Prospects
Why is this important?
Understanding Coventry's economic, cultural, educational, and early childhood prospects can help us better understand the effects these factors have on the wellbeing of the local populations. A person's lifelong health, happiness, and productivity are affected by preventable health inequalities that can arise during pregnancy, childbirth, and the early years.
Best start in life
Why is this important?
“Giving every child the best start in life is crucial for securing health and reducing health inequalities across the life course. The foundations for virtually every aspect of human development – physical, intellectual, and emotional – are laid in early childhood. What happens during these early years, starting in the womb, has life-long effects on many aspects of health and well-being”. - Sir Michael Marmot
What is the local picture? How does it compare?
By age five, fewer children (56.2%) in Bell Green and WEHM reach a good level of development compared to the Coventry (61.1%) and national averages (65.2%) in 2021/22. A child’s development level is measured at the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) on early learning goals in the main areas of learning: personal, social, and emotional development; physical development; and communication and language and the early learning goals in the specific areas of mathematics and literacy. Overall, rates are similar in Bell Green (55.2%) and WEHM (56.8%) separately, but there is some variation at neighbourhood level. Neighbourhoods to the south of the WEHM area, covering Manor Farm and Henley Green East had rates among the lowest in the city, below 50%, whereas around Wood End, by Hillmorton and Deedmore Roads, two-thirds (66%) of five-year-olds were assessed as being at a good level of development in 2021/22, better than average for Coventry.
Between 2018-2022, the percentage of all babies born at low weight (under 2500g) in Bell and WEHM was higher than the Coventry average. Low birthweight is often associated with premature birth, Coventry has relatively high numbers of babies that are born prematurely, leading to a higher number of babies born at low weight. Between 2018-2022 the number of babies born at low birth weight in the Bell Green and WEHM area was 9.6%. This is higher than the Coventry average of 8.6% and the national average 6.8% (in 2021)
Uptake rates for funded early years childcare places is better than average in Bell Green and WEHM. Free early education for 15 hours per week is available for two-year-olds whose parents get certain benefits. Also, all three- and four-year-olds can get free education for 15 hours. In 2023, 82% of eligible two-year-olds living in Bell Green and WEHM received funded childcare, compared to 75% in Coventry overall and 72% nationally. 89% of three and four-year-olds were in funded childcare, which is higher than the Coventry average of 88%, but lower than the national average of 92%.
Antenatal check-ups are routine for pregnant women to monitor the health of both them and their baby during pregnancy, the proportion of first appointments that take place within 12 weeks is lower than the city average in this area. In 2022-23, only 75.0% of pregnant women from Bell Green and WEHM had their first antenatal appointment in the first 12 weeks, which is lower than the city average of 80.3%. At 72.1%, WEHM has one of the lower rates in the city; it is slightly higher in Bell Green at 78.7%, but still lower than average for Coventry.
The proportion of children who received a review by the time they are 2 ½ years old is also lower than the city average. A smaller proportion of children aged 2 to 2 ½ years from Bell Green and WEHM area got a timely health visitor review in 2022-23 than the city average of Coventry, 65% compared to 75%. The separate areas Bell Green and Wood End, Henley Green and Manor Farm (WEHM) had rates among the lowest of all areas in Coventry, at 62% and 66% respectively.
Both mother and baby can suffer serious and harmful effects from smoking during pregnancy, and this area has more new mothers who smoke at delivery than other areas. In the 4 years between 2019/20 and 2022/23, the percentage of new mothers who smoked at delivery in Bell Green and WEHM area was 16.6%, which was higher than the Coventry average of 10.5%.
Breastfeeding prevalence is lower than the Coventry average amongst mothers from Bell Green and WEHM. The prevalence of breastfeeding initiation in Bell Green and WEHM is low compared to the Coventry average. In 2022-23, 62.9% of new mothers gave their babies breast milk within two days of delivery, which is lower than the Coventry average of 72.2%. As baby gets older breastfeeding rates remain relatively low. In 2023 only 48.0% of the babies from Bell Green and WEHM who got a health visitor check at 6 to 8 weeks were fully or partly breastfed. This was much less than the average for the city, which was 58.2%. There is a little variation across the area, Bell Green has some of the lowest rates in the city, an initiation rate of 60.0% and a rate of 38.3% at 6-8 weeks. Rates are a little higher in WEHM, although still lower than average, with initiation rates of 65.3% and rates of 53.5% at 6-8 weeks.
