In response to the Mayor’s announcement that Whitefield School in Barnet will receive a portion of his ‘Young Londoners Fund’ to set up a Stepping Stones programme, aimed at helping the most vulnerable local pupils with the transition to secondary school, local London Assembly Member Andrew Dismore AM said:
“The transition between primary and secondary school can be a difficult and testing time for some children. However, with the extra helping hand that the Stepping Stones programme and summer school provides, it can also empower the most vulnerable young Londoners to make the leap to a higher level of academic and personal independence.
“In the wake of sustained government cuts that have decimated our capital’s youth services, the summer school also offers invaluable free, educational activities during the holidays to divert the most at-risk young people from getting caught up in crime.
“The Mayor has clearly acknowledged the importance of early intervention, taking swift and stringent action to play his part in tackling inequality in our communities by introducing his £45m Young Londoners Fund.
“On the other hand, we have seen the Government treat this as a less urgent priority, having so far failed to allocate any of their £22 million Early Intervention Fund. This amount is a drop in the ocean when compared the level of damage that has been done by their callous programme of austerity”.
Notes to editors
Andrew Dismore AM is the London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden