Parents are to get regular electronic reports on their children’s progress in future. Schools Minister Jim Knight has said all secondary schools will be expected to have reporting systems up and running by 2010 with primary schools following two years later. A YouGov study, commissioned by information systems provider Pearson Phoenix, and published separately, found that eight out of ten parents of secondary school pupils said such a service would be helpful.

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More details have been announced of the areas for which the new Homes and Communities Agency will be responsible when it comes into operation in April next year. It is being established to play a leading part in delivering the three million new homes which the Prime Minister has promised will be created by 2020. As well as bringing together responsibility for land and for money to deliver the homes, it will work with local councils on some of England’s 10 new eco towns.

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By Bruce Cooper.

Sharing services between public bodies is a key feature of Transformational Government, the strategy for raising efficiency across the public sector. The benefits of sharing services are widely acknowledged and there are a number of successful programmes to support the rhetoric. But local government is a long way from embracing this approach. The author highlights the real barriers to sharing, which range from the existing technology base to a competitive spirit between councils.

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