19 February 2010
A report by HM Inspectors on behalf of the Scottish Funding Council
The external review process
1. Introduction
The college and its context
The external review
2. Confidence statements
3. Summary
Strengths
Main points for action
4. How well are learners progressing and achieving relevant, high quality outcomes?
5. How effective are the college’s learning and teaching processes?
6. How well are learners engaged in enhancing their own learning and the work and life of the college?
7. How well is the college led and how well is it enhancing the quality of its services for learners and other stakeholders?
8. Signposting excellent and sector-leading and innovative practice
9. What happens next?
10. How can you contact us?
Appendices
Glossary of terms
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
HM Inspectors undertake an independent review of the quality of provision in Scotland’s colleges on behalf of the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC) under a service level agreement between the council and HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE). Review teams include HM Inspectors, associate assessors and a student team member.
During external reviews, members of the review teams observe learning and teaching and hold discussions with learners and staff. They examine information on learner attainment and evaluate learner progress and outcomes. They meet with members of the Board of Management and obtain feedback from community groups, partners and employers that work with the college.
The primary purpose of this report is to convey fully the main outcomes arising from the external review, to acknowledge the college’s strengths and to provide a clear agenda for future action to improve and enhance quality.
This report contains confidence statements that express the review team’s overall evaluation of high quality learning, learner engagement and quality culture.
The report also uses the following terms to describe numbers and proportions:
almost all |
over 90% |
most |
75-90% |
majority |
50-74% |
more than a few |
15-49% |
few |
up to 15% |
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In carrying out the external review of John Wheatley College, HMIE took the following college context fully into account.
John Wheatley College is located in the east end of Glasgow. The majority of the local authority wards which comprise its east Glasgow catchment areas feature in the Scottish Government’s most deprived data zones and other related indices of multiple deprivation. Seventy-six percent of learners live in the 20% poorest data areas as defined by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). In 2008, the Office for Public Health in Scotland study indicated that the area which the college serves has:
These indicators of profound relative poverty are the primary drivers for many of the features of the college’s curriculum and of its operational approach to the engagement with learners. As a consequence of its operational context, the college enrols a high proportion of learners who require individualised, additional support to assist their learning.
The college works with a range of partners to respond to local developments and regeneration priorities. These include its Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs), Glasgow East Arts Company, Glasgow East Regeneration Agency and local housing associations. The college's approach to widening access enables brokers of local community interest and local community, voluntary, and partner organisations to commission it to provide community-based provision for learners who would not normally engage in further education.
The college delivers within local communities from its three main campuses at Easterhouse, East End (Haghill) and Fullerton Industrial Estate, and through a network of 18 community learning centres.
College provision is predominantly further education (FE) level, part-time and designed to provide opportunities for progression. There is a small proportion of HE programmes. The college is structured around two operational teams; the Curriculum Management Team and the College Services Team. Learning and teaching is delivered through two schools. The School of Core Skills consists of communication and languages, community development, information and communications technology (ICT) and business, and support for learning. The School of Vocational Skills makes provision in vocational areas such as construction, care, creative technologies and service industries.
The college provides programmes for a range of partners including community agencies, housing associations, employers and Glasgow City Council. It works with local secondary schools and Glasgow’s Vocational Programme to provide opportunities for school-age learners. This includes Skills for Work programmes and a range of alternative curriculum programmes designed to meet the needs of young people requiring More Choices, More Chances (MCMC) and Looked After and Accommodated Children (LAAC).
The college delivers programmes ranging from introductory/access level to Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) level 7. In academic session 2008-09 the college enrolled around 8,500 individual learners.
The College’s revenue income budget for 2009-10 is approximately £10m, with grant-in-aid from the SFC accounting for around 70% of the total.
The external review by HMIE took place during the week beginning 2 November 2009.
We examined learning and teaching and other important activities that impact on the quality of the learner experience. We evaluated these against the three key principles of high quality learning, learner engagement and quality culture, using the 17 reference quality indicators outlined in External quality arrangements for Scotland’s colleges, September 2008. We used information from previous visits to the college to decide the scope of the review.
