Transition into education

Page history last edited by David Egan 1 year, 10 months ago

A study commissioned by the DCSF in England uses longitudinal survey evidence to establish the wide range of cognitive and affective influences that affect the outcomes of children from disadvantaged families.

http://www.researchonline.org.uk/fskills/search/go.do?action

An OECD study in 2008 considers the range of indicators of low achievement in the UK, including low rates of secondary school completion, adult literacy levels, PISA results, intergenerational social mobility and primary school reading performance.

http://oecd.org/dataoecd/49/29/40284939.pdf

DCSF commissioned research in 2009 sets out the knowledge we have on children's development and the enabling contexts in which they can best be supported to achieve their potential from an early age.

http://www.education.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR176.pdf

A publication from the Centre for the Wider Benefits of Learning established the extent to which socio-economic disadvantage is a major influence on educational attainment even by the early years of schooling.

http://www.learningbenfits.net.publications.researchreports

In Wales an evaluation of Flying Start considers the effectivness of interventions including parenting, nurse-family partnerships and child care designed to support young people and their familes in pre-school contexts.

http://wales.gov.uk/docs/decells/.../09/221qualitativeevalflyingstarten.pdf

A publication from the Welsh Assembly Government describes the pedagogical approaches that underpin the introduction of the Foundation Phase for 3-7 year olds in Wales that is designed to improve learning outcomes for all children and to establish firm foundations for lifelong learning.

http://wales.gov.uk/dcells/publications/policy_strategy_andplanning/early-wales/whatisfoundation/foundationp

A task and finish group on 8-14 education set up by the Welsh Assembly Government reported in September 2009. It identified this period as being one where many young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, become disengaged from education and where achievement drops. It recommended far more attention be paid to pedagogical approaches, curriculum and school organisation to remedy this.

http://www.cymru.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/publications/reports/taskandfinishgroupfirststagerpt/%3Bjsessions

The work of the 8-14 Task and Finish Group in Wales was influenced by a report from Demos suggesting that the point at which most children are in danger of becoming NEETs is actually in primary school.

http://www.demos.co.uk/publications/a-stich-in-time-tackling-educational-disengagement

The evidence that many students become disengaged in the latter years of primary schooling is highlighted in a 2008 report from the Centre for the Wider Benefits of Learning:

http://www.learningbenfits.net/Publications/ResReports/ResReps25.pdf

An international review on middle schooling has argued strongly that there is a need to develop a more holistic approach to primary and secondary teaching pedagogy if students are to make greater progress through the 8-14 phase.

http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/_data/assets/word_doc/007

Studies from Ofsted in England and from the Narrowing the Gap project led by the Welsh Assembly Government have shown that it is possible for students and schools in disadvantaged areas to achieve to high levels:

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/ofsted-home/publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Document-by-type/Thematic

http://www.wales.gov.uk/docrepos/40382/4038232/4038211/Guidance-and-information/narrowing-the-gap05-e.pdf?lar

Changes in the Key Stage 3 curriculum in Wales since 2008 enable schools to adopt much more flexibility in curriculm delivery that is being used by some schools to better engage learners who may otherwise become disaffected. Estyn have reported on these initiatives;

http://www.estyn.gov.uk/thematicreports/remit_7_Innovation_in_key_stage_3_current.pdf

The importance of low levels of literacy as a cause of educational low achievement is well known. In West Dunbartonshire in Scotland through a clear sense of purpose and high levels of professional development in pedagogy, they appear to have virtually eradicated illiteracy among school age students:

http://www.west-dunbartonshire.gov.uk/onlinestories/achieveingthevision/achieveingthevision.pdf

The value of enteprise education in the curriculum has long been postulated. In Scotland this is seen as being not only as business related but also about developing entrepreneurial skills and becoming involved in social enterprise;

http://www.theacademy-ssea.org.uk/main/schools/.../SocEntFinalNPAmaterials.doc

For young people in disadvantaged areas the importance of out-of-hours learning opportunities and of the community use of schooling has been highlighted in two research studies:

http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/educational-relationships-outside-school

http://www.cfbt.com/evidenceforeducation/PDF/91071-SchoolsAsCBOs

Students with exceptional talents are to be found in disadvantaged as in other areas. This piece of research provides guidance on how to maximize such talent:

http://www.cfbt.com/evidence/pdf/G+Tstrategy-FINAL(W).pdf

Transition into education Transition into education Support for Learning The University of Aberystwyth has piloted the delivery of the 'Wales, Europe and the World' module, which forms part of the WBQ, with Penglais School in partnership with the Ceredigion 14-19 Learning Network.

http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/widening-participation/aboutus/partnership/

http://learninginnovationexperts.pbworks.com/f/Evaluation%20of%20the%20impact%20of%20Aimhigher%20.pdf

This is an intersting study of who chooses to enter higher education

http://learninginnovationexperts.pbworks.com/f/Who%20is%20heading%20for%20HE.pdf

A study of the perceptions and intentions towards entering higher education of working adultsaged between 22-55 with no university level qualifications in England. This report explores the attitudes and intentions towards entering higher education of working adults aged between 22 to 55 (inclusive) with no university level qualifications in England. The research was commissioned by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and was undertaken by the Institute for Employment Studies. The study claims to be unique as it is the first study which focuses on adults and those who could potentially enter higher education rather than those already in the system. The research explored who would consider going to university, the reasons and circumstances that influence their decision and the barriers which would need to be tackled.

