Agenda

1. Commissioning effective study programmes for learners with special educational needs and disabilities

2. Agenda 09:30-09:40 Welcome and introduction Yolande Burgess London Councils 09:40-09:50 Commissioning for outcomes Debi Christie – a local authority perspective Bromley Pathfinder 09:50-10:20 Ofsted Charlie Henry Ofsted 10:20-11:00 To accredit or not to accredit? Ruth Perry Learner First 11:00-11:15 Break 11:15-12:15 Group work 12:15-12:25 Key messages for commissioners and providers 12:25-12:30 Thanks and close

3. A half day workshop for London local authority commissioners and further education & independent specialist colleges to explore how 16-19/25 study programmes can contribute to delivering better outcomes for young people with special educational needs and disabilities 2

5. Commissioning for Outcomes a Local Authority perspective Debi Christie, 16-25 Commissioning Manager (Specialist Provision) 12th July 2013

6. National and Local Drivers • SEND Reform • SEND Pathfinder & Champion status • Moving from testing to implementation • Draft Indicative SEN Code of Practice • Focus on Preparing for Adulthood • Education Funding Reform • High Needs Students • ‘Provider’ to ‘Commissioner’ ratio • Structure within which to deliver the reforms • Lack of alignment to the timing of the SEND reforms • Local context • Savings targets • Commissioning only authority • Leadership & structure • Preparing for Adulthood Coordinators

7. Bromley’s Approach • New responsibilities & significantly different for many • Robust understanding of national and local drivers • Being clear about the role of the Commissioner • Understanding challenges for providers • Linking pre-16, post-16 and post-college • Preparing for Adulthood Coordinators and Commissioners – mutual goal • Whole system change - internal structures, processes and procedures • Recognising that workforce development is part of the reforms

8. Key Learning • Involvement of young people and families • Shared vision • Strong leadership with a clear Statement of Intent • Effective partnership • Consistent message & common language • Importance of the Commissioners role • Balancing funding and outcomes • Effective monitoring

9. Study programmes for learners who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities Charlie Henry HMI National Lead for Disability and Special Educational Needs London, July 2013

10. Study programmes for learners who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities The Common Inspection Framework makes it clear that Ofsted expects providers to plan and put in place high quality, individualised programmes to meet learners’ needs. There is no difference in this expectation for learners who have LDD than for any other learner. We expect providers to understand their learners’ aspirations and their likely future needs/placements, to work with them and plan their programmes accordingly - and to deliver them to a high standard so that the learners make at least good progress. Meaningful qualifications have a strong part in learners’ programmes as they provide ‘currency’ for progression and affirmation of their success/progress – however the key issue is about learners making good progress in the areas of learning relevant to their circumstances/future needs and enabling them to become more independent – with respect to communication skills, personal and emotional development, employability, independent living skills, literacy and financial-literacy.

11. How well do you meet your learners’ needs? How well are learners prepared for their likely next step? Are learners’ targets and programmes really individualised? How well are learners involved in their target setting? Is prior attainment (baseline) information used thoroughly and effectively to set targets? How does the provider ensure targets are based on high expectations? How well are assessment, target setting and the evaluation of progress towards longer term goals rigorously moderated? Do all learners have targets for literacy/communication and numeracy/mathematics?

12. Is learning developed in a range of settings, not just in the classroom, workshop or workplace? Do learners become more independent? Is there a reduction in support required (where appropriate)? How effectively is technology used to overcome barriers to learning? How successful is the development of everyday living skills, including social interactions? How frequently is achievement towards a target monitored? Are there rigorous reviews of the continued appropriateness of targets? How often have monitoring and review resulted in changes of targets?

13. How does the provider know if good progress is made? Do they know what would need to improve for achievement to become outstanding? How would they recognise if achievement was deteriorating? Does achievement information show how well learners have made progress across all aspects of their programme? Does information about achievement include more than data about passing qualifications? Does qualification success represent progress? Are there any differences in the achievement by different groups of learners? How thoroughly are targets used in session planning, and in teaching and learning?

