EDUCATION STRATEGY GROUP, 8 JANUARY 2008



PUBLIC FORUM FOR EDUCATION (PFE)

“Learning Provision for Ages 14-19”

Wednesday 29th September 2010, Banqueting Hall, City Hall

Attendees:

Councillor Ralph Berry (Lead Member, Services for Children & Young People), Margaret Platts (PFE Chair), Kath Tunstall (Strategic Director Services for Children & Young People), Sue Colman, (Assistant Director, Learning Services), Cllr Adrian Naylor, Akhtar Khan (Parent), Andy Brown (Regional Director, Young People’s Funding Agency), Angela Dobson (Governor, Clayton CE Primary School), Angela Taylor (Learning Services), Anne-Marie Merrifield (St Edmund’s Nursery School & Children’s Centre), Bismah Ali (MYP, Bradford & Keighley Youth Parliament), Ceri Forbes (Education Welfare Officer, Education Bradford), Charlotte Lindsay (Governor, Titus Salt School), Chris Morton (Confederations Executive Officer, Bradford Education), Chris Quinn (Chair of Governors, Bingley Grammar), Christine Clavering (Area Manager Shipley, Localities), Claire Ackroyd (Learning Manager, Bradford Museums), Cllr Dale Smith, Darren Starkey (Corporate Programme Manager CBMDC), David Yates (Education, Employment & Training Manager), Dominic Wall (Headteacher, Southfields), Elizabeth Evans (Primary Governor), Ian Thorpe (Children’s information Link), Jane Rendle (Bradford NUT), Janet Knowles (Work Related Learning Advisor, Education Bradford), Judith Polyhos (Senior Foundation Officer, Skills for Work Accredited Learning Services), Julie Whiting (Yorkshire/Humber, Brathay Trust), Keith David Vickerman (Governor, Thackley Primary/Immanuel College), Lin Fawcett (Director of Operations, South Bradford Vocational Centre), Lindsey Johnson (Partnership Advisor, Bradford Education Business Partnership), Maggie Peel (14-19 Lead Officer, Learning Services), Margaret Cobb (YPLA), Mary Copeland (Head teacher, Belle Vue Girls), Matt Findull (BMDC), Michelle Smith (Skills for Work Accredited Learning Services), Nicholas Bielby, Nigel Davies (Deputy Chief Executive, Leeds City College), Paul Burluraux (Head teacher, Grange Technology College) Paul Hazard (14-19 Coordinator, Belle Vue Girls), Pauline Thorpe (Education Bradford), Phil Hunter (BMDC), Phil Weston (Head of School Effectiveness, Education Bradford), Ruth Love (Group Services Manager, Children’s Social Care), Sarah Mohammed (Parent & Governor, Thackley Primary), Waseem Mirza (Outreach and Mentoring Worker, Workforce Development Unit), Zahra Niazi (Enterprise Enabler, 5-19 Years (Bradford West), Zuby Hamard (Sports & Physical Development Manager, Leisure Services).

Apologies:

Jackie Walters (Strategic Executive Officer), Cindy Peek (Deputy Director, Children’s Services), Ali Jan Haider (Deputy Director of Partnership Sector), Anne Nash (Bradford ATL), A. Horsfall (Family Nurse Supervisor, Woodroyd Centre), Sarah Bebbington, (Development Officer b someone Campaign), Steve Hemming (Communications Manager), Eileen McNally (Governor, Carlton Bolling), Julia Pomeroy (Health & Well Being Officer, Future House), Lesley Hart (School Improvement Director, Education Bradford), Kirsty Rhodes (Family Development Worker, Surestart BHT Children’s Centre), Natasha Layton (Student).

Welcome and Introductions

Margaret Platts PFE Chair

Margaret welcomed everyone and thanked them for attending, on what was a particularly wet evening. Margaret commented that she had been involved with 14-19 education for a number of years and was particularly interested in the debate that would evolve.

Cllr Ralph Berry, Lead Member Services for Children & Young People

Cllr Berry commented that as a father of a 17 year old he had a personal investment in the topic. He spoke of the great range of opportunities for 14 to 19 year olds and looked forward to an interesting debate.

Kath Tunstall, Strategic Director, Services for Children and Young People

Kath reported on the previous PFE meeting on 30th June on the subject of “Tackling Bullying.” Kath stated that this had been a very powerful session, with inspiring presentations from the schools involved, Knowleswood Primary and Parkside School, including from young people themselves.

Kath gave a snapshot of some of latest developments which had been informed by the discussion at PFE.

The Healthy Lifestyle Survey - The survey, undertaken in partnership with the Primary Care Trust, Education Bradford and Bradford Council, reached over 10,000 students and has provided a rich source of information. As a result schools have data on the health of their students which they can use this to identify their priorities.

