This White Paper represents the ambition of Government to promote innovation across society as a tool to develop and generate economic prosperity and improve the quality of life throughout the UK. The policies include proposals about how Government can use procurement and regulation to promote innovation in business and make the public sector and public services more innovative. The White Paper is in 10 chapters: The role of government; demanding innovation; supporting business innovation; the need for a strong and innovative research base; international innovation; innovative people; public sector innovation; innovative places and the innovation nation: next steps. An Annex sets out the development of this White Paper. Published alongside the White Paper is 'Implementing "The Race to the Top": Lord Sainsbury's review of Government's science and innovation' (ISBN 9780108507175). Lord Sainsbury's review published in October 2007 (HM Treasury, ISBN 9781845323561, http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/5/E/sainsbury_review051007.pdf) and also relevant is the 2008 Enterprise Strategy (http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/E/3/bud08_enterprise_524.pdf)
This consultation paper sets out the Government's proposals for supporting participation and achievement for young people, and reforming the post-19 skills system to secure better outcomes for adults. The changing nature of the world economy makes increasing participation in education and training an urgent necessity. In the system for young people, responsibility and accountability is given to local authorities for the whole 14-19 age range. They will provide a place in learning for every young person through strategic commissioning. Local authorities will cluster together in sub-regional groupings reflecting travel-to-learn patterns to commission provision across the wider local area. A Young People's Learning Agency will supplement this structure, have responsibilities for budgetary control, and secure coherence if agreement cannot be reached locally. There will be a progressive devolution of power to the sub-regional level. The main mechanism to hold local authorities to account will be the performance criteria set out in the "Strong and prosperous communities" white paper (Cm. 6939, ISBN 9780101693929). With the adult sector, the Government proposes a demand-led system and the integration of employment and skills (this latter requiring close co-operation between the Departments for Children Schools and Families, and Innovation, Universities and Skills, as set out in "Opportunity, employment and progression, Cm. 7288, ISBN 9780101728829). A new Skills Funding Agency will manage the framework and development of the further education (FE) service, and ensure that public money is routed to FE colleges and providers following the purchasing decisions of customers. The Skills Funding Agency will also be involved in the operation and management of the National Apprenticeship Service, the adult advancement and careers service, and the Offenders Learning and Skills Service.
In this document the Government sets out a programme of action designed to position the UK as a long-term leader in communications, creating an industrial framework that will fully harness digital technology. The UK's digital dividend will transform the way business operates, enhance the delivery of public services, stimulate communications infrastructure ready for next-generation distribution and preserve Britain's status as a global hub for media and entertainment. This approach seeks to maximise the digital opportunities for all citizens. The report contains: (1) an analysis of the levels of digital participation, skills and access needed for the digital future, with a plan for increasing participation, and more coherent public structures to deal with it; (2) an analysis of communications infrastructure capabilities; (3) plans for the future growth of creative industries, proposals for a legal and regulatory framework for intellectual property and proposals on skills and investment support and innovation; (4) a restatement of the need for specific market intervention in the UK content market, with implications and challenges for the BBC and C4 Corporation and other forms of independent and suitably funded news; (5) an analysis of the skills, research and training markets, and what supply side issues need addressing for a fully functioning digital economy; (6) a framework for digital security and digital safety at international and national levels and recognition that a world of high speed connectivity needs a digital framework not an analogue one; (7) a review of what all of this means for the Government and how digital governance in the information age demands new structures, new safeguards, and new data management, access and transparency rules.
This white paper outlines the Government's proposals to foster and encourage informal adult learning. Informal adult learning is part-time, non-vocational learning where the primary purpose is not to gain a qualification but learning for its intrinsic value. People participate for enjoyment and are driven by their desire for personal fulfillment or intellectual, creative and physical stimulation. Activities cover a huge range, from dance classes and book clubs, visits to museums, galleries and historic properties, online research, volunteer projects. Such activity contributes to the health and well-being of communities by building the confidence and resilience of the individuals involved, developing social relationships, and acting as a stepping stone to further learning and skill development. The Government will establish a clear identity for informal learning and promote four initiatives: a Learning Pledge; a Festival of Learning; an Open Space Movement and a Transformation Fund of £20 million. Partner organisations from the private and public sector will be invited to contribute to the strategy. Increased access to informal adult learning will be addressed through: widening learning opportunities for older people; reaching out to the disadvantaged; developing a package of support for community learning champions; increasing availability of informal working in the workplace. Technology and broadcasting are seen as crucial in transforming the way people learn: 65 per cent of all households now have an internet connection and 90 percent of the population has at least one digital television. Government will act as a catalyst, investing additional funding in building the capacity and linkages that enable innovative learning opportunities to flourish.
