From its beginning the Partnership has demonstrated that improving the underlying levels of basic skills can (if undertaken structurally across the city-wide system) contribute to regeneration of communities.

The Partnership is playing a strong role in drafting out the learning elements of Birmingham’s Community Strategy, Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy etc. Key aspects of these strategies are that improved achievement rates in English, maths, communication etc are needed, at least until 2008, if the city is to:

• close the attainment gaps between different neighbourhoods across the city
• improve the prospects of communities that are underachieving relative to other communities in the city
• ensure that no school falls below a ‘floor target’ of achievement rates for its pupils
• ensure that nationally-agreed milestones and targets are reached.

In the longer term this is all part of a wider agenda to make sure that people with particular needs are able to get rapid, appropriate access to integrated packages of support; that people can feel confident in the public services whichever part of the city they live in; that the health/ economic capacity/ participation in social processes/safety etc of all sections of the population are at least at acceptable levels and that residents see ongoing learning as a potential solution to some of the puzzles and problems in their lives.