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Towards a Citizens’ Curriculum

Towards a Citizens’ Curriculum. Alex Stevenson, NIACE Addison Barnett, St Mungo’s Broadway Dermot Bryers , English for Action. alex.stevenson@niace.org.uk @ alexsNIACE # citizenscurriculum. Just for starters.

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Towards a Citizens’ Curriculum

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  1. Towards a Citizens’ Curriculum Alex Stevenson, NIACE Addison Barnett, St Mungo’s Broadway Dermot Bryers, English for Action alex.stevenson@niace.org.uk @alexsNIACE #citizenscurriculum

  2. Just for starters ... Consider the steps involved in planning and carrying out your journey to the conference today ... How did you • Use language, literacy and numeracy skills? • Use digital, financial, health and civic (= ability to participate in society) capabilities? Make a short list and compare with a partner!

  3. The English and maths challenge ... • The Skills for Life Survey (2011): 1 in 4 adults have low levels of numeracy skills; 1 in 6 have low levels of literacy skills. • OECD Survey of Adult Skills (2013): 16.4% scored at the lowest level for literacy; 24% for numeracy. • Census data (2011) records around 850,000 adults ‘non-proficient’ in the English language. • BIS / SFA data shows that from 12/13 to 13/14, adult (19+) participation in English, maths and ESOL provision has fallen by 7.6%, 10.7% and 4.8% respectively.

  4. So .... More flexible, creative and innovative models are needed to engage and motivate learners and meet the challenge of poor basic language, literacy, numeracy and digital skills in the context of rapid social change.

  5. “A citizens’ curriculum is learning which is locally-led, developed with the active participation of learners, and interlinks the life skills of language, literacy and numeracy with health, financial, digital and civic capabilities.”

  6. Citizens’ Curriculum Capabilities Local context and setting Learner Involvement

  7. Schuller and Watson ( 2009) • NIACE / NRDC Evidence on impact of embedded basic skills – Eldred (2005); Casey (2006) • Co-design of the curriculum - A New Curriculum for Difficult Times (Beer, 2013)

  8. Key Overall Findings - Providers • Added value to the curriculum offer, which became more engaging through the interlinking of English, maths and language skills with other capabilities • An improved curriculum offer which, through greater learner involvement, was felt to be more responsive to the needs of learners

  9. Key Overall Findings - Practitioners • Improved ability to make learning relevant to adults’ lives and articulate the wider benefits of participation in learning, through a focus on the interlinked capabilities of the Citizens’ Curriculum approach. • For practitioners with less experience in the creation and co-design of flexible provision tailored to the needs of individuals, a greater appreciation of the value and benefits of this approach and keenness to embed this further in their practice.

  10. Key Overall Findings - Learners • Improved attitudes to learning, particularly with regard to English/language and maths, leading to progression into further learning opportunities. • Improved skills and attitudes supporting employability, including increased motivation to seek work and/or participate in voluntary work, and for some learners, progression into employment or work placements. • Improved engagement in the wider community and improved confidence and ability to use public services

  11. Citizens’ Curriculum Pilots The St. Mungo’s Broadway Pilot

  12. I find that it's given me the confidence that I need to step forward into higher education if I want to, or taking it into the workplace. Just rebuilding your confidence gradually as you go along, with regards to team-building and absorbing all the information that you're getting in.

  13. St Mungo’s Broadway We house 2700 homeless people a night across London and the South East and provide services to help keep people off the streets: • Rough sleeping outreach teams • Hostels • Mental health support • Treatment programmes for substance use • Palliative care • Skills and employment services

  14. St Mungo’s Broadway Pilot • Our pilot took place at our Residential College in Clapham • The College was a small 10 bed project where clients could stay for between 3 and 6 months • The College offered an educational programme that combines academic learning with developing independent living skills • The content of the sessions was client-led, with staff encouragement and guidance

  15. The timetable The timetable ran Monday-Friday and included: • English, Maths and IT (non-accredited) delivered by a specialist or an IT volunteer • Cooking sessions run by a homeless client • Participating in the local Health and Wellbeing day and helping to run activities • Reading group • Monday breakfast meeting to discuss the week • The clients also wrote and recorded a podcast!

  16. The Citizen’s Curriculum approach Digital capability Reading group Cookery class Participating in the Health & Wellbeing Day Breakfast meetings IT sessions English class Maths class Podcast Financial capability Maths capability Health capability English and ESOL capability Civic capability

  17. The Citizen’s Curriculum approach Digital capability Reading group Cookery class Participating in the Health & Wellbeing Day Breakfast meetings IT sessions English class Maths class Podcast Financial capability Maths capability Health capability English and ESOL capability Civic capability

  18. Lessons learnt • Consistency is key • Staff who are willing to be creative and adaptable • Let the learners lead the way and involve them in every stage: planning, delivering and evaluating the learning • Celebrate achievement (Listen to our podcast! www.soundcloud.com/lockedonradio)

  19. Citizens’ Curriculum Pilots The English for Action Pilot

  20. Frequently Asked Questions ... • Do we have to deliver all of the capabilities? • What content should we teach for each of the capabilities? What about resources? • Tutors don’t have expertise in some of these areas, what can we do? • What’s the role of accreditation in the Citizens’ Curriculum approach?

  21. Discussion Questions • In what ways could you adopt a more participatory approach, to involve learners in the design of your curriculum? • In what ways could you embed the Citizens’ Curriculum capabilities in your provision? • What would be the benefits and the challenges of adopting a Citizens’ Curriculum approach? What would help to overcome the challenges?

  22. Next Steps for the Citizens’ Curriculum • More pilots in new settings – English and Maths for unemployed adults, ESA claimants and plans for work with young migrants • More detailed evaluation and impact assessment including longer term analysis • Further practitioner support around health and civic capabilities • A ‘technical consultation’, looking at how the Citizens’ Curriculum might form the basis of any ‘study programme for adults’ • Potential work in ESOL and Offender Learning

  23. Towards a Citizens’ Curriculumhttp://www.niace.org.uk/our-work/life-and-society/citizens-curriculum alex.stevenson@niace.org.uk @alexsNIACE #citizenscurriculum

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