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A REVIEW OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND FURTHER EDUCATION COLLEGES IN SCOTLAND: Partner Document to the Interim Report
SECTION 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1 In this partner document to the interim report we explain how we plan to increase and enhance school/college partnerships so that pupils have high quality experiences and gain suitable recognition for their work in further education colleges.
1.2 We want further education colleges to help develop the attributes and abilities of young people to enable them to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors to society and at work by assisting schools to deliver the 3-18 curriculum. This requires the delivery of continuous quality improvement across both the school and further education sectors with the focus on the pupil.
1.3 In its Partnership Agreement, the Executive committed itself to allow 14 to 16 year old pupils the chance to develop vocational skills by opting for further education courses during part of the school week. We want to widen pupils' opportunities and ease their transition from school to further learning, training or employment. Further education courses can present pupils with opportunities to broaden their curriculum choices and enrich their educational experiences. We want to make the most of pupils talents, and that means finding the most suitable way of stimulating their interest in learning. For some, vocational education can provide the context which best engages them. For others, college may present the opportunity to study some non-traditional subjects, such as Higher Sociology, which may not be taught in their school. We plan to deliver the Partnership Agreement principally by:
- working with the Scottish Qualifications Authority to develop skills-for-work courses leading to nationally recognised qualifications for pupils in S3 and S4 in vocational subjects as another option choice, for example as an alternative to one or more Standard Grades;
- making clear that all secondary and special schools should have effective, meaningful and appropriate partnership with at least one further education college for S3 pupils and above; and
- establishing long term, clear and stable funding arrangements in place of the current anomalous funding mechanism that disadvantages further education colleges in providing courses to school pupils (because it fails at present to deliver fee income to colleges).
1.4 We will ensure school/college collaboration delivers quality, positive outcomes and safeguards pupil safety and welfare. We will put in place a framework for collaboration which enables effective local decision-making and removes barriers to collaboration.
1.5 Further education colleges already have in place their own robust internal quality procedures to measure progress on quality issues. To further ensure high quality experiences for school pupils:
- Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education, which undertakes independent reviews of the quality of provision in further education colleges and in schools, will evaluate school/college collaboration from both angles;
- the Scottish Qualifications Authority will develop the new vocational courses, with quality experiences at their core, in close partnership with the education and training community, including employers' organisations; and
- the Scottish Executive will complete its review of the occupational standards and national guidelines on provision leading to the teaching qualification in further education (TQ(FE)) and related professional development so that it incorporates, among other things, the teaching of young people under 16 years of age.
1.6 We have set up a working group to examine the issues surrounding the qualifications of college staff to teach school pupils. We have also established a group to produce national guidelines on 'best practice' on a number of important matters, including issues about the application of colleges' duty of care to pupils. Both groups will report by the end of January 2005.
1.7 Collaboration will be developed with a view to the long term and we anticipate that it will grow in an evolutionary way over the coming years. It may involve school pupils studying in college for part of the week. It also presents opportunities for college courses to be delivered by college staff in schools.
1.8 Options will be made available to school pupils as they are with all other students in further and higher education - on the basis of available capacity. We expect pupils of all abilities in S3 and above to be able to be considered for college courses. That said, given that there is a limit on capacity we expect that due regard is paid to those pupils for whom collaboration is especially beneficial in activities that particularly broaden pupils' educational experiences and enhance their life chances.
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