ONTrack Solutions

Background

The Education and Skills Act 2008 places a new duty on all young people to participate in education or training until their 18th birthday. This does not necessarily mean staying in school. Young people will be able to choose how they participate, which could be in:

• full-time education, such as a school or college
• work-based learning, such as an Apprenticeship
• part-time education and training, if they are employed or volunteering more than 20 hours a week.

The participation age will be increased in two stages, to 17 in 2013 and to 18 in 2015. In 2015 young people will continue in education or training to 18 (or until completion of a full level 3 programme, whichever is sooner). Learners who started secondary school in September 2008 must continue in education or training until the age of 17, learners who started secondary school from September 2009 must continue in education or training until the age of 18. We need to be preparing now to ensure that they, and the cohorts following them, successfully transition to further education or training post-16.

In Southend...             

In June we organised a conference to deliver the learning from the national pilots and to raise awareness of the issues and challenges. This was well attended from representatives across the Greater Essex area and was a significant step in the development of our implementation plan.

We have also delivered training to graduate teachers and staff within the Authority. The next stages are to complete the implementation plan; the initial part of which is to continue with the awareness raising - particularly amongst parents and learners.

The main elements of the plan are:

1.    Priority 1: Raise Awareness amongst priority groups

a.    Learners
b.    Schools
c.    Providers
d.    LEA Staff
e.    Parents
f.     Learner Voice

2.    Priority 2: Knowing the Cohort

a.    Identify data sources for: 

i.    Risk of NEET Indicators (RONI) 
ii.   Raising Attainment, Securing Engagement (RASE) tool 
iii.  Identifying risk at KS2 
iv.  Support for Year 7 at risk 
v.   Support at KS4

3.    Priority 3: Access and Support

a.   Identify Support mechanisms for 

i.    Impartial Advice and Guidance (IAG) 
ii.   Learning & Support plans 
iii.  Participation adviser/mentor 
iv.  Support panels 
v.   Post-16 resources

4.    Priority 4: Mix and Balance of Provision

a.    Audit provision and reshape where possible
b.    Foundation Learning
c.    Creative curriculum
d.    Employability skills
e.    Informal assessments

5.    Priority 5: Transition & tracking

a.    Identify the risk and manage solutions
b.    RAG rating
c.    Testing the RONI
d.    Section 139a assessment for Year 9 at risk
e.    Data sharing
f.     Tracking

The full plan will be available here when it has been approved. If you would like more information on this project please contact us.

For the Department for Education viewpoint please visit their website. 

The results from the Sussex pilot are available to download. If you would like to test your own knowledge please try the attached quiz.