The amount of ICT in schools, nurseries and adult education centres had already been boosted to enable:

• digital cameras to be used to produce books that nursery children can then print off and share with parents
• interactive story CDROMs in libraries to be available to more families with young children
• pupils in schools to use a range of software and integrated systems to practice underpinning literacy and numeracy skills
• looked after children having access to computers for doing assignments
• word processing facilities and Internet access available as part of homework support facilities in libraries
• smart-boards – interactive whiteboards – in a large number of nurseries and schools
• web-based clubs for young people to review books at 18 libraries, with an average of 10,000 attendances/year
• cybercafe facilities bridging young people into training and qualification
• literacy and numeracy software to be used for assessment and for skills practice in groups of adult learners across the city

• providing laptops to young people who were disconnected from mainstream schools. The learners were able to undertake learning on a flexible basis, accessing web-based assignments, supported by email contact with a tutor. Pupils could access the Birmingham Grid for Learning outside school hours, supported by on-line discussion times, and to extend their learning to be `anywhere, anytime'.
• use of handheld computers and tablet PCs with target groups of pupils. These devices gave learners more flexibility in notetaking, use of handwriting directly onto the computer, creating e-books etc. Others are using existing learning devices in schools for innovative learning activities using virtual learning environments. All of this has the potential to develop into new ways of working for pupils and teachers, and is forming the basis for a number of teacher action-research projects.
• use of interactive whiteboards across a large number of adult literacy and numeracy groups.
• The volume, range and nature of this increased access to ICT is being used to underpin literacy and numeracy skills developments for learners of all ages, across a range of organisations.