14. How effectively does information from learners, parents/carers and other stakeholders contribute to quality assurance? Is information gathered after a learner has left college? Has such information led to change? How does the provider ensure that slowness towards achieving targets is not the result of weakness in the provision? Has learners’ slowness/failure to make progress resulted in changes to the provision? Has such change been effective? How effectively are governors/trustees informed of learners’ achievement? Do they know how progress would need to improve for it to become outstanding? Do they know what inadequate progress would look like? Is improving learners’ outcomes central to performance management? Is success to achieving ambitious targets considered rigorously?

15. How effectively has information about learners’ progress and the quality of their provision been analysed and informed self-assessment and improvement planning? Is the effectiveness of quality assurance and self-assessment monitored by its impact on improving outcomes? Do teaching and learning observations focus on the learners rather than the teacher? How effective is the link between session observations, performance management and professional development and improved learner progress?

16. The Common Inspection Framework The overall aim of inspection is to evaluate how efficiently and effectively the education and training provision meets learners’ needs. Inspectors will finally judge the quality of education and/or training provided – the provider’s overall effectiveness – taking account of: the three key aspect judgements outcomes for learners quality of teaching, learning and assessment effectiveness of leadership and management. the extent to which the education and/or training meets the needs of the range of learners at the provider and, in particular, the needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

17. Outcomes for learners In judging outcomes for learners, inspectors must evaluate the extent to which: all learners achieve and make progress relative to their starting points and learning goals achievement gaps are narrowing between different groups of learners learners develop personal, social and employability skills learners progress to courses leading to higher-level qualifications and into jobs that meet local and national needs.

18. All learners achieve and make progress relative to their starting points and learning goals To make this judgement, inspectors will consider the extent to which: learners attain their learning goals, including qualifications, and achieve challenging targets learners’ work meets or exceeds the requirements of the qualifications, learning goals or employment learners enjoy learning and make progress relative to their prior attainment and potential learners make progress in learning sessions and/or in the work place, and improve the quality of their work learners attend, participate in, arrive on time and develop the right attitudes to learning.

19. Where relevant, inspectors should take into account: important learning objectives that are additional to learners’ qualification aims social and personal development, including employability skills achievement data in different settings the quality of learners’ work and their ability to demonstrate knowledge, skills and understanding, with particular attention to the level of skills reached by different groupsof learners.

20. Learners develop personal, social and employability skills To make this judgement, inspectors will consider: the development of English, mathematics and functional skills required to complete learners’ programmes and progress the achievement of additional qualifications and/or experience gained in the workplace broader skills relevant to learners’ progression and career aims, such as communication, teamwork, leadership, taking responsibility, reflective thinking, problem solving, independent enquiry and employability.

21. Where relevant, inspectors should take into account: financial literacy/capabilities and competence learners’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development learners’ effectiveness in the workplace, including their knowledge and understanding gained through training learners’ understanding of their rights and responsibilities at the provider and at work, and as citizens and consumers in the community learners’ development of skills in, and knowledge and understanding of, sustainable development.

22. Learners progress to courses leading to higher-level qualifications and into jobs that meet local and national needs To make this judgement, inspectors will consider: how well learners progress to further learning and employment or gain promotion how well learners develop an understanding of careers and progression opportunities, and their ability to benefit from training and development opportunities learners’ acquisition of qualifications and the skills and knowledge that will enable them to progress to their chosen career, employment and/or further education and training learners’ progression routes, and the extent to which these meet local and national priorities the extent to which learners with severe and complex learning difficulties gain skills and progress to become more independent in their everyday life.

