Corporate Plan 2004-2008 - Encouraging Lifelong Learning

Our aims are as follows.

• To improve the learning system
• To raise achievement
• To support social inclusion
• To improve people's prospects
• To support community learning and development

Our intended outcomes are as follows.

• For educational facilities to be used to their full potential for the benefit of the whole community.
• For levels of achievement to be increased and recognised.
• For numbers of people involved in learning to increase.
• For the prospects of people, particularly vulnerable children and young people, to be improved.
• For appropriate learning opportunities to be available to more people.

Aim 1- To improve the learning system
Actions we will take

1. Further develop the 'Education 2010' initiative to improve educational buildings so they provide facilities for the wider community. This will include building work for all 17 public private partnership projects incorporating 29 schools in a £150 million investment package. We will also target investment in other schools. We will also totally refurbish three secondary schools and aim to get funding to rebuild one further secondary school.
2. Extend information and communications technology and e-learning, develop materials for 'open learning' over the internet, upgrade an average of three learning centres a year, develop back up systems for all our educational establishments that rely heavily on computers, extend on-line services and develop websites for the public to use.
3. Strengthen early years education and extend childcare, and, by March 2008, provide one after-school care place for every nine children and 200 nursery places for Wraparound Care (care for children out of term time, and before and after school).
4. Extend the 'Integrated School' approach (previously called Community Schools) to all educational establishments by 2006. (This approach strengthens the links between a child's home and school, and schools and their communities).

Aim 2 – To raise achievement
Actions we will take

1. Develop qualifications for North Lanarkshire, promote the North Lanarkshire certificate, passport and diploma for children leaving early years, primary, special and secondary education establishments.
2. Extend co-operative learning training, which trains staff to encourage pupils to work as a team, to a further 1200 teachers.
3. Develop an arts strategy to promote art-based activities by August 2004 and develop an action plan to be introduced in future years.
4. Improve the reading and writing skills for children who are 'looked after' (living in their home but covered by a protection or supervision order) and 'looked after and accommodated' (in residential care, foster care or other establishment). Increase the percentage of pupils achieving SCQF (Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework) level three or above (in school session 2004-2005) in English and maths to 40%.
5. Introduce the recommendations of the McCrone Report, 'A teaching profession for the 21^st century', give staff time for professional development by reducing the time spent with pupils in secondary schools to 22.5 hours a week by August 2004, and recruit extra primary teachers to help reduce the time spent with pupils in primary schools to 23.5 hours a week by August 2004 and to 22.5 hours a week by August 2006.

Aim 3 – To support inclusion
Actions we will take

1. Introduce a strategy to improve inclusion in education by June 2004, complete a development programme for all staff in educational establishments by December 2004, and set up a mentoring programme where existing teachers support newly-qualified teachers in their first year of teaching.
2. Promote positive behaviour in children and young people and, by 2007, make sure all educational establishments have had the opportunity to receive training in the staged intervention programme to address discipline in schools.
3. Progress the phasing in of mainstream education for pupils with special educational needs and introduce an action plan in 2005 in response to the Additional Support Needs Bill.
4. Put the Race Equality Scheme into practice, produce race-equality guidelines for all educational establishments, and review the effect of race-equality policies and practices.

Aim 4 – To improve people's prospects
Actions we will take

1. Develop a more flexible curriculum for secondary education by March 2005, involve every pupil in 'enterprise activities' which introduce the world of business, evaluate the 'Sports and Music Comprehensives' (schools specialising in sport and music), and refurbish at least two more secondary schools by March 2007 to allow vocational programmes to be taught in association with further education colleges.
2. Develop the Bookstart programme through which parents of all newborn babies will receive an information pack and an invitation to Bookstart sessions and develop the Bookstart + programme for children up to the age of three.
3. Increase learning opportunities for 16- to 19-year-olds who are not in education, training or employment, involve 16 people in 'Skills for Growth', (a scheme to increase learning opportunities for 16- to 19-year-olds) by November 2004, help the pilot 'Get Ready For Work programme', help 190 clients into training and employment by March 2005, refer 15 clients for support with reading, writing and maths by March 2005, and develop a partnership with 'Careers Scotland'.
4. Expand the 'Active Steps' programme which helps prevent young offenders from re-offending and, by 2008, involve 4000 young people.

Aim 5 – To support community learning and development
Actions we will take

1. Complete a 'Community Learning and Development' strategy (for adult learning, working with young people and supporting community organisations) by June 2004 and introduce six local and theme-based learning plans by June 2006.
2. Develop the 'Adult literacy and numeracy' action plan to help adults to overcome their lack of skills in reading, writing and maths and, by 2006, increase the number of adults taking up learning opportunities to 1500 new students each year.
3. In partnership, develop Dialogue Youth, a government initiative to make sure services meet the needs of young people, sign 80% of young people aged 12 to 18 to the initiative by March 2005, and secure ongoing funding by January 2005.
4. Develop projects to support learning from home and involve 60% of families with children aged 5 to 11.
5. Develop learning opportunities for older people and, with our partners, devise a 'third age' learning plan by April 2006 to encourage older people to learn.