August 2000
There is no doubt about the relentless improvement in language, literacy and numeracy levels amongst pre-school and primary age children across Birmingham. There is a similar, growing momentum for improvement in the same standards throughout secondary schools and, beyond this, within youth training and education programmes.

Some early work was done to disaggregate the effects of our interventions from the myriad of other developments taking place. These demonstrated the value-added extra impact from the interventions supported through this Partnership. Evaluations since then have reinforced that the Partnership is making a real difference – to the way things are done; to the quality standard of provision across the city; to the numbers involved; and to the outcomes for individuals.

The whole-system changes being brought about are currently working their way into adult basic skills provision and work with employers. At each stage the work is producing a real lasting change because it is carried forward by the relevant partner, aligned with other activity, and pursued in the wider strategic context – as opposed to disconnected ‘partnership’ activity, running across other developments, and outside of wider plans.

 These changes are being implemented on a broad whole city level. This is currently showing through in the ways that the voluntary sector is being involved in the basic skills agenda; in the way housing organisations are picking up on adult basic skills issues; and in the structured ways that basic skills developments are being driven forward via New Start and New Deal programmes.

The uniqueness of our approach rests on the scale of the change, the huge numbers involved, and the way the changes are designed to shift existing practices. External evaluation of our approach has highlighted it as a model - because of its rigour; its mechanisms for ensuring widespread development in pursuit of a clear and consistent set of outcomes; and the levels of integration and sustainability of the real changes being brought about. This is keeping Birmingham as a national front-runner in so many areas of developments with a recognition of those areas where there is still more to be done.