Issue - items at meetings - Letters from Councillors

(i) Bridge 2 Attendance – Letter from Councillor Morgan (copy attached).

36. (i) Letter – Bridge to Attendance   

36.1    A letter was received from Councillor Morgan regarding the Bridge 2 Attendance project.

36.2    The Chairman noted that Councillor Morgan was unable to attend today’s meeting. She read out her response to Councillor Morgan’s letter and advised that a copy of her response would be sent to Councillor Morgan accordingly.

“After the transfer of students to from East Brighton College of Media Arts in September 04 (first wave) and September 05 there remained a group of students across the secondary age-range who benefited from some localised provision in Whitehawk in addition to being on the role of a secondary school. 

These students had poor attendance at their secondary school for a variety of reasons or had additional support needs to maintain their access to the curriculum.  They are the pupils who would have benefited from additional funds if they had remained in Comart.  The support was essentially for pupils at Varndean, Hove Park and Longhill where most of the pupils transferred.

The Excellence in Cities and EB4U funding was used to support the project until pupils who transferred to other schools had completed their GCSEs.

Bridge to Attendance Project provided additional teaching as well as that which is provided at school. The project had agreed referral criteria and pupils have been expected to attend their school for some of the week. The support provided by this project was organised in partnership with the mainstream school. The team has helped with basic skills and course work. It also has co-ordinated & organised links with work experience/ placement/college, to create progression routes, so that these young people see there is ‘life beyond 16’, which could be work, work & training, college.  The team have also to sign-posted to other providers / projects who could offer part of the student’s package e.g. family centre, youth workers

The project has scaled down in each of the three years as there became fewer young people eligible for support.  Staffing for this project now consists of two learning mentors and a project manager.  Other staff are employed on an occasional basis as need arises.

This has been a highly successful project with significant success for some young people who found it difficult to transfer from COMART school.  The purpose is now complete. Some other students (not ex Comart) living in Whitehawk have been given some additional support whilst the funding remains and until the end date of the project.  The young people will continue to receive support from their mainstream school and any needed additional support from the Children and Young People’s Trust area team and other specialist support services. 

The project will close at Easter with the current premises reverting to use as a caretaker’s cottage.  In future the support will be provided through the main stream school. However additional funding has been secured to further support the pupils currently at B2A and will be managed by the schools and Area teams.”

36.5    RESOLVED – That the letter be noted and a copy of the response provided be sent to Councillor Morgan.