Case study
on the timetable of having larger numbers and training providers will be deliverers in T_h ere will be too few students to make viable
following Diplomas and the travelling specifi c areas where their expertise is vital. groups in any institution and they will thus be
distances anticipated led to the move to the A real issue that is currently being debated a cash drain. Split delivery may signifi cantly
single day. T_h e Principal Learning element is is the position of Level 1 and 2 Diplomas impact on numbers in the further education
delivered on this day and the other elements (and currently Level 3 BTEC) courses post- college thus destabilising that institution.
are the responsibility of the students’ home 16. If our post-16 centres attempt to deliver In the end, the ASG needs to grasp this
institutions to deliver in the other four days. them then we will have to consider two major nettle and come to a decision. T_h at is why
T_h ey have also worked on developing a issues: what are the pathways for students much of our current thinking and work
fi nancial model that has had many iterations. following these courses, and what about viable is directed at “big picture” modelling and
Once again the initial model proved group sizes? creating a strategy that will take us to the
inappropriate and has been modifi ed. T_h e I am concerned that a student pre-16 2013 entitlement. It is not easy and I would
principle of money following the student following a Foundation Diploma should have advise readers to prioritise this aspect.
Consortium:
has been at the core. We have also agreed a pathway from completion of the course
to ensure that centres delivering Diplomas into further education or training. To simply Conclusion
will not experience a fi nancial loss as a result continue to a Level 2 in the post-16 centre We have learnt a lot from colleagues across
of delivery. T_h e Quality Assurance (QA)/ or further education college seems illogical the country. Some things work, some things
T_h e TEAM approach
Monitoring Group has established a QA when there are more appropriate routes into do not and have had to be adapted. We have
system based around service-level agreements Apprenticeships and vocational courses. strength in our working relationships with
with providers, giving the QA system teeth Completion of these courses off ers a each other and the fact that we communicate.
and ensuring consistent standards of delivery. passport into future employment with a Competition still exists between deliverers,
pocketful of skills to employers. T_h ere are but not at the expense of each other. T_h at is
Curriculum strategy not enough students and these will, if we are why we talk about the Bassetlaw TEAM –
We have an agreement that we have to show not careful, be spread too thinly across the Together Everyone Achieves More. Especially
due regard to the eff ect our planned actions area. Delivery plans must have an eye on the the students. DD
may have upon other partners and desist from location and size of present and future cohorts
actions that are injurious to other partners. of students. Further education and post-16 • Brian Rossiter is headteacher at Valley School,
T_h is agreement and the fi nancial and centres marketing to the same students will a designated specialist technology college in
delivery models have been challenging to the necessarily split the students between them. Worksop.
working groups and the ASG in particular.
We have two post-16 centres in Bassetlaw.
Bassetlaw Area Strategy Group: Organisational Structure
Sixth-form students from fi ve of the seven
secondaries are located in these centres. We
Bassetlaw Area Strategy Group
are now at a critical point in our development Strategic Function
(Secondary heads, local authority, Learning and Skills
as we are trying to construct a curriculum Council, Connexions, N Notts FE College, Notts Training
strategy that we can all sign up to.
Network, Education Business Partnership)
As we struggle to get agreement between
providers of the four areas funded by
government, we are facing a reality: there is
Monitoring, review and
a limited pool of students and as such we
Executive Management Group
planning functions
cannot continue to off er the existing diet
while off ering the full additional Diploma
Strategic and operational functions
entitlement. Something will have to go.

Pre-16, the impact will be mostly on
traditional GCSE groups, whereas our

judgement is that Advanced Diplomas will,
because of their highly academic nature,
QA/Monitoring Employer Collaborative IAG Action e-Learning Group
impact on A level numbers and the post-16
Group Engagement Curriculum Group
centres rather than our further education

Group Planning Group
college partner. T_h e likely signifi cant changes
to BTECs (pre and post-16) in the near
future and government policy in relation to
Apprenticeships are also in our minds.
T_h e post-16 centres are the delivery points
for many of the Advanced Diplomas; further
Diploma Working Groups and year of local roll out
Operational
education and training providers have a
functions
Construction and the Built Environment (2008);
role to deliver extremely specialist lines at
Hair and Beauty Studies (2009); Society Health and
Development (2009); Engineering (2009); Sport
Advanced level; the school sector is well
and Leisure (2010); Business (2010); Manufacturing
positioned to deliver Level 1 and 2 Diplomas
and Product Design (2010); IT (2010); Environment
and Land-based Studies (2011).
pre-16 with centres of excellence focusing
around the line leads; and further education
Delivering Diplomas • Volume 1 No 1 Autumn 2009 23
22-23 case consortb.indd 13 17/9/09 18:39:04
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