The Relationship Between Black Boys and the Borough Scrutiny Commission met on 13 November 2025 to review the commission's phase two report, and to receive verbal reflections and concluding remarks from key stakeholders. The meeting was scheduled to take place at Newham Dockside, and members of the public were invited to watch via YouTube. The report pack for the meeting included the draft minutes from meetings held on 14 November 2024 and 21 November 2024.

Relationship Between Black Boys and the Borough Scrutiny Commission Phase II Report

The report pack included the Relationship Between Black Boys and the Borough Scrutiny Commission Phase II Report, which followed up on a previous report from June 2024. The report stated that it investigated the experiences and outcomes of black boys and young men within the London Borough of Newham. It noted that little progress had been made in improving outcomes for young black boys and men over several decades, and that despite Newham's diversity, stark and disproportionately negative outcomes persisted for this group across various areas of life.

The report identified a complex of disadvantages stemming from systemic and structural inequalities, including:

• Racial profiling
• Low school expectations
• Permanent exclusion
• Housing instability
• Mental health stigma

The report stated that these issues reflected broader systemic problems, but their impact was particularly urgent due to the borough's large black youth population.

Education and School Experience

The report stated that boys of black Caribbean backgrounds have achieved lower attainment at GCSE level. It noted that in Newham average attainment was at 56.4%, compared to 30% for pupils of white and black Caribbean heritage and 37% for pupils of Caribbean background. The report stated that this was rooted in historic experiences, current systemic inequalities, biases, and resource disparities, and that targeted interventions were needed, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. It noted that disproportionate school exclusions, particularly for black Caribbean students, were a persistent issue with significant long-term negative outcomes, including lower academic achievement and limited employment opportunities. The report raised concerns regarding curriculum inclusivity, SEND¹ diagnosis and support, and the need for greater teacher diversity and understanding of racial equity. It stated that outcomes for black boys tended to decline sharply between year 6 and years 7-11, and that careers advice often started too late (around age 15), when engagement may have already been lost, recommending that it should begin much earlier, such as in year 7 (ages 11/12). The report recommended wrap-around support in schools and greater support for families.

Criminal Justice and Youth Offending

The report stated that people of black and minority ethnic backgrounds are over-represented nationally at many stages throughout the criminal justice system, especially at the point of stop and search, custodial remands, and in the prison population, and that this over-representation holds true within Newham. It noted that children from a black heritage background constituted a significantly higher percentage of Newham's Youth Justice Service caseload (45.4%) compared to their representation in the borough's youth population (23%), and that there was a higher rate of re-offending amongst this group. The report stated that there was a link between school exclusions and increased vulnerability to exploitation by criminal networks, and that police interactions, including stop-and-search, required high standards of fairness, respect, and proportionality. It noted that many young people involved with the criminal justice system are neuro-divergent, and their behaviours can be misinterpreted, leading to unnecessary escalations, and that initiatives like the Policing With Compassion Newham pilot aimed to improve interactions and understanding, particularly regarding neuro-divergence.

Employment and Socio-economics

The report stated that poverty acts as a driver of disadvantage both during and after school, and that young black men cumulatively face lower educational and employer expectations, biased recruitment, and unequal pay/progression. It noted that young black men face some of the highest unemployment rates in London, and that challenges and barriers are complex but can include young people's work readiness and awareness of opportunities. The report stated that there was a need for greater awareness of job opportunities and how to access them, as traditional communication methods have diminished reach for young people, and personal networks are crucial for such information. It noted that unpaid work experience is a significant barrier for disadvantaged youth who cannot afford to work without pay, and that mentorship and role models are needed to counter perceptions of easy (or easier) money and to highlight pathways to success, requiring resilience, persistence, and hard work.

Data and Understanding

The report stated that there were gaps in granular data across various organisations, and that this lack of detailed, disaggregated data, specifically addressing the experiences and outcomes of black boys, compounds their lack of visibility and hinders tailoring support effectively. It noted that black boys is a mosaic term, not a homogenous grouping, encompassing varied experiences based on specific variables such as heritage, migration history, and class, and that a one size fits all approach is deemed not fit for purpose, emphasising the need for disaggregated data and tailored approaches.

Pathways and Solutions

The report stated that longer-term solutions require collaborative partnership working, especially with the third sector, and changed mindsets within institutions and the community. It noted that systems change must be founded on hearing the lived experience of black children and young people and meaningful co-production combined with partnership working, and that the commission found cause for optimism in the intent and ambition to do better among local organisations and institutions. The report stated that key areas for intervention include strengthening partnerships between schools, voluntary organisations, and local government to build equity, leveraging corporate social responsibility from large employers, and building on existing avenues for partnership working and holistic programmes that have proven positive impact.

Recommendations

The report included a table of strategic recommendations, including that the Mayor and Cabinet should:

• Ensure that all data captured by Newham Council services is disaggregated for black boys in Newham aged 11 to 18 by March 2026.
• Explore collaboratively with school leaders a review to understand what black boys experience in the transition between primary and secondary schools, and identify early turning points and when exclusions begin to increasingly occur.
• Implement a five-year pilot programme with a varied cohort of around 50-100 black boys in years 7 –11 across two selected Newham schools to provide pastoral care and behavioural mentoring.
• Ensure that preventative measures and interventions be implemented at the stage preceding exclusion and that parents/carers are consistently informed at the earliest stage of any exclusion process.
• Ensure that parents and carers are made aware of their rights including the right to appeal and the recourse available to them.
• Identify referral pathways to mentorship and advocacy support both for the young people and their families during the process of school exclusion.
• Ensure that Newham Council service representatives attend or provide a detailed report for all pupil permanent exclusion panels involving black boys.
• Ensure that data is captured on the demographics of chairs of governors and compile a database including the demographics of all maintained school governors within 2 years.
• Support parents / carers of black boys to access school governor opportunities across primary and secondary schools in the borough.
• Support the development and adoption of a Governor's anti-racism toolkit to guide the work and role of school governors across Newham in working towards racial equity for students in the borough.
• Assess the effectiveness of Youth Justice Services in reducing offending and re offending, using benchmarking against other local authorities to determine best practices.
• Consider the findings from all early intervention and prevention projects to guide continuation and further development.
• Ensure the inclusion of Voluntary Community and Faith Sector, schools and governors working on issues relating to black boys in the borough within the existing Safeguarding Children Partnership and existing partnership work within the Youth Justice Service.
• Explore and develop targeted collaborations with local employers to support the development of routes to work experience, employability support and employment opportunities for young black boys and men post-16.

The report concluded with a call to action for all stakeholders to work together to implement changes and improve outcomes, underscoring that addressing the barriers faced by black boys benefits the wider community.

Key Stakeholder Contributions

The agenda included an item to receive verbal reflections and concluding remarks from key stakeholders.