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ITEM EX10

EXECUTIVE – 14 JANUARY 2004

OXFORDSHIRE 14-19 AREA INSPECTION AND ACTION PLAN

Report by Director for Learning & Culture

1. ‘14-19 area wide inspection’ was introduced in March 2003 under the Learning and Skills Act 2000 (amended 2002). Oxfordshire was inspected from 28 April to 2 May and from 9 to 13 June 2003. Oxfordshire was one of the first four areas to be inspected against an evaluation schedule which was subject to consultation at the time of the inspection. The inspection report on Oxfordshire was published on 6 October and the accompanying ministerial letter charged Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Learning & Skills Council (MKOB LSC) and Oxfordshire as LEA to take the lead in developing and implementing an action plan responding to the findings of the inspection.

Oxfordshire 14-19 Area Inspection

2. Area wide 14-19 inspection should answer the question:

"How effective and efficient is the provision of education and training across the area in meeting the needs of learners, employers and the community."

The judgment concerns all 14-19 provision in Oxfordshire. Oxfordshire County Council has responsibility for 14-19 education and training provided in schools. The Learning & Skills Council has responsibility for work based learning and Further Education Colleges and also funds Post 16 education in schools.

Main findings of the Oxfordshire 14-19 Area Inspection

3. Strengths are:

• good links between strategic partners at operational level
• a clearly costed strategy for 14 to 19 education in schools in the LEA’s EDP
• wider curriculum opportunities for young people through the established 16 to 19 consortia and the Increased Flexibility Programmes
• improving GCSE and GCE A-level pass rates
• good standards of teaching in schools at Key Stage 4 and post-16
• measures taken by the LEA to support greater social inclusion.

4. Weaknesses are:

• the absence of appropriate structures and an integrated strategy for 14 to 19 education and training
• insufficient engagement of employers in 14 to 19 strategic planning
• underdeveloped links between special schools and post-16 providers
• low participation and achievement in work-based learning
• low pupil achievements relative to statistical neighbours at Key Stage 4
• some unsatisfactory teaching and retention in colleges.

5. Comment and recommendations are detailed under five headings. Significant recommendations and their implications for Oxfordshire County Council are:

(a) The strategy for education and training

6. The report is complimentary about the Authority’s approach to 14-19 in its Education Development Plan and PSA targets. There is clearly an expectation that the County Council will deliver these improvements and this will require investment in improved provision at Key Stage 4 and for Level 1 and 2 learners Post 16

Recommendations

LEA and LSC high-level strategic forum to co-ordinate 14 to 19 policy and strategy for education and training. Consider whether the current configuration of providers best meets the needs of learners, especially those in rural areas. The roles of the different 14 to 19 stakeholders should be better defined in terms of their intended contribution to an overall 14 to 19 strategy. Development plans of the different stakeholders should complement each other and be linked to an overall county or sub-regional strategy. The role of employers in 14 to 19 strategic planning should be strengthened.

7. The report is complimentary about the Authority’s honest and accurate evaluation of strengths and weaknesses. The report challenges the Council to deliver attainment commensurate with statistical neighbours and with the PSA targets for vulnerable groups and non- participants. Two of the four recommendations in this section, concern the County Council.

Recommendations

Consideration should be given to involving a wider number of stakeholders in the development of local learning centres and curriculum support networks. The promotion of equal opportunities should form a key part of any shared vision for 14 to 19 education and training.

8. All of the recommendations arise out of the Directorate’s self evaluation.

Recommendations

Post-16 participation rates into education and training, in particular the low numbers entering work-based learning, should be increased. Post-16 provision for educational study at levels 1 and 2 should be increased. Links between special schools, colleges and work-based trainers should be developed further to ensure that an appropriate range of progression opportunities is provided for pupils with Special Educational Needs. The LEA and the local LSC should ensure that individual post-16 consortia devise plans which are informed by an overall area strategy for 14 to 19 education and training. Good practice in school and college consortia and partnership links should be shared and disseminated.

1. Guidance and support

Recommendation

The LEA and local LSC should work together to ensure that pupils are provided with the full range of progression opportunities post-16 including work-based training. An evaluation of the quality of advice and guidance in schools should be undertaken to determine how far it effectively meets the needs of all pupils. Colleges should work with the PRUIS to explore the possibility of accommodating pupils at risk of disengagement from learning.

9. There are positive comments on the quality of teaching and learning in schools, and on attainment at Advanced Level and the quality of LEA intervention. There is critical comment on provision in some colleges and work- based learning generally.

Recommendation

The LEA, through its EDP and PSA targets, should continue to work hard to ensure that achievement levels at Key Stage 4 match the outcomes of Oxfordshire’s statistical neighbours. In line with its PSA targets, the LEA should ensure that the performance of vulnerable pupils improves significantly from the current unsatisfactory level

10. Representatives of MKOB LSC, the Directorate for Learning & Culture, Connexions, FE college principals, headteachers, work based learning training providers have steered the creation of the Plan. Actions in the Plan are grouped under these four headings:

• Coherence and Collaboration - To build on, and extend, partnerships to develop a robust and collaborative planning framework to maximise the quality and effectiveness of present provision and future needs
• Towards Excellence - To raise participation and achievement of young people in schools and further education by improving access and progression opportunities and to a high quality learning environment
• Support & Guidance - To enable all young people to make appropriate learning and career-related decisions by providing high quality, impartial and appropriate information, advice and guidance
• Work Based Learning - To raise participation, retention and achievement of young people in work-based learning by improving the quality and relevance of provision

11. Consequences of the Action Plan for key providers and for key professionals and groups are set out in Annex 1 and Annex 2 respectively. The full Plan is in the Members’ Resource Centre.
12. The Action Plan has a three year time span and draws on existing plans of the Authority and MKOB LSC. Funding is available from the DfES, routed through the Learning & Skills Council, and a request for £494,500 will be submitted with the Action Plan. It should be noted that actions to improve and develop provision arising from the implementation of a strategy for 14-19 may require additional funding from both the County Council and the MKOB Learning and Skills Council in future years.

RECOMMENDATIONS

13. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

1. note the recommendations of the Oxfordshire 14 to 19 Area Inspection Report;
2. approve the submission of the 14-19 Action Plan to the DfES and partner bodies.

KEITH BARTLEY
Director for Learning & Culture

Background papers: Oxfordshire 14-19 Area Inspection Report and Action Plan

Contact Officers:
Gillian Tee. Tel: Oxford 815125
Christine Southall Tel: Oxford 492064

January 2003

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