In Bell Green and WEHM, there are many more children under 16 living in relative poverty than in the city overall. In 2021/22, a third (33.5%) of all children in Bell Green and WEHM lived in relative poverty, which is an estimated 1,700 children. This is much higher than 26.7% for Coventry and 19.9% for England. Relative poverty has been rising in Coventry and elsewhere since 2014/15. Providing better access to support and services and tackling the root causes of relative poverty can help children have more chances to succeed.
What else is happening?
What else can be done?
Health visitors can help children and families make the best start in life. NHS Health visitors are very active in the area. They visit all parents with children under the age of 5 in the city and offer health promotion and write developmental reviews during their home visits to promote childhood development. Schools, faith groups and community centres can work together to help reach socially isolated families, helping bring support to those who need it.
The Family Hubs in the area (Moat House and Park Edge) are highlighted as an asset in the community. Moat House and Park Edge Family hub, located in Henley and Bell Green, help co-ordinate early intervention and support. By bringing together different professionals such as, Health visitors, social workers, midwives, police, and others the hub can offer holistic and tailored support to families who face challenges.
Community and voluntary groups also play a vital role in supporting families and young people. Moat House Community Trust works in partnership with other organisations to identify isolated and vulnerable residents, encouraging them to take part in preventative and early help activities. The aim of the charity is to support residents in establishing networks of relationships through sharing and understanding experiences.
Education and Skills
Why is this important?
Poor work chances, social isolation, and difficulties with mental and physical health are just a few of the social disadvantages that people could potentially face later in life as a result of low educational attainment and low expectations. By supporting high levels of educational attainment and boosting their expectations, these barriers can be removed so that children and young people realise their full potential in life.
There have been significant disruptions to education over recent years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, forcing schools to close and move to digital classrooms. It is fair to say that this has had an impact on education and some children’s school readiness as a result. Therefore, the Department of Education are reluctant to directly compare attainment statistics between 2019-2022, we have included some for your information here.
What is the local picture?
How does it compare?
Bell Green and WEHM as an area has four schools, two primary schools, one secondary school and one special school. Ofsted, which stands for the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, checks the quality of services that offer education and training for learners and oversees services that look after children and young people. Out of these schools, one has an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rating, two have a ‘Good’ rating and one has not yet received a rating. In May 2023, 74.4% of children who live in the Bell Green and WEHM attended a school rated as ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted. 15.1% went to a school rated as ‘Requires improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’ and 10.4% attended a school that had not yet been inspected. This means that, out of those whose school had been inspected, 83.1% were in a ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ school, very similar to the city average of 83.5%.
At the end of year 6 (key stage 2), the attainment performance for students in Bell Green and WEHM is below the average for Coventry, this is particularly true for the WEHM area. In 2022, 47% of students who live in the Bell Green and WEHM achieved the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared to 54% for Coventry overall and 59% for England.
There is notable variation across the area, the attainment rate amongst pupils from Bell Green is the same as the Coventry average at 54%, Wood End, Henley Green & Manor Farm (WEHM) are amongst some of the lower rates in the city at 42%.
At key stage 4, the average attainment 8 scores for pupils living in Bell Green and WEHM is notably worse than the Coventry average. Attainment 8 scores are an average score that measures how well an individual student did across their 8 best subjects taken at GCSE level. In 2022, the average attainment 8 score for pupils in Bell Green and WEHM was 39.2, compared to 46.2 in Coventry and 48.9 in England overall. The average scores among students who live in Bell Green (38.2) and the WEHM area (39.8) are both amongst the lowest of all Coventry’s areas.
