Report on Year 2 activity
March 2009
[Insert Name] Jill Hardman
[Insert Priority Area] Action research and development
1. With reference to the Year 2 Business Plan, please provide a summary of
work/activities undertaken on behalf of WMCETT.
Expected outcomes: (1) To Identify, approve and support 10 action research projects
The aim which is to encourage and support practitioners to undertake action
research projects has been successfully achieved in 2008 -09. The strategy
has been to stimulate research and development activity with small amounts
of local funding through the CETT in the first instance, and to support further
development through access to other (and more substantial) funding sources
when opportunities arise.
Thus, 2 partners who had completed projects in 2007 -8 have ‘grown’ their
research and development activities through successful bids for more
substantial funds this year.
In addition new projects have been developed by partners not previously
engaged in action research and development.
WMCETT support has been given through guidance, for example to achieve
successful bids and project management which includes skills development,
resources and networking opportunities for the practitioner researchers.
Projects undertaken include;
a. WMCETT local funding scheme to support practitioner research
2 projects completed and awaiting final reports

Initial Assessment and development of an ILP for the work-based learning
and voluntary sector.
Gill Geary-Jones, Telford College:
Status: £500 grant on receipt of final report Friday 22nd May 2009
 What evidence is there that the minimum core impacts upon practice?
Katie McCombe & Karen Griffiths, Walford & North Shropshire College in conjunction
with Glyndwr University:
Status £3000 grant on receipt of final report 29th June 2009
[3 other projects were initiated under the local scheme and then secured further
funding, see below]
1
b. LSIS National funding scheme for CETTs: Enabling Access to Effective
Mentor Support
6 projects due for completion July 31st.
 Bham Adult Education Service [BAES]: Liz Blakey
Improving subject mentoring for BAES staff undertaking ITT. FE Mentoring
Community
 WMCETT partner colleges: Jayne Hedges:
Developing a community of practice within FE
 North Shropshire Voluntary Action [NSVA]: Louise Stokes
Piloting mentoring support for teachers and trainers in the VCS
 Essential Skills Resource Centre: Elaine Goodall
Mentoring for Skills for Life tutors

Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire Training Providers Assoc
[HWSTPA]: Mike Smith
Developing an infrastructure to support a mentoring network for WBL
Teacher Educators across Shropshire, Hereford and Worcester
 Community First: Louise Jones
Mentoring Support to Volunteer Tutors
Expected outcomes (2) To co-ordinate dissemination of all activities across
WMCETT
The coordinator has been actively involved in supporting the work of all other
coordinators in the WMCETT ie working across all of the