Memorandum submitted by the Association
of Colleges
Summary
AoC believes there are a number of priorities that
a reformed 14-19 curriculum must meet if young people are to receive
an appropriate education and training.
A curriculum offer that allows young people to
develop appropriate knowledge, skills and attributes to meet the
needs of 21st century society and work
AoC will expect the recommendations of the Working
Group for 14 to 19 Reform chaired by Mike Tomlinson to bring
about attractive and relevant programmes which
- are delivered in a variety of modes at all levels,
entry level through to level 3
- enable progression when a learner is ready rather
than by age
- cater for young people's different learning styles
and aptitudes
- have "fit for purpose"
assessment
- enable all young people to gain the knowledge
and 'tools' needed to operate within the world of work
AoC will expect reforms to accommodate recent positive
developments such as Entry to Employment (E2E) which provides
for the individual assessment and addressing of learner needs
- particularly for the NEET group. Colleges believe Government
has an unrealistic expectation of the rate of progress possible
with these learners and may draw inappropriate conclusions about
the contribution the institution has made in moving the young
person forward. This is an area which the Committee may wish to
investigate further.
AoC will expect the contribution of colleges to the
14-19 phase, in particular to broadening the offer and delivering
high quality vocational options, to be retained.
AoC believes a diploma solution must be available
at four levels, entry, foundation (level 1), intermediate (level
2) and advanced (level 3) and that its architecture should be
the same for all four levels incorporating 'core skills' and the
wider key skills that industry needs, main study of specialist
subjects, and an entitlement to wider activities.
Appropriate performance targets and success rates
AoC believes LSC performance targets and success
rates will need to be recalibrated and the performance tables
approach re-thought to acknowledge achievement of units as opposed
to full qualifications and to recognise colleges' contribution
to the achievement of learners on collaborative provision.
Funding that adequately supports delivery to 14
to 19 year olds
There are two particular funding issues that the
Committee may like to address:
· 14-16
funding levels
Colleges have embarked on 14-16 programmes with insufficient
funding and with no guarantee of continuity. Schools report that
they do not have enough money to fund programmes because this
form of collaborative work is expensive. Neither the LEA nor local
LSC has full responsibility for the programme which means that
it is marginal to both parties.
· 16-19
funding levels
Although colleges have the key role in meeting government
targets for the 16-18 age group, they do so with less funding
that school sixth forms. The AoC estimate that the total funding
gap between the two sectors for the same work is 10%. The funding
gap is indefensible if curriculum change helps
create a more cohesive 14-19 sector.
Financial and other support for vulnerable 14-19
year olds and for those most at risk of not engaging in education,
employment or training after 16.
AoC welcomes the introduction of a national programme
of Education Maintenance Allowances from 2004-5 but believes action
is needed to address anomalies in the existing regime of financial
support for 16 and 17 year olds and to ensure that those taking
work-based learning programmes or part-time education are not
penalised unduly. We believe that in the 2004 spending review
the Government should reconsider setting the maximum, allowance
to £40 a week for young people from families at the lowest
income levels and review the bureaucracy associated with EMAs.
A guidance service that meets the needs of the
full range of young people
Whilst AoC fully endorses the aspirations of the
Connexions service to provide universal support for all young
people from 13 to 19 we are concerned that over the last two years
there has been a reduction in support available for many young
people within the college sector due to a focus on supporting
the NEET group of young people. As a reformed 14-19 curriculum
is likely to offer a greater range of opportunities delivered
within the school and through colleges and training providers,
ensuring sound and impartial advice and guidance must be a priority.
Clarity regarding the locus of local leadership
to deliver a 14-19 entitlement
No one body has been charged with ensuring a broad
and equitable offer is locally available for all young people.
Colleges and training providers are reaching capacity in the offer
they make to pre-16s leaving local unmet need. The Committee may
wish to investigate how this issue can be addressed to ensure
equality of opportunity for all young people.
Introduction
1. AoC (Association of Colleges) is the representative
body for colleges of further education, including general FE colleges,
sixth form colleges and specialist colleges in England, Wales
(through our association with fforum) and
Northern Ireland (through our association with ANIC). AoC was
established in 1996 by the colleges themselves to provide a voice
for further education at national and regional levels. Some 98%
of the 450-plus general FE colleges, sixth form colleges
and specialist colleges in the three countries are in membership.
These colleges are the largest providers of post-16 general and
vocational education and training in the UK. Over 4 million of
the 6 million learners participating in post-statutory education
and training study in colleges. Levels of study range from the
basic skills needed to remedy disadvantage, through to professional
qualifications and higher education degrees. 43% of students going
on to Higher Education come from local colleges and colleges deliver
some 11% of Higher Education. Some 660,000 16-18 year olds choose
to study in local colleges, compared with only 405,000 in schools.
