RAISING PARTICIPATION AGE
To 16 and beyond...
How will raising
She said: “Young people need to be made aware
of new qualifications and know what their options
the participation
are. I want to help our students get the skills and
knowledge they need to manage their careers and
become confident, capable individuals.”
age to 18 give
raising the participation age means that opting out
is no longer an option, but there is still a job for schools
students a better
and colleges to work with each and every pupil to help
them enjoy success and fulfilment later in life. Schools
chance of success when
need to provide the right support so that young people
and their families can raise their aspirations and choose
they leave school, and will
the right pathway for them. SecEd
• Nigel Akers is Nottingham City Consortium’s IT
it really help those who are
Diploma line lead.
disaffected with education?
Raising participation – the schedule
In 2013, all young people will be required to continue in
Nigel Akers explains
education or training up to the age of 17. In 2015, this
will be raised to the age of 18.
Last year, the first cohort that will all participate to
18 started secondary school, while trials for the raising
or one student at Selby College of the participation age began in 11 areas.
F
in Yorkshire, the idea of staying in This year, the government review of good practice
education post-16 always felt like an in schools in tackling key stage 3 disengagement begins
impossible dream. After being taken and funding for all 16 to 19 education passes to local
out of school by his parents because authorities, while next year will see the introduction of
he was being bullied, he returned to Pupil and Parent Guarantees.
education six months later withdrawn, In 2013, the entitlement to an offer of an
demotivated and extremely low in self-esteem. Then he people respond to different styles of teaching and they wanted to do next and were identified as at risk of not Apprenticeship or to study a Diploma will be
began studying the Foundation Learning programme. are motivated in different ways. The 14 to 19 reforms progressing. in place; as will Foundation Learning across the
According to Selby College’s entry to employment mean that every young person can find a pathway that These sessions resulted in 12 young people enrolling country, and the first cohort to be affected all
contact manager, Philippa Skate, he has since come full is right for them, with a choice of GCSes, A levels, the on college courses to stay in learning instead of participate for one more academic year. In 2015, all
circle. She explained: “By giving him the opportunity Diploma, Apprenticeships, and Foundation Learning dropping out altogether – an achievement which Ms young people will participate in education or training
to learn at his own pace, in a fun and practical way, he among others. They can also go into employment Taylor believes will give them greater chances of a until at least 18.
has built up his confidence and is now one of the most or volunteering from the age of 16, as long as they successful career later on. For more details, visit www.dcsf.gov.uk/14-19/rpa
enthusiastic students I teach.” continue in part-time education or training to gain
For Ms Skate’s star pupil, returning to college further skills and qualifications.
and studying Foundation Learning has given him the The options are there. For schools and local
self-confidence and life-skills that he needed for a authorities, the challenge now lies in ensuring young
Taking the lead: HTI
brighter future. But it could have been a different story people are shown the right assistance to take full
– and it still is for some young people who slip out of advantage of these opportunities, including high quality
education at 16 and fall into a life of unemployment support to keep them on track.
and dependency. For this critical minority, last year’s The government’s newly launched Information,
Motivating new leaders
legislation to raise the participation age to 18 has Advice and Guidance (IAG) strategy provides the
the potential to help them achieve more than their framework to support young people’s choices at every
counterparts from previous generations. stage of their education and training. For some young
Anne Evans sets
and growing in complexity with the mounting
disconnection between socio-economic groups, but
Learning for longer will fuel aspiration and people who have grown up in families and households
achievement because young people who stay in where unemployment is the norm and there is no out the leadership
not one which schools can overcome alone.
education or training post-16 tend to aim higher and knowledge of the education, training and employment
Working with others
do better. Add to this recent predictions in the Leitch options available, this support will be invaluable. For
challenges for a
every Child Matters is possibly the most transforming
review that the number of unskilled workers will others, having the opportunity to talk through the and important initiative to come out of the past
shrink significantly in coming years, and it is clear that different options means making the right choices is less
pupils need to leave education and training with solid daunting.
new decade
decade. The development of collaborative skills will
remain at the top of the agenda, not just for working
qualifications, practical skills, and self-confidence if While local authorities are responsible for providing with other agencies and community groups, but
they are going to thrive. IAG, schools have a key role to play in ensuring their noW SeeMS like the perfect time to take stock of with employers and parents. Indeed, we need to find
But re-engaging young people who are disillusioned pupils have the help they need to make confident where we are in education: new year; new decade; new, better and more imaginative ways of securing
with education is a tough job. There is no “one-size- choices about their learning pathways. potentially new government. In the last decade, business involvement with curriculum development
fits-all” solution and different students will require a Collaboration is key. Already schools, colleges, there have been plenty of positives: more resources and building social cohesion.
