About us

The Basic Skills Agency is the national agency for basic skills in England and Wales and is supported and funded by the Government. We are an independent organisation and a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. We are a not-for-profit organisation. Our Patron is Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and our Chairman is Garry Hawkes. The Director of the Agency is Alan Wells.

We define basic skills as:

"the ability to read, write, and speak in English (or Welsh), and to use mathematics at a level necessary to function at work and in society in general"

We're committed to working with others to make sure that effective opportunities exist to help children, young people and adults strengthen their basic skills.

Since 2001 the Agency has overseen the Welsh Assembly Government’s National Basic Skills Strategy. In February 2005 the Agency was awarded the contract to oversee the Strategy for a further three years.