The proportion of students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) is above the city average (18.2%). In 2023, SEN students made up 20.9% of all school pupils living in Bell Green and WEHM. There are two kinds of SEN, those with a Statement or an Education, Health & Care (EHC) plan; and those with SEN support. There were 929 children who were classified as SEN students, 4.1% of all had an EHC plan, which was higher than the city average of 3.4%, and 16.8% with SEN support, higher than the city average of 14.9%. In Bell Green, 22.8% of the children were SEN students, one of the highest proportions in the city, whereas it was a little lower in the WEHM area, although still higher than average at 19.7%
Free school meals eligibility in Coventry continues to increase and is higher in Bell Green and the WEHM area. In January 2023, 39.7% of pupils from the area were eligible for free school meals, much higher than the proportion across Coventry overall, 24.8%. The separate areas Bell Green and Wood End, Henley Green and Manor Farm (WEHM) had some of the higher rates in Coventry, at 38.0% and 40.7% respectively.
Bell Green and WEHM have more people with low or no qualifications than the average in Coventry. This may make it harder for them to find work that suits their interests or skills or reduce their chances of competing for jobs based in Coventry as the city's jobs require more skills and qualifications. From the Census 2021, the percentage of residents over 16 without any formal qualifications in Bell Green and WEHM is 27.3%, which is higher than Coventry (19.4%) and England (18.1%). The separate areas Bell Green and Wood End, Henley Green and Manor Farm (WEHM) had some of the highest rates in Coventry, at 28.6% and 26.3% respectively.
Only 22.8% of Bell Green and WEHM's residents over 16 have a level 4 or above qualification, which means they have a foundation degree or equivalent or a higher qualification, this is much lower proportion than the city (30.6%) and national averages (33.9%). The separate areas Bell Green and Wood End, Henley Green and Manor Farm (WEHM) had some of the lowest rates in Coventry, at 19.9% and 25.2% respectively.
What else is happening?
What else can be done?
Residents in the area highlighted a need to expand access to apprenticeship schemes and community education courses. Having greater community input can help tailor educational offerings to better meet local needs, particularly for groups that may face barriers to traditional education pathways. Apprenticeships are seen as a valuable route for gaining practical, hands-on training while learning new skills in a real-world setting. Across the city, apprenticeships are available at various levels, offering opportunities for school leavers, those seeking to upskill within their current careers, or individuals considering complete career changes. By expanding local apprenticeship programs, the area could provide more accessible pathways for residents to enhance their qualifications and job prospects. This would contribute to addressing issues of unemployment and underemployment, especially among young people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Adult education offers opportunities across the city for adults to engage and learn. The Adult Education Service in Coventry offers a choice of courses in a wide range of subjects. Each year thousands of people take the opportunity to learn a new skill, gain a qualification, find out more about something they are interested in, or simply make new friends. Data from the academic year (2020/21) suggests Adult Education delivery in Coventry is doing reasonably well in serving Coventry’s communities. Wards with higher levels of deprivation have higher volumes of learners such as St Michaels (12%) and Foleshill (12%). However, there could still be community groups and areas of the city that are under-represented, and we need to continue to ensure our Skills Providers have good reach across the city.
Henley Green Community centre was considered an asset in the opportunities for adult education and learning, creating an inviting space for people to learn new skills and gain qualifications.
The library also supports children through programmes such as Bookstart. Through Bookstart children of preschool age receive a free information pack containing a variety of activities, guidance for parents and a book. This is in the hopes that good literacy habits will be formed at a much younger age. Rhyme times are also an opportunity for the formation of good literacy habits and encourage the development of language and social skills amongst babies and toddlers.
“Access to more apprenticeship schemes and funded community education courses.”
“Education is of prime importance in achieving equality, …”
Sky Blues in the Community teamed up with Coventry City Council’s #CovConnects Team to provide interactive sessions for young people on the Sky Blues in the Community Easter HAF programme at the Moat House Neighbourhood Centre. Lenovo, CDW, and the Moat House Community trust also helped to curate a free programme of activities called 'Lenovo Presents: An Introduction to Tech.' Lenovo Presents: An Introduction to Tech', was run at Moat House Community Centre and engaged over 90 young people. Throughout the day they trialled several digital experiences including competitive e-sport sessions and a journey on an immersive adventure into virtual reality.