http://learninginnovationexperts.pbworks.com/f/Working%20adults'%20perceptions%20of%20and%20orientation%20to%20higher%20education.pdf

Report presenting research into the experiences of students progressing to and through HE from routes and pathways other than the traditional direct entry from school or college with A level qualifications gained through full-time study. The study comprises an analysis of 2006 UCAS data on accepted applicants to full-time study and HESA data on part-time students taking alternative routes to and through HE, as well as in-depth semi-

structured interviews (either face-to-face or by telephone) with 334 students (84% of the 400 target) from 17 institutions (3 colleges and 14 universities – two from the Russell Group; 11 post-1992 and the OU). Interviews sought information on background of participants, early education experience, decision to undertake HE study, and experience of HE.

http://learninginnovationexperts.pbworks.com/f/Alternative%20routes%20into%20and%20pathways%20through%20higher%20education.pdf

(DL) In considering routes into education and particularly into FE/HE we encounter the problem of the large number of people without qualifications of any kind, little in the way of relevant prior experience, and often low levels of literacy and numeracy. Any or all of these can be a barrier. (See here for a starter).

Educational reform in Wales seeks to reduce further the proportion of working age young people and adults who lack access to educaiton or the motivation to engage in further learning. This is a problem of getting the horse to the water at all, let alone asking it to drink.

Perhaps two strategies among others are worth considering:

(a) abandon the literacy/numeracy entry requirement altogether and aim to build these elements later in the educational progress. New Technology can support, and ehance, a new oralism in assessment and participation through the use of lightweight, accessible, easy to use recording and presentation technologies. Those seeking to enter education should be enabled to rely on their 'native' audio-visual culture rather than the more anachronistic 'Gutenberg' culture. Illiteracy and innumeracy should not be obstacles to participation in the great culture of learning and education.

(b) correlated with the above, we can adopt a strengths-based or talent-identification model of entry requirements to education. This affords a more flexible, person-centred, individualised foundation on which to build education and learning. Everyone has some talent, some strengths that can be husbanded. Often, the very real consequences of exclusion through more standardised views of attainment, i.e. literacy and numeracy, is that other euqlly important strengths and talents are devalued, ignored and lost. Dr Gary Pritchard at the University of Wales Newport has done work in this area. It could form part of a new approach to entry into education.

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Longman, D. (in process). The New Oralism: Why Literacy and Numeracy need not be Obstacles to Level 4

Pritchard, G. (2009) Skills verses talent? Why supporting students in identifying and developing their strengths makes both pedagogic and economic sense. http://bit.ly/9gCYCi

Pritchard, G. (2009) Strengths-Based Learning. http://www.casttv.com/video/wm22761/strengths-based-learning-video

Pritchard, G (2008) All Students are Talented. http://bit.ly/bTlS3v

Here is a useful overview about what the HEA Subject Centres are doing:

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/news/detail/Subject_Centres_Help_Ease_Student_Transition

Similarly, here is a link to the work that Karen Fitzgibbon has been leading on Student First Year Experience in Wales

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/ourwork/nations/wales/first_year_experience_wales_oct09

In the USA developments have included the "Tech-Prep" programme which funds links between Schools and Community Colleges (who deliver two year degrees similar to our Foundation Degrees) - Insight into the approach is outlined on the Tech Prep website - http://www2.ed.gov/programs/techprep/index.html

Action on Access - funded by (the former) DCFS to support widening access initiatives in England. The site contains a number of reports relating to widening access initiatives worldwide http://www.actiononaccess.org/index.php?p=19_4

This is a link to a paper on collaboration in the 14-19 group. I wonder whether Catherine is experiencing similar problems?

Working together? Partnership approaches to 14-19 education in England

Authors: Jeremy Higham^a; David Yeomans^a

Affiliation:

^a Post-14 Research Group, Lifelong Learning Institute, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

DOI: 10.1080/01411920902960962

Publication Frequency: 6 issues per year

Published in: journal

British Educational Research Journal, Volume 36, Issue 3 June 2010 , pages 379 - 401

First Published on: 29 May 2009

Subject: Educational Research;

Formats available: HTML (English) : PDF (English)

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Abstract

Partnership working between institutions and organisations is currently commonly seen as providing solutions to meeting multiple, interrelated needs in areas of social policy including health, social welfare and education. This article examines and discusses the policy and practice of such collaboration in an educational context. Drawing on studies of state-funded interventions into 14-19 provision in England it offers insights into why and how schools, colleges and other organisations involved in education and training collaborate. It concludes that partnership is highly locally contingent. National policy on partnership working, which is itself not consistent, is strongly mediated by local contextual factors, institutional values and interests, personal missions and careers, pragmatic opportunism, ad-hocery and happenstance. The interplay of these factors is highly dynamic and changes over time.

Study by IoE on Social Mobility through HE

Slides and podcasts from Higher Education and Schools Partnership Conference, 'Social mobility through higher education' - 2010

John O’Leary Editor, Policy Review

Welcome from Conference Chair

JB280_JOHN_OLEARY.mp3

Professor Malcolm Gillies Vice-Chancellor, London Metropolitan University

Working in partnership: setting the scene

JB280_MALCOLM_GILLIES.pdf

JB280_MALCOLM_GILLIES.mp3

Phil Harley Lead Advisor on Schools, Action on Access

Creating aspiration through Information, advice and guidance

JB280_PHIL_HARLEY.mp3