Analysis of assessment data suggests- that effective strategies can be employed to improve boys’ level of attainment. Reducing what is often referred to as the "long tail of underachievement" in this country- will depend to some extent on effective interventions to target underattaining boys, within wider strategies to raise standards.

Schools that have been successful in raising boys’ achievement recommend:

• a strong focus on implementing whole-school policies;
• an emphasis on creating a welcoming and supportive culture;
• structures in place to help teachers analyse results in detail- and set individual targets;
• focus on specific skills, with clear structure to lessons;
• selection of a range of texts, including both fiction and non-fiction;
• ensuring that pupils’ progress is reviewed, and shared with parents;

In order to learn from such developments and provide further support to address this issue the Partnership is working with Birmingham schools who have identified the attainment- of boys as a key issue for their school.

This is one aspect of our work to support schools, the Library Service and the Education Service in meeting the needs of particular underachieving groups. Analysis of data at school and whole-city level is increasingly- leading to targeting support at a range of smaller groups of pupils for specific purposes, drawing on a menu of activities that are known to produce real changes.

And finally, it is always important to recognise in any targeting work that:

• there are very successful boys who have highly developed literacy and information-handling skills;
• there are several other factors that influence attainment. Gender is just but one factor amongst many.