14-19 Strategy for educational provision

What is the 14-19 strategy?

The Buckinghamshire 14-19 strategy is the local response to the national reform agenda, as set out in the 14-19 Education and Skills White Paper.

The scale and scope of this reform agenda are broad, and will affect all aspects of provision. There are three key drivers for the reform agenda:

Economic – creating a highly skilled workforce to meet the challenges of a global economy;
Social Justice – ensuring that background shouldn’t determine success;
Personalisation – meeting each individual’s needs, whatever their abilities and aspirations.

The key aims of the reform programme are:

Raising Attainment Now - getting young people to stay in learning now, getting them onto the right courses, keeping them there, getting them to achieve;
Reforming Curriculum and Qualifications - so that more young people are motivated and engaged and what they learn is a better preparation for life;
Improving Local Delivery – creating the infrastructure (workforce, providers, facilities, local partnerships and arrangements) capable of delivering the curriculum and qualifications entitlement.

The key elements of the reform agenda are:

Raising the participation age, firstly to 17 in 2013, and then to 18 in 2015, with a ‘guarantee’ of provision for all at ages 16 and 17;
New qualifications – Diplomas, Foundation Learning Tier and Apprenticeships and an entitlement to access these qualifications from age 14;
Reform of GCSE and A level, with a focus on Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (PLT);
Introduction of Functional Skills qualifications for all at KS4;
New National Quality Standards for Information, Advice and Guidance;
The introduction of an Area Wide Prospectus, with a linked Common Application Process;
New funding streams to support the introduction of new qualifications and partnership working;
The proposed machinery of government changes, which, if enacted through Parliament, will result in local authorities assuming responsibility for post-16 funding from the local LSC.

Skill Centre Concept for Buckinghamshire

What is a 'Skill Centre'?

Simply, it is a place where young people can acquire, practice and demonstrate their mastery of skills, together with acquiring the knowledge which underpins the skills. This usually means skills in those areas of learning provision where expensive equipment is required and where individual providers are not able to generate large enough groups to run learning programmes 'in-house'; by necessity a Skills Centre would be a shared resource.

What are we doing in Buckinghamshire?

Buckinghamshire Children and Young People's Service is currently exploring the options for the development of county wide Skills Centre facilities for young people aged 14-19 with local providers and stakeholders.

The key drivers for the project are:

Concept of Skill Centre approach, in order to develop accessibility to vocational education provision, broadly agreed. Identified need to enrich the vocational curriculum and particularly at Key Stage 4;
Support of the concept of a skills based curriculum to diversify the offer for young people and promote engagement and inclusion;
Developments must consider the 'wrap around support' required for vulnerable groups of young people accessing Skills Centre provision not just the curriculum needs;
Skills Centres should not be an alternative Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) or Short Stay School (SSS);
Agreed that an approach which looks at 2 large Skills Centres in the north and the south of the county is not the solution; as town based large centres would still leave some schools and young people at the geographical extremes of the county isolated;
Preferred approach which requires further exploration is that of localised skills and inclusion 'hubs' and/or mobile skills facilities;
Further exploration of mixed economies of delivery. This could be through a bespoke Skills Centre facility or a school or college or a PRU/SSS; different solutions for the differing needs of young people;
Skills Centre development must focus on employability skills and priority sectors both locally and regionally.

Buckinghamshire Children and Young People's Service will now take forward the concept jointly with key providers and stakeholders in order to develop the best possible Skills Centre solution which improves opportunities and outcomes for young people.

For more information call 01296 382602 or email cypal@buckscc.gov.uk

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