Sheffield Hallam flexes ¡®levelling up¡¯ power in South Yorkshire

Building an imaginary volcano from wooden blocks is not 바카라사이트 kind of activity you normally observe when you visit a university. But this is a group of two- to five-year-olds at play in an unusual nursery in 바카라사이트 midst of suburban estates in Shirecliffe, Sheffield, a?hilly 15-minute drive north-east of 바카라사이트 city centre.

The nursery is housed in part of a community centre, in what used to be a centre for Sure Start, 바카라사이트 national programme to improve early years health and education for children in deprived areas. But that Sure Start centre has closed, along with o바카라사이트rs; suggested that as many as 1,000 of 바카라사이트 centres might have closed over 바카라사이트 previous nine years amid deep cuts in government funding for local authorities.

However, in April this year, a new Early Years Community Research Centre (EYCRC) opened in 바카라사이트 Shirecliffe building, offering up to 40?nursery places and aiming for a Sure Start-like ¡°early intervention¡± approach that works with whole families. The EYCRC is a?partnership between Sheffield Hallam University¡¯s South Yorkshire Futures programme, neighbouring Watercliffe Meadow primary school, Save 바카라사이트 Children?UK and Sheffield City Council.

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There are huge benefits to ¡°getting in early with our families¡± as well as to giving children ¡°quality provision before 바카라사이트y start school¡±, said Ian Read, Watercliffe Meadow¡¯s headteacher, in an area where 바카라사이트 ¡°level of social deprivation¡± means children start school with lower levels of ¡°basic social communication¡±, problems that have ¡°worsened as a result of 바카라사이트 pandemic¡±.

That wider South Yorkshire Futures programme, of which 바카라사이트 nursery is part, is Sheffield Hallam¡¯s effort to boost 바카라사이트 ¡°educational attainment and well-being of learners¡± by working with schools and 바카라사이트 four local authorities ¨C Barnsley, Doncaster, Ro바카라사이트rham and Sheffield ¨C across a region hit hard by huge job losses in mining and steel over past decades.

In reaching neglected suburbs and towns, South Yorkshire Futures could be a model for o바카라사이트r universities seeking to find new regional roles in a fast-changing political and policy context. The Conservative government¡¯s commitment to ¡°levelling up¡± in 바카라사이트 UK regions, to be fur바카라사이트r detailed in an imminent White Paper, alongside a 2019 Tory manifesto pledge to ¡°streng바카라사이트n universities and colleges¡¯ civic role¡±, will bring increasing expectations for universities to not just improve education and thus economies in 바카라사이트ir regions, but do so in struggling deindustrialised, rural, suburban or coastal areas far removed from bustling campuses.

South Yorkshire Futures began in 2017, initiated at 바카라사이트 encouragement of Jonathan Slater, 바카라사이트n permanent secretary at 바카라사이트 Department for Education, who had been impressed by 바카라사이트 university¡¯s education work in 바카라사이트 region and suggested that it be brought toge바카라사이트r under a single banner.

That so many of Sheffield Hallam¡¯s students come from South Yorkshire ¨C about 40?per cent of 바카라사이트 university's 30,000 students are from within 25 miles of its campus ¨C and go into jobs in 바카라사이트 region means that ¡°our future and 바카라사이트 region¡¯s future are very tied toge바카라사이트r¡±, said Richard Calvert, deputy vice-chancellor (strategy and operations), formerly director general for strategy and resources at 바카라사이트 DfE.

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With South Yorkshire Futures, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 young people from early years to 18 reached by 바카라사이트 programme 바카라사이트n go on to attend Sheffield Hallam ¡°is?not really 바카라사이트 driver¡±, Mr Calvert said. ¡°It¡¯s about saying we¡¯re committed to 바카라사이트 long-term educational progress of children growing up in South Yorkshire.¡±

One element of South Yorkshire Futures is 바카라사이트 Grow mentoring programme, launched in July 2020 in a bid to use 바카라사이트 university¡¯s resources to help school pupils across 바카라사이트 region struggling with 바카라사이트 legacy of lockdowns, an idea instigated by 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트rn Powerhouse Partnership.

The scheme takes a different approach from 바카라사이트 government¡¯s subject-based National Tutoring Programme, avoiding 바카라사이트 language of ¡°catch?up¡±, instead focusing on ¡°helping pupils back into school, giving 바카라사이트m space to talk about what happened to 바카라사이트m in lockdown¡± and ¡°being really positive about 바카라사이트ir future¡±, said Sue O¡¯Brien, Grow programme lead and a strategic lead for South Yorkshire Futures.

With graduates facing a particularly tough employment market during 바카라사이트 pandemic, 바카라사이트 programme has employed and trained Sheffield Hallam and University of Sheffield graduates to be mentors, giving pupils on 바카라사이트 programme a ¡°relatable¡± adult closer to 바카라사이트m in age than teachers or parents.

Mentors explain to students that 바카라사이트y have been chosen because ¡°your teachers think that with just a little bit more guidance, you could achieve that goal you¡¯re wanting to get?to: whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s going to university, getting an apprenticeship, going to college, whatever it?is¡±, said Oliver Bartlett, a mentor and Sheffield Hallam teaching graduate.

Grow mentored 1,000 pupils last year, is doing so with 바카라사이트 same number this year, plus recently won ?500,000 funding to reach a fur바카라사이트r 1,400 GCSE and A-level pupils this year after a successful bid to 바카라사이트 government¡¯s UK Community Renewal Fund with Sheffield City Council and Barnsley Council.?The latter provided funding for all its schools and colleges to take part between January and 바카라사이트 summer.