Significantly while only 52% of young people have achieved 5
good GCSEs or their equivalent at age 16, that figure rises to
75% at age 19, largely due to the help they receive at local colleges.
Background
2. AoC welcomes the Select Committee's examination
of the proposals for the provision of education for 14 to 19 year
olds in the light of the Government's skills strategy. AoC is
an active partner in taking the skills strategy forward through
its membership of the Skills Alliance and is also represented
on the Working Group for 14 to 19 Reform chaired by Mike Tomlinson
which is helping to shape the future curriculum for young people.
3. AoC believes there are a number of priorities
that a reformed 14-19 curriculum must meet if young people are
to receive an appropriate education and training. It is vital
that participation is increased and that new programmes meet young
people's needs for the future. Although there have been increases
in pass rates, nevertheless, as we have indicated above, still
only 52% of 16 year olds achieve 5 GCSE A* to C. Too many young
people in schools are struggling with subjects they find difficult
rather than engaging in activities in which they can achieve.
4. Priorities are:
- A curriculum offer that allows young people to
develop appropriate knowledge, skills and attributes to meet the
needs of 21st century society and work
- Appropriate performance targets and success rates
- Funding that adequately resources delivery to
14-19 year olds.
- Financial and other support for vulnerable 14-19
year olds and for those most at risk of not engaging in education,
employment or training after 16.
- A guidance service that meets the needs of all
14-19 year olds.
- Clarity regarding the locus of local leadership
to deliver a 14-19 entitlement
A curriculum offer that allows young people to
develop appropriate knowledge, skills and attributes to meet the
needs of 21st century society and work
Tomlinson
15. AoC expects the recommendations of the Working
Group for 14 to 19 Reform chaired by Mike Tomlinson to recognise
that young people will need attractive and relevant programmes
at all levels - entry through to level 3 - delivered in a variety
of modes. Recommendations must recognise individual differences
in rates of knowledge and skills development by disengaging age
from level. Some learners benefit from a slower pace that provides
time to properly develop and reinforce understanding and skills
whilst others are capable of "fast-tracking".
Meeting learner's needs
16. A wide range of programmes needs to be offered
that cater for young people's different learning styles and aptitudes
including provision such as that currently available in colleges
for pre-16s. It includes:
- Vocational courses
- on a half-day or one or more days a week using
specialist accommodation such as workshops and realistic working
environments on a taster basis
- over one or two years in specific vocational
areas, leading to NVQ or related accreditation, and intended usually
as a foundation for progression to vocational programmes
- Practical activity in specialist
areas such as video production, sports and leisure, designed to
remotivate disaffected young people and deliver the basic, key
and "life" skills which will enable them to progress.
- Link provision of a day or half-day contributing
to a school based vocational GCSE qualification.
- Delivery of AS levels as enhancement to Key Stage
4
Unitisation
18. 14-19 reform must motivate young people by
enabling their on-going achievement to be demonstrated and accredited.
AoC welcomes moves towards a unitised and more flexible curriculum
which will enable colleges to devise programmes that will engage
reluctant learners. We expect this to be reflected in the recommendations
of the Working Group. Unitised credit based provision appeals
as young people can "bank" units through the year rather
than wait for an end of year assessment. An important feature
of unitised provision is that it allows young people to progress
at their own rate and achieve differentially - for example working
at level one in communication but at level two in IT.
Assessment
19. Assessment must be fit for purpose - external
written tests are inappropriate for many vocational skills, which
can only be demonstrated in context. Colleges have expertise in
vocational teaching, learning and assessment that must be drawn
upon in developing appropriate curriculum and assessment for pre-vocational
and vocational pathways.
Employment focus
20. Employment is the eventual goal for almost
all young people; further and higher education provide stepping
stones to this goal. It is therefore critical that reform enables
all young people to gain the knowledge and 'tools' needed to operate
within the world of work including working with others, problem
solving and developing expertise in taking forward their own learning.
These wider key skills have been given insufficient prominence
in many current programmes.
E 2E
21. AoC has welcomed the introduction of Entry
to Employment (E2E) which provides for the individual assessment
and addressing of learner needs - particularly for the NEET group.
The typical mixture of skills building, confidence gaining, social
skills and the acquisition of greater self discipline are moving
many young people forward and this provision needs to be retained
in any planned reform.
22. Colleges tell us, however, that E 2E learners,
due to the low base from which they start, are often not ready
to progress directly to level 2 Foundation Modern Apprenticeships
as envisaged by government. This concerns colleges who believe
they may be penalised due to unrealistic government expectations
about learner achievement. This is an area which the Committee
may wish to investigate further.
Partnership working
23. Colleges, working in partnership with schools,
are fundamental to the further development of quality vocational
options for pupils at all levels. In existing partnerships pupils
benefit from colleges' investment in industrial standard equipment
and resources, and from delivery by college staff with current
industrial experience. Links with industry and professional bodies
ensure training is relevant and has currency.
