Oxford Early Years: Closing Studio 3

Oxford Early Years is a bold new initiative bringing together parents, professionals, educators, local representatives and funders to work together and take action to tackle lack of social mobility. OCF is a member of the action group known as the Lab Team.

Oxford has been identified by the 2017 Social Mobility Report as the 19th worst locality area in early years’ social mobility indicators for disadvantaged children, out of over 200 localities in the UK. This means that it is much more likely for children who are born into poverty or low income in Oxford, to remain in this situation throughout their lives. The areas of focus are Cutteslowe, Barton and Northway, Rosehill, Blackbird Leys, and Littlemore.

There is encouraging evidence that locally led policies and initiatives can tackle this issue, ensuring all children have the best possible start in life. Early years are an extremely important time in the emotional and social development of a child. We know that a good start with learning and personal support has a profound effect on the educational experience and development of a child, carrying well into their adult lives.

Convened by Oxford City Council and Oxford Hub, the Oxford Early Years initiative will run from June to September 2018, using an approach called a ‘Rapid Action Lab’. This approach focuses on convening 30-40 people who are directly connected to the challenge to work together to develop and test a variety of possible solutions that deliver better outcomes for children under 5. Simon Barnard from OCF’s Community Impact team is a member of the Rapid Action Lab Team, which will meet at four workshops to track progress.

Find out more on the Oxford Early Years website