Aim 1: all learners in the further education system are equally able to access high-quality education and training that equips them with the skills, knowledge and qualifications they need for work and personal fulfilment.
By learners we mean: students, learners, trainees and participants on Jobcentre Plus/DWP programmes.
| Reference | Actions and tasks showing how the above objectives will be taken forward | Owner(s) | Date to be achieved |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | All learners are able to access effective information, advice, guidance and pastoral support so that they are directed to the right programme and complete it successfully | ||
| 1.1.1 | Take forward actions for a new, universal career service for adults offering a menu of services on learning, work and careers, accessible face-to-face, on-line and over the telephone. The new service will be underpinned by high-quality purpose-built labour market information developed by SSCs, together with a customer-tracking and follow-up system, a comprehensive workforce development strategy, and reformed signposting and referral arrangements. Organisations delivering LSC-funded IAG services for adults will continue to be expected to achieve the Matrix national quality standard. Reformed 'on-programme' support, linked to the adult career service, for those in LSC-funded learning will offer personalised support to learners - from pre-learning skills assessment and help to make the right choice of providers and courses, to expert on-programme input from tutors and advisors, to further advice at the end of the course to achieve outcomes and progression to further job or learning opportunities. | DfES | End of 2006 |
| QIA to investigate with DfES how to develop the quality of advice and support within current learning programmes provided from colleges and providers. | QIA | April 2007 | |
| 1.1.2 | Local authorities, working through children's trusts, schools and colleges will implement the new arrangements set out in Youth Matters: Next Steps for delivering IAG for young people. There will be clear minimum expectations for the IAG young people and their parents should receive, underpinned by the development of new quality standards. These standards are being designed to drive up the quality and impartiality of young people's IAG, and will be published in November for wide consultation, with the final version available in April 2008. | DfES | This transition will be phased, with new arrangements in place by April 2008. |
| 1.1.3 | Develop pastoral support pilots that will test and evaluate different approaches, drawing on research already undertaken. The pilots will include a particular focus on looked-after children as part of the Green Paper commitments. The evaluation of the pilots will be built into guidance for providers. | QIA working with colleges and providers | April 2008 guidance available |
| 1.2 | Colleges and providers, supported by the national partners ensure that teaching, training and learning are excellent and tailored to learners' individual needs | ||
| 1.2.1 | Develop consistent and comparable institutional-level Learner Satisfaction Surveys that can be mapped against the existing national learner satisfaction survey. Ensure integration within the Framework for Excellence standard being developed for colleges and providers. | DfES working with the LSC | Guidance available April 2007 |
| 1.2.2 | Implement, in pilot form initially, the Framework for Excellence - a comprehensive performance assessment tool of which one dimension focuses on responsiveness to learners. This will incorporate elements of the personalisation agenda, along with assessment criteria to demonstrate through self-assessment the effectiveness of providers with regard to Learner Involvement Strategies. | LSC in consultation with the further education system and learners | Pilots from 2007 |
| 1.2.3 | QIA will commission and manage the following programmes and services to support the sector to improve and tailor the learning experience for young people and adults:
|
QIA | Ongoing |
| 1.2.4 | Ensure teaching, training and learning is tailored to individual needs:
|
QIA in consultation with staff in the further education system | From April 2008 |
|
From April 2007 | ||
| 1.2.5 | QIA will work with Unionlearn - who already work in partnership with unions, employers and providers - to improve the quality of learning to ensure courses and programmes meet the needs and aspirations of union learners and to co-ordinate QIA's and Unionlearn's activities. | QIA and Unionlearn | Ongoing |
| 1.3 | Learners are actively engaged in the learning process, and the feedback they give on their learning or training experience allows teaching and learning to be tailored to meet their needs | ||
| 1.3.1 | The National Learner Panel (NLP) has been established. The panel is envisaged as a reference group that will participate in influencing and steering the direction of DfES post-16 policy and will work with Ministers, officials at DfES and key partner | DfES and LSC | November 2006 |
| 1.3.2 | All colleges and providers will put in place a learner involvement strategy which sets out how they will gather, and respond to, the views of their learners. This will be supported by guidance for colleges and providers. | All colleges and providers with support and guidance from LSC developed in consultation with the further education system and learners | Academic year 2007/08
Guidance available from April 2007 |
| 1.3.3 | Colleges will set up a student committee and other providers will be required to have mechanisms for engaging learners collectively. To achieve this, corporate responsibilities to student unions will be highlighted in the revised instruments and articles for college governance, and further advice and good practice will be communicated through the guidance on learner involvement strategies. | Colleges; LSC to provide guidance | By September 2007
Guidance available from April 2007 |
| 1.3.4 | There will be two student governors (on college governing bodies), subject to ministerial agreement, and there will be personalised training for student governors flexibly based around local needs. | colleges CEL |
Academic Year 2007/2008 November 2006 |
| 1.3.5 | Extend CEL national training programme for leading learners. The programme will equip learners with the skills and knowledge to act as the representative voice of the learner in the context of continuous self-improvement. | CEL | Novemeber 2006 |
| 1.3.6 | Develop standards for the role of the Staff Student Liaison Officer (SSLO) drawing on good practice to develop national standards and make them available to providers through the LLUK website.
Support these new standards through the development of training and/or a toolkit approach. |
LLUK in consultation with the further education system
CEL |
By 2007/08 academic year |
| 1.4 | Success rates across the system for different groups of learner become comparably outstanding | ||
| 1.4.1 | In relation to Learning for Living and Work: Improving Education and Training Opportunities for People with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities, the national strategy for collaborative delivery of provision for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LLDD), building on the Little report, and similar strategies for other groups with particular needs that was published on 18 October 2006:
|
LSC and partners | In 2007/08 |
|
LSC | By September 2007 | |
|
LSC | December 2008 | |
|
LLUK and other partners | 2010 | |
| 1.4.2 | Ensure that all materials are provided in accessible formats, as new programmes are set up or as we re-contract for existing programmes. Work with Techdis and others to ensure that online materials and resources meet the latest best practice in accessible design, pedagogical quality and compliance with Becta's Quality Principles. | QIA working with Techdis, Becta and learners. | From Autumn 2007 |
| 1.4.3 | Investigate the gaps between achievement rates of different groups of learners, from different backgrounds across different provision to achieve a better understanding of which colleges and providers are better at supporting different groups of learners. Use this information to develop services and activities, including peer-to-peer action projects, to share what works across the further education system and to spread excellence in equality. | QIA working with LSC, DfES and colleges and providers. | By April 2008 |
| 1.4.4 | Work with national partners through a new National Improvement Partnership Board to develop a single response to the proposals for improving outcomes for children in and leaving care as set out in the 'Care Matters' Green Paper, October 2006. | QIA | September 2007 |