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Northern Ireland Office

Answer

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in which areas of the curriculum the Schools Improvement Programme has targeted under- achievement in socially deprived inner city areas in Northern Ireland. [197113] Mr. Gardiner: The School Improvement Programme, launched in 1998, includes a wide range of measures aimed at supporting all schools in making the improvements they themselves have identified. In curricular terms, the programme has focused on improving literacy and numeracy through a comprehensive in-service training and support programme for all schools delivered by bespoke curriculum support staff employed by the education and library boards. However, it also includes a specific initiative (the School Support Programme) aimed at tackling low and underachievement, particularly in areas of social need such as inner city areas. This involves financial and professional support for targeted schools, normally addressing areas such as the quality of teaching and learning, school leadership, and school development planning and target-setting. The schools themselves are closely involved in determining their own priority areas for development, and they often choose to address organisational areas for improvement through focusing more intensively on raising standards of literacy and numeracy.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

426 c1644W;426 c1646-7W; 197113

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Curriculum Disadvantaged Education Northern Ireland Pupils Standards Schools

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk