Creating more coherent approaches

We have worked with others to:

• Link the range of literacy and maths activities with schools into a coherent approach
• Create some focused development via the voluntary sector
• Establish a planned approach to employee key skills developments
• Work in a planned way to develop support for parents and families
• Create a broad approach to out-of-school developments
• Establish a cross-agency approach to English for Speakers of Other Languages
• Begin to establish a joint development plan for adult literacy and numeracy

• Birmingham’s school children have made impressive improvements, exceeding the national gains in English and Maths at a number of levels
• Maths levels of 7 year olds has now caught up with the national average
• participation rates in community-based adult literacy and numeracy groups have substantially increased
• 23 voluntary and community groups have benefited from small grant support. These groups are from a variety of backgrounds and are supporting the development of local core skills activities in a range of ways.

"I have been enormously encouraged by the quality of this Partnership’s activity" - Government Office monitoring visit.

"A very impressive attempt to really produce change in manageable ways" - visitor from a national agency

"If it wasn’t for the Core Skills Partnership we wouldn’t have got this far in a short time" - senior manager in Birmingham

"Significant examples of discernible links between LEA priorities, plans and resources" - OFSTED/Audit Commission