This document sets out a plan for England in developing world class employment skills and is a companion document to the Green Paper, Cm.7130, In Work, Better Off (ISBN 9780101713023) also published today, and follows on from the Leitch Review, published December 2006 (ISBN 9780118404860) along with an Executive Summary (ISBN 9780118404792). This publication aims to explain how the Government will provide the right supporting framework to act as a catalyst for a skills revolution. More than a third of adults in the UK don't have the equivalent of a basic school leaving certificate; 6.8 million people have serious problems with numbers and 5 million people are not functionally literate. As part of this development, the Government has set out new rights that learners and employers will have, under what are called Skills Accounts and the Skills Pledge. The Skills Accounts will be part of the new adults careers service done through Jobcentre Plus, which aims to give every adult easy access to skills and careers advice. The Skills Pledge enables employers to demonstrate their commitment to improving skills in their workplace, with the Government supporting employers through Train to Gain brokerage. Also current funding entitlement for adults to free training in basic literacy and numeracy skills, will be strengthened. Produced by the new Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, the document sets out the Government's policy direction to build better skills.
This Command Paper (Cm. 7415, ISBN 9780101741521) sets out the Government's ambition of helping people develop their skills so as to improve their prospects in the employment market. Skills development will become a condition when claiming out-of-work benefits. Individuals will also have access to a personal Skills Account, with advice, support and information available about training. Also the Government wants to promote a local based level of support from employers, which is already taking place via the Working Neighbourhoods Fund and City Strategy and Multi-Area Agreements (MAA). A new adult advancement and careers service is to be developed in England along with an integration of the welfare and skills services to respond to the needs and ambitions of both employers and individuals.
This White Paper follows the consultation paper "No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility" (Cm. 7363, ISBN 9780101736329) which was itself based on the reforms proposed by David Freud in his report "Reducing dependency, increasing opportunity: options for the future of welfare to work" (2007, DWP, www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2007/welfarereview.pdf). It sets out how the Government plans to take the proposals forward. The Government's vision for the welfare state is one where everyone is required to fulfill their responsibilities to prepare for, look for and take up work, with support provided at all stages, particularly given the recent economic downturn. The Government proposes a simpler benefits system, with the development of a single income-replacement benefit for people of working age: initially those currently on Income Support will move to either the Employment and Support Allowance or Jobseeker's Allowance. Changes to Housing Benefit will also be investigated in 2009. Jobcentre Plus is an effective delivery vehicle and will receive an extra £1.3 billion funding, but it will be supported by more use of private and voluntary services (which already supply 40 per cent of DWP's employment programmes). Devolving power to the local level will increase effectiveness of service delivery. This paper also responds to and supports the Gregg report on personal conditionality ("Realising potential ... ISBN 9780101749923) where everyone on benefits is expected to take active steps towards work. Support for disabled people will be enhanced and become more personalised. Those on incapacity benefits will move to the Employment and Support Allowance. More support for jobseekers will be matched by higher expectations. All the reforms are designed to increase employment and release resources for the ending of child poverty by 2020.
This Command Paper, sets out how the Department for Work and Pensions as well as the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills aim to improve training and support opportunities for people who are moving from receiving benefits to employment, along with the ongoing training they need to progress in work. The publication is divided into 4 sections, and covers the following areas: principles of welfare and skills reform; the challenge - integrating employment and skills; increased support with skills - getting into work and beyond; sustainable employment, progression and lifelong skills development.
A companion document to the White Paper Innovation Nation (Cm 7345). It presents a progress report on 'Lord Sainsbury's October 2007 Review' (The Race to the Top: A Review of Government's Science and Innovation Policies) on the Government's science and innovation policies.
Following the Machinery of Government changes in June 2007 three new departments were set up in place of the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Trade and Industry. This 2007 Autumn Performance Report identifies the targets applicable to the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCFS) and charts its progress against the Spending Review 2004 (SR04), Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets and introduces a new suite of Comprehensive Spending Review Public Service Agreements (CSR07). There is also a chapter on targets from the Spending Review 2002 PSA targets that are still outstanding.