The external review team talked with learners, staff at all levels in the college, members of the Board of Management, employers, external agencies and other users of the college.
We found examples of excellence and sector-leading practice which we describe in Section 81 of this report.
The following are holistic judgements made by HMIE on the basis of the external review activities which took place in November 2009. These judgements relate to the key principles of high quality learning, learner engagement and quality culture.
HMIE is confident that:
HMIE is confident that learners are progressing well and achieving relevant, high quality outcomes.
How well does the college perform against its educational aims, objectives and targets?
John Wheatley College operates in one of the most challenging educational environments in Scotland. Managers and staff are achieving the college’s mission to provide an excellent and inclusive lifelong learning environment for East Glasgow and the other communities it serves. The college has created a very inclusive culture where learners feel safe and respected and their aspirations are taken seriously by staff. The college is very responsive to the particular challenges of the environment in which it operates. These challenges include significant levels of poverty, unemployment and territorialism. Within this environment, the college works closely with its local partners to provide an ethos of social inclusion, learning and achievement through which people’s lives are radically improved. As a result, the local community values and is proud of the college and the services it provides.
The college has achieved most of its strategic objectives and associated targets set for the academic year 2008-09. A few that were partly achieved have been appropriately rescheduled. Other significant aims, objectives and targets have been achieved in relation to sustainable development, health and safety, equalities and partnership working.
How effective is the college at achieving and maintaining high levels of retention, attainment and progression?
Retention rates are high on part-time FE and HE programmes overall and very high on a few part-time FE programmes. However, on more than a few full-time FE and HE programmes retention rates are low.
Attainment rates on full-time FE programmes are high overall. Attainment rates on part-time FE programmes in the majority of subject areas are high. However, attainment rates of learners on full-time HE programmes are low and have been low over the last three years. The college has recognised this and has identified the ill health of learners and their dependents, and personal or financial problems, as major contributory factors to low attainment. Many learners, who do not complete their programmes for personal reasons, return to the college to continue their studies when their life circumstances change.
How well does the college fulfil its statutory duties?
The college fulfils its statutory duties as required by equalities legislation and has integrated all aspects of equality, diversity and fairness into its policies, procedures and planning processes. As a result, a strong ethos of fairness and respect for all permeates the college culture. The Board of Management and equalities committee monitor rigorously the effectiveness of the college’s equalities arrangements.
There are appropriate well-embedded policies and arrangements for safeguarding young people and vulnerable adults. The Board of Management annually reviews and agrees the college’s health and safety policy and receives regular reports on its effectiveness.
How accessible, flexible and inclusive are the college’s programmes and services?
The college offers a wide range of accessible and flexible learning options which enable learners to tailor learning around their individual needs, circumstances and aspirations. An extensive range of predominantly FE level programmes provides very good opportunities for learners to access learning at levels appropriate to their skills and abilities.
Programmes delivered through an extensive network of high quality, well-equipped community-based learning centres makes learning easily accessible within local communities. Flexible learning units enable learners to access learning at times which best suit their needs.
The college is very successful at targeting hard-to-reach groups. These include those who have social or personal issues, people who have had previous negative experiences of education, refugees and asylum seekers, and long-term unemployed.
The college is proactive in reducing barriers to learning. This includes providing free childcare and personal equipment and materials needed for successful learning. Learners, including non-English speakers, have very good access to support for literacies.
How well do programmes and services meet learner needs?
The college makes very effective use of labour-market information and engagement with partner agencies and employers to inform planning of programmes and services. As a result, the range and levels of programmes are relevant and well-linked to the needs of individuals, communities and key stakeholders. Programmes designed in response to the expressed needs of community groups are highly successful in attracting and engaging hard-to-reach learners. This is reflected in the high proportion of part-time programmes.
The college is skilled and successful in developing and delivering provision for specific groups of learners, particularly those who are vulnerable or have become disengaged from learning. The college, in partnership with Glasgow City Council, offers a wide range of part-time school-link programmes for pupils of local secondary schools including those with additional support needs. Strong links with employers and the Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) has led to an appropriate range of bespoke programmes for employees.
