We established the Foundation Fund to level the playing field across Bath and North East Somerset and help provide all children with the same chances to live happy, healthy lives.
The fund targets children from pre-birth up until they start secondary school, providing them with the best opportunities to contribute to our communities for generations to come.
Our ambition is to use the Foundation Fund to significantly reduce the educational attainment gap (Key Stage 2) in BaNES by 2029. This gap is the single most striking measure of inequality, placing BaNES, in respect of its progress in reducing the gap, at close to the worst out of all local authorities in England. The causes of this gap are complex and relate as much to the support children receive for their behavioural and emotional development from pre-birth as that gained from formal education.
Narrowing the inequality gap will help prevent the broad range of complex social issues experienced by children from underserved backgrounds. While equality of access to a good education is critical to reducing inequality, it is only part of the story. We are focussing our support as much on addressing the physical, behavioural and emotional needs of children to ensure they are better prepared and ready to learn when they are in the classroom.
This includes ensuring children have access to nutritious food, both in and out of school and safe places outside school hours.