24. Uniquely colleges develop and deliver provision
spanning pre-entry level to HE, and staff have the skills and
expertise to tailor content and delivery to the level and ability
of the student. This specialist provision and expertise can complement
and enhance the provision of schools.
All abilities
25. Although evidence from link courses indicates
the vocational element of the college curriculum can be pivotal
in attracting disaffected young people back to study, closing
the skills gap will require pupils of all abilities to
embrace vocational study. It will be essential that 14-19 reform
enables all young people to follow a programme of study that includes
knowledge and the application of knowledge and that there is parity
of esteem between academic and vocational routes.
A Diploma solution
26. The Working Group for 14-19 Reform is expected
to recommend a diploma solution. AoC believes the diploma must
be able to recognise achievement at 4 levels, entry, foundation
(level 1), intermediate (level 2) and advanced (level 3). Its
architecture should be the same for all four levels, incorporating
'core skills' and the wider key skills that industry needs, main
study of specialist subjects, and an entitlement to wider activities.
Artificial distinctions between so called academic and vocational
study should diminish within this model. Young people studying
particular specialisms need to be recognised for their achievement
in their specialist subjects whether they be law, leisure and
tourism, humanities or construction.
Appropriate performance targets and success rates
Measuring achievement of units
27. There are implications for approaches to
rating such as LSC performance targets and success rates and performance
tables. AoC has real concerns about how success with young people,
particularly those who are currently disengaged, is to be measured.
Achievement at the levels of individual or groups of units will
have to be acknowledged as a success, not as currently as a failure
to achieve a full qualification. Qualification achievement is,
in many cases an inappropriate measure, particularly for the NEET
cohort, and can be counterproductive to engagement. Colleges can
currently be penalised if it appears that a young person is not
engaged in learning leading to qualification, however successful
the reengagement of the young person has been in respect of increased
motivation and on-going achievement. Frequently it is the student
who has done poorly within the school environment that thrives
within the different environment and opportunities available at
the college.
Capturing the contribution of colleges
28. Performance tables in their current form
are highly questionable, lacking any adequate measure of calculating
value-added for vocational programmes and including only a very
small subset of FE college provision.
29. In their current form they do not capture
the contribution of colleges to young learners' achievements where
14 - 19 year olds study for part of their week in a college. The
learners' achievements are apportioned exclusively to the school
in which the learner is on roll. AoC believes a means needs to
be developed through which the gains made by this cohort are captured
in a way which celebrates the progress of the young person and
properly recognises the impact of the college or provider. Without
this recognition providers may be discouraged from continuing
to work with this cohort, or entering this area of provision.
Area performance measures
30. AoC believes there should be local area
performance measures so institutions collaborating to provide
for 14-19 year olds are ranged together for the purpose of recording
achievements. The Committee may wish to investigate the potential
of this as a solution to recording progress towards targets.
Funding that adequately supports delivery to 14
to 19 year olds
31. The government spends at least £10 billion
on 14-19 education and training, including the money spent on
14-16 education in secondary schools and the money spent in sixth
forms, in colleges and in work-based training. Funds are routed
from the Department for Education and Skills to Local education
authorities in the case of 14-16 year olds and to the Learning
and Skills Council for 16-19 education. There are two particular
funding issues that the Committee may like to address:
· 14-16
funding levels
The government's programme to develop work-related
learning for 14-16 year olds has encouraged partnerships between
schools and colleges and has already given more than 100,000 pupils
the opportunity to take vocational options in college. Sustaining
and expanding this work is essential to deliver a number of government
targets including rising achievement and rising staying-on rates
at 16. Despite this, progress is at risk because of the structural
barriers between LEAs and schools on the one side and LSC and
colleges on the other. Colleges have embarked on 14-16 programmes
with insufficient funding and with no guarantee of continuity.
Schools report that they do not have enough money to fund programmes
because this form of collaborative work is expensive. Neither
the LEA nor local LSC has full responsibility for the programme
which means that it is marginal to both parties.
· 16-19
funding levels
The college sector is due to receive £2,072
million in Learning and Skills Council funding in 2003-4 for 16-19
participation. This figure is due to rise to £2,530 million
by 2005-6 but much of the extra money is accounted for by inflation
(5% of the growth) and by rising student numbers (9.5% growth).
The government's overall 16-18 target is for 5% growth in student
numbers in colleges per year between 2002-3 and 2005-6. This confirms
that colleges retain the main responsibility for catering for
16-18 population growth and for delivering the current spending
review targets.