Equality and diversity is promoted and addressed very effectively within programmes. Sustainability is an integral part of college life and is promoted actively within programmes.
How well do learners make progress, attain qualifications and achieve more widely?
The college’s curriculum is designed to enable learners to progress at their own pace, and leave and return to education as their personal, domestic and economic circumstances change. As a result, learners are able to build incrementally from their prior learning.
Learners achieve a wide range of vocational and essential skills, including personal, learning and core skills, and skills for citizenship, employability and sustainability.
Many learners enter learning with very low confidence and skill levels and progress successfully through college programmes to further learning and employment. Employability skills are an integral part of most programmes. Learners undertaking programmes which include guaranteed employment or recruitment interviews are particularly successful in progressing to employment.
Most learners continue their learning on completion of their programmes. For example, most learners undertaking programmes designed to give them more choices and more chances continue to engage with learning after completing their programme.
HMIE is confident that the college has in place high quality learning and teaching processes.
How well does the college develop and deliver programmes and services to meet the needs of learners from all backgrounds?
The college delivers a wide range of programmes and services to meet the needs of a diverse range of learners. This includes programmes for learners with specific support needs, school-age and older learners and non-English speakers. An extensive range of provision with a strong focus on the development of learner self-confidence meets the needs of individuals well. Part-time programmes which do not lead to a nationally recognised award provide an appropriate re-introduction to learning for many learners. Teaching staff work across community-based learning centres and college campuses and this eases transition for learners progressing to college-based programmes.
Staff systematically review their curriculum materials to ensure they promote awareness of equality and diversity and avoid cultural bias. The college quality team provides regular support and guidance to course teams to ensure equality and diversity are embedded throughout programmes. Robust curriculum approval processes ensure planning for learning and teaching takes account of the design principles of Curriculum for Excellence. As a result, the curriculum, teaching approaches and learning materials reflect a rich diversity of cultural aspects.
How well do learners learn?
Learners are motivated, committed to their learning and enthusiastic about participating in learning activities. They work purposefully together and support each other well in class activities. Almost all had gained sufficient confidence to be able to work independently to enhance and extend their learning.
Learners progress well and develop a range of useful personal, learning and vocational skills. Almost all draw on constructive feedback from staff to further develop their skills. Most gain employability skills through work placements and involvement in community projects. They make good use of their Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) to reflect on learning and plan for improvement and progression. Many make good use of the Flexible Learning Units (FLU) to broaden and further their learning.
Young people who were previously disengaged from learning, particularly those on the Enhanced Vocational Inclusion Programme (EVIP), want to continue to participate in learning as a result of their experience at the college.
How well do teaching and the use of resources ensure effective learning?
Teaching staff use their vocational expertise effectively and apply well-judged learning and teaching approaches to engage and motivate learners. They consistently encourage learners to make full use of all the college's facilities, including FLUs and additional support services, to maximise their achievements.
Recent investments in the college’s estates, including local learning centres, have resulted in very high quality learning environments which aid effective learning.
The college’s Information and Learning Technology (ILT) champions support staff well in reviewing, improving and enhancing their learning and teaching approaches. However, a few staff do not use ICT sufficiently to further enhance learning and teaching.
Teaching staff make effective use of work placements and learner involvement in community-based projects to develop employability and citizenship skills and help learners develop responsibility, social awareness and self esteem.
Teaching staff set appropriate standards and encourage good timekeeping, attendance and behaviour. However, they also take very good account of the circumstances of individual learners and respond flexibly and appropriately to accommodate their specific needs.
How effective is the context and planning for learning and teaching?
Relationships between staff and learners are extremely positive and productive. Learners, including younger learners who previously had become disengaged from learning and older learners returning to learning after a long time, feel welcomed and have a sense of belonging within the college.
Learners contribute regularly to the design and delivery of learning through learner feedback processes. Programme design is very well considered, responsive and creative. Teaching staff plan learning activities well. They construct lessons, adapt pace and alter delivery styles, in response to learner feedback and different learner needs. Staff incorporate activities on topics such as territorialism and sectarianism to develop citizenship skills and social responsibility.
