If elected the following policy will inform and guide decisions and campaigns by Chelmsford Labour Party representatives.

Accountability

1. Education should not be for profit, and all children should receive the same quality of education no matter the school they go to. This is the council’s responsibility to uphold.
   • Council funding should focus on children attending State-funded schools, ensuring allocation of funding benefits schools most in need as a priority.
   • We will lobby to ensure issues raised by schools are taken seriously and appropriately handled at a council level.
   • Explore the introduction of a Equality Officer to support schools to ensure the success of pupils from all backgrounds – with a focus on reducing the numbers of pupils disproportionately excluded and disciplined, specifically students from Black or Traveller communities (Department of Education 2018).

Grammar Schools and Academies

2. Chelmsford’s Grammar Schools and Academies should prioritise serving and allocating places to local communities.

An Education for Everyone

3. No child should be left behind by our education system, and we need to enable every child reach their full potential. To do this we must increase funding to our schools and support the most vulnerable in our society.

• • We will reduce permanent exclusions by 50% and campaign against “off rolling” to make sure every Chelmsford child has somewhere to learn and grow.
  • We will work to ensure all of the schools in Chelmsford are rated good or outstanding by OFSTED. Focusing on increasing attendance, and reducing average class sizes across the county.
  • We will support schools to introduce green initiatives. From safer and more reliable bus and cycle routes to encouraging green behaviours in the classroom.
  • We will ensure that children with additional needs are given the support they require to thrive.

Youth Services

4. Conservative cuts have directly affected Youth Services and Programmes that engage and support Chelmsford’s young people in a positive way.
   • We will reinvest and develop youth services to give our young people somewhere to feel supported and engaged.
   • We will support successful existing services and help them grow and work in their community.
   • Tackle holiday hunger by protecting school holiday lunch clubs in our most deprived areas.

Further Education & Lifelong learning

5. Many people now expect to change career direction several times and no longer expect or want a “job for life”, we need to prepare our systems to support this and grow transferrable skills.
   • Revamp our further education and training opportunities to keep up with the changing needs of our society, and Chelmsford.
   • Connect with local businesses to understand their needs and support them with work experience programmes to benefit both the businesses and local people.
   • Continue to develop and support council funded creches for adults seeking to upskill using our educations services.

Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)

6. The university can bring employment and money into a city, and we need to focus on ensuring this benefits the people of Chelmsford.
   • Work with the University and local business to create placements and apprenticeships across the city.
   • Encourage our local graduates to stay in the City, monitor the number of students who come, stay and grow that number.
   • Invest in research and development in Chelmsford to encourage cutting edge technologies and methods to be used to better the lives of our residents.

An Inclusive Curriculum

7. We must be honest and reflective about the discrimination taking place in our society that’s based in our history, education has a role to play in this. While we cannot dictate the curriculum, we will work with local schools and learning centres to enhance our understanding. Looking at true British history, from Empire to the Civil Rights movement right through to including more literature, philosophy and role models from marginalized communities for our local young people.
   • Work with Chelmsford schools and Museum to develop additional learning materials about the role of colonialism and racism in British history and current society.
   • Lead and support any educational resources for schools that allow children to discuss and understand racism, misogyny and other forms of discrimination.
   • Engage with local communities to bring celebrations like Black History Month into local schools.