Coventry Skills Survey was conducted to find out what Coventry residents think about skills training courses in the city. It found that residents in Henley Ward (which includes WEHM) felt the biggest barriers to undertaking skills or training course were a lack of information surrounding what courses were available, followed by childcare needs and inability to travel to the course.
When asked what would help to overcome these barriers, more information along with more flexible course times and low fees were the most popular responses. More than half of respondents felt that they have the skills to either gain employment or progress in their career.
"Lack of funds to commute to.course and the time the course is set as being single parent booking course at 5.30pm can be struggle due to childcare.”
“Courses are at limited availability or age restriction .”
“At my own pace, and online, but with tutors help.”
Economy and Growth
Why is this important?
A protective factor for health is having meaningful employment. Reducing avoidable health disparities will involve tackling the unequal distribution of money, wealth, and power by improving opportunities and skills.
What is the local picture?
How does it compare?
Bell Green & Wood End, Henley Green and Manor Farm (WEHM) have higher levels of multiple deprivation than most parts of Coventry. 65% of the residents live in areas (LSOAs) that are amongst the most deprived 10% LSOAs in England and 92% of residents live in areas that are amongst the most deprived 20% LSOAs in England, whereas across Coventry overall the proportions are 15% and 27% respectively.
Both Bell Green and the WEHM areas have neighbourhoods that are amongst those in Coventry with the very highest levels of multiple deprivation. 4 of the 11 neighbourhoods that make up the area are ranked amongst the most deprived 10 in the city. The map below shows that most of the areas in Bell Green & WEHM, 7 out of 11, are in the lowest 10% of areas in England, marked by the darkest red colour. These pockets of deprivation limit people’s opportunities to succeed and transforming life chances requires addressing the social inequalities that are established right from the earliest years. This is based on the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2019, it shows how much people in each neighbourhood (LSOA) in England face ‘multiple deprivation’ in the areas of employment, income, education, health, crime, housing and services and living environment; it is the main measure of deprivation at a local level. This measure is still valid, but the data is somewhat old as it is only updated every five years on average – the insights from this should be considered in conjunction with other more up to date statistics.
Map: Index of Multiple Deprivation 2019 for all Coventry neighbourhoods (LSOAs)
Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2019, Ministry of Housing, Communities of Local Government
The unemployment rate in Bell Green and WEHM is higher than the average for the city. This is partly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the slow recovery of the national economy in 2022, but these areas have always had higher unemployment rates. Responses to the 2021 Census gave us a rate of 6.2% (737 people) of all working aged (16-64) residents of Bell Green and WEHM being unemployed, higher than the Coventry average of 5.9%. There is a small difference within the area, with Bell Green having a higher-than-average unemployment rate of 6.5%, while Wood End, Henley Green and Manor Farm (WEHM) unemployment rate is 6.0%. Across the area the census unemployment rate was highest in the neighbourhood around ‘Bell Green – Roseberry Avenue’ at 8.6%.
While rates remain higher than the city average in the WEHM area, unemployment has fallen more than other areas over the last 10 years. The unemployment rate measured in the 2021 Census was lower in WEHM than it was in the 2011 Census. While it is difficult to interpret this because the labour market data collected in the 2021 Census may not fairly represent change between 2011 and 2021 (because of how people answered the census at an unprecedented time for the labour market during the COVID-19 pandemic), there are reasons to believe this indicates unemployment has fallen in Wood End, Henley Green and Manor Farm (WEHM).
Because of high unemployment rates, and high economic inactivity rates, the number of residents in employment is relatively low, much lower than the city average. From the 2021 Census, 62.3% of people aged 16-64 were in employment, compared to 64.2% across Coventry as a whole. The Census uses different methods to measure employment and unemployment rates than other data sources and it was done during a unique time for the labour market because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, so the percentages from the 2021 Census are lower than other official data sources.
