So what with the riots, the hacking scandal and the banking crisis you may have missed the latest Ofsted report. Snuck out in late summer, Progression post 16 for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is a rare Ofsted bird indeed; candid,clear,accurate and timely. Shame it was published in the late summer and generated little if any press coverage even from the media outlets that are usually interested - Guardian and TES take note!!
The main headlines are that whilst there is some good provision there are still issues with some basics : What gets learnt and why, the systems and structures that fund it,and the performance measures that are applied - nothing very important then!
Most notably the conclusion is there is an insufficient focus on outcomes and destinations for learners and this is hindering the ability of learning programmes to improve life chances. Some notable headlines are
- Providers had received a completed learning difficulty assessment in only a third of the case studies where one should have been made available to them.
- duplication of effort in assessment
One of the most significant findings was about Foundation Learning with a conclusion that" programmes reviewed by inspectors were too narrowly focused on accreditation and were not effective in enabling learners to progress to open or supported employment, independent living or community engagement"
In particular the conclusion was that Foundation learning programmes were successful for learners whose main goal was to progress to level 2 provision or higher. But for those learners for whom this was not a main goal, they were too narrowly focused on accreditation and did not offer meaningful opportunities for work experience and other practical learning situations in which to develop skills. Following on from the comments in the Wolf review this is further evidence that Foundation Learning is not working for those learners with more complex needs. They also highlight the inappropriate nature of some accreditation with the possibility of gaining an entry level qualification in "using a public convenience" being the best ( or should I say worst) example!
If this is the case it begs the question what are they going to do about it? It is welcome to see Ofsted call for more focus on outcomes and destinations but until there is a fundamental review of the funding allocation system most providers will continue to be required to deliver foundation learning linked to accreditation.
What we really need is a more flexible funding system that allows providers and practitioners to develop the learning programmes that meet individual needs, in consultation with their learners and to blend accredited and non accredited learning where appropriate. The judgement of effectiveness should be the ultimate outcome for learners - where they go, what they can do the pathways into adult life that their learning programme has prepared them for - not simply a count up of how many units they have passed!Unfortunately that is difficult to do and much harder to count.... but that is not a good reason for not trying!
Many effective providers are doing this already in spite of the constraints.
Many effective providers are doing this already in spite of the constraints.
The Ofsted report is a recommended read for all programme managers and practitioners because it gets you thinking about the important question of why - what is the point to our provision, what is the difference it makes to the future lives of learners and how can we be sure that it is making a difference
You can get the whole report here http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/progression-post-16-for-learners-learning-difficulties-andor-disabilities
We wait to see what happens!
We can support providers to address the challenges in the Ofsted report with curriculum development and guidance on adapting foundation learning and measuring outcomes and destinations. To find out more go to http://www.kandaassociates.co.uk/services/s_foundation.html
We can support providers to address the challenges in the Ofsted report with curriculum development and guidance on adapting foundation learning and measuring outcomes and destinations. To find out more go to http://www.kandaassociates.co.uk/services/s_foundation.html
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