In 1995 the equivalent % of children entering secondary school with the skills to succeed by 16 was around 37%. Now it is 70%. GCSE success levels have climbed, with more than 1,000 extra young people passing a key GCSE each year, and the full benefits of developments in secondary schools are still to come.

In 1995 there were barely 200 parents engaging in curriculum activities with their child and their child's teacher, now it is more than 40,000. In 1995 support for babies was a floundering pilot, now it is an established service for 13,000 babies per year.

There has also been a permanent change in the way some services are delivered. There is now a clearer set of activities around Looked after Children and around underachieving pupils.

The Library Service plan for 2003-4 highlights new services to support young people and socially excluded groups. Target groups of young people using the libraries have doubled since 1995. Young people now have ready access to homework support, to teenage-relevant stock, to web-based writing and review groups, to teenage reading groups etc. For adults there are improved routes to reading.

The national `Skills for Life' adult basic skills strategy has substantially been implemented across Birmingham and Solihull within a two year period. Learners now have access to better materials, more focused teaching, clearer accreditations and a wider set of options for their learning.

The local Learning and Skills Council is amongst the national front runners in securing targets for adults improving levels of literacy or numeracy.

The voluntary and community sector in 1995 had a marginal role in relation to core skills developments, limited to giving out small one-off grants. It now has a major structural role – recognised as a major employment sector (with employees needing to raise their own skills levels), recognised as a key route to disadvantaged groups (and being able to negotiate tripartite arrangements with colleges and the local LSC); and recognised increasingly as a direct provider of services (with more community and voluntary organisations taking on assessment, teaching and accreditation roles).

Considerable investment has been made over the last seven years. Considerable changes to services and ways of working have been brought about. Considerable increases have been made to skills levels of children, young people and adults. The evaluation of this is making very positive comments about effectiveness and about having achieved better-than-normal value for money. So yes – all in all – the development activity that has been carried forward by the many organisations and staff in Birmingham has certainly been worth it, and will continue to be worth it well into the future.