The city's 11 year old pupils produced a huge 12% improvement in their maths results in this year's Key Stage 2 results. The leap was from last year's 53% to 65% - meeting, a year early, the target schools have set for 2000. Birmingham's 11 year olds also achieved a 6% rise in English ñ from 59% to 65%.
  • part funding of Integrated Learning Systems;
  • access to an expanded programme of literacy and numeracy support through the National Literacy and Numeracy strategies;
  • support for engaging parents in curriculum work with their children, through Inspire workshops, and participation in the more intensive family literacy courses;
  • whole school planning for literacy and numeracy support to pupils using the Basic Skills Agency Quality Mark framework;
  • support for parents of reception children via the Basic Skills Agency set of leaflets;
  • flooding schools with high quality books ñ through the school library service "Book Flood" scheme.
PhotoThese results mean that Birmingham's children are continuing to improve at faster than the national rate. The gap between Birmingham and the national average is closing year on year. Similar improvements were seen at Key Stage 1, again with the gap being closed on national figures.

A number of primary schools provide excellent examples of improvement using the support of the Core Skills Development Partnership within the context of their own individual circumstances. Through positive and proactive approaches, these schools have identified specific opportunities for potential development, and have translated these into concrete activities to bring about change.

This has taken various forms:

  • an in-depth initial meeting to discuss the progress made to date and the school's immediate needs;
  • funding to support targeted work with groups of pupils;
  • short courses for the Maths or Language Co-ordinator;
  • input on a focused approach to Maths, including staff development, demonstration lessons and specific pre-SATs help
PhotoOther valuable support has been the level of individual support given by the LEA members of the Core Skills Development Partnership development team. This is a model that could be usefully transferred to other initiatives providing, as it does, professional dialogue for the school in a non-threatening, non-bureaucratic and totally supportive framework.

The success of the literacy and numeracy developments in Birmingham primary schools are due to the approach taken by the schools and the commitment of Birmingham school staff to raising pupil attainment. The Core Skills Partnership support provides the stimulus and the framework for a number of inter-related projects which have worked together to improve results and encourage yet more developments.