INTRODUCTION


LEARNERS SIT AT THE HEART OF ALL WE DO


Why improving literacy skills for young people and adults is such a vital focus for the Education and Training Foundation. By Imke Djouadj


So what’s gangster then? ’Cause I don’t really know if I’m honest When we were young we had dreams of being bosses Ballers, doctors, lawyers in an office So how did that turn into dropping out of college Snaps in a prison cell, bodies in a coffin? Hangman. Dave.


Popular British rapper, Dave


H ow indeed? The National Literacy Trust


(NLT) estimates that over five million adults in England are functionally illiterate, with a reading age of 11 or below, understanding only the most straightforward, short texts on familiar topics. The cost to the economy is enormous – the World Literacy Foundation puts it at more than £37bn a year. Adults with poor literacy skills are often more likely to be unemployed or in low-skilled jobs – not to mention prison cells/bodies in coffins. Opportunities for learning and skills


development play a central role in creating a more equal and just society, supporting inclusive communities and creating the flexible and future-oriented workforce we need in a digitalised, globalised world. Low literacy levels are linked to lower life expectancy and depression, plus the often-felt shame and embarrassment.


The challenges facing the sector are not new and have been fiercely debated for a long time. Nor are they all due to literacy failings – there are much wider issues at play. Literacy skills do, however, play a vital part in the ability to participate in everyday life, including bringing up children, evolving at work and being an integrated part of the wider community. Supporting young people and adults with their literacy skills is a key focus for the Education and Training Foundation


4 AUTUMN 2019 • InTUITIONENGLISH


(ETF) via our FE workforce support programmes. Since our inception in 2013, understanding sector need, creating strategies to engage and motivate reluctant learners, using cutting-edge research to underpin delivery, and engaging practitioners across the sector have been at the forefront of our developments. Our Practitioner Research Programme


regularly looks at challenges around English teaching. To take two examples, researching the impact of differentiation through tiered tasks and our collaborative practice projects – all these engage practitioners to reflect on and engage with literacy issues close to their heart. Through the Shaping Success Maths and English CPD offer, the ETF offers a wide range of support for practitioners across the post-16 sector to help the workforce meet the challenges of the ever-changing FE landscape. We have also launched a new, specific offer to ensure FE and post-16 providers are T Level-ready, and that technical teachers are supported to teach the core English skills embedded in each T Level route and pathway. The ETF offer brings together support for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) practitioners, teachers working in the prison service, and technical and subject teachers, as well as managers and learning support assistants. We always have


the learner at the heart of what we do. Dave, the hugely popular London rapper and grime artist quoted at the start, who played Glastonbury this year, puts his transformation into these words (and yes, he attended an FE College): Picture me, a legend, worldwide or in Streatham, known for words in a sentence I put verbs in a sentence, there’s action in my letters And I never compromise, nor follow what the trend is, I create my own style Picture me. Dave


This English supplement to inTuition is the second in our dedicated maths and English series, bringing together the Society for Education and Training (SET) and ETF initiatives, and thoughts and ideas from across our work and the sector. This edition is packed with stories, thought-provoking articles, challenges and reflections that we hope will spark debate and ignite a few ideas of your own. And if you’ve got a brilliant one, let us know! Happy reading.


Imke Djouadj is head of programmes for maths and English at the Education and Training Foundation.


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