23. Effectiveness of leadership and management Inspectors must evaluate the extent to which leaders and managers at all levels including, where relevant, governors: demonstrate an ambitious vision, have high expectations for what all learners can achieve, and attain high standards of quality and performance improve teaching and learning through rigorous performance management and appropriate professional development evaluate the quality of the provision through robust self-assessment, taking account of users’ views, and use the findings to promote and develop capacity for sustainable improvement successfully plan, establish and manage the curriculum and learning programmes to meet the needs and interests of learners, employers and the local and national community actively promote equality and diversity, tackle bullying and discrimination, and narrow the achievement gap safeguard all learners.

24. Leaders and managers successfully plan, establish and manage the curriculum and learning programmes to meet the needs and interests of learners, employers and the local and national community To make this judgement, inspectors will consider: how well data and information on learners’ and employers’ needs, and local and national priorities, are used to review and plan the provision whether learning programmes are accessible in terms of timing, location, mode of delivery and duration, and are structured to provide a coherent and substantive course of study at different levels with a variety of interesting and useful activities to meet learners’ individual needs, including for those under-represented in learning and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities whether learning programmes contain appropriate attention to improving learners’ English, mathematics and functional skills and ensuring development of their employability skills

25. the effectiveness of curriculum management in ensuring that the range, content and flexibility of the learning offer provides all learners with choice and opportunities for progression to higher levels of study and employment the extent to which learners are on the appropriate courses or learning programmes how well learning programmes are planned and managed the flexibility of arrangements for training and assessment to suit learners’ and employers’ needs.

26. Where relevant, inspectors should take into account: how the provider considers employers’ views and information on performance, skills and labour demand to identify training needs the extent to which the range and content of learning programmes and services are relevant to local communities and national priorities whether learning programmes, including those developed with schools, local authorities, employers and others, are effective in encouraging participation by young people who are at risk of leaving or who are not in education, employment or training how partnerships with schools, employers, community groups and others enable learners to develop new skills and gain knowledge and qualifications how effectively curriculum planning meets learners’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development needs.

27. To accredit or not to accredit? That is today’s question….. Ruth PerryLearner First

28. Using accreditation with learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities • Why? When? • How much? What sort? What’s the alternative?

29. Why do colleges use qualifications? • Senior management doesn’t allow any non-accredited learning • They provide us with a ready-made approach to quality assurance We’ve always used them It helps us decide what to teach • They provide structure, rigour and pace • Parents and learners like the certificates • It’s how the college measures achievement • Employers like to see qualifications on a CV • They can support progression, eg onto mainstream programmes • It’s what the funding bodies want

30. Good practice in qualification use • Curriculum is determined by learner needs, interests and aspirations; qualifications are then used to provide evidence of achievement • Sufficient time is planned into the curriculum for learner-led activity, development and consolidation of skills, opportunities to transfer skills – which can then be evidenced through a qualification • Qualifications are used to structure planned learning – not to determine the content of a learning programme • Qualifications are used to support progression to a specific course or job

31. When qualifications go bad….

32. When qualifications go bad….

33. When qualifications go bad….

34. When qualifications go bad….

35. What’s the alternative? • Person-centred planning • Learner-led learning • Project-led learning • Enterprise-based learning • Extended work placement • Personalised learning programmes • College certificates, employer references, DVD CVs • Use of RARPA

36. What does good quality non-accredited learning look like? What should a commissioner be looking for? What should a college have in place – and be able to use as evidence of good quality provision?

37. What does good quality non-accredited learning look like? • Clearly stated, progression-focused learning aims, appropriate to an individual learner or groups of learners • Initial assessment to establish learners’ starting points • Identification of appropriately challenging learning objectives: initial, renegotiated and revised • Creative, active, outward-looking teaching and learning programmes

38. What does good quality non-accredited learning look like? • Recognition and recording of progress and achievement during programme • End-of-programme learner self-assessment; teacher summative assessment; review of overall progress (distance travelled) and achievement • Evidence of clearly defined outcomes and positive progressions being achieved

39. Resources http://www.preparingforadulthood.org.uk/ http://www.lsis.org.uk/ http://www.sendpathfinder.co.uk/ http://www.gettingalife.org.uk/