FEBRUARY 2008

POLICY ON YOUTH: THE CHILDREN’S PLAN AND TEN YEAR STRATEGY

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has set out its policy direction on children and young people in two key documents.

In December The Children's Plan: building brighter futures was published. It is a £1 billion strategy to improve child well being and learning by 2020

The Children’s Plan aims to:

• strengthen support for all families during the formative early years of their children’s lives
• take the next steps in achieving world class schools and an excellent education for every child
• involve parents fully in their children’s learning
• help to make sure that young people have interesting and exciting things to do outside of school
• provide more places for children to play safely.

Ten Year Strategy on Youth

A document published last summer, Aiming high for young people: a ten year strategy for positive activities, sets out how the Government aims to help young people, particularly those in deprived areas, take part in enjoyable and purposeful activities in their free time to help them develop new skills and raise their aspirations.

A report on progress of the strategies (which cover England only) will be available in one year.

SKILLS STRATEGY IN SCOTLAND

The Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Fiona Hyslop, has outlined a skills strategy aimed at achieving one of the Scottish Government’s objectives to make Scotland “smarter”.

The strategy is Scotland’s response to the Leitch Review of Skills (see January 07 Update – Higher Education: Skills Audit Report) although not necessarily an implementation of its proposals.

The skills strategy focuses on the supply and use of skills within the context of employment partnerships and creating a flexible environment for an individual’s lifelong learning.

For more details, read the Skills Strategy.

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP AND STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

An interim report presents findings at the half-way point of a three-year study focusing on understanding the critical relationship between school leadership and improved student learning outcomes.

For more information, read the DCSF research brief The Impact of School Leadership on Pupil Outcomes.

REFORM IN NORTHERN IRELAND

In December the Education Minister in Northern Ireland, Caitriona Ruane, outlined her proposals to reform the education system.

Ms Ruane stated that equality would be at the center of her schools policy.

Over the last 10 years Northern Ireland has seen dramatically falling student numbers. The Education Minister has brought forward her school improvement policy to restructure schools around the new education system with the goal of more efficient education.

For more details view the Entitled to Succeed (E2S) Programme.

CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS

Creative Partnerships (CP) is a government program, funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The CP program enables schools, particularly in disadvantaged areas, to work in partnership with professionals such as architects, dancers and musicians to develop a curriculum that promotes creativity in schools and the community.

Read the National Evaluation of Creative Partnerships from the National Foundation for Educational Research.