The Education Board discussed the evaluation of the London Careers Festival 2026, approving six recommendations to enhance its future impact, particularly focusing on in-person experiences and targeted outreach. The Board also received an update on the City Youth Guarantee webpage, a new online platform designed to consolidate and improve access to existing youth support services.

London Careers Festival 2026 Evaluation and Recommendations

The Board considered the evaluation of the London Careers Festival 2026, which saw a record in-person attendance of 6,400 learners. The festival, which aims to connect young people with careers in the City of London, supported 14,021 learners in total, with 7,621 participating online. The evaluation highlighted the success of initiatives like the Lady Mayor's City Insights Days, which significantly boosted learners' confidence in working in Central London, with 86% of participants reporting increased confidence. Teachers praised the festival's interactive nature, the range of industries represented, and the provision for learners with additional needs.

Six recommendations were put forward to enhance the festival's future impact:

1. Refocus festival resources on in-person experiences, including for learners with additional needs. This recommendation stems from a declining trend in online attendance for secondary schools and a desire to return to the festival's original format, redirecting resources to high-impact in-person events.
2. Strengthen in-person experiences by expanding initiatives with the highest impact. This involves developing existing high-impact elements such as interactive Guildhall sessions, City Insights Days, and the new immersive careers experience format, The Crisis Room.
3. Prioritise new-to-festival schools from target boroughs, with above-average Pupil Premium levels, or those with additional needs. This aims to ensure the festival's resources are directed towards those who will benefit most, building on existing outreach efforts.
4. Expand and enhance near-peer interactions. This recommendation focuses on increasing opportunities for learners to connect with apprentices, interns, and recent graduates, who can offer relatable career advice.
5. Implement an early matching process for regular festival partners and schools with consistent attendance and few cancellations. This aims to create more targeted and committed relationships between schools and businesses, supporting Gatsby Benchmark 1 for careers education.
6. Rename the festival to City Careers Festival by 2028. This change, intended to better reflect the festival's unique focus on City businesses and Livery Companies, will be phased in to allow for a considered transition.

The Board was asked to note the findings and approve these six recommendations.

City Youth Guarantee: Online Offer

The Board received an update on the development of the City Youth Guarantee webpage, which was launched to create a single, accessible online point of access for youth support services in the City of London. The webpage consolidates information on education, employment, skills, mentoring, youth services, participation opportunities, wellbeing support, and other resources.

The webpage is designed as a gateway to existing services rather than a new programme, aiming to improve visibility and navigability for young people, families, schools, practitioners, and partners. It is structured thematically, covering areas such as Careers, Skills and Employment, Mentoring and Support for Care Experienced Young People, Youth Clubs, Activities and Participation, and SEND Support.

The webpage will be promoted through existing City of London Corporation channels and stakeholder networks. Ongoing maintenance will ensure information remains current, and future development will consider user feedback and potential additional functionality. The initiative supports the City Corporation's Corporate Plan outcomes for Diverse Engaged Communities, Providing Excellent Services, and Dynamic Economic Growth by improving access to opportunities for young people, particularly those who are Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET.

Education Board Budget Monitoring Report – 2026-27 Period 3

The Board received an update on the Education Board's financial position for the 2026-27 financial year, as of Period 3. The report indicated a forecast underspend of approximately £106,000 on the Local Risk budget, primarily due to staffing savings related to one post. The Central Risk budget was forecast to remain on budget. The overall forecast expenditure was £3.027 million against a budget of £3.133 million. Grants allocated to date included £16,000 for academies and disadvantaged pupils, £8,000 for partnerships, and £8,000 for strategic activities.

Revenue Outturn 2025/26

The Board noted the revenue outturn for the 2025/26 financial year. Total net local risk expenditure was £906,000, which was in line with the final agreed budget, resulting in a break-even position. A central risk underspend of £77,000 was primarily attributed to the Mentoring Programme, with funding agreed for carry-forward to support continued delivery. Overall net expenditure for the year was £75,000 below the final agreed budget.

Report of Action Taken – CPG Grants

The Board noted the action taken via urgency procedures in July 2026 relating to City Premium Grants (CPG). Due to staff changes within the City of London Family of Schools, there were delays in processing applications. Authority was delegated to the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Education Board and the Strategic Director of Education and Skills, to authorise the transfer of grant awards. Discussions with schools highlighted that some were disappointed by the lack of a second round of awards and that some applications did not receive the expected funding.

Resolution of Policy & Resources Committee

The Board received a resolution from the Policy & Resources Committee recommending that Grand Committees consider the benefits of empowering their sub-committees to make decisions without unnecessary recourse to the Grand Committee, aiming to balance due diligence with efficiency. This resolution applies to committees that appoint sub-committees, including the Education Board.

Use of AI in Education

The Board engaged in a discussion regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education. It was noted that AI is increasingly being adopted as a strategic tool across the City of London's family of schools to support teaching, learning, and operational effectiveness, with a strong emphasis on safety, ethics, and human oversight. Schools are developing structured approaches that include AI literacy curricula, staff training, and governance arrangements covering safeguarding and data protection. The City of London Academies Trust is currently developing a trust-wide AI policy, taking a cautious approach focused on data protection, safeguarding, and the implications of AI for teaching and assessment. A common theme across all schools is a balanced approach, embracing AI's opportunities while ensuring strong governance and human judgment remain paramount.

Any Other Business

James Adeleke, Founder and CEO of Generation Success, informed the Board that Generation Success was running an in-person impact day on Friday, 9 October 2026, at Portchester Hall in Bayswater, and invited any interested members to contact him.

The Chief Financial and Operating Officer of the City of London Academies Trust also highlighted a significant challenge in finding suitable temporary accommodation for the London Nautical School during its two-year rebuild project. They appealed for assistance from members' professional and personal networks to identify potential sites, seeking approximately 80,000 square feet or an acre of empty land.