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Excellence in cities (EiC)

A guide to the EiC scheme

Excellence in CitiesWe all know that the challenge to achieve excellence is greater in some areas than in others. Disadvantage, low income and generational unemployment are all problems found in Excellence in Cities (EiC) areas. That is why the Government has invested so heavily in this targeted programme. It is designed to raise the aspirations and achievements of pupils in schools in disadvantaged areas by tackling disaffection, social exclusion, truancy and indiscipline. It is already making a difference. An important measure of its success is how far city parents feel their local schools meet their childrens needs.

How does it work?

EiC is about high expectations, diversity, schools working together and extending opportunity.

To find out more about EiC, including which areas are involved in this programme, click the link to the School Improvement and Excellence site below.

The EiC programme works through local partnerships of schools and their local authorities. It covers 57 local authorities, with further local authorities involved in Excellence Clusters - smaller pockets of deprivation.

EiC is already working. Although EiC schools have a lower starting point they are improving almost twice as fast as schools outside EiC. This year EiC schools improved on their previous results by 2.5 percentage points compared with a 1.2 percentage point improvement in non EiC schools. This is measured in terms of the percentage of pupils gaining five or more good GCSEs or their equivalent.

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