News from Oldham Learning, Christmas 2021

The education world continues to face one of the most challenging situations that most of us could
expect to face in our lifetimes. It has been a difficult time to launch a new organisation like Oldham
Learning, and there have been significant changes in the staff team, including the Chief Executive.
But it is more important than ever that Oldham’s children and young people get the support they
need to become knowledgeable, kind, confident and articulate – Oldham Learning’s core purpose.
The Oldham Learning Foundation Board, which represents the education sector, has reconfirmed
its commitment to Oldham Learning and its work. You can see the members of the Foundation
Board here: https://oldhamlearning.co.uk/about/foundation-board/

The Foundation Board has agreed to serve until the end of this academic year. The Board has also
agreed to oversee the progress of the local education recovery strategy. We want Oldham
Learning to be built to last, so in the New Year, we will share details of how the organisation plans
to develop, including information on the fair, open and transparent process of recruiting new Board
members. We are also ensuring that Board members have the skills needed to support Oldham
Learning’s long term success.

Oldham Learning exists to work for the sector. Its programme continues to support schools across
the borough, across a range of topics, priorities and approaches. If you are already involved,
please continue to make good use of the opportunities on offer. The Board has also agreed that
that schools where the benefit could be greatest can access additional support. For the remainder
of this academic year, SIP visits will only be available to a smaller group of schools, where the
support needs are greatest. Support to all schools will be available through the district groups,
which put schools in the driving seat of deciding what support they would value. The SIP
programme in Oldham is evolving, and will keep developing to make it fit for the future. We want to
better understand areas of strength which have been built over a long period, to get the right
balance of local expertise and input from elsewhere.

Thank you for everything you and your teams have done to deliver amazing things to your schools
and communities this year. Oldham Learning will keep working to support Oldham’s children,
young people and schools to deal with the ongoing implications of the pandemic. We will also be
working hard to improve our communications, and we’re sorry that it hasn’t always worked well in
recent months. We’d like to wish everyone a peaceful and healthy festive period.