This consultation paper is based on the reforms proposed by David Freud in his report "Reducing dependency, increasing opportunity: options for the future of welfare to work" (2007, DWP, www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2007/welfarereview.pdf). The Government's vision for the welfare state is one where no one is written off and everyone is required to fulfil their responsibilities to prepare for, look for and take up work, with support provided at all stages. The reforms are designed to achieve an active and personalised welfare state, boosting employment and tackling long-term benefit dependency. Disabled persons or people with long-term health conditions will be targeted, in a bid to reduce the number of people on incapacity benefits by one million. A new Work Capability Assessment will re-assess all existing incapacity benefits claimants for eligibility to the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) - to ensure they are receiving the right benefit and their personal needs are identified. ESA will be a temporary benefit for most, as people recover from or adapt to their condition and prepare for a return to work. Private and voluntary sector providers will be eligible to undertake support work. The medical assessment procedure will be reviewed. The reforms also tackle child poverty by providing additional support while strengthening parents' responsibilities to contribute financially and emotionally to their children's upbringing. The benefits system will be streamlined: a long term goal is the abolition of Income Support and the creation of a system based on Jobseeker's Allowance and the ESA. The Government also wishes to devolve more power to individual customers, local partnerships and providers to improve the quality and effectiveness of services. Providers will have greater freedom to innovate and deliver services through a new "Right to Bid" process.
The Children's Plan, conceived after consultation with both parents and professionals, sets out the Government's ambitions for improving children and young people's lives over the next decade. The six strategic objectives are to: secure the health and wellbeing of children and young people; safeguard the young and vulnerable; achieve world class standards; close the gap in educational achievement for children from disadvantaged backgrounds; ensuring young people are participating in achieving their potential to 18 and beyond; and keeping children and young people on the path to success. The ambition depends on all children's services working together at the local level and the final chapter looks at the systems which are needed for this to happen
The 2001 outbreak of Foot and Mouth was set out in a report published in 2002, providing an analysis of what happened with recommendations (HCP 888, session 2001-02, ISBN 9780102976243). Another FMD outbreak occurred in the Summer of 2007 and the Government again asked Dr Iain Anderson to conduct a review and find out if the lessons of 2001 had been learned and whether new recommendations are needed. This report is built around the findings of 2001, with a particular look at the Pirbright facility, the source of the virus incriminated in this recent outbreak. Dr Anderson's states that he found much to applaud in the handling of the 2007 outbreak along with some deficiencies, but states the positive outweighs the negative. The report commends the strong leadership of the Prime Minister, as well as the contingency planning and better integration of scientific advice and the capabilities at the centre of disease control strategies. External communication was also greatly improved. Less encouraging were the inadequate infrastructure and governance of the Pirbright facility where the Institute for Animal Health is located and the poor regulatory regime in place to licence work with dangerous animal pathogens. Defra's information systems too were found wanting. The report also recommends that the Institute of Animal Health should become the new National Institute of Infectious Diseases, supported by multiple sources of funding from government and elsewhere. Also recommended is the creation of an Independent Advisory Committee on Animal and Emerging Infectious Diseases, combining a high level group of experts along with other stakeholders with a mission to provide independent advice to government and link closely with the Government's and departmental Chief Scientific Advisors and include the Chief Veterinary Office and Chief Medical Officer amongst its members. The publication is divided into five sections: Section 1: Foreword; Section 2: Summary and recommendations; Section 3: Lessons learned, the lessons are - Lesson 1: Maintain vigilance; Lesson 2: Be prepared; Lesson 3: React with speed and certainty; Lesson 4: Explain policies, plans and practices; Lesson 5: Respect local knowledge; Lesson 6: Apply risk assessment and cost benefit analysis; Lesson 7: Use data and information management systems; Lesson 8: Have a legislative framework; Lesson 9: Base policy decisions on the best available science; Section 4: Pirbright; Section 5: Appendices.
