Making the grade

When the Newlands Partnership first began the area had a low academic record and high unemployment. Levels of literacy and qualifications fell short of national and local averages.

The challenge for the Newlands Partnership was to encourage a culture of lifelong learning among the community, with an overall aim to:

Enhance the employment prospects, education and skills of local people, particularly the young and those at a disadvantage and promote equality of opportunity.

Over the last seven years a number of projects aimed at different levels of learning have been successfully implemented.

Below is a selection of the initiatives that have taken place>

Better Reading Partnership: The objective of this project was to increase the reading ability of pupils of all ages by providing one-to-one support. The project also offered employment for local adults, plus work experience and training for volunteers.

Parental Involvement: By forging an essential link between parents, pupils, schools and the wider community, this project developed a greater understanding by parents of their children's education. In turn this led to a reduction in problems like truancy.

Access to Training: Education and training for people of 16 years and upward was available through Access to Training. All the courses provided were designed to help people into employment, and almost 900 individuals benefited from this project during its lifetime.

Horticultural Project: This ongoing initiative allows trainees to work towards a vocational qualification while providing a valuable community service by renovating small areas of derelict land and developing community gardens. The project is especially suited to individuals with disabilities or learning difficulties.