Youth Access provision, delivered to teenagers in college campuses and local centres provides excellent learning experiences and develops personal and social skills. College youth workers work with teaching staff to ensure activities reflect the needs and interests of young people and are planned and presented in an appropriate and engaging way. This approach has been very successful in providing early intervention to prevent young people from becoming disaffected and disengaged from learning.
How well is assessment used to promote effective learning?
Learners are involved in the planning and scheduling of assessments. Teaching staff use assessment well to help learners develop confidence, skills and knowledge. They use a variety of appropriate assessment methods to involve learners in reflecting on their performance and to help them prepare for further learning. This includes assessing and monitoring the development of core skills within vocational activities.
Teaching staff engage learners regularly in individual and peer evaluation processes to assess their progress and performance. Most teaching staff provide constructive oral and written feedback to learners. Additional support arrangements are comprehensive and resources and assistance are readily available to learners.
How well are potential and current learners provided with information, advice and support?
Learners receive effective pre-entry guidance and support, including profiling of core skills, at an early stage of their studies. Learners and staff use ILPs effectively to identify initial support requirements, reflect on progress and plan any additional support measures. Staff provide relevant and appropriate curriculum support to learners and help them set suitable goals and targets for improvement.
Learners receive high quality information, guidance and support during their college experience. Highly committed, approachable and proactive staff ensure that resources and support services are easily accessible to learners. The central Advice Team provides effective tailored and targeted support for learners. Very good communication and referral arrangements between teaching and Advice Team staff enable learners to obtain support quickly.
How well does the college sustain continuous enhancement through self-evaluation and internal review activities?
Almost all curriculum and support teams engage learners well in the evaluation of provision and services. Learners attend programme review meetings and are active on programme review panels. Staff take good account of learner feedback obtained through programme team meetings, focus groups and surveys. Innovative cross-college and departmental approaches to learner engagement are shared well amongst staff.
Curriculum teams regularly evaluate learning and teaching and staff draw on external evaluations to reflect on, and improve their practice. The majority of programme teams use challenge questions effectively to review their learning and teaching approaches and action improvements. However, a few teaching teams are not setting sufficiently measurable targets to enable them to monitor progress in enhancing learning and teaching.
The college involves its partner agencies appropriately in reviewing community provision and setting targets for improvement. Staff evaluate community programmes against the skills and attributes associated with the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence.
HMIE is confident that learners are actively engaged in enhancing their own learning and the work and life of the college.
How well do learners engage in enhancing their own learning?
Learners value and enjoy learning at the college. They are motivated and very engaged in their learning. Many have learned to enjoy learning as a result of the activities they are involved in. College staff encourage learners to have aspirations and learners reinforce this by supporting and encouraging each other to continue and progress their learning.
Learners use the range of college activities and resources very effectively to enhance and improve their performance. This includes using college facilities such as the FLUs outwith class times, in the evenings and at weekends.
Most learners actively discuss their learning with each other and plan approaches to tasks and activities. They make good use of their ILPs to think about what they have learned, track their achievements and prepare for discussions with their tutors about their progress.
All learners have a strong sense of influence and ownership of their learning. They participate in activities to guide and shape learning and teaching approaches and their overall college experience. They reflect with teaching staff on how they learn best and how well lessons help them to learn. Learners provide constructive feedback to teaching staff on the content and delivery of their lessons. Teaching staff value this feedback and modify both learning and teaching approaches and the curriculum to meet learners’ needs and aspirations better.
Across programme areas, learners are involved in personalising their learning experience through the choosing, timing and sequencing of units. Young people from 12 to 18 years of age attending Youth Access provision work alongside college youth workers and teaching staff to plan and design their activities. Learners undertaking programmes through the Care Leavers’ Employment Services (CLES) negotiate with staff their attendance patterns, programme content, learning and wider goals.
