1. Opportunity Areas
5 September 2017

2. 12 Opportunity Areas
Based on the Social Mobility Commission’s social mobility index and DfE’s education data, areas were identified as facing challenges to social mobility. Other factors were also taken into account in selecting these 12 Opportunity Areas, including the need to achieve a regional and demographic spread
This ranks 324 local authority districts based on a range of indices across the life-cycle, grouped under four headings: early years, school, youth and adulthood.
Regional spread – we wanted to include districts in the north (with a particular focus here because of the Northern Powerhouse), midlands and south
Type of area – we wanted a spread of coastal, urban and rural areas
Local support – we wanted to start with areas we know have the capacity and willingness to participate, as the quickest way to get this off the ground, based on discussions we held as part of our previous cold spots work.

3. National evidence
Lower income families are less likely to access high quality early years provision that meets their needs.
Early years provision
Children from lower income families are less likely to experience an optimal home learning environment, leading to worse child development outcomes from an early age. Parental attitudes impact throughout life.
Home learning environment and parenting
There is considerable variation in access to high quality schools across the country and lower income children, who have most to gain from high quality teaching are less likely to go to the best schools.
Quality of schools
Disadvantaged children are more likely to start school behind and make weak progress, most notably at secondary school; so lower income children are considerably less likely to do well in their GCSEs at age 16.
Education outcomes
Lower income children are less likely to have access to the advice and wider experiences that will help them to make optimal choices for their education and which will support them to succeed in the labour market.
Advice and Experiences
Lower income students make sub-optimal choices, are less likely to access the highest quality provision and have weaker outcomes, even when compared to their peers with similar prior attainment, which results in weaker labour market outcomes.
Post-16 and Higher Education
Adults who have not received optimal educational outcomes are too often stuck on low pay, in careers with little opportunity for progression or second chances to succeed.
Progression in work

4. Local programme managers
Local structures
Independent chairs
Partnership Boards
Stakeholder groups
Local programme managers

5. The offer
Vision for the success of young people in Fenland and East Cambridgeshire
Existing local services and projects
National programmes; core programmes for OAs; bespoke/tailored DfE programmes
New and expanded projects from OA funding, locally determined
Success measures and evaluation