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HM Government, July 2004
This document contains the strategy for children's services,
and for education and lifelong learning, for the five years
from 2004. Five key principles are identified:
- Greater personalisation and choice - for children, parents
and learners
- Opening up services - to new providers and ways of delivering
services
- Freedom and independence for headteachers, governors and
managers, including more secure and streamlined funding
arrangements
- A major commitment to staff development and training
- Partnerships with parents, employers, volunteers and voluntary
organisations to maximise the life chances of children,
young people and adults
By 2008, literacy and numeracy targets of 85 per cent of children
reaching the expected level at the age of 11, and the proportion
of schools in which fewer than 65 per cent of children reach
this level reduced by 40%. Standards by pupils who have traditionally
been failed by the system will be rising fastest, helping
to close the social class gap.
- All parents to get one-stop support through Children's
Centres that provide childcare, education, health, employment
and parenting support
- A flexible system of 'educare' that brings together education
and childcare and provides 12½ hours free support
per week for three and four-year-olds before they go to
school, with more choice for parents when they use it
- The development of dawn-to-dusk schools, with breakfast
childcare and after-school clubs to help parents juggle
their lives
- Children's Trusts bringing together all those who provide
services for children and families in each local area, and
making sure children at risk get proper care, education
and protection
- Every child to make the best possible progress in reading,
writing and maths, with high-quality teachers and support
staffing the classroom
- A wide school curriculum and the choice for every child
to learn a foreign language, play music and take part in
competitive sport
- A closer relationship between parents and schools with
better information through a new 'school profile' and more
family learning
- Additional resources and support to all primary schools
with high levels of disadvantage, modelled on the Excellence
in Cities programme
- More coherent services for parents including advice and
support, particularly for vulnerable children and their
parents
- Videos and guides for parents and carers, through the
National Primary Strategy, and tips on how to help children
with reading or maths
- More family learning, including integrated help with basic
skills, in Children's Centres and extended schools
- Training for all key members of the children and families
workforce in how to work with parents and carers as well
as children and young people
- Greater choice for parents at the heart of which is the
development of independent specialist schools
- A broad and rich curriculum with more choice and out-of-hours
opportunities
- Innovative state-of-the-art technology for every pupil
and teacher
- Schools at the heart of their communities, working closely
with parents to support children
- A wider choice of what and where to study
- Closer links between schools and employers
- Extra support for children leaving care
For more information see the 14-19 Education and Skills White Paper
- The focus of adult education funding on adults with few
or no skills, because this tackles a primary cause of social
exclusion, and helps employers get suitably skilled workers
- Free tuition for people learning basic skills
- Literacy skills to be embedded in other qualifications
and job-related training
- Adult basic skills help delivered in ways that suit learners'
circumstances such as the workplace, learndirect centres,
mobile training centres, local football clubs and learning
'shops' in shopping areas, and in prisons
- New adult learning grants for adults going for Level 2
qualifications (the equivalent of five good GCSEs)
- Lifelong learning for all - for work or pleasure
The Five Year Strategy document promises a big increase in
resources with spending in England to rise to £58 billion
by 2008. A reduction of central staff employed by the Department
for Education by more than 30% is promised.
For more information and to download the strategy document,
visit www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/5yearstrategy
In 2006 the Government produced a progress report, The Five
Year Strategy for Children and Learners: Maintaining the Excellent
Progress. To download this report visit www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/5yearstrategyprogress/index.shtml
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