Policy & Practice

Institute for Learning
The professional body for teachers, trainers, tutors and student teachers in the learning and skills sector.

IfL five-year strategy is available to download in PDF format here (opens in new window).

Learning and Skills Improvement Service
the new sector‑owned body, formed from CEL and QIA to develop excellent and sustainable FE provision across the sector.

LSIS Programmes include:

 Skills for Life Improvement Programme
Building on the work of the Skills for Life Strategy

Post-16 Citizenship Support Programme
Aims to disseminate as widely as possible, and build on, outcomes from the development programme in order to mainstream citizenship provision in post-16 education and training.

National Research and Development Centre for adult numeracy and literacy
NRDC is a national centre dedicated to conducting research in the fields of adult literacy, numeracy and ESOL.

Basic Skills Agency
The Basic Skills Agency at NIACE is committed to finding, developing and disseminating good practice in literacy, language and numeracy.

Adult Learning Inspectorate
Responsible for inspecting all publicly funded work-based training for people over 16 and learning for post-19s

The London Region Post-14 Network
An initiative of the Institute of Education. The Network provides a forum for members of the research community, practitioners and policy makers aspiring to generate an inclusive and high-performing post-14 education and training system based on independent research and dialogue.

National Institute of Adult Continuing Education The leading non-governmental organisation for adult learning in England and Wales.

Central London Learning Partnership Skills for Life Strategy Group Brings together policy makers, planners and practitioners

Centre for Excellence in Leadership
Runs leadership training for college principals and other managers, in association with Ashridge management school or Lancaster university.

Department for Business, Innovation & Skills 

A New Approach to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
In response to last year's consultation the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) has released a document outlining their new focus on ESOL to aid integration and community cohesion.

'Skills for Life: Changing Lives'
Skills for Life: Changing lives updates the Government's original Skills for Life strategy launched in 2001.

Re-skilling for recovery: After Leitch, implementing skills and training policies - Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee (2009) 
Report from the DIUS Select Committee about where things now stand in the current economic climate, with Train to Gain, the Leitch Review and the adult skills agenda generally - and their recommendations about it all.

The 'Raising Expectations: Enabling the System to Deliver' White Paper, published by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) in March 2008, made wide-ranging proposals for the structures and systems of further education in England

DIUS subsequently released an 'Update and Next Steps' document to accompany the White Paper.There is a large and broad FAQs section, and a timeline, as well as an initial overall 'Vision' section.

'Adult ESOL in the United Kingdom: Policy and research.' Prospect 22/3, 18-31 2008. Roberts, C., M. Cooke, M. Baynham and J. Simpson (2007)

In this paper the authors review current developments in adult ESOL research in the United Kingdom, identifying trends and future directions.

The London Strategic Unit    
The unit has been specifically set up to enable the region to respond more effectively to the Skills for Life and Success for All agendas.

London Strategic Unit's planned activity for 2008/09
- supporting workforce development in London for the lifelong learning sector
LSU is able to offer support to help providers work towards a fully qualified teaching workforce through developing practical plans for professional development.

LSU survey of initial teacher training ITT and continuing professional development CPD programmes, 2008-2009
The London Strategic Unit for the Learning & Skills Workforce (LSU) is researching the take-up of teacher training programmes for the lifelong learning sector during this academic year, supported by London LSC.

Change Direction. Teach Adults
Developing a model framework for quality assurance of teaching practice placements on pre-service initial teacher training programmes in London

Approaches to Embedded Literacy, Language and Numeracy
A 2006 - 7 development priority for the London Strategic Unit.

Transforming the Teaching and Learning of Skills for Life
This project had two elements including an organisational support programme (Training Needs Analysis) and the development of a pilot programme for embedding Skills for Life.

London teacher trainer network- These meetings enable teacher trainers with similar experience and concerns across London to meet and discuss pressing issues.

Centres for Excellence in Teacher Training
CETTs are networks of partnerships of organisations involved in ITT and CPD in the learning and skills sector.

London Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training (LONCETT)
LONCETT's overall aim is to improve initial teacher training in accordance with the priorities outlined by DfES in Equipping our Teachers for the Future (2004). Central to this is better integration between the taught and work-based elements of training with greater emphasis upon skills related to teaching subject / vocational areas.

The National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics
The NCEM supports and promotes professional development in the teaching of mathematics.

Quality Improvement Agency
The QIA came into operation in April 2006, created to speed up quality improvement, increase participation and raise standards.

QIA Excellence Gateway - Exchanging Good Practice

ALM - Adults Learning Mathematics
Brings together maths and numeracy researchers and practitioners to promote the learning of maths by adults.

NATECLA  The national forum & professional organisation for ESOL practitioners.

Whole Organisation Approaches
WOA for delivering Skills for Life Project is one of a suite of projects designed to embed Skills for Life across post compulsory education.