Quality Mark PhotoThe achievements of the first 41 primary schools in Birmingham to gain the Basic Skills Agency Quality Mark were recently celebrated as Alan Wells, the director of the Basic Skills Agency came to Birmingham to present each school with an individual plaque and to present Professor Brighouse with a plaque recognising the LEA's authority as an assessing body.

Birmingham currently has 13 more schools coming up for assessments with a further 100 schools working towards the Quality Mark standard, with the potential for a further 100 schools to be involved in the next financial year. Birmingham aims to support every school that wishes to gain the Quality Mark by 2001.

 The Quality Mark approach is proving to be a significant tool for schools to audit and develop their strategies for improving basic skills, as well as an efficient vehicle for sharing good practice across the city.

The Quality Mark recognises the efforts of primary schools in raising basic skills levels through 10 elements:

  • a whole school action plan focused on improving basic skills;
  • assessment of pupil performance in basic skills;
  • setting targets for improvement;
  • improvement plans for under-attaining pupils;
  • regular progress reviews of under-attaining pupils;
  • professional development of staff to teach and extend basic skills;
  • a range of teaching styles to improve basic skills;
  • use of appropriate teaching and learning material to improve basic skills;
  • involvement of parents in developing their children's basic skills;
  • monitoring and assessment of improvement in performance in basic skills.