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The Black Country Challenge is a three year partnership between schools, Government, and the four local authorities that make up the Black Country: Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton, and all those working in education in the sub-region.
It will be led by Schools Minister Jim Knight, and Sir Geoff Hampton acting as Chief Adviser for Black Country schools to the Department for Children, Schools and Families
The main outcomes set over the three years are to achieve:
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a rise in the number of good and outstanding schools in the area
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a sharp drop in underperforming schools, and in particular, those underperforming in English and Maths
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significant improvements in educational outcomes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds
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raised aspirations amongst pupils at primary and secondary level- in particular those from some of the most deprived areas in the Black Country
The Black Country Challenge will be delivered in collaboration with local education stakeholders and will support both primary and secondary schools, aiming to break the associated cycle of low attainment among disadvantaged children in the region and raise aspirations of pupils and their families.
Through a range of strategies and schemes, it will offer solutions to local needs, for example, providing support and training to teachers and leaders to build their capacity and skills, offering bespoke solutions for school improvement to schools facing challenging circumstances, and support for disadvantaged pupils who are not achieving the same standards as their peers.
The Black Country Challenge is part of a wider programme to regenerate and transform the sub-region over the next 30 years.
To download more information, click here (PDF, 940kb).
