Luton Flying Start – Luton’s Pregnancy to Five Strategy

Flying Start is lead by the Local Authority working closely with the Pre- school Learning Alliance and Luton Clinical Commissioning Group. Other partners include:

• London Luton Airport Ltd
• Bedfordshire Police
• Luton Primary Schools
• Luton Secondary Schools
• Luton and Dunstable University Trust (NHS Foundation Trust)
• Cambridge Community Services
• East London NHS Foundation Trust
• University of Bedfordshire
• Luton’s Maintained Nurseries
• Luton’s Early Years Settings

Flying Start aims to improve outcomes for children from pregnancy to their 5th birthday as a foundation to a healthy future. The programme is built on national and international evidence of the absolute importance of the very early years of life starting from pregnancy in determining a child’s future outcomes.

Flying Start will ensure that ALL young children in Luton have a “flying start”; but particularly for those babies and children who are born in areas of the town with the highest levels of disadvantage and where we know the data tells us there are the poorest outcomes. In these areas they will be afforded the very best start in life reducing the impact of disadvantage on their future life chances.

Flying Start outcomes

By the end of 10 years:

1. Significantly more children, by their 5th birthday, will have age-appropriate communication skills, will interact effectively with adults and children, resulting in better educational outcomes and improved employment opportunities.
2. More children are securely attached and emotionally resilient, with improved school readiness. In the longer term the impact of poor maternal mental health & associated risk factors on children's outcomes are reduced.
3. Babies will have improved birth outcomes; with fewer women obese in pregnancy, improved understanding of nutrition and healthy behaviours, breastfeeding will be increased and fewer children are obese or have dental decay, with improved health and wellbeing into adulthood.

Within 5 years:

Parent and community-led decision making will positively and systematically change the lives and life chances of 0-5 year olds for future generations. During the period, Flying Start Executive aims to reallocate linked investment from core budgets into sustainable evidence based early intervention programmes and programmes for future parents.

Follow this link for more information on Flying Start.

Download the illustration below which was developed by the Flying Start partnership. It describes the expected changes in Luton over the 10 years of the strategy.