Welcome to the latest introduction of Heads Up.  As ever, we have had a hugely busy week but I am actually going to refer back to something that took place last week as the basis of my introduction.

Last Friday saw a meeting of the Nuneaton Education Strategy Board and things are really moving apace now.  A series of events launching the various strands of the strategy will be taking place at the end of March and then it will be all systems go.

The meeting, as you would expect, brought together a range of partners from a wide variety of disciplines.  The challenges for some young people are not limited to educational attainment.  There is a strong commitment to build resilience for our most vulnerable young people with joined up approaches across the public sector including education, health, care and justice services.  The education strategy also needs to align with our economic development and physical regeneration work.

The lead officer for the Nuneaton Education Strategy also sits on the Transforming Nuneaton board. And that shows the symbiotic nature of all the work going on in the town; it is better to transform a community through collective endeavour, equipping the future workforce with the skills and the ambition to continue to take it forwards. 

I am extremely excited at the prospects for Nuneaton of so many people coming together to raise attainment, achievement  and, importantly, aspiration.  There is a challenge for us to narrow the gap for some of our young people, but it is one where I really believe that the right people are joining together to make sure we can help the community fulfil their ambitions and, here is where the education strategy for the town comes in, its young people and future generations.

Watch this space.  In the next few weeks you will start to see more about the strategy as all of the planning that has taken place begins to bear fruit.