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The Commission was tasked with conducting an ‘audit of change’ within the school system. The purpose was to determine the impact of change resulting from current policies and the resources necessitated by such change. Learning environments and technology were seen as significant themes to explore. The ultimate aim of the Commission is to assess the scope and effects of change within school-level learning environments and to raise awareness of resource needs (of all kinds) to accommodate this and future change.

The Commission called for written evidence to be submitted by July 2008. A profiled sample of state schools in England was invited to respond to a questionnaire posted on the BESA website. Educational suppliers, publishers, writers, advisers and consultants representing the industry were also contacted, along with local authority advisers and inspectors. Some separate comments were emailed.

Part 1 of the questionnaire comprised a set of ‘open’ questions that enabled respondents to write in detail on whichever topics were of relevance to them. The broad subject of the study was the way in which educational resources will need to change over the next 5 -10 years to support the achievement of policy goals. Topics covered key areas of policy such as Early Years, literacy and numeracy, personalised learning, Building Schools for the Future and the Primary Capital Programme, Every Child Matters and the Children’s Plan. Respondents were also asked to identify and comment on key issues they perceive have an impact on learning outcomes now and those that they predict will be significant as they look forward to 2025.

Part 2 asked for responses to a number of statements, based on a rating scale indicating a level of agreement or disagreement. One question provided a free text box for more details. The statements covered similar territory to Part 1.

There were 184 responses in total. Of the 106 from schools, 64 were from the primary phase and 42 from secondary. Industry and other contacts who replied comprised 53 education suppliers, 21 education bodies or consultants including Becta, and four local authority advisers or representatives.

Three seminars in early September, all chaired by Charles Clarke, MP, were designed to gather oral evidence based on the issues distilled from the written responses. There were 35 participants at the industry seminar and 15 at the session for education. In addition there were other responses to the issues, such as from the National Strategies, Becta, TDA, the Society of Authors and NAHT (National Association of Head Teachers).

The final report and recommendations can be accessed on the right (Note this version does not contain graphics other than for graphs,  to allow swifter download and viewing online)