GOL hosts conference to raise education standards in London

Stephen Twigg with Liz Meek

The Government Office for London and London Challenge hosted a conference in central London in November 2004 for Local Strategic Partnerships and New Deal for Communities partnerships to plan how to raise education attainment and achievement in the capital.

Stephen Twigg, Minister for School Standards, and GOL Regional Director Liz Meek were amongst the attendees. Keynote speaker Professor Tim Brighouse, Chief Adviser for London Schools, gave an overview of the challenges facing London Schools. Other speakers included Anna Paige from London Challenge, who outlined the strategy to let every pupil achieve their potential, raise standards and to turn around failure in the capital's most deprived areas.  James Kempton, Deputy Leader at Islington Council, highlighted the success Islington Strategic Partnership has had with education initiatives, which included an increase in the number of African Caribbean pupils achieving five A*- C grades at GCSE.

The Minister encouraged the audience to focus on narrowing achievement gaps and highlighted the fact that education is a key driver to the regeneration of a community.  He emphasised London Challenge's role in continuing and accelerating collaboration by engaging other public services, and the wider community, in taking an interest in the achievement of young people. 

Speaking after the event the Minister said,

"Local Strategic Partnerships and New Deal communities have an important role to play in forging links between schools and the wider community, and in engaging other public services to improve the education of all our young people. By working together, we will be better able to achieve the aim of the London Challenge and make London the world's leading learning and creative city."

More information

For more information contact Miriam Wallace 020 7217 3144