Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners

This strategy, launched on 8 July 2004, summarises the Government’s plans for early years, primary and secondary schools, 14-19 education and training, adult skills, and higher education.

The strategy outlines the principles for the reforms – personalisation and a less directive and bureaucratic relationship with schools – and the expected outcomes, such as every young person getting the best possible start in life and the interlinking of the entire education system.

The strategy involves expansion of a number of existing programmes, such as specialist schools and enrichment of the primary curriculum. It maintains the Government’s commitment to produce fewer new initiatives, focusing instead on supporting a system which increasingly drives its own improvement.

The programme is backed by a big increase in resources and guaranteed three-year budgets for schools - consultation on the arrangements will take place in autumn 2004.

The Strategy includes a chapter outlining how the Department will change to enable the planned transformation, focusing particularly on ways to reduce bureaucracy and increase flexibility in the system, to raise the skills of the workforces which impact on children and learners, and improve partnership working, leadership and technical support.

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