The number of residents claiming unemployment benefits is significantly higher in Bell Green and WEHM. The claimant count increased significantly in early 2020, an indication of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on employment, and while it has fallen since 2020 it remains significantly higher than 2019 levels. From August 2019 to August 2023, the share of the local working age population who were claiming unemployment benefits in Bell Green and WEHM went up from 6.2% to 9.0% significantly higher than the city average of 5.6%.
Data from the Census 2021 shows that Bell Green and WEHM have a higher percentage of people who are not in work and not looking for work (31.5%), compared to the city average (29.9%), even though the area has fewer students than the average. Economic inactivity refers to people who are neither in work nor unemployed, they are not actively seeking work for various reasons. This includes full-time students, those looking after a home, people living with long term illness, retired people, and others.
The main reason why people are economically inactive across the city as a whole is that they are full-time students, but this does not apply to Bell Green and WEHM, only 6.8% of working age people here are economically inactive full-time students compared to 12.8% across Coventry overall.
In this area there are a relatively high number of people who are economically inactive and ‘looking after home or family’ or ‘long-term sick or disabled’. A higher proportion who are not working or looking for work in these areas are taking care of the home or family, accounting for 8.9% of all working aged people compared to 6.0% across Coventry overall. People who are inactive due to having long-term illnesses or disabilities make up 8.7% of all working aged people in this area compared to Coventry's average of 4.9%.
Residents in Bell Green and WEHM have a much lower household income than the average for Coventry. The ‘UK Paycheck’ dataset from CACI estimates average gross annual household income in 2023. In Bell Green and WEHM, the mean average is estimated £31,621, while for Coventry overall it is £41,552 and the UK average is £47,621. A higher proportion of households in this area are on low incomes, 40% of Bell Green and WEHM households have a total income of less than £20,000 a year, compared to 27% across Coventry overall and 22% across the UK.
Household income is relatively low in WEHM (£31,020) and Bell Green (£32,307), lower than most areas in the city. Two of the neighbourhoods with higher income are ‘Hall Green North’ in Bell Green (£41,013) and ‘Alderman’s Green Industrial Estate’ in the WEHM area (£41,018), but these are still below the Coventry average.
The cost-of-living crisis contributes to the higher levels of financial stress among people living in Bell Green and WEHM, compared to other areas of Coventry. The Household Survey 2022 revealed that 60% of residents reported feeling worried about money often or almost all the time in the last few weeks, which is considerably higher than the Coventry average of 40%. Only 52% of residents surveyed in Bell Green and WEHM reported that all of their household had enough of the type of food they wanted. This is much lower than the city average of 69%.
It is essential to ensure digital accessibility and inclusion for everyone. Coventry has a strong advantage of having good high-speed internet overall, but this does not ensure access and there are many people in the area who may face digital exclusion. The Ofcom Connected Nations report 2022 gives us local data, there is a high level of ‘gigabit’ availability, with 95.1% of premises in Bell Green and WEHM having service capable of 1,000 Megabits per second (Mbit/s) from fixed broadband, similar to Coventry overall at 96.9%. The vast majority of premises (97.6%) have services capable of ‘Superfast Broadband’ (30 Mbit/s or more), although the actual performance measured is lower, only 84.7% have average measured speeds of connections at 30 Mbit/s or faster. A relatively high proportion of premises across Bell Green and WEHM have low average measured speed, 7.4% of connection have an average measured speed of less 10 Mbit/s, much higher than the 4.7% across Coventry overall.
Also, having overall good connection levels does not mean that residents have the capacity to access fast broadband or afford it, and there are areas in Bell Green and WEHM with relatively high risk of Digital Exclusion. The Digital Exclusion Risk Index (DERI) tool, developed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, models the likelihood of digital exclusion for all small neighbourhoods (LSOAs) in England by creating an overall score based on number of metrics measuring the risk factors of demography, deprivation, and broadband availability. For each area they give a score between 0 and 10 where 0 represents a low risk of exclusion and 10 a high risk. This data shows that all neighbourhoods in Bell Green and WEHM have scores indicating high risk of digital exclusion compared to the city average, and many have the highest scores in the whole city, particularly in Wood End, Henley Green and Manor Farm (WEHM). 5 of the 6 neighbourhoods (‘LSOAs’) that make up the WEHM area have risk scores amongst the top 10 in the city, also relatively high nationally.
