In 2006 a resurvey of adult literacy and numeracy abilities across Birmingham offered direct comparisons with previously established 2001 baselines. In the five year interim period there had been significant skills gains at all levels for both literacy and numeracy, with the greatest gains being at the Entry 3/Level 1 levels which form the platform for sustained further skills development. Greatest progress had also been made by the adults in high-need disadvantaged localities.

Within the overall substantial increase in skills levels, across the five year period, there had been significant closing of achievement gaps between different groups e.g. between the skills levels of those unemployed and those in full-time employment; between lower income socioeconomic groups and higher income groups; between underachieving communities and higher performing groups.

In 2001 ambitious ward-based floor targets – in literacy/numeracy at each Level – had been agreed for the city as a whole and for each particular ward in the city. (i.e. an aspiration that, by 2005/6, no ward would fall below these levels). These stretching targets were met or exceeded in almost every case, suggesting a value in establishing equally stretching aspirations for 2010 and beyond.

This work has demonstrated that the literacy/numeracy gains implicit within Birmingham’s good progress in its contribution to the overall PSA target for Skills for Life are explicitly reflected in real, demonstrable increases in everyday skills levels, in both literacy and numeracy within the population across the city as a whole.

This progress has been made by maintaining a consistent focus on robustly implementing the broad aspects of the Skills for Life strategy across all of the learning infrastructure (more learning opportunities, based on agreed standards and curricula; learning being delivered by teachers who are well supported and professionally developed; change being expected on a broad front and in large volumes; focusing on demonstrable needs and gaps; widening achievements as well as increasing participation; locating the developments within larger frameworks; clarity of roles and expectations of various agencies; promotion of common recurring messages; disaggregation of data in order to inform planning decisions etc).

The levels of impact and the closing of achievement gaps, resulting from this sustained approach, has direct links across to wider city strategies concerned for example with local area agreements around employability, recruitment into key sectors, work to support families and vulnerable adults, and neighbourhood renewal.