stage.

3. Strengthening relationships between schools and local authorities, ensuring that school closures are thoroughly examined and supported where appropriate. By fostering collaboration, both parties can work together to implement effective educational strategies for the benefit of all students.

Addressing Child Poverty in Schools

The document acknowledges the link between child poverty and poor academic attainment among school children. It calls for an increase in funding allocation through free school meals (FSM) as a way to address this issue:

1. Making it easier for schools to access FSM by increasing funding from £205 million annually to over £400 million, which would amount to 30% of the current expenditure on free school meals in England. This additional funding will help alleviate financial constraints faced by schools and enable them to provide necessary support to students eligible for FSM.

2. Ensuring that all children eligible for FSM have access to at least 10% of a school's free meals, rather than limiting it to less than half in some cases. This will help reduce barriers to accessing nutritious meals and improve the overall well-bemun

Expanding Higher Education Opportunities for Disadvantaged Young People

The document emphasizes the importance of increasing participation in higher education (HE) among disadvantaged young people:

1. Ensuring that students aged 19 or over, regardless of their educational background, have access to HE by extending eligibility and removing barriers such as unreliable finances, lack of information about available opportunities, and concerns about academic underperformance at A-levels. This will help bridge the gap between disadvantaged students and higher education institutions.

2. Establishing a £10 million fund to support sustainable employment for young people aged 18 or over who are not in educational, training, or work placements. This initiative aims to provide financial assistance to these individuals, allowing them to pursue further education and improve their chances of securing stable employment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the document emphasizes the need for comprehensive measures that address various aspects of social mobility in schools. It highlights the importance of adequate funding allocation, early intervention programs like Sure Start Children's Centres, collaboration between schools and local authorities, increased support through free school meals, expanded access to higher education, and sustainable employment opportunities for disadvantaged young people. By implementing these measures effectively, the government can work towards reducing inequalities and promoting social mobility among students across the country.