The Safeguarding Children Board & NSPCC – are continuing to work jointly on activities to raise awareness of bullying focussing particularly on young people with disabilities.

b Someone Campaign - This is now moving into its third phase and will be launched in the New Year, with the focus on young people becoming b someone ambassadors, inspired by the anti bullying ambassadors at Parkside school. This will involve supporting their peers and friends in their educational environments, including work on anti-bullying. This is words translating into action across the district.

Kath thanked everyone for their contribution.

Learning Provision for Ages 14-19

Future Planning and Resourcing for 14-19 Learning - Andy Brown, Regional Director Yorkshire & the Humber, Young People’s Funding Agency (YPLA)

Andy reported on the government’s new funding system which is intended to be a simplified system. He highlighted the main features by referring to extracts from letters from government ministers. The new Schools Minister Nick Gibbs had written in a letter to the Association of Colleges on 19 July that:

• The current systems are too complex and burdensome

• The key task is educating and supporting all young people so they can progress

• In the new system YPLA will make the financial payments to General Further Education Colleges, Sixth Form Colleges and other training providers

• Funding will follow the young person

• The 2011/2012 core allocations will be based on the equivalent of “lagged” student numbers, i.e. based on the number of students on roll the previous year

• Responsibility will be devolved to frontline professionals; it will be for institutions to decide on their curriculum offer and mix of provision, responding to the needs of individuals and employers

Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education in a letter to the Association of Directors of Children’s Services on 19 July 2010 had written that:

• Local authorities have a key strategic role in education and children’s services, including education for 16-19 year olds

• Local authorities should include 16-19 provision in the wider education vision for their areas, it is up to local authorities to decide how

• In many places there are highly effective 14-19 partnerships

• The new system removed requirement for sub regional and regional planning groups. Local Authorities should work together as they see fit

• Local Authorities would be able to fulfill their strategic commissioning and influencing roles by maintaining the strategic overview of provision and needs in their area – identifying gaps, enabling new provision and developing the market – working closely with the YPLA in order to maintain control of the available budget

• Local Authorities have a crucial role in securing provision for learners with learning difficulties and or disabilities (LDD). We expect them to look strategically at provision pre and post 16 to improve transition for young people and to look at ways in which budgets for LDD might be brought together to support this better commissioning

The Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, Martin Deol had responded:

• “These changes will be welcomed by colleagues as a means by which the funding arrangements for 16-18 year olds can be simplified and in the process costs contained to the benefit of front-line services to students. They are also entirely consistent with wider government policy and with the intention in the Coalition’s Programme for Government which spoke of “setting colleges free”

• “As autonomous institutions colleges appreciate the responsibilities that attach to such freedoms. Key amongst these freedoms is the need to respond to their communities. In doing this, local authorities must be key partners in influencing and informing college provision to young people, and in particular vulnerable learners. We look forward to discussing with local authority partners how this might best be achieved”.

What Bradford Has Achieved in the Last Five Years - Maggie Peel, 14-19 Lead Officer (Curriculum), CBMDC

Maggie gave an overview of what had been achieved by the 14-19 Partnership:

Raising young people’s achievement:

• Qualification at Level 2 at age 19 has risen from 59.4% in 2005 to 71.4% in 2009

• Qualification at Level 3 at age 19 has risen from 36.5% in 2005 to 41.9% in 2009

• 16-18 year old NEET (not in education, employment or training) has dropped from 14.2% in 2003 to 8.4% in 2010, making Bradford one of the most improved local authorities in the country

Broadening the Curriculum Offer

• 2,000+ Bradford young people aged 16-18 are on apprenticeship programmes

• 400+ students aged 14-19 are on diploma courses

• 44.1% of Year 11 achieved 5+ A*-C GCSEs including English and Maths in 2010

• In 2009 1,890 A Level candidates in school sixth forms achieved an average points score of 692, equivalent to grades B, B and C

• This term 1,000 Key Stage 4 students and 1000+ post 16 are on Foundation Learning programmes

• Schools offer a widening choice of Levels 1, 2 and 3 vocational and academic/general courses

• Further education colleges have expanded their offer to include courses suitable for those who are NEET, with start dates at different times of the year

• The post 16 Go LIVE (Go Learn in a Vocational Environment) programme blends school and work based learning

• It is unlikely that there will be a statutory requirement for a learner entitlement in the future, so we need to consider whether to return to a local learner entitlement, enabling all students in all schools and colleges to access the same offer

Future Challenges and Opportunities - David Yates, Education, Employment and Training Manager CBMDC

David spoke of the 3 key words of the new coalition government - simplification, local, permissiveness. He gave an overview of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead:

• There are fewer resources

• Learner numbers are increasing

• We need to whether to have a Bradford curriculum entitlement for all learners

• The need for effective transition for all learners, at 16 and at 19

• The need to continue to reduce NEET and increase participation

• There is a trend of continued improvement in Level 2 achievement but we must improve progression and question why Level 2 success is not converted to Level 3

