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Curriculum
The FE and school curriculum is constantly changing and is subject to targets and initiatives set by central, regional and local government.
The new White Papers (2008) New Opportunities ( schools sector) and Raising Expectations ( FE sector) are available in downloads off our homepage. A key concern is action to mitigate the impact of poverty on life chances from nursery age through to adulthood. The related Education and Skills Act will raise the school leaving age from 16 to 18 from 2015.
In September 2008 the first five 14-19 Diplomas were launched:
Creative and Media
Construction and the built environment
Engineering
Information Technology
Society, Health and development.
A further five Diploma programmes will commence in September 2009 and by 2013 all 17 planned programmes will be operational. Look for the 14-19 links for full details.
Linked to the Diplomas is the introduction of Personal Learning and Thinking Skills and Functional Skills as replacements for Key Skills.
The six PLTS skills are:
Independent enquirers
Creative thinkers
Reflective learners
Team workers
Self Managers
Effective participants
The three Functional Skills are in English, Mathematics and ICT.
PLTS and Functional Skills are already integrated in the School curriculum and so the next cohorts of students entering FE will be familiar with them. FE should also consider the importance of Employability skills. Use the links for further information and note the documents in the downloads section of the Collegenet website.
In December 2006 movement towards personalised learning was significantly advanced by the publication of, 'Vision 2020: report of the teaching and learning in 2020 review group'. The review group was chaired by the Chief Inspector of Ofsted Christine Gilbert and contains and a compelling overview of how learning in our schools might be transformed by 2020. Although aimed at the schools sector it is compulsory reading for the FE sector because by 2020 the first full 'graduates' of the personalised curriculum will enter FE. An associated document, 'Personalising Further Education: developing a vision' invites comment and discussion on how best to apply personalised learning in FE. Both documents are available from Collegenet downloads. Also note there is an Update circular on this theme available in our Update downloads.
The other significant driver of change in the current FE curriculum is the White Paper, Further Education: raising skills, improving life chances'. This was published March 2006 and is also available in Collegenet downloads.
The Government policy section lists the major national and regional sources of government curriculum guidance. Under Srategy and Gudiance you will find the major organisations linked to the FE curriculum for England, Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has set the target of 2010 for the completion of a review and reduction of the overall number of qualifications in the FE jungle. The QCA has identifed over 4000 qualifications awarded by over 100 different awarding bodies and aims to introduce a clear framework.
The Quality Improvement Agency ( QIA) excellence database provides a 'one stop shop' for all aspects of curriculum support and includes the Ofsted good practice database.
The LSC briefings and guidance link provides a host of useful articles, reviews and downloads linked to developments in the FE curriculum.
The delivery of Key Skills is being recast as functional skills to reflect a greater focus on basic and employability skills coupled with the introduction of Personal Learning and Thinking Skills. A handy QCA summary is available in Collegenet downloads.
All colleges need to plan their curriculum offer using the latest Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) to ensure that their provision matches employment skill and labour force trends. Care should be taken to link to the FRESA survey (Framework for Regional Employment and Skills Action) provided by the relevant Regional Development Agency. (RDA).
The development of ICT skills and the use of Information Learning Technology (ILT) within teaching and learning is a key area for future development. Most employment in the UK involves some interaction with ICT and consequently it is important for students to develop their skills as an integral part of their course. The promotion of e-teaching and e-learning can also signifcantly enhance teaching and learning by producing greater flexibility, extended access, wider support and improved learner motivation.
If you are seeking a source of worldwide calendar information by country or religious group visit Earth Calender.
Finally, think back to your own schooldays and what do you remember? Apart from lumpy mash potato it is more often or not the school trip or an educational visit that remains in your memory. There are a host of useful museums and places of interest linked to most curriculum areas. Check our listings.
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