Links provided to partners' websites
The DCSF leads work across Government to ensure that all children and young people:
- stay healthy and safe
- secure an excellent education and the highest possible standards of achievement
- enjoy their childhood
- make a positive contribution to society and the economy
- have lives full of opportunity, free from the effects of poverty.
Here you can read information specifically about the DCSF, including departmental reports and strategy. You will also find information about the Ministerial team, a Who's Who chart and details about how to contact the Department.
- Partnerships for Schools (PfS) is a new body, jointly managed by the Department for Education and Skills and Partnerships UK, with the participation of Public Private Partnerships Programme (4ps), to co-ordinate the national delivery of the programme and provide support for local authorities (LAs). The key role of PfS is to ensure that secondary schools are well designed, built on time at a reasonable cost to the taxpayer, and are properly maintained over their lives. PfS will help build strong public private partnerships, enabling the public sector to benefit from the best skills and expertise available in the private sector and reaping greater efficiencies and economies of scale.
- Public Private Partnerships Programme (4ps) is the local government procurement expert, providing advice, guidance and skills development to local authorities undertaking projects, procurement and partnerships. This includes private finance initiative (PFI) schemes, strategic service partnerships and all other forms of partnership working.
- Partnerships UK combines private-sector expertise with a strong public-sector mission, placing it in a position to bridge the gap between the public and private sectors. It plays a pivotal role in the development of public private partnerships in the UK and supports their growth overseas.
- British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) is the Government's key partner in the strategic development and delivery of its information and communications technology (ICT) and e-learning strategy for the schools and learning and skills sectors.
Futurelab
Futurelab has published a report (Feb 2009) on primary learning spaces that will aid those involved in the redesign of educational learning spaces, particularly the PCP and BSF programmes, and free copies are available on request (while stocks last). 'Reimagining Outdoor Learning Spaces' aims to inspire and provoke creative thinking regarding outdoor learning and play spaces. It urges those involved in redesign to be innovative, radical, pioneering and to rethink the possibilities offered by this once-in-a-generation opportunity to help reshape and improve the broad educational experience for all young people — outdoor space is a vital element contributing to any child's development and educational experiences. You can view the publication and to request a copy here. If you would like to request multiple copies to distribute to a network or at an event then you can email Claire Denney.
For those interested in the redesign of learning spaces this online report (on a project where learners were co-designers of an outdoor interactive water fountain) may also be of interest.
Last updated: 11 February 2009