Most learners take part in a range of activities to contribute their views on their learning and college experience. These activities include contributing to cyclical programme review meetings, participating in the class representative system, responding to questionnaires and involvement in dedicated focus groups. Learners also attend regular programme team meetings where they provide feedback to staff on what works well and put forward ideas of where improvements can be made. Class representatives take their role seriously and represent the views of their peers well. Learners use these opportunities well to convey their opinions and affect change.
How well do learners engage in enhancing the work and life of the college?
Throughout the college, learners engage in a wide range of college and community projects and events. The college’s citizenship programmes are highly effective in helping learners consider issues pertinent to their local area. As a result, learners become involved in a wide range of locally-based initiatives. Learners draw on these experiences in class discussions and informally with their peers.
Across programme areas, learners learn about and discuss the impact of sustainability, and equality and diversity on the college and their communities. There are good examples of learners being involved in wider college activities to further their interest in these issues and participating in cross-college projects to extend their knowledge. For example, learners on construction and childcare programmes collaborated on a sustainability project to benefit local childcare centres, and supported learning and Youthstart learners worked together to create a sensory garden in the East End campus.
Learners make good use of opportunities to influence the topics of class discussions. They debate current issues as diverse as cosmetic surgery, territorialism, sectarianism and domestic abuse. Many learners consider that their participation in these activities has helped them to understand and respect the views of others. Within subject areas, they plan and host community events for employers, the public and other learners. Learners across the college contribute to the annual Diversity Week and college show to demonstrate and celebrate their new skills.
Learners are involved in key college committees and participate in decision-making processes that affect the wider college. All programmes have elected class representatives and many have attended comprehensive in-house training to learn more about the college and prepare for their role. A few have undergone Student Participation in Quality Scotland (SPARQS) training. Most learner representatives contribute confidently to annual programme team reviews.
Learner representatives participate in the Board of Management planning processes and engage informally with board members at college events. They contributed to college developments such as the building of the new campus, redesign of ILPs, production of a learner representative handbook and drawing up of equalities schemes. During the external review, the college was in the process of holding elections for the Students’ Association for session 2009-10.
HMIE is confident that the college is led well and is enhancing the quality of its services for learners and other stakeholders.
In order to fulfil its mission and vision, the college has designed its curriculum to meet the needs of each individual learner. Managers work very effectively with partners within local communities to produce programmes and services which will instil confidence and esteem in current and prospective learners. The college’s curriculum aims to build capacity within socially disadvantaged communities and enable individuals to improve their lives. Through effective curriculum leadership, programme teams adapt their curriculum to meet the needs of learners. However, a small proportion of FE learners who continue on to HE level programmes do not progress successfully.
The principal conveys well his passionate commitment to improving the life chances of people within the college’s communities. Through his motivational leadership, he has created a culture of empowerment and creativity in which all staff aim to do their very best for every learner. Staff are highly motivated and contribute proactively and conscientiously to realise the principal’s vision for east Glasgow. They feel valued and enjoy their work immensely.
The human resources team and quality team work well together to deliver highly relevant staff development. Staff identify development needs at individual, team and corporate levels using the career development review process. Staff development activities are well linked to strategic and team plans and equip staff with the skills required to deliver a complex curriculum.
The college works consistently and very effectively with partnership agencies within local communities to provide a sustainable and comprehensive range of support services for learners. The college management team empowers community partners to contribute to the leadership and planning of curricular development and support services. They work well together, capitalising on each other’s strengths, resources and knowledge, to ensure that the diverse needs of their learners and potential learners are met. As a result, the college has developed styles of learning to engage the most vulnerable and under-confident learners enabling them to build their confidence and self esteem, and improve their life chances.
Managers provide very effective leadership of learner information, guidance and support services. This results in highly responsive arrangements and services for learners which take good account of their needs prior to and throughout their college experience. Learners benefit from well-planned and targeted guidance and support for learning which is tailored to meet their individual or group needs.