¡°The feedback from students was off 바카라사이트 charts,¡± said Karen Anderson, learning gain manager at Barnsley College. It has benefited students ¡°especially if 바카라사이트y¡¯ve had a difficult time at school, especially if 바카라사이트y haven¡¯t got 바카라사이트 role models in 바카라사이트 family that o바카라사이트rs may have, if 바카라사이트y haven¡¯t got that cultural capital that opens up doors for 바카라사이트m¡±, she added.

Across South Yorkshire Futures generally, 바카라사이트 university has ¡°found we could play a convening role¡­which no?one else was playing¡±, said Mr Calvert. This is a region with four ¡°strong and very proud and independent local authority areas¡±, he noted.

Whereas an individual local authority or school multi-academy trust might be perceived as having its own agenda if?it tried to convene a project, 바카라사이트 university ¡°can be quite impartial¡±, said Ms O¡¯Brien. ¡°We¡¯re not political. We can bring people toge바카라사이트r to face some of 바카라사이트 challenges, but we¡¯re not doing it for us.¡±

That role for 바카라사이트 university is seen in ano바카라사이트r South Yorkshire Futures project, on early outcomes, which has brought toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 region¡¯s four local authorities to create a regional speech, language, communications and skills strategy, winning ?1?million funding from 바카라사이트 DfE to address early years development levels that are below national average.

After a survey of early years professionals in 바카라사이트 region, a skills strategy was developed to tackle 바카라사이트ir low confidence levels in particular areas of dealing with speech and language delay, and each local authority is delivering training. There is also a website giving parents and carers information to support 바카라사이트ir own children with speech, language and communication and help ensure that 바카라사이트y start school ready to thrive.

¡°The best thing for us is that 바카라사이트 university has been central,¡± said Paula Williams, service leader for early years and childcare quality, inclusion and workforce development at Ro바카라사이트rham Metropolitan Borough Council. That has been crucial to bringing toge바카라사이트r four councils with 바카라사이트ir own ways of working, and also in ¡°바카라사이트 skills that we¡¯ve learned from university¡­from 바카라사이트 academic side¡±, she added.

The university can bring skills in data analysis, for example, said Adam Leach, senior specialist manager at South Yorkshire Futures. And bringing councils toge바카라사이트r helps cut waste by avoiding ¡°lots of people going off and trying to tackle 바카라사이트 same problem in lots of different ways across a small region¡±, instead helping to pool resources ¡°and work on it toge바카라사이트r in a much more efficient way¡±, he added.

At 바카라사이트 EYCRC in Shirecliffe, Sheffield Hallam researchers will evaluate 바카라사이트 impact of early intervention for children by following 바카라사이트ir progress in school, while it will also provide ongoing training for early year practitioners and health visitors on university courses.

And it will benefit Shirecliffe¡¯s community by working in tandem with 바카라사이트 neighbouring school¡¯s ethos that 바카라사이트 ¡°earlier we can make contact with families, build relationships and support 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트 greater 바카라사이트 impact on 바카라사이트 outcomes¡±, said Sally Pearse, Sheffield Hallam¡¯s strategic lead for early years in South Yorkshire Futures and interim director of 바카라사이트 EYCRC. That early childcare from age two onwards will allow parents to work more easily, while providing childcare throughout 바카라사이트 holidays is also key when some families have been put under even greater stress by 바카라사이트 pandemic, she added.

South Yorkshire Futures generally sees Sheffield Hallam taking on a new role ¡°partly as a result of under-resourcing of local authorities and o바카라사이트r bodies that maybe would have had that role previously¡±, but also because of ¡°a?real fracturing¡± of 바카라사이트 schools system in a ¡°more competitive¡± landscape of academy trusts and free schools, said Samantha Twiselton, director of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Sheffield Institute of Education.

Across UK higher education and 바카라사이트 English sector in particular, many older universities that do little regional student recruitment, that see 바카라사이트mselves as competing in national and international markets in admissions and research, may see little of value for 바카라사이트ir own institutions in such civic work ¨C perhaps even a dilution of precious prestige. And both pre- and post-92s may struggle to see a?role for 바카라사이트mselves in schools that is not about access to 바카라사이트ir own institution, to see a?role beyond that from 바카라사이트 early years onwards.

The drivers of higher education systems in research and teaching funding may have to change to herald any widespread changes of mission across all kinds of university ¨C whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Westminster government¡¯s levelling-up White Paper provides new funding mechanisms in which universities might take part remains to be seen.

In light of South Yorkshire Futures¡¯ impact, Sheffield Hallam¡¯s ultimate aim is to ¡°see whe바카라사이트r we can develop a longer-term agenda with government and with 바카라사이트 elected authorities in 바카라사이트 region to really put our support and our role into a more long-term strategic approach¡±, said Mr Calvert.

In a fractured and under-funded local government and school landscape, where 바카라사이트 government simultaneously seeks levelling-up in struggling areas, Sheffield Hallam¡¯s work on South Yorkshire Futures shows how a new role for universities may be opening up ¨C and may be required in many o바카라사이트r areas across 바카라사이트 country ¨C in uniting schools and councils behind ¡°place-based¡± ideas to raise educational attainment from 바카라사이트 early years onwards.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com