This White Paper sets out proposals to tackle the effects of the recession and to get back to full employment. Its aims are to give young people a chance to a better start to their working lives and to help more people back to work and make sure they are better off in work, to keep them in work and to build a fair and family-friendly labour market
This update is based on the five themes in the original September 2006 inquiry report: antisemitic incidents, antisemitic discourse, sources of contemporary antisemitism, antisemitism on campus and addressing antisemitism. The All Party Inquiry acknowledges that antisemitism remains a factor in the life of the Anglo-Jewish community. The police and other bodies have become better at dealing with violence, poisonous threats and the desecration of synagogues and cemeteries. It has not been easy to make such good progress where antisemitism is less explicit and where there is lazy acceptance of Jewish stereotypes. The number of antisemitic incidents in the UK remains a cause for concern. The 2009 figure was abnornally high due to reactions to the action taken by Israel in Gaza. The Government is clear that it is unacceptable that feelings about the conflict in the Middle East should create a climate of opinion where British Jews are attacked and threatened both verbally and physically. While recognising that the events in the Middle East will impact on other communities, this can never justify hostility towards citizens of this country. A key success has been the agreement by the Department for Education to fund the counter-terrorism security needs of Jewish faith schools within the state sector. Also the agreement for all police forces to record antisemitic hate crimes and publication for the first time of the official statistics. There has also been progress in tackling antisemitism on the internet. However there are still two areas which remain of concern and a need of further work: hate material on the internet and antisemitism and political tensions on campus and to ensure continuing attention the Government commits the Cross-Government Working Group to Tackle Antisemitism to meeting quarterly to monitor progress.
On 12 March 2009, Lord Laming published the findings of his inquiry into progress in improving child protection practice in England: 'The Protection of Children in England: A Progress Report'. This action plan sets out the British Government's response to Lord Laming's recommendations, describing how and when each recommendation will be addressed.
This Command paper, entitled "Promoting achievement, valuing success: a stategy for 14-19 qualifications" (Cm. 7354, ISBN 9780101735421), presents the Government's conclusions on establishing a plan to improve and develop the educational opportunities for 14-19 year olds and is part of a consultation process on the strategy for 14-19 qualifications. It also sets out in detail the systemic changes that will be needed to develop existing qualifications, specifically in England. The 2005 White Paper 14-19 Education and Skills (Cm. 6476, ISBN 9780101647625) set out a wide ranging reform programme of the curriculum and qualifications system with the aim of improving the general education and training of teenagers. This strategy document further develops the proposals and examines the ways that reform can be established. Divided into seven chapters, it covers the following areas: the introduction and context of the proposed education reforms; the movement towards a more comprehensive and coherent qualification system; the development of a new diploma programme; the reform of GCSEs and A levels; the apprenticeship programme; the foundation learning tier; the steps needed to achieve the aims set out in the previous chapters. The closing date for this consultation is 23 June 2008.
This White Paper represents the ambition of Government to promote innovation across society as a tool to develop and generate economic prosperity and improve the quality of life throughout the UK. The policies include proposals about how Government can use procurement and regulation to promote innovation in business and make the public sector and public services more innovative. The White Paper is in 10 chapters: The role of government; demanding innovation; supporting business innovation; the need for a strong and innovative research base; international innovation; innovative people; public sector innovation; innovative places and the innovation nation: next steps. An Annex sets out the development of this White Paper. Published alongside the White Paper is 'Implementing "The Race to the Top": Lord Sainsbury's review of Government's science and innovation' (ISBN 9780108507175). Lord Sainsbury's review published in October 2007 (HM Treasury, ISBN 9781845323561, http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/5/E/sainsbury_review051007.pdf) and also relevant is the 2008 Enterprise Strategy (http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/E/3/bud08_enterprise_524.pdf)
The costs of working-age ill-health to Britain are large by any standards. Dame Carol Black estimated that the annual economic cost of ill-health in terms of working days lost and worklessness was over £100 billion. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) estimated that last year 172 million working days were lost due to absence, costing employers £13 billion. Against a backdrop of a wider economic downturn both taxpayers and businesses can ill afford to bear these largely unnecessary costs. But the cost of ill-health cannot be measured in pounds and pence alone. There are about 2.6 million people on incapacity benefits and 600,000 people make a new claim each year; of these, half had been working immediately before they moved onto benefit. Once out of work it is likely that an individual's health will worsen and they and their families are more likely to fall into poverty and become socially excluded. Therefore, health-related inactivity prevents individuals from fulfilling their potential, causes needless financial hardship, and damages the communities in which people live. This response is built around three key aspirations that demonstrate how the Government will rise to the challenges set by Dame Carol: creating new perspectives on health and work (chapter 2); improving work and workplaces (chapter 3); and supporting people to work (chapter 4). Chapter 5 details how the Government will measure progress against its targets, and chapter 6 sets out future steps that the Government intends to take: better integrating skills, health and employment provision; reviewing the incentives for individuals, employers and the state to tackle sickness absence to ensure they are optimally balanced; and continuing to develop strategies to address the specific needs of those with poor mental health.
