I wanted to update you on progress in developing Camden’s new education strategy, Building Back Stronger, a draft of which is due to be considered by Camden Council’s Cabinet on Wednesday 13 October 2021. Subject to the Cabinet’s approval, we will be inviting everyone with an interest in education in Camden to contribute their ideas, energy and inspiration as part of a six-week, formal public consultation on the draft strategy, which is due to run from 25 October 2021 until 3 December 2021. The draft strategy is also due to be considered by the Children, Schools and Families Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday 12 October 2021 and will be made publicly available as part of the agenda for that meeting on Monday 4 October 2021.

Building Back Stronger puts forward a range of far-reaching and ambitious proposals, grounded in the extensive feedback received during the draft strategy’s development. A Stakeholder Reference Group, which includes headteachers and a governor representative, has continued to challenge and mould the direction of this draft strategy in the everyday realities of Camden schools and the experiences of teachers and other practitioners, children and parents. Three separate conferences were also held in May and early June for headteachers, school governors and post-16 education, which have also fed into the draft strategy’s development. Alongside this, we have also run a wide-ranging and comprehensive programme of Camden Conversations throughout 2021, which many of you will have attended and which have helped to challenge and shape our thinking.

I wanted to write now, to make you aware of these timescales, so that you and your staff can consider how to participate and contribute in the public consultation. Further details will provided on the public consultation closer to the time but we will convene a further conference with schools to discuss how the strategy will be implemented. There will also be some online consultation sessions organised, as well as two face-to-face drop-in sessions at libraries in the borough. However, you may also wish to consider allocating time at your governors’ meetings or school management meetings, to discuss the strategy. These could be scheduled from any point after the draft strategy is published on Monday 4 October 2021 and do not necessarily need to wait for the start of the formal public consultation. However, we would ask that all your feedback is submitted by the 3 December 2021 closing date. It is planned that a final version of the strategy, which takes into account the results of the public consultation, will be considered by Cabinet on Wednesday 19 January 2022.

Earlier on in the week we held our first Camden Conversation of the academic year, we were delighted to welcome Sir Kevan Collins to Camden (via Dubai) where so many of his thoughts and suggestions really resonated with the sentiments and ambition of our Education Strategy. I was really struck by his message about childhood recovery, giving children the time and space to play and learn, and for adults to hear what young people are actually saying. His key line around recover to reform is a strong narrative, where he passionately advocates structural drivers to address inequalities including extended time in school to learn and participate in extracurricular activities, providing the right nutrition so children are ready to learn and the importance of sleep and exercise; getting the balance right is key. If you missed the session with Kevan you can find the recording below.

Topic: Camden Conversation with Sir Kevan Collins

Date: Sep 15, 2021 03:45 PM London

Meeting Recording: Camden Conversation with Sir Kevan Collins

Access Passcode: s3!RHDe%

Jon Abbey

Managing Director of Camden Learning