different approach to give them better chances later on local authorities, Connexions advisors and employers and technology; more children learning; better exam
in life. For Ms Skate, the achievements of her students are working together to co-ordinate a wide array of results; smaller classes; new buildings; improvements
Professional development
have depended on giving them the opportunity to study education and training options for young people. in teaching standards; more schools rated “good” or Middle leadership development, responsibility
in a way that suits their interests and learning styles. Linda Taylor is the careers and work-related learning “outstanding”; and 120,000 more teaching assistants. for personal growth, pushing development
She continued: “All the young people I work with manager at Deepings School in Peterborough. one Despite this, some perennial challenges don’t get experiences beyond the comfort zone of education,
have barriers to education and are at risk of becoming initiative she recently led with nearby new College any easier – like the growing chasm in attainment and collaborative learning with other schools will
neeT (not in education, employment or training), Stamford focused on showing potential neeT students (almost 60 per cent) between privileged and continue to grow in importance. The unprecedented
but Foundation Learning is helping them to see how the value of staying on in education, rather than heading disadvantaged children. Literacy and numeracy numbers of career change professionals entering the
education can work for them, that they can achieve and into the job market under-prepared. standards are still an issue, and more than a million profession also present learning opportunities.
be successful.” A presentation about the range of qualifications young people are not earning or learning.
Ms Skate’s success confirms what much of the that the college offered was given to a group of one very welcome legacy of the past 10 years is
Team-building
education community already knows – that young students who were struggling to decide what they the increased focus on school leadership development. With budgets under pressure, the need to increase
The annual headship index (see page 13) reveals an leadership capacity and improve agency working,
increase in leadership ambition year-on-year. investment in team-building will be a wise move.
Where to go and what to do? The learning pathways
This is great news for succession planning and
GCSEs and A levels: Well-trusted options which have been updated to make them
increasing leadership capacity, but it doesn’t detract
Curriculum, inspiration and technology
more stretching and challenging.
from the recurring leadership issues of lack of time, How do you captivate and inspire young people who
Diplomas: The Foundation and Higher Diplomas are mainly taken as two-year course
constant new initiatives, and increased accountability. are disinclined to learn, see no relevance to their lives,
So what are the key challenges? and who are being brought up with the wonders of an
for 14 to 16-year-olds within the national curriculum. The Advanced Diploma is a
iPod touch? What do we need to do to plan for the
two-year, Level 3 programme taken in school 6th form, 6th-form college or further
Managing budgets and resources
raising of the school leaving age? Also, the corporate
education college. Ten subjects are currently available and four additional subjects will
Squeezed budgets could literally make the role sector is harnessing the power of social media and
launch in September 2010.
of school business manager worth its weight in mobile learning to stunning effect. We have a long
Foundation Learning: A national programme mainly for students at Entry Level or
gold. Almost 60 per cent of secondary schools now way to go if we don’t want to get left behind.
have a school business manager, generating up to
Level 1, either taken at school or college. Length of time will vary, but Foundation
£200 million of additional income through efficient
Conclusion
Learning covers: vocational or subject learning that includes both generic skills for management budgets, resources, supplier contracts, one teacher wrote very recently: “extraordinary
work and more subject and sector-specific skills; personal and social development; and
joint procurement with other schools, and sharing teaching in the state sector demands extraordinary
functional skills.
expertise – what about the remaining 40 per cent? people, trained to the highest degree. The real
Apprenticeships: As employees, apprentices can earn a wage and work alongside
challenge in teaching is not in attracting the best and
Standards
brightest, but giving them a reason to stay.”
experienced staff to gain job-specific skills. Off the job, usually on day-release at college
We may have seen the number of national Challenge In this intensely demanding, but also intensely
or with private and third sector training providers, apprentices receive training for schools reduce and test results improve, but initiative rewarding profession, inspiring and motivating our
nationally recognised qualifications.
fatigue and rigid assessment criteria have left many “brightest and best” is perhaps the greatest challenge
Employment with training: At 16 a young person can take a job, but ideally
schools struggling to improve standards and staff for school leaders.
should continue to develop skills by taking a course leading to a nationally recognised
feeling constrained.
• Anne Evans OBE is chief executive of HTI, an
qualification. After the participation age is raised in 2013, all young people taking up Social cohesion
independent social enterprise working to develop
work at 16 will continue learning part-time for an accredited qualification. An issue inextricably linked to aspiration and attainment exceptional school leaders. Email a.evans@hti.org.uk
SecEd • January 28 2010 15
15 Managing ICTa.indd 15 25/1/10 10:41:04
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