Education is a key Council service, taking up about half of the Council's budget each year. About 80% of the budget for education is delegated to schools.
However, the Council's role goes wider than schools. Education in the Council is looked after within the Children and Young People's Services department, which also includes the care of children and young people. There is also Youth , Adult Learning and Childcare and Family Learning Service which have vital roles to play in any truly lifelong learning agenda. Together they provide services to the whole community and also provide a vital support to the work of schools.
The Council works closely with its 105 nursery, primary, secondary and special schools in Derby, providing education for over 38,000 children each year. It has recently established its first Children’s Centres and is currently developing extended schools across the city.
The role in relation to schools is to support:
- autonomous, self-improving and collaborating schools
- a more open market for school services
- schools with specified services
- and challenge all schools and intervene in inverse proportion to success.
The Council has a statutory responsibility to assess and cater for children and young people with special educational needs. It provides specialist support services and facilities for a range of learning and behavioural problems, and for physical and sensory impairments. The parent partnership service offers impartial advice and support for parents and carers of children with special needs.
Education does not stop at 16 in Derby. There are seven schools with sixth forms, or young people can go to Derby College for their further education.
The Adult Learning Service provides learning opportunities for all with a range of courses enabling people to learn about subjects as diverse as learning a new language to arts and crafts through to computer courses for all abilities. They have centres across the city, often based in local schools.
The Youth Service works in partnership with young people aged mainly 13 to 19 in youth clubs, on the streets, in schools and in a variety of specialist projects including The Space - an information and advice project, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, outdoor education, a recording studio, health and sexual health projects.
For people wanting to take their learning even further, the University of Derby has a wide range of full and part time courses available.
The contact details for Children and Young People's Services are:
Children and Young People's Services, Middleton House, 27 St Mary’s Gate, Derby, DE1 3NN
- Telephone: 01332 716924
- Minicom: 01332 716709
- Fax: 01332 716920