Although colleges have the key role in meeting government
targets for the 16-18 age group, they do so with less funding
that school sixth forms. There is a 5% difference in LSC funding
rates for schools and colleges in 2003-4. In addition, college
bear some costs which are picked by local education authorities
in the case of schools. The AoC estimate that the total funding
gap between the two sectors for the same work is 10%. Ministers
have given a clear commitment to closing this gap in the past
but recent announcements on school funding for 2004-5 and 2005-6
guarantee increases in current levels of funding (by 4% a year).
No such guarantees have been given to colleges for their 16-19
provision which perpetuates a situation in which a disproportionate
amount of government money is being targeted on institutions serving
better qualified and better off young people. The funding gap
is indefensible if curriculum change helps
create a more cohesive 14-19 sector.
Financial and other support for vulnerable 14-19
year olds and for those most at risk of not engaging in education,
employment or training after 16.
32. The college sector has many years experience
of accommodating young people who have not achieved within the
school environment. We note with concern the high numbers of young
people who still drop out of school and who still do not achieve
the basic levels of skills and attributes needed for employability
and progression. It continues to be a challenge to colleges to
find appropriate learning and experience for these young people
within the NVQ framework and AoC believes that the challenge of
working with such young people is still underestimated and largely
misunderstood.
33. AoC welcomes the introduction of a national
programme of Education Maintenance Allowances from 2004-5 which
will provide incentives to stay on in education for young people
across the country and which will be a major stimulus to participation.
34. Action is needed, however, to address anomalies
in the existing regime of financial support for 16 and 17 year
olds to ensure that those taking work-based learning programmes
or part-time education are not penalised unduly.
35. The government will complete a major reform
of further education support in summer 2006 at the end of the
second year of the national Education Maintenance Allowance programme.
At this point, approximately 200,000 young people will complete
courses with the help of their EMAs and will move onto further
work and study. The AoC welcomes this reform which it has campaigned
for since 1996 and is working with the DfES on the plans for implementation
in 2004. We welcome the government's commitment to spend £500
million a year on the programme but there are two areas of tidying
up which should be addressed in the 2004 spending review:
- the level of the maximum allowance has been set
at £30 per week despite evidence in two of the pilot areas
(Oldham and Nottingham) that a £40 per week allowance encouraged
higher participation. We understand that the government rejected
a £40 per week allowance on affordability grounds but we
believe that it should reconsider this for young people from families
at the lowest income levels. We note that a parliamentary question
on the costs of such a change awaits an answer.
- EMAs and 16+ child benefit covers those in full-time
education and act, therefore, as a partial discouragement to those
in part-time education and training, for example as part of a
work-based learning programme.
We also have concerns about the bureaucracy associated
with EMAs. The government's insistence on a something for something
approach in the pilot scheme and national programme requires young
people to commit to full attendance and requires schools and colleges
to make weekly reports to the organisations managing payments.
We accept the principle that good attendance must be a pre-condition
of payment, but we are struck by the contrast with higher education
where students only need to attend infrequently to guarantee support.
A guidance service that meets the needs of the
full range of young people
A universal service?
36. Whilst AoC fully endorses the aspirations
of the Connexions service to provide universal support for all
young people from 13 to 19 we are concerned that over the last
two years there has been a reduction in support available for
many young people within the college sector. In practical terms
this may mean that a Connexions Personal Adviser based for a few
days a week in a large college has now been withdrawn or is available
only to see large groups of young people together rather than
advise on an individual basis. We have received similar information
from many colleges in different parts of the country and are now
in the process of surveying our members to try to quantify the
real changes. We will make this research available to the Committee.
37. A reformed 14-19 curriculum is likely to
offer a greater range of opportunities delivered through colleges
and training providers as well as within the school making the
provision of impartial information and advice more complex. Schools
will be charged with providing advice to young people at 13 about
their future choices. This information cannot be impartial - a
point picked up in some of the Ofsted area inspections - and also
cannot be all embracing. Teachers already have a very busy
and important job. They cannot be expected to know about many
courses and programmes that they do not offer but local employers
or colleges do.
Clarity regarding the locus of local leadership
to deliver a 14-19 entitlement
Ensuring an equitable offer
38. Many colleges have embraced with enthusiasm
their role in local partnerships to deliver the Increased Flexibility
programme and other provision for 14-19 year olds developed as
a result of the Government's 14-19 vision. Our members are, however,
raising increasing concerns about the locus of local leadership.
No one body has been charged with ensuring a broad and equitable
offer is locally available for all young people. There are wide
variations in the make up of local partnerships, their leadership,
and in the ways in which LEA and LSC work together - or do not
work together and pursue different and conflicting solutions to
14-19 education. Colleges and training providers are reaching
capacity in the offer they make to pre-16s and will tend to prioritise
their work with those schools with which they have existing relationships
leaving local unmet need. The Committee may wish to investigate
how this issue can be addressed to ensure equality of opportunity
for all young people.
December 2003
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