Every child starts school ready to learn
Every child starts school ready to learn
The Mayor and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) are determined to make sure that every child has the basic skills needed to start school.
It is estimated that around 12,000 children started school in September 2017 without the skills needed to learn, such as being able to read or write.
The focus on school-readiness is a big part of the Greater Manchester Strategy. The strategy includes the city-region’s five-year aim to better the national average for the proportion of children reaching a ‘good level of development’ at the end of reception.
In order to achieve this we are focusing on:
- all parents having access to the support they need
- high quality early years services
- excellent places to play, develop and learn
- strong leadership and systems
In October 2017, the GMCA held a School Readiness Summit which highlighted the impact that economic instability, low wages and ‘time poverty’ can have on families, and children’s development.
Greater Manchester health and public bodies, including primary and secondary schools, signed a pledge to work together, and to share information and resources, in an effort to cut year on year the numbers of children that arrive at school not ready to learn.
- New plan to ensure no child is left behind - news article (October 2017)
- Helping more children become ‘school-ready’ - news article (September 2017) (External site)
Education Summit - 2023
The first GMCA Education Summit connected education leaders across Greater Manchester to the work we are doing to support schools and colleges, and explored ways we could collaborate further across Greater Manchester.
Find out more and sign up for updates on GMCA’s work with the education sector.
School Readiness Summit – February 2019
More than 300 schools, public, private & voluntary sector organisations came together on Thursday 28 February, for the second Greater Manchester School Readiness Summit.
Delegates heard from Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham as he revealed there has been an increase in the number of children starting Year 1 with a ‘good level of development’, with approximately 200 more children starting school ready to learn compared to the previous year.
