Series details: CRDA/53

The Learning Partnerships dataset contains information collected by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) on the network of 101 Learning Partnerships established in England in 1999. The dataset is derived from a database maintained by DfES which was used to record management information about each of the Learning Partnerships. This included contact information and details of the membership, activities, structure and funding of each Learning Partnership.

Learning Partnerships are non-statutory, voluntary groupings of local learning providers (ranging from voluntary sector to Higher Education Institutes) and others such as local education authorities, Connexions/Careers Service, trade unions, employers and faith groups.1 They were established in order to provide a single strategic body in each area, that would bring together all the existing local arrangements covering post 16 education and lifelong learning. The intention to introduce local strategic partnerships to develop new approaches for the education and training of young people and adults was an aim of the incoming Labour government in 1997. Moves to widen participation in education by those over the age of 16, increase attainment and raise standards were goals set out in the Labour Party's "Road to the Manifesto" document, Lifelong Learning and the Government's Learning Age Green Paper. The Learning Partnerships' remit was described formally in the Lifelong Learning Partnerships Remit issued in January 1999.2 The aim of the the partnerships is to develop a coherent learning provision to meet the needs of young people and adults and the skill requirements of employers. They support action to widen participation in post 16 education and training, increase attainment and raise standards. Their work includes providing guidance on careers advice and development and initiating work on basic skills.

DfES guidelines for Learning Partnerships3 indicate that they have three key roles:

• Delivering greater provider collaboration on the range of provision, its delivery and its standards so that learning becomes more coherent, relevant and accessible to local people and employers.
• Enabling providers to work collectively, with users, to identify local learner, community and employer needs and to respond to them through their own actions and by influencing local Learning and Skills Councils (LSC).
• Ensuring that effective mechanisms are in place to provide feedback on the quality and accessibility of learning to providers and the LSC from both young people and adults, especially through learner forums.

Learning Partnerships were established by order of the Secretary of State for Education in 1999. Within the Department for Education and Skills they were the responsibility of the Learning Partnerships Team within the Lifelong Learning Directorate. The Learning Partnerships Team provided support and advice to the Learning Partnerships and mangaged their funding through an annual Partnership Fund. Responsibility for the funding of the Learning Partnerships passed to the Learning and Skills Council in 2003.

For further information on the Lifelong Learning directorate of DfES, see the Administrative History of the Education departments.

The dataset contains information on the 101 Learning Partnerships set up across England in 1999. It includes data on their structure and membership, links with other bodies, their key activities and funding.

Since responsibility for the Learning Partnerships passed from DfES to the Learning and Skills Council in April 2003 the Learning Partnerships database is no longer maintained. No further accruals of the dataset are expected.

The Learning Partnerships dataset and related dataset documentation are public records under the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1967. The National Archives has assigned these datasets and documents to class NV 4.

The Learning Partnerships dataset and related dataset documentation are open without restriction. Data is available for browsing on demand by users of NDAD and does not have to be booked in advance.

The Learning Partnerships dataset and related dataset documentation are subject to Crown Copyright. Copies may be made for private study and research purposes only.

The dataset derived from the Learning Partnerships Database is subject to registration under the Data Protection Act. Subject access to the data is permitted.

The language of the materials is English.

Documents relating to the Learning Parterships dataset have been transferred to NDAD and can be consulted via the Dataset Documentation Catalogue. In addition there is an associated web site http://www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/llp/ which has also been selected for permanent preservation by the National Archives. The website contains information about the Learning Partnerships initiative and an archive of material charting its history. A snapshot of the website was taken by NDAD on 4 September 2002.

The Learning Partnerships Database was held in the department on a PC, a Dell Optiplex Gx110.

Microsoft Windows, version not known.

The Learning Partnerships Database was developed in Lotus Approach 97.

Data was input to the database using on-screen forms. Examples of the forms have been reproduced by NDAD and can be seen via the Dataset Documentation Catalogue, reference CRDA/53/DD/3/2.

The dataset derived from the Learning Partnerships database comprises a single table containing one record for each of the 101 Learning Partnerships. Further information is provided in the Dataset Catalogue.

The dataset can be described as dynamic as the database was updated annually by the Learning Partnerships Team after its inception in 1999. Information in the database relating to the years 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 was overwritten and archive copies were not retained.

Data was supplied to the Learning Partnerships Team on a Management Information (MI) form, for a copy of the form see the Dataset Documentation Catalogue, reference CRDA/53/DD/1/1. The data from the forms was manually input into the database by a member of staff. After inputting, data from 10% of the forms were checked for accuracy by another member of staff.4

Details of the content and transformation validation checks performed by NDAD staff on the dataset derived from the Learning Partnerships Database are contained in the Dataset Catalogue: see Links to dataset catalogues.

Dataset catalogues provide more detailed information about individual datasets, and are currently available for the following dataset(s):

1. Learning Partnerships web site (http://www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/llp/), consulted on 29 May 2003.

2. Learning Partnerships web site (http://www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/llp/remit.htm), consulted 13 June 2003.

3. Dataset Documentation Catalogue, reference CRDA/53/DD/2/3

4. Information supplied by DfES on NDAD Dataset Transfer Form.