Local area improvement strategies are a highly targeted drive to crack the cycle of under-achievement among disadvantaged children in primary and secondary schools in three urban regions: London, the Black Country and Greater Manchester.
It is an expansion of successful work in London and will provide support over three years from 2008 to improve outcomes for young people in the Black Country and Greater Manchester and continued support for London.
The improvement strategies will be tailored to local needs, using some of the proven approaches adopted in the capital over the last five years. The London strategy has backed solutions which respond to the local and unique challenges the capital faces. Local area improvement strategies will respond in the same way to the local challenges faced by the Black Country and Greater Manchester and will use the best learning from the London model.
Local area improvement strategies will be delivered in partnership with all those working in education in the three city regions, and backed by significant additional investment. The improvement strategies will build on progress already underway to develop strategies tailored to local needs in each area. By 2011, the main outcomes of the programme would be:
- a sharp drop in underperforming schools, particularly focusing on English and mathematics
- more outstanding schools
- significant improvements in educational outcomes for disadvantaged children.