The principal and his managers contribute significantly and productively to a wide range of external community committees, including community planning partnerships, Glasgow East Arts Company (GEAC), and Glasgow East Regeneration Agency (GERA) and are highly respected by local partners. Working with local partner organisations, including schools, social services, the local National Health Service (NHS) Trust, community police and the emergency services, the college contributes a wide range of services to improve and enhance opportunities for people in the area. The provision of these services, as well as easily accessible learning, has contributed to a decrease in territorialism and violence amongst young people.
Senior managers regularly update the Board of Management and its sub-committees on the outputs from the college’s rigorous self-evaluation processes. To achieve maximum understanding and enhancement, the Board challenges managers on their reports on the quality and enhancement of learning and teaching and support functions.
The quality culture within the college is one of enhancement which focuses on improving experiences and opportunities for the learner. The college’s quality arrangements are comprehensive and robust and well understood by all staff. Successful partnership working between the quality team and the college staff ensures staff across all teaching and support teams work together effectively in the pursuit of improvement. All teams are highly motivated and work with enthusiasm.
Teaching and support teams evaluate provision and services well. Teaching staff actively seek feedback from learners through a variety of methods including dedicated sessions within lessons, formal questionnaires, focus groups and class representatives. They respond well to learner feedback and learners find action taken in response to their comments very motivating. The Evaluation of the learning experience initiative, which has been running for five years, is well supported by staff and has embedded self-evaluation into the every-day thinking and activities of teaching staff. The quality team and senior managers evaluate curriculum provision and identify opportunities for improvement through programme team meetings and the programme review process.
During the HMIE external review, the college submitted examples of what it considered to be sector-leading or excellent practice and the review team also identified examples worthy of dissemination.
8.1 Excellent practice in raising awareness of sustainability through development of a sensory garden
The college actively promotes sustainability to learners across all college programmes. Learners from different programme areas took part in the Sensory Garden project at the East End Campus. The project broadened learners’ awareness of the natural environment, developed citizenship skills and benefitted others in the local community.
In preparation for the project, learners on the Working with Others Transitional Vocational Programme undertook the SQA Unit Monitoring an Environmental Area. Using the internet, they explored the characteristics and habitat of a range of indoor plants which they then planted and nurtured in the classroom, monitoring and recording the changes to mature plant. They researched information about where in the world their plants grew naturally and the conditions in which they thrived and used web cams to find out about weather conditions in other parts of the world.
Learners used ICT to create a plan of their intended sensory garden and young people on the Youthstart Construction programme helped prepare the ground for the garden and built raised flowerbeds in preparation planting. Learners used their garden plan to plant bulbs in the garden and kept photographic logs of the developments they observed. They recently extended the garden stock by purchasing a range of plants attractive to butterflies and insects.
The Sensory Garden project has been successful in fostering partnership working between learners across different programme areas and in developing awareness of green issues. Learners value the opportunity to contribute to a project which improves the college environment, reflects the Glasgow East Local Development Strategy of Changing places; Changing lives and provides a living legacy for future learners.
8.2 Excellent practice in improving local employment opportunities through partnership working
The college identified that local vacancies in the healthcare sector were often being filled by people from outside the local area because local people did not have the necessary skills to compete for them. The partnership of East Glasgow Community Health and Care Partnership (CHCP), GERA and the college designed a programme to provide local unemployed people with the skills and qualifications necessary to access and sustain local employment in the healthcare sector within East Glasgow. Over a period of 15 months, the project recruited and supported 12 local unemployed people, most of whom were lone parents.
Learners undertake a 12 week initial programme designed to introduce them to the healthcare sector. The programme includes attending college part-time and undertaking a paid day-release work placement provided by CHCP.
Additional arrangements are in place to provide on-going support for individuals experiencing difficulties maintaining their learning or work experience. At the end of the 12 weeks, learners progress to a one-year programme leading to an HNC in Healthcare. This is augmented by a guaranteed 12 month work-placement in CHCP to help learners gain the experience to compete for sustainable employment. Throughout the programme, CHCP staff liaise with college staff, organise work placements and lead quarterly development workshops for learners and college staff. They also identify and link participants to potential job vacancies.