• The process for planning post 16 provision, including out of district/cross border provision as we are net exporters of learners

• Provision for learners with learning difficulties and disabilities, more places are likely to be needed locally

• An employer engagement strategy

• Careers Education and Independent Information Advice and Guidance has greatly improved but need to start much earlier

An Example of Collaborative Working, Special Needs Developments at Grange Technology College and Southfields- Dominic Wall, Head teacher Southfields

Dominic gave an overview of joint work between Grange Technology College and Southfields School entitled “Pathfinder Three”. This is a 14-19 Confederation project with a focus on Foundation Learning. There are 4 partners – Bradford and Shipley Colleges, Grange Technology College and Southfield Special School.

The Vocational Learning includes:

• Environmental and land-based including horticulture

• Hospitality and catering including life skills

• Sport and active leisure including dance/performance arts

The Client Group is:

• Entry Level and Foundation Level

• Level 1 courses with pathways to Level 2

• Statemented SEN learners, young people with learning difficulties and disabilities and young people who are NEET

• The students stay on the roll of the partner institutions

Each Partner takes a lead in a different area. The aim of the Pathfinder is to get young people ready for life after school so that they become confident, resilient and independent young people.

Dominic highlighted some of the issues:

• Capital investment is required to secure the site

• Haycliffe Lane highway status is an issue to be resolved

• Co-working and joint employment of staff

• Identifying the “audience” for admissions and marketing

Open Space Discussion

The Forum then took the usual open space approach, to reflect on and discuss the topic. Participants picked issues they wanted to pursue, posted them in the “market place” and invited others to join their discussions. The topics were discussed and the key points and questions from them are below:

Topic: Should there be a Bradford Learner Entitlement? How can we improve support to young people to make the right choices?

Supporting young people to make choices:

• They need to know what’s going on

• Partners should work together to raise aspirations

• Colleges have programme of open events and tasters

• Make tasters realistic not over glamorous including A level tasters, how to get a feel for workload of 3/4 A levels

• Careers advice should start earlier, Year 7 not Year 10

• Need to present powerful reasons for engagement

Bradford Learner Entitlement

• There should be a central A Level and vocational centre, which would be more viable and would cut travel time

• Talk about solutions more than problems

• Funding should follow the student

• Sixth form is important to the school, sixth form ethos percolates the whole school

Topic: How can City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council (CBMDC) support apprentices within current climate/cutbacks?

• We discussed in the context of CBMDC as an employer and will produce a paper to be discussed by senior management to find potential solutions to specific issues.

Topic: Learning Difficulties and Disabilities -vocational/sector areas? Are these the best/most appropriate?

• Importance of maintaining parents confidence

• Should be a special school/one campus/one community

• Lack of employment opportunities, social businesses

• Funding and transition at 19 + - loss of seamlessness

• Social care grants at risk

• Permissiveness without structure/opportunities

• Parents – adversarial system, need for support for parents

Topic: Value of employer engagement

• Reinforce why it is important

• Value of apprenticeships both vocational and educational and young apprenticeships

• Employers want to influence the curriculum

• Opportunities to reinforce the work ethic

Topic: How best can the Local Authority work with partners in the challenging environment?

• Identify problems in provision, are there enough people? is there enough money?

• Effective planning:

o Strategic view – requirement to educate

o Attainment – commissioning resources

o Identify forms of provision - location, size, type of provision

o Take account of previous evolutionary cycle

o Transport and communities

o Coordination – look at what you can’t do yourself – look to other authorities, organisations, agencies, multi-agency

o Issue of organising schools near two authority boundaries

o Need for coordination of free schools

Topic: What provision/encouragement is there for the highly able? How can we improve support to young people to make the right choices?

• Curriculum designed to maximise opportunities

• Effective information, advice and guidance provision

• Mapping progression, through effective use and management of data

• Career knowledge/understanding/aspiration

• Being brave enough to make this significant

• Identify a strategic overview of economic position locally and nationally and plan a curriculum and support mechanism that maximises knowledge and aspiration for the future and identifies pathways for learners

Plenary

 

Participants were invited to share some of the key messages from their discussions. The following points were made:

Young people should be supporting from an earlier age, empowering them to make more informed decisions.

We need to improve our strategic planning and overview in order to create a provision that is in line with the current economic climate and that is appropriately configured for the next generation.

We need to use the power of employer engagement for the benefit of our learners.

The Forum concluded with thanks from everyone.

Annual PFE Conference – topic: “Community Involvement in Local Schools”

Saturday 13 November 2010, 9.15am to 12.30pm (followed by lunch)

at Belle Vue Girls’ School, Thorn Lane, Bradford, BD9 6NA.

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