New challenge for schools in York

York schools are being challenged to strive for excellence as part of a new initiative launched this autumn.

City challenge

York Challenge aims to empower the city’s schools to achieve excellence in four key areas: leadership, curriculum, teaching and ‘narrowing the gap’ to accelerate the progress of under achieving children. Focusing on partnership working, schools will work in geographical groups – school improvement clusters – with the emphasis on ensuring that all schools become good and outstanding through working on improvement priorities as a cluster.

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Tang Hall community centre funding probe – Moor Lane Youth Club threatened

Residents in the Tang Hall area are asking why a £10,000 grant made last year for the improvement of the Tang Hall Community Centre has not been spent?

The money was part of the very much reduced budget now made available to Ward Committees.

It was to have been spent on remodelling the Centre, making it potentially easier to generate additional income.

The Centre is one of 4 in the City which are under threat of closure following the decision of the Council to stop its annual support grants.

Tang Hall CC, was at the centre of a controversy earlier in the year, when all the key posts on the management committee were taken over by local Labour Councillors.

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LibDem Councillor Ann Reid outside Moor Lane Youth Centre

LibDem Councillor Ann Reid outside Moor Lane Youth Centre

We also understand that the Council is considering closing down the Moor Lane youth centre in Dringhouses.

The well established and popular centre serves the whole of the west of York and is one of very few purpose designed facilities aimed at young people in the City’s suburbs.

Adoption Week thanks

adoption

Adoption chiefs are thanking everyone who came to their Adoption Information Event earlier this month, which formed part of the celebrations for National Adoption Week (4-10 November).

The information events, which are help jointly with North Yorkshire County Council and East Riding Council, provide an informal opportunity to anyone interested in adoption to find out more about what’s involved.

The next information session will be held at West Offices in York on Tuesday 10 December between 6.30 and 8.30pm. Please book in advance by calling 01904 553525 or 553508, or email adoptionandfostering@york.gov.uk

Nationally 4,000 children are waiting to find an adoptive family, but for one in four it is likely to remain only a dream.

And for every year a child waits their chances of being adopted reduce by 20 per cent.

City of York Council has historically approved around 12 new adoptive families each year, but is looking to increase this to at least 18 families in 2013/14 and 21 in 2014/15.

Childcare in York – have your say and win £100!

Are you a mum, dad or carer of a child or young person under 16 years old? (or 18 years old if disabled or with additional needs)

•             Do you use, or would like to use, childcare in York?

•             Are you a mum, dad or carer to be?

•             Do you have views on the quality and availability of childcare?

Then we’d like to hear from you! City of York Council wants to make sure that childcare meets families’ needs. Your opinions are really important to us and will help us to encourage high quality childcare that is available in the right place, at the right time and at an affordable price. We will do this by working closely with childcare providers and partner organisations.

Have your say and be in with the chance of winning £100 of high street vouchers. Click here Have your say

National Adoption Week: Find out more about adoption

York is joining in the national celebrations for National Adoption Week (4-10 November) by encouraging people to find out more about adoption.

Across the UK 4,000 children are waiting to find an adoptive family, but for one in four it is likely to remain only a dream. And for every year a child waits their chances of being adopted reduce by 20 per cent. National Adoption Week is for anyone who would like to help change this, so that every child waiting in care finds somewhere they can feel safe and loved.

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Citywide childcare survey launches

City of York Council is asking mums, dads, carers and parents-to-be in York what they think about childcare in the city this autumn.

childcare

The council has launched a citywide consultation to find out whether there is enough high quality childcare in York, whether it’s available at the right time, in the right place and at an affordable price.

The results of the survey will be used to help shape childcare provision in the future.

Carers, parents and parents-to-be can take part in the consultation in a number of ways:

• Online at www.yor-ok.org.uk/childcare

• By calling the council’s Family Information Service on 01904 554444

• By collecting a copy of the questionnaire from the reception at West Offices

• By taking part in focus groups run at different locations around York

The consultation will run until the end of December.

For further information please contact York Family Information Service on 01904 554444 or fis@york.gov.uk.

Road works in New Earswick

Pedestrians and cyclists will benefit from works to improve access and crossing points in and around Joseph Rowntree School in New Earswick.

jo-ro

Construction of a new zebra crossing and off-road cycle links to the south of the school will start from Monday 28 October for approximately two weeks. To enable this work to be carried out safely and quickly, there will be a road closure on Sunday 3 November

A key aim of the scheme, part of the wider School Safety Programme, is to facilitate and encourage walking and cycling on school journeys, reduce the number of cars on the network at key times, and promote sustainable travel habits at an early age.

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Secondary school places deadline looms in York

City of York Council is reminding parents of all year 6 pupils that the deadline for applications for secondary school places for September 2014 is the end of the month (31 October).

Applications for children born between 01.09.02 and 31.08.03 can be made at www.york.gov.uk/schooladmissions, by contacting the School Services team on 01904 551554 or by emailing education@york.gov.uk

Information about schools, the allocation process and admission policies can all be found in the Guide for Parents available at www.york.gov.uk/guideforparents

Parent/carers will find out which secondary school their child has been allocated on the 1 March 2014.

The closing date for Primary School places is 15 January 2014.

For regular updates follow the school services team on twitter @School_Services

Holgate children’s centre finally gets new occupier.

A team that supports some of York’s most vulnerable children has moved to new dedicated premises in Nursey Drive in Holgate.

City of York Council’s “Looked After Children Support Team” was formed last year to help support the city’s Looked After Children, their families and carers. The team of 12 specialist support practitioners will move to the site of the old Holgate Family Centre on Nursery Drive at the end of the month.

This is a welcome move by the Council which should, in our view, undertake more devolution to help regenerate sub-urban areas.

The team liaises with partner agencies across the city to coordinate and facilitate contact between Looked After Children and their parents and other relatives, support parenting assessments and re-unification plans, as well as helping Looked After and Adopted Children understand and make sense of their own life histories.

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York Youth Council Recruitment Drive

York Youth Council is a fantastic opportunity for all young people aged 11-18, providing a real chance for young people to have their voices on heard on issues that are important to them.

Over the last year, YYC have successfully campaigned to extend the YoZone Card from 16 to 18, allowing students to travel cheaply. They also worked hard to secure an all York Ticket so that all young people can travel on any bus in York, all day, for just £1.60.

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