The Cultural Learning Alliance exists to champion a right to arts and culture for every child. To do this we need a vibrant workforce to deliver cultural learning.

The CLA is asking freelancers and colleagues working in organisations to fill in a short survey about roles in cultural learning, contracts and redundancies by the 30 April.

Despite there no longer being a specific goal, outcome or investment principle linked to children, the Delivery Plan is explicit in its support for cultural learning and ensuring that there is a focus – across themes and actions – on the creative lives of children and young people.

New funding for secondary schools to run summer schools including arts activities.

Guest blog from mezze eade, CLA Special Advisor Representation in the Curriculum and Romana Flello, Royal Court Theatre

RinD aims to address systemic imbalances in KS3, GCSE and A level drama by supporting intersectional anti-racism work happening in UK schools, theatres and theatre companies.  The project promotes the study, directing and programming of plays by writers from the global majority*.

£700 million recovery package for children and young people; Education Recovery Commissioner Sir Kevan Collins appointed; Education Select Committee hears evidence on the impact of Covid-19 on children, including a call to stop using deficit language of ‘catch-up’.

This month we bring you news of more data on job losses in the creative industries and which groups are being particularly affected; key information from the roadmap out of lockdown for cultural learning; an EPI report on the attainment gap post-16; an EEF report that suggests children eligible for FSM are much less likely than their peers to have extra-curricular arts lessons; and an open call from the National Theatre to get involved in their Inclusive Practice Collective.

This month we bring you news of children’s poor mental health and the impact of the pandemic on their future earnings; Children’s Mental Health week from the Place2Be; the interim government response to the Augar Report; the removal of gateway providers for Kickstart Scheme grants; 55,000 job losses in the creative industries; and the Edge Foundation’s first Skills Shortage Bulletin of 2021.

*STOP PRESS* Consultation deadline extended to 31 January.

The government is consulting on whether level 3 qualifications, other than A Levels and T Levels, should be funded in the future. The proposals could mean qualifications such as BTEC Nationals and UAL Diplomas are no longer funded.