* Rt. Hon David Blunkett, Secretary of State for Education:

“This government has set ambitious targets to develop a more competitive and more cohesive society. We need the support of all types of employers to help raisestandards nation-wide, especially literacy and numeracy in primary schools, support for young people at-risk of failure and exclusion and management support for headteachers on improving school effectiveness. I fully recommend this business agenda for action by business to help build future skills”.

* Nicholas Tate, Chief Executive, QCA:

“QCA’s main tasks are to develop the curriculum, assessment and qualifications system in the interests of individuals, society and the economy and to do so through a partnership between education and business. It is not just a question of ensuring that business has a strong voice in developing courses and qualifications on the vocational side - it is also finding ways of applying the business voice to the rest of education too. In schools and colleges business partnership s are adding resource, especially the skills of people in work, combined with the business approach to quality, measurement and continuous improvement. Quality partnerships with rigorous monitoring of impact on learning help teachers widen opportunity and raise standards of achievement for all.”

* Sir Peter Davis, Group Chief Executive, Prudential Group and Chairman of Business in the Community.

“Raising standards for all needs the support of all types of business working together in large-scale consortia and committing people, finance and products to partnership programmes focused on those most in need.”

- BASIC SKILLS OF NUMERACY AND LITERACY

DFEE:

* Literacy and numeracy in primary schools.

* National Targets 2002.

80% to achieve expected standard of National Curriculum Level 4 Literacy at 11 years. 75% to achieve expected standards of National Curriculum Level 4 Numeracy at 11 years.

* Task Forces, sponsored by business, set new strategies for schools.

Invest in nursery places for all at 3-4 years and smaller classes in infant schools for all 5-7 year olds.

Higher expectations with targets for local authorities and primary schools.

Special daily lessons in all schools, whole class teaching and teacher training.

National Year of Reading to engage whole community, including business.

Out-of-school study support with volunteer readers and books to take home.

Information and Communication Technology to support learning of basic skills.

QCA:

* National Curriculum review, school targets and goals for under-fives.

* National Curriculum review.

develop more explicit rationale for the curriculum.

develop specific aims and priorities for each key stage and subject.

develop a more flexible curriculum to allow schools to focus on literacy and numeracy.

accredit tests from entry-level base line to 7 and 11year olds to record progress.

define a clearer role for key skills including communication and numeracy.

* School targets

provide advice to schools on target setting.

* Goals for under-fives

review learning goals for pre-school children.

advice on the curriculum including language, literacy and numeracy.

baseline assessment at entry to primary school on basic skills and personal development.

BITC:

* Business support for literacy and numeracy

literacy programmes including volunteer readers, free books, reading diaries and grants for training.

numeracy programmes including volunteers, materials and grants for training.

support for school co-ordinators including training and curriculum development grants.

new national programmes and promotions for the National Year of Reading.

sponsorship and employee involvement in study support, Children’s Universities and Summer Schools.

specialist support for those with learning difficulties and special educational needs including dyslexia.

support for parents including parent centres and advice on homework and ways to help children.

work-based literacy and numeracy schemes for parent employees * help for primary schools and nurseries with computers and software.

- TACKLING DEMOTIVATION AND UNDER ACHIEVEMENT

DFEE:

* Extending opportunity for young people at-risk National framework for study support and the New Opportunities Fund Study support and the New Opportunities Fund

Summer Schools and Reading Recovery programmes for those underachieving in literacy.

National framework for study support shows how schools can extend opportunity in out-of-school hours.

New Opportunities Fund will provide pound;200 millions to help set up partnership programmes.

* Education Action Zones

establishment of Education Action Zones for primary and secondary schools with support from business.

innovative strategies to tackle demotivation and underachievement and school improvement.

* Exclusions and New Start

help from social exclusion strategies to reduce the number of pupils dropping out of school.

New Start programmes involving TECs and LEAs to help at risk youth aged 14-17 years.

* Work-based learning and further education

promotion of work-related learning through new initiatives providing a range of vocational and other options for 14-16 year olds, especially for the disaffected and underachieving pupils.

Individual Learning Accounts will help young people post 16 to study for higher skills.

further education colleges will benefit from new funding to expand provision, especially to widen access to underachievers.

QCA:

* Work related curriculum, National Framework of Qualifications and access to lifelong learning.

* Work-related curriculum for all pupils

advice for schools on work experience and preparing young people 14-16 for the world of work.

Explore introduction of work-related learning for pupils at Key Stage 4 National Framework of Qualifications.

Accreditation of new entry-level qualifications to widen access to learning to those with low school qualifications.

Improvements to GNVQs and NVQs to ensure high standards.

Introduction of Sector Advisory Groups to advise on the relevance of vocational qualifications.

BITC:

* Business support for programmes for at-risk students, especially in challenging communities.

* Specialist partnership programmes.

Sponsor Summer Schools and provide volunteer employees to help underachieving students with literacy.

Provide employee mentors for at-risk youth on learning goals , achieving qualifications and transition to work.

Sponsor study support centres to enable students from disadvantaged homes to study outside school and college.

Equip IT networked learning centres serving schools and colleges in disadvantaged communities.

Support Compact Plus, Team Enterprise and residential events and personal challenges to develop self-confidence.

Work with TECs and local authorities on large-scale programmes for at-risk and disadvantaged youth.

Offer quality work placements and work-based learning opportunities, especially for the demotivated.

Work with national agencies such as The Prince!s Trust, Education Extra and Trident to extend opportunity to those at risk.

Engage business management and resources to support Education Action Zones

- SUPPORTING MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

DFEE:

* Management development and school improvement.

* Support for school leadership and management training programmes

Continuation of the TTAis headteacher leadership and management programme (HEADLAMP) for newly appointed headteachers (under review).

Standards Fund support for TTAis National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) for those aspiring to headship.

Standards Fund support for TTAis Leadership Programme for Serving Headteachers.

School and local authority inspections and targets.

Emphasis on the leadership and management role of headteachers in OFSTED inspections.

Inspection of local authorities on standards and improved performance.

School and LEA targets for improvement to be set alongside development of business plans.

QCA:

* Advice on school targets for improvement

Monitor results from National Curriculum tests and teacher assessment of pupil progress and advise DfEE and schools.

Provide schools with benchmark data to enable them to compare their performance against that of schools with a similar profile.

Disseminate guidance to schools on effective target-setting.

BITC:

* Business support for educational management and improved performance.

* Advice to education on added value measurement

advise educational bodies on inclusive targets measuring added value for a wide range of student achievement.

advise DfEE and education leaders on ways to measure added value and school improvement.

* Support to DfEE and the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) on school and college management

Provide up to 5,000 senior managers to mentor headteachers and college principles on business planning for improvement.

Work with TTA and DfEE on providing business mentors for serving headteachers on the Leadership Programme.

Provide pro-bono management training for middle and senior managers in education.

Support school management in large scale consortia partnerships such as Learning Cities and Education Action Zones.