Update to the Disabled Students Stakeholders Group on the Needs Led pilot project - 13 November 2008
Background
- In June 2007 ten Scottish colleges piloted revised guidance on how colleges can claim extended learning support (ELS) or Dominant Programme Group 18 (DPG 18) programmes for students with additional educational support needs. The aim of the revised guidance was to develop a more student-centred approach that focussed on individual support needs. The colleges received £20,000 to help with the extra administration costs.
Feedback from colleges
- The pilot ended earlier this year. In October 2008 the colleges provided us with feedback reports. The feedback from the colleges was mainly positive. The main messages were:
- Many of the colleges had already adopted, or were moving towards, a needs-led approach;
- Colleges generally feel that the impact on the student of a needs-led approach is positive;
- The revised guidance has led to a greater administrative and cost burden, though most of the colleges did not identify this as necessarily being negative;
- It is too early to determine the impact of the revised guidance on student retention and attainment;
- The majority of the colleges agreed that Her Majesty's Inspectorate for Education (HMIe) should monitor quality through their existing quality enhancement framework
Next steps
- Hold a final meeting with the colleges in December 2008;
- Publish a circular about the pilot in January 2009;
- Host a sector-wide Needs-led event on 10 February 2009;
- Update our Student Unit of Measurements (SUMs) guidance for 2009/10
Further information
- For further information, please contact Roland Tye, Policy Officer, on 0131 313 6614 (email rtye@sfc.ac.uk )