Strategic objective 1: Raise levels of language, number skills and literacy skills for children, aged 0-4, in designated localities

• Consolidate data from a range of sources re:
  • - language, literacy, number skills 0-4 across neighbourhoods
  • - work currently being undertaken with families/children 0-4
  • - what is known re factors producing developmental delay 0-4
• Identify reasonable routes to support for 0-4 organisations pre OFSTED assessment
• Create stronger links to neighbourhood renewal processes and to mainstreaming of national models
• Identify the range of current interventions designed to impact on core skills developments of children 0-4; and suggest any better alignment of development energies

Strategic objective 2: Secure continued annual improvement of literacy, numeracy and language skills of pupils aged 5-16

• Identify years by which Birmingham skills levels, in KS1-KS4 core skills, will reach/exceed national levels
• Ensure that local education planning processes (KS1-KS4) clearly identify mechanisms by which skills levels will increase
• Link more closely neighbourhood renewal processes and achievement of wider targets at KS3/KS4 and for underachieving groups
  • - including a wider, and more detailed, understanding of what works in various contexts
• Establish range of ‘non-school’ resources and how these can better be aligned to target changes
• Establish ways that schools can increasingly be engaged with formulating own ways towards higher achievement/attainment levels
• Clarify best use of family-engagement models (including funding and reporting models)
  • - increasing the variety of models for specific purposes
  • - increasing the robustness of outcomes/achievement levels
• Identify lessons from current/recent KS1-KS4 work that has wider applicability; and share learning across networks/phases/structures

Strategic objective 3: Secure the achievement of local contributions to national ‘Skills for Life’ targets

• Establish a joint promotional campaign linked to local area planning; ‘move on’ models; increased achievement
  • - to key intermediaries; people already in the system
  • - to guidance, support and provider managers
• Increase access to accreditation via all existing programme regimes
• Increase volume of numeracy; higher level ESOL linked to specific outcomes
• Establish more teaching posts/hours within providers
• Target more closely the work related basic skills activity and the identified needs within sectors
• Improve the basic skills awareness/assessment skills of Connexions advisers and within organisations supporting young people, 14-19, at risk
• Align targets, levels of activity and development work within programmes designed for Skills for Life target groups
• Increase number and range of voluntary/community organisations linking into ‘basic skills for adults’ activity
• Establish a cross-system training support programme

Strategic objective 4: Ensure that levels of adult literacy, language and numeracy are above aspirational levels for each area of Birmingham and Solihull, and for various demographic groups

• Secure ‘buy in’ to aspirational floor targets to 2005 linked to increases in locally-planned achievement levels
• Ensure that local agencies/local planning groups hear a ‘widening achievement’ message
• Undertake employer sector analysis
• Promote local activity to raise quality of basic skills provision in neighbourhoods
• Maintain central focus on adult basic skills, and on GCSE/Level 2 attainment 16+, within neighbourhood renewal activity

Strategic objective 5: Increased volume of opportunities that support the use of reading, writing and language for creative purposes

• ‘Springboard’ a widened engagement re the developments of creative uses of core skills
• Enable agencies to establish their own internal aspirational targets
• Ensure that more private sector organisations engage with the core skills agendas

Strategic objective 6: Ensure the progressive embedding of core skills within national and regional strategies:

• Establish clear emphases on core skills improvements within recently declared strategies
• Establish ‘Education and Regeneration’ network
  • - cross reference core skills elements of area-based renewal/regeneration activities
• Establish mainstreamed implementation of current disconnected national/regional activity
• Cross reference development plans of partner organisations re core skills activity and developments

Strategic objective 7: Raise provider quality to a consistently high grade re literacy, numeracy and language

• List currently assessed levels (re literacy/language/numeracy) of a range of organisations and establish responsibilities/mechanisms for quality improvements
  • - pre school
  • - school
  • - post 16
• Promote self assessment checklist/criteria etc for post 16 providers

Strategic objective 8: Increase the contributions being made, by a wide range of support and development organisations, to raising levels of literacy, language and numeracy

• Establish robust linkage to health activities
• Attach health development functions to partnership to raise momentum
• Revitalise ‘unlocking basic skills in the community’ activity
• Establish support menu for an increased range of organisations
  • - voluntary/community
  • - housing
  • - health

Strategic objective 9: Create increased amount of organisational collaboration; shared expertise; and mutual recognition

• Use ‘expert seminars’ to unlock the learning/ways forward
  • - re language 0-4
  • - re Jobcentre Plus activity
  • - re Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy
  • - re work with voluntary/community sector
• Revise existing mechanisms for sharing expertise, to make more efficient and effective
• Establish ‘think tank’ as a model around specific issues
• Increase amount of cross agency work, post 16

Strategic objective 10: Increase the area’s reputation for being at the forefront of developments

• Contribute to a regional coherence re adult basic skills
• Write up and promote specific approaches and insights from recent developments
• Create ‘how-to’ toolkit re regeneration and core skills developments
• Support other areas/cities to the extent possible without detracting from local commitments