The UK has the potential to be world leader in innovation. The strength of UK universities and the wider knowledge base is a national asset being the most productive in the G8. But the challenges are great. To succeed in the global innovation economy, the UK must strengthen its ability to accelerate the commercialization of emerging technologies, and to capture the value chains linked to these. We have already made clear our commitment by maintaining the annual £4.6 billion budget for science and research programmes, with £150 million each year support university-business interaction. The UK's universities are increasingly collaborating with each other and with external organization to develop and commercialise knowledge, last year securing over £3 billion from external sources. This paper outlines a series of measures to make it easier for individuals, businesses and the public sector to innovate alone or in partnership. As part of a package of support the Government is relaunching the popular Smart brand and will increase the funding to the Technology Strategy Board. Research Councils UK will establish a principles-based framework for the treatment and submission of multi-institutional funding bids. Also the Government will continue to look for other ways to encourage more relationships between universities and business and will work with NESTA to establish a price centre to run, design and facilitate new inducement prices. The Government has also commissioned independent groups of academics and publishers to review the availability of published research, and to develop action plans for making this freely available. It will also create an Open Data Institute to develop semantic web technologies.
This paper sets out the Government's strategy for moving people from being passive recipients of benefits to becoming active in seeking and preparing for work. It builds on the reform principles set out in the green paper "In work, better off: the next steps to full employment" (Cm. 7130, ISBN 9780101713023) and relates to the policies set out in the skills document "Opportunity, employment and progression: making skills work" (Cm. 7288, ISBN 9780101728829) and to the proposals to implement the Leitch Review set out in "World class skills ..." (Cm. 7181, ISBN 9780101718127). It deals in particular with creating a stronger framework of rights and responsibilities, and supporting people to find work through a personalised and responsive approach. Policies include: making work pay, to ensure long-term claimants see a significant rise in their incomes when they take a job; lone parents with older children will have to seek work, and availability of affordable childcare will be a key part of the assessment by Jobcentre Plus staff; modernisation of the New Deal arrangements; Jobcentre Plus will lead the job search for the first 12 months; support for disabled people and people with health conditions will be revised, with Employment and Support Allowance replacing Incapacity Benefit, and Pathways to Work and a Work Capability Assessment being available; Jobcentre Plus will be at the heart of the system, and will work in partnership with public, private and third sector specialist providers, employers and local communities; integrated employment and skills provision, with basic skills screening and more support for training.
Report by the Social Security Advisory Committee Under Section 174(1) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 and the Statement by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in Accordance with Section 174 (2) of that Act
Report by the Social Security Advisory Committee Under Section 174(1) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 and the Statement by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in Accordance with Section 174 (2) of that Act
The Government referred proposals concerning the draft Social Security (Flexible New Deal) Regulations 2009 to the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) on 1 October 2008. These regulations will implement the Government's proposals to introduce an enhanced regime for those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). This will include implementing the Flexible New Deal (FND) as a new employment programme for those who claim the benefit for a year, or after six months for those assessed as having greatest need of help to find work. The Committee's report gives broad support to elements of the revised Jobseekers Regime and the Flexible New Deal, but also expresses a number of concerns about the proposals, and makes eight recommendations. These fall under four broad headings: the extension of conditionality; the speed of the rollout of the full programme; the contracting out of services; and the changed economic situation. The Government sets out its response to the Committee's concerns, and has decided to proceed with the proposals as laid out in the Regulations originally referred to the Committee on 1 October 2008.
