Making Greenwich the place to grow up
This theme is made up of two outcomes:
- children and young people grow up safe and well-supported
- children and young people are happy and can thrive
What we want to achieve
We want every child and young person to be safe, healthy, happy and able to thrive.
We want Greenwich to be the most child and young person friendly borough in London. A place where children and young people are heard, valued and supported to achieve their full potential, regardless of their background, needs or circumstances.
Our vision for 2050 is that every young person grows up with the confidence, skills and connections to aim high, whatever their background or postcode.
The next four years are about laying those foundations:
- a safe and stable childhood
- a strong start in the early years
- the right support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
- places close to home to play, learn and belong.
We are transforming how we work with children and young people, through our Families First approach, putting relationships, family networks and lived experience at the heart of everything we do.
We believe families are usually the best place to care for their children, and our role is to build on their strengths, increase resilience and provide the right help at the right time.
Alongside families, through the Children and Young People's Partnership, we are working with schools, health services, communities and the voluntary sector to create the conditions for every child to have the best possible start in life and a positive future.
Progress over the past 4 years
In 2025:
- 72% of Greenwich children achieved a Good level of development at the end of reception
- outcomes at Key Stage 2 remained above national averages in reading, writing, and maths
- English and maths GCSE results have exceeded the national average across all grade boundaries for the last three years.
We were rated 'Outstanding' judgement by Ofsted for our Children's Services in 2024 and the highest available grading through the Area SEND Partnership inspection.
We want to build on these educational outcomes and make sure all children and young people can develop the skills, knowledge and confidence for the future.
What's next
Many children and young people still face challenges and inequalities that can affect life chances and opportunities.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
Demand for support for children with SEND continues to grow. Nearly 1 in 4 pupils in schools across Greenwich have SEND and more children need Education, Health and Care plans.
We're investing £36.4 million in SEND provision and closer partnership working across education, health and care. This is to make sure children and young people get the right support as close to home as possible so they can thrive within their local communities. We will also improve dialogue with parents of children with SEND.
Children in our care
Nearly 1 in 4 children in care are placed more than 20 miles from home. We want children to stay close to their families, schools, friendships and communities as this is key to helping them thrive.
We will improve outcomes for children in our care by:
- improving the care system
- reducing reliance on out-of-borough placements
- growing local foster and kinship care.
We will do this through targeted recruitment and retention, stronger carer support and creating more local authority residential provision to help more children in our care stay connected to Greenwich.
Childcare
We want every child and young person to enjoy childhood, develop confidence and resilience, and benefit from the opportunities Greenwich has to offer.
We will:
- make sure there is enough high quality, affordable and accessible childcare childcare places
- support the provision of free school meals so that every child has access to healthy, nutritious food.
- invest in safe, welcoming places where children and young people can learn, play, belong and build positive relationships
- make sure children and young people can shape the services, policies and places that affect their lives through the Greenwich Young People's Council, Young Advisors and wider participation opportunities
We want every child and young person in Greenwich to grow up safe, supported, connected and hopeful about their future with the relationships, opportunities and support they need to thrive throughout childhood and into adulthood.