The Prime Minister has given his backing to a government education improvement scheme which covers Whitby.
Sir Keir Starmer said that Mission Coastal, a government education programme designed to raise attainment and improve life chances in seaside communities with persistently low exam results, will “break the link” between background and success.
Mission Coastal, announced last month, will see expert practitioners working with leaders and teachers to build teacher capacity and raise standards.
It is also envisaged schools will work together in local clusters to learn from each other rather than navigate their challenges in isolation.
The Scarborough region, under which Whitby falls, is one of the areas where it is being trialled following a similar scheme in London more than 20 years ago.
Alison Hume, Scarborough and Whitby’s MP, raised the issue of low education outcomes for the constituency during Prime Minister’s Questions, telling the Labour leader: “Despite the efforts of dedicated teachers in Scarborough and Whitby, only 36 per cent of pupils achieve grade 5 and above in both English and maths GCSEs.
“Does the Prime Minister agree that Mission Coastal has the potential to deliver the same transformational impact for young people in deprived coastal communities as the London Challenge achieved”, she asked.
Mr Starmer replied by saying: “Mission Coastal will help break the link between background and success, giving the most disadvantaged children mentoring, career support and enrichment opportunities, because we believe that no matter where they grow up, every child deserves the same opportunities to succeed.”
The question in the weekly session in the House of Commons comes prior to a meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s Scarborough and Whitby area committee tomorrow, where a schools update report is on the agenda.
There are 48 schools in the Scarborough and Whitby area – 38 of which are primary, six are secondary and there are three special schools and a pupil referral unit (PRU).
Across North Yorkshire, there are 352 schools – 295 are primaries, 42 are secondary schools, with 10 special schools and five PRUs.
Statistics in the report show, quality of education and behaviour and attitudes in Scarborough and Whitby at secondary level is more than 20 per cent behind North Yorkshire and the rest of the country.
Ofsted judgements show percentages for quality of education in Scarborough and Whitby is 77 per cent (primary); 50 per cent (secondary).
North Yorkshire rates 90 per cent (primary) and 72 per cent (secondary). National rates are 86 per cent (primary), 73 per cent (secondary).
Behaviour and Attitude scores for Scarborough and Whitby are 92 per cent (primary), 50 per cent (secondary). North Yorkshire is 96 per cent (primary), 72 per cent (secondary). National figures are 96 per cent (primary), 85 per cent (secondary).
Personal Development for Scarborough and Whitby is 100 per cent (primary), 83 per cent (secondary); North Yorkshire is 98 per cent (primary), 83 per cent (secondary). Nationally, is 98 per cent (primary), 89 per cent (secondary).
Effectiveness of Leadership is rated as 89 per cent (primary) and 66 per cent (secondary) in Scarborough and Whitby; 95 per cent (pimary), 80 per cent (secondary) for North Yorkshire; and nationally, 91 per cent (primary) and 82 per cent (secondary).
The report says 56.1 per cent of Key Stage 2 students (aged seven to 11) in Scarborough and Whitby achieved the expected level for reading writing and maths, which is lower than the county or national average.
At Key Stage 4 (years 10 and 11), 36.4 per cent got grade 5 or above in English and Maths, compared to 46.8 per cent in North Yorkshire and 45.5 per cent nationally.
There were also 31 exclusions in Scarborough and Whitby in 2024/25, making up 25 per cent of the 123 total for North Yorkshire.
The report goes on to say that North Yorkshire is at a disadvantage when it comes to school budget allowances.
North Yorkshire secondary schools are placed 142 out of 151 local authorities in terms of funding level per pupil.
On average, a school in North Yorkshire will receive £6,849 per pupil in 2025/26 compared to a national average of £7,450. Comparing the funding for a 1,500 pupil secondary school this equates to a difference in funding of £0.9m.
