Educational links

Government departments and agencies

Connexions Service
This service, announced in February 2000, aims to integrate existing careers advice and support services for young people into one single point of access provided by personal advisers.

Department for Education and Skills
Links to a wealth of guidance and information and a comprehensive index of DfES publications.

DFES Qualifications
This is certainly a site to keep in touch with on GCSEs and A-level developments. Examples include the new GCSEs in vocational subjects being introduced in September 2002 (see below), as well as clear explanations on AS and A2 level subjects. The FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) in both cases look very helpful for students and parents alike.

DFES Student Support
A useful site for students, administrators of HE Applications, as well as parents and advisers wanting to be informed on financial issues. Such areas as disability, part-time study and leaving HE with a student loan are well covered. Although featuring procedures for England and Wales, there are immediate links to equivalent sites in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

UK online Centres
The UK online Centres initiative is a new programme designed to help bridge the gap between those in society who have access to ICT and those who do not. The aim is to establish around 700 Learning Centres across England, which will help to bring access to ICT and learning into disadvantaged communities.

National Learning Network (NLN)
The National Learning Network is part of a £74 million three-year Government investment in information and learning technology (ILT) in further education.

NGfL Higher Education pages
An index of higher education institutions in England and Wales together with guidance and other information. The web sites of higher education institutions can be identified on a ‘clickable’ map at
http://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/ukinfo/

NGfL Career Development Site
The site aims to provide users of the National Grid for Learning with comprehensive support in developing and maintaining employability.

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
Information on a wide range of curriculum and qualification matters.

Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted)
An overview of Ofsted’s work; copies of inspection reports can be accessed and downloaded on line.

Policy Action Team - Closing the Digital Divide
Eighteen Action teams have been set up to investigate how to help people living in deprived urban areas; this site includes examples of how technologies such as the Internet and computers have been used.

University for Industry
Alongside developments in schools, the Government launched the UfI in 2000 to encourage people to develop skills throughout their working lives and ensure that they have access to a wide range of learning.