Briefings and responses

Making sure all children and young people have the bright future they deserve is a key ambition of every council. Councils want all young people to be able to enjoy their lives, reach their full potential and make a good transition to adulthood with good health and wellbeing.

There is evidence that while high quality childcare can support children’s development and increase academic skills, low quality childcare produces either no benefit or even negative effects. The quality of provision locally, therefore, is at least as important as the quantity.

The LGA has set out our vision for youth services as part of our Bright Futures campaign. We are calling on the Government to develop a similar vision that recognises the important contribution youth services make to our communities.

"Over recent years councils have created an extra 800,000 new school places. This is a demonstrable record that shows they are doing everything they can to rise to the challenge of ensuring no child goes without a place."

Since 2010 councils have worked hard to manage a core reduction in funding of £16 billion through innovation, efficiencies, scale-backs and the decommissioning of non-statutory services.

All children deserve access to the best possible education. Data shows that council-maintained schools receive better Ofsted ratings, and improve more quickly, than academy schools.

The LGA supports the Government’s decision to make relationship education at primary and relationship and sex education at secondary compulsory in all schools and health education compulsory in all state-funded schools, however we would like to see HE made compulsory in all schools

Data shows that council-maintained schools receive better Ofsted ratings, and improve more quickly, than academy schools. Analysis undertaken for the LGA showed that ninety-one per cent of maintained schools are now rated as either Good or Outstanding.

Data shows that council-maintained schools receive better Ofsted ratings, and improve more quickly, than academy schools.

We remain concerned that the introduction of the National Funding Formula, combined with changes to High Needs Funding, will exacerbate existing shortfalls in funding to support children and young people with SEND.