14-19 Reform – Update and Progress Presentation 5: Dominic Herrington- DCSF

Programme Goals To meet the needs of children and young people - as outlined in the Children’s Plan reform has 3 goals: To ensure that all young people participate in education or training that stretches and challenges them until at least their 18 th birthday To give young people the knowledge and skills that employers and the economy need to prosper in the 21 st century To close the achievement gap so that all have an equal opportunity to succeed, irrespective of gender, race, disability or background

Continuing Reform Since 2005 made good progress, but it is vital that we continue - we still face many challenges: There are still too many young people NEET - it cannot be acceptable to deem any young person too hard to engage We lag behind our competitors on basic and intermediate skills levels; employers and Higher Education are telling us that the skill levels of young people must improve Factors such as gender, race, disability and socio-economic background are still strong predictors of attainment We must raise our expectations of young people and their expectations of themselves

Raising the Participation Age The Education and Skills Bill will raise the participation age to 17 by 2013 and to 18 by 2015 – this marks a decisive movement from aspiration to commitment in the reform programme: ● No young person should be outside the education and training system before 18 ● We want to raise the expectations of and for young people, giving them the opportunity and support to succeed ● Increased opportunities can prevent our most vulnerable young people from dropping out ● The benefits of increased participation will be felt by individuals, our society and economy

A high quality learning route for every young person Apprenticeships – all young people suitably qualified will be entitled to a place from 2013 Diplomas - 17 areas of study will be introduced in phases between 2008 and 2011 Foundation Learning Tier – will streamline provision under level 2 and provide progression pathways to further learning General Qualifications – A levels and GCSEs are being reformed to increase their stretch and challenge Re-engagement provision - will support those who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) All young people must have a choice that meets their needs – staying on must be for a reason

The right support for all young people to access and make the most of their choice ● Raise aspirations and challenge stereotypes ● Let everyone know what’s on offer and how to get on the right course – Prospectus, CAP ● Strengthen IAG ● Help identify targeted support for the most vulnerable Vital to making the best choice is high quality information, advice and guidance (IAG) – a wide spectrum of IAG must be available to children, parents and teachers early on. This can:

Strengthening collaboration to deliver learning and support locally The success of reform rests on successful and committed partnership working between teachers, employers local authorities and young people Strengthened partnership working – developing Partnerships The enhanced role for consortia Developing the workforce and better partnership with employers and universities

Establishing the local delivery system with regional and national support Local authorities as strategic leaders of reform Local authorities planning effectively through Partnerships – the Plan Local authorities coming together in sub-regional groupings Establishing the Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA)

14-19 reform: the potential of technology Key to the design, communication and delivery of policy Lots of promising work at local and national level ‘Thin layer of national prescription’ means spreading good practice across all routes

14-19 reform: the potential of technology Diplomas provide clear risks and opportunities here Strong enthusiasm and capacity in initial consortia Key issues of interoperability and cross-sectoral working will need working through as numbers increase

The right support for all young people: the potential of technology Strengthening online Prospectuses, with aspirations around Common Application Process for Year 11 Enthusiasm, e-maturity and capability of institutions and partnerships will be vital Informal IAG increasingly driven by technology Role of City Learning Centres important as a local focus

14-19 reform: the potential of technology The funding transfer and Raising of Participation Age present further issues to consider, for example How should we use / share / develop data systems for new agencies and their links to the sectors? How can we best use and develop the CCIS system at local level? Where do we focus our approach to system change given time and resource constraints?

Your views: delivering reform Given limited resources, are we focussing on the right areas for technology to support delivery? Where should the centre prioritise its work? Are there other areas where technology can drive learning and support for young people?