From the initial group, eight participants successfully attained an HNC in Healthcare and four are continuing their studies. Eight have obtained employment within the CHCP and the remainder are undertaking further study or have gained other relevant employment. Twelve new learners are now undertaking the programme.
8.3 Sector-leading and innovative practice in encouraging and engaging young people to continue learning
The Youth Access provision is a key part of the college’s response to reducing the number of young people in East Glasgow requiring more choices and more chances. Against a background of territorialism and sectarianism, community partners and the college identified a need to take local action to reduce the number of school leavers not engaging in education, training or employment. Greater Easterhouse Social Inclusion Partnership provided initial funding. However, provision is now jointly funded by the college through SFC funding, Fairer Scotland Funds provided by the Community Planning Partnership and a grant from Glasgow Housing Association.
Young people are encouraged to use college facilities and learning centres to have fun and learn at the same time. The young people are engaged in informal learning, using ICT, and this supports their personal development and contributes to the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence. The college delivers 20 sessions a week across the east end of Glasgow through local community learning centres and college campuses. Approximately 1,400 teenagers a year attend on a drop-in basis.
Ten college youth workers work alongside teaching staff to plan and deliver the activities. Their roles are deliberately distinct and complimentary. The youth workers develop positive relationships with young people and engage them in informal, usually ICT, related activities that interest them and which encourage learning. Teaching staff deliver learning activities built around the interests of the young people. These include: installing and using networked games; designing social networking pages; creating animations and comics; composing and mixing music; using the internet to support homework and designing websites.
To participate in activities, young people have to agree to respect themselves and others, and the buildings and equipment provided. Learners are encouraged to participate in an online ILP which helps them recognise and record their achievements. Currently, over 100 young people have negotiated and agreed learning targets with college youth workers. Most young people who attend Youth Access provision progress to other college programmes and almost half continue to use the college’s drop-in learning facilities. Feedback from partners, including the police, indicates that Youth Access provision has led to a decrease in territorialism and violence amongst young people in the area.
HMIE will continue to monitor progress during annual engagement visits to the college.
Karen Corbett
HM Inspector
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If you wish to comment about any of our reviews, contact us at HMIEenquiries@hmie.gsi.gov.uk or alternatively you should write in the first instance to BMCT, HM Inspectorate of Education, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA.
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Crown Copyright 2010
HM Inspectorate of Education
Glossary of terms
CHCP |
Community Health and Care Partnership |
CLES |
Care Leavers Employment Services |
CPP |
Community Planning Partnership |
EVIP |
Enhanced Vocational Inclusion Programme |
FE |
Further Education |
FLU |
Flexible Learning Unit |
GEAC |
Glasgow East Arts Company |
GERA |
Glasgow East Regeneration Agency |
HE |
Higher Education |
HMIE |
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education |
HNC |
Higher National Certificate |
HND |
Higher National Diploma |
ICT |
Information and Communications Technology |
ILP |
Individual Learning Plan |
ILT |
Information, Learning and Technology |
LAAC |
Looked After and Accommodated Children |
MCMC |
More Choices, More Chances |
NHS |
National Health Service |
SCQF |
Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework |
SFC |
Scottish Funding Council |
SIMD |
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation |
SPARQS |
Student Participation in Quality Scotland |
SQA |
Scottish Qualifications Authority |
STUC |
Scottish Trade Union Congress |
SVQ |
Scottish Vocational Qualification |
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) brings together all Scottish mainstream qualifications into a single unified framework. The framework includes: degree provision, HNC and HND, SQA National Qualifications, and SVQs. There are 12 levels ranging from Access 1 at SCQF level 1 to Doctoral degree at SCQF level 12. Each qualification whether a unit, group of units or larger group award has also been allocated a number of SCQF credits. Each credit represents 10 notional hours of required learning. Doctoral degrees based on a thesis are an exception to this.
Other learning may be credit rated and included in the framework provided it leads to a clear set of learning outcomes and has quality-assured learner assessment. All of Scotland’s colleges were awarded SCQF Credit Rating powers in January 2007.
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