This Command White Paper entitled "Communities in control" (Cm.7427, ISBN 9780101742726) sets out an agenda to enhance the power of communities and help people to meet their own priorities. A number of proposals are put forward seeking to devolve more power to citizens and away from both central and local government. The Paper is divided into 8 chapters: Chapter 1: The case for the people and the communities having more power; Chapter 2: Active citizens and the value of volunteering; Chapter 3: Access to information; Chapter 4: Having an influence; Chapter 5: Challenge - holding people acountable who exercise power; Chapter 6: Redress; Chapter 7: Standing for office; Chapter 8: Ownership and control. These chapters set out, from the perspective of individual citizens, seven key issues for developing empowerment in the local community. The proposed policies in this White Paper largely apply to England but UK proposals wil be implemented in consultation with the devolved administrations.
The DWP commissioning strategy is the first stage in taking forward the welfare reforms outlined in "Ready to work: full employment in our generation" (Cm. 7290, ISBN 9780101729024). The strategy implements the proposals from David Freud in "Reducing dependency, increasing opportunity: options for the future of welfare to work" (DWP, 2007, ISBN 9781847121936, http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2007/welfarereview.pdf). The DWP will award welfare-to-work contracts to organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors in Great Britain, and those organisations will have to offer jobseekers more creative and innovative ways of helping them to overcome their specific problems. An increasingly significant proportion of the rewards paid to these specialist providers will be paid when someone has been in work for at least 6 months in the first instance, rising potentially to 18 months further down the line. In return, providers will be rewarded with longer and larger contracts, lasting 5-7 years. An annex contains the DWP code of conduct listing the key values and principles of behaviour which DWP will expect of providers.
The Coalition Government is committed to ending child poverty. This consultation document asks how the government can best reflect the reality of child poverty using a multidimensional measure. The most recent child poverty statistics revealed a large reduction in the number of children living below the relative poverty threshold. However, this was largely due to a fall in the median income nationally that pushed the poverty line down. Absolute poverty remained unchanged and the children who were "moved out" of poverty were in fact no better off than before. This document considers a number of potential dimensions: income and material deprivation, worklessness, unmanageable debt, poor housing, parental skill level, access to quality education, family stability and parental health. This consultation seeks views on the specifics of each dimension as well as whether the government should include other dimensions in a multidimensional measure of child poverty along with technical questions about how to build a measure
Section 1 of the Child Poverty Act 2012 requires the Government to report on whether or not the target to reduce the number of children living in relative income poverty by half by 2012/11 from a 1998/99 base was met. This report finds that the target was not met: although the number of children living in relative income poverty reduced to 2.3 million, that figure is 600,000 short of the number required to meet the target. Despite some progress, not enough parents were able to move into work and progress in work. Work did not pay as well as it should, and the proportion of poor children who came from working households increased. Not all poor families received the financial support they were entitled to because the system was complicated and unclear. The fact that the target was not met, despite significant financial transfers, demonstrates that poverty does not have easy answers. Whilst income matters, child poverty will not be eradicated by income transfers alone. The root causes of poverty must be tackled: worklessness, poor educational attainment, health and high levels of personal debt. The Government is setting up a new Child Poverty and Social Mobility Commission to hold Government and other institutions to account on progress in improving social mobility and reducing child poverty. The Child Poverty Strategy will: intervene early to support children and strengthen families; drive up educational achievement and make work pay.
This White Paper details the Government's 10-year reform programme for secondary and post-secondary education for 14-19 year olds, and sets out its response to the recommendations of the Tomlinson report (Working Group on 14-19 Reform final report available at www.14-19reform.gov.uk) published in October 2004. Proposals include: i) retention of GCSEs and A levels as the cornerstones of the education system (rather than adopting a universal baccalaureate-style qualification), but making improvements such as ensuring it is impossible to get a GCSE grade C or above without functional numeracy and literacy skills, promoting science GCSEs, allowing the most able A level students to take HE modules in the sixth form, and reducing the assessment burden at A level; ii) introducing new specialised Diplomas, covering both academic and vocational subjects as well as work experience, at three levels equivalent to foundation, GCSE and advanced level. The first four Diplomas will be available by 2008 for information and communication technology (ICT), engineering, health and social care, creative and media subjects; iii) developing a pilot programme for 14-16 year olds by 2007-08, based on the post-16 Entry to Employment programme, which will give pupils intensive personal guidance and support, involve significant work-based learning, lead to a level 1 Diploma with a range of further options including apprenticeships; iv) other proposals including introducing models of moderated teacher assessment in compulsory subjects to help raise standards across the curriculum; and introducing a 'pupil profile' for all 14 year old to record their cross-curricula achievements.
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