There is another measure of digital exclusion, the Internet User Classification 2018 data set from the Economic and Social Research Council, which used several statistics to classify each LSOA in Great Britain into 10 different types according to the internet use and engagement of its residents. Most of the neighbourhoods in Bell Green and WEHM were classified as ‘e-Withdrawn’, the type that is least engaged with the internet. The areas of Coventry that were given this classification were typically those with higher levels of multiple deprivation.
What else is happening?
What else can be done?
Improving outcomes and tackling inequalities within our communities is important to those living in Bell Green and the WEHM area. The One Coventry Plan sets out the council’s ambition to ensure more residents of Coventry are fulfilling their ambitions, living healthier lives for longer and living in safer, connected, and sustainable communities.
One Coventry plan engagement found that residents in Bell Green and WEHM area felt that the most important priority was improving outcomes and tackling inequalities within our communities, closely followed by increasing the economic prosperity of the city and of the region, and finally tackling the causes of climate change.
The Council’s adult education service has launched a course to boost financial skills. The course is aimed at equipping adults with essential financial skills. This initiative is designed to help participants navigate the complexities of personal finance, offering practical knowledge and tools to improve their financial well-being.
The course covers a comprehensive range of topics, including:
- Budgeting
- Calculating expenses
- Comparing prices
- Understanding interest rates
- Debt management
- Understanding pensions
- Making financial decisions
Moat House, CV Life, Coventry City Council and a range of other organisations have held ‘Community Fun Day’ events. Around 400 local residents attended the events, which featured a range of organisations, including the police, fire service, health, community and youth services, and the City Council in partnership with Wellbeing 4 Life. The events provided fun, food and the opportunity to find out more about a range of support available including training and employment opportunities and to get advice on how to improve their physical and mental wellbeing. Organisations spoke to residents throughout the events to find out more about their needs and priorities to inform how they can best support local residents in their community.
Community and voluntary organisations are working together to address the needs of those on low incomes with affordable access to food, advice, and support. Many community groups throughout Bell Green and the WEHM area are actively involved in supporting the Holiday Activity and Food programme, developing and implementing Food Hubs and Advice services, as well as raising awareness, and supporting the delivery of the Household Support Fund. All of which are exploring opportunities for collaborative working by being a part of the Coventry Food Network, these groups work with a range of organisations both locally and nationally, including Business in the Community and Feeding Britain.
Henley Green Grub Hub was the first food hub to be set up in the city and helped hundreds of families living on the breadline. In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic meant that the UK went into a national lockdown. Instead of closing their doors, many of the community centres and groups throughout the city adapted to the changing government regulations and supported people in need. This resulted in the creation of several social supermarkets throughout the city and the establishment of Coventry Food Network. Based on the model used at Henley Green, the centre was able to share their knowledge and expertise and ensure the success of delivering food to vulnerable people at a time of uncertainty. It remains one of the busiest hubs in the city.
The Coventry Food Network is an example of this, established as a result from the pandemic. Coventry Food Network is a food partnership which brings together several public, private, voluntary and community sector partners to address food poverty and its causes in Coventry by taking a city-wide collaborative and strategic approach towards a unified Coventry Food Network and Strategy. Since 18 March 2020, the Council has been working closely with a range of partners, to create and deliver a system of food provision. Some of the initiatives that have evolved from this partnership are:
- Established 15 social supermarkets/grub hubs throughout the city to provide nutritional food and support to those residents in greatest need.
- Support the delivery of the Household Support Fund by providing emergency food provision to vulnerable residents who needed additional support with accessing/affording food.
- Supported the delivery and developed a model to support those who were clinically extremely vulnerable (Shielding) re: food and basic support.
- Procured food and distributed food parcels to children eligible for free school meals provision during school holidays.
Continue to support and enhance the offer of healthy, nutritious food to children and families eligible for free school meals through the HAF programme.