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Messages for managers
Common messages that emerge from inspections relate to the importance
of having:
A clearly defined key skills policy
Inspectors will assess whether there is 'a clearly defined policy
on key skills that applies to all programmes and all learners'
('Handbook for Inspecting Colleges' June 2005, Paragraph 188). Policies
can vary widely in their level of detail but managers will need to address
aspects such as the:
- centre’s rationale for delivering key skills
- entitlement opportunities for all learners
- curriculum model(s) adopted
- initial and diagnostic assessment procedures
- roles and responsibilities re the teaching and assessment of key
skills
- allocation of resources
- tracking and monitoring procedures.
In judging the quality of leadership and management, inspectors will
explore whether there is a coordinated and consistent approach to the
implementation of the policy that is 'actively supported by senior
managers' ('Handbook for Inspecting Colleges' June 2005, Paragraph
188).
A delivery model that
meets the needs of learners
Ofsted and ALI have no preferred model for the delivery of key skills.
They acknowledge that, as key skills delivery takes place in a variety
of contexts and settings, the model will be modified accordingly. However,
there is a strong emphasis on integrating key skills wherever possible
into main programmes. In the ‘Handbook for Inspecting Colleges’
there is a clear statement that, ‘the development of key skills
is most effective when teachers take responsibility for developing them
as part of their teaching and when learners see the relevance of these
skills to the courses they are studying.’ (paragraph 187).
The continuum of skills development (see link below) is a model that
acknowledges three stages of acquiring, practising and applying key skills.
When designing delivery models for key skills, managers may find it useful
to keep the continuum in mind.
The continnum of skills development
Time needs to be allocated to teaching the underpinning knowledge and
techniques found in Part A of the standards. In a fully integrated model
managers need to ensure that Part A is actually being addressed and that
such teaching can be evidenced through, for example, schemes of work and
lesson plans.
Inspection focuses in particular on the middle part of the continuum.
Inspectors explore across the curriculum how learners are given the opportunity
to develop and practise their key skills within meaningful and purposeful
contexts. They will check that learners are taught the literacy, numeracy
and ICT skills necessary to cope with the courses they are following and
that they are provided with formative feedback on their progress with
their skills development. This has implications not only for the model
of delivery that centres choose but for staff training.
In the final stage of the continuum learners move towards the application
of the key skills they have acquired and to the development of a portfolio
of evidence. Again, inspection does not specify how these procedures should
be adopted, but inspectors will investigate the tracking and monitoring
of individual learners. In addition, they will look at the standard of
work completed, the quality of the marking and the rigour of the internal
standardisation processes that have been established.
Appropriately qualified and supported
staff
Inspection clearly focuses on the learner and the quality of teaching
and learning that take place. There is an expectation that key skills
will, wherever possible, be integrated within main programmes. This has
clear implications for staff development and for the implementation of
structures that support the dissemination of good practice. Inspection
reports highlight the importance of centres developing coherent key skills
training plans that are publicised and targeted to meet the needs of staff
working in a range of contexts. The use of advanced practitioners in key
skills or the designation of a teacher in each curriculum area to take
responsibility for supporting staff in the delivery of key skills are
also both highlighted as effective practice.
Accurate key skills attendance,
retention and achievement data
Both schools and colleges are expected to carry out rigorous self-assessment
of all aspects of their provision based on accurate and detailed evidence.
The outcomes of this process will be used by inspectors to shape both
the focus and format of the inspection. Furthermore, during inspection
itself, the onus is placed on the centre to demonstrate the validity of
any judgements they have made.
There is an expectation that key skills managers and coordinators will
have this data both at programme level and across the centre as a whole.
Equally, there is an expectation that this data will not only be accurate,
but that it will have been interrogated and used to inform targets to
improve the quality of the key skills provision. For example, if attendance
at key skills sessions is low, what has been done to address the situation?
Why are learners not attending? What strategies have been put in place
to improve attendance? Is the attendance policy that is applied to other
curriculum areas consistently applied to key skills?
The collation of robust key skills data has proved to be a challenge,
particularly across large, multi-sited colleges, but is one that, increasingly,
managers are addressing by looking more closely at MIS systems and processes
for centralising and regularly updating key skills information.
Rigorous and effective quality
assurance procedures
If rigorous and effective quality assurance procedures are in place,
inspection findings should not come as a surprise to key skills managers.
The quality assurance procedures established to assess the effectiveness
of key skills provision should complement and feed into the quality assurance
procedures established for the centre as a whole. Key skills managers
and coordinators will need to consider some or all of the following:
- implementing a lesson observation proforma that includes key skills
and which also incorporates the new 1- 4 grading system
- ensuring key skills provision is appropriately integrated into schemes
of work and lesson plans and that a range of teaching methods and modes
of delivery are used
- developing ‘kite marked’ key skills assignments that
are appropriately mapped to the 2004 standards and which will enable
learners, wherever possible, to meet the standard required for their
main programme as well as for key skills
- monitoring and reviewing the progress of learners to ensure that
they are placed on appropriate key skills levels and that they receive
the support and guidance required to help them achieve
- establishing coherent internal moderation procedures that inform
and develop the practice of assessors
- providing creative ways for pockets of good key skills practice to
be disseminated in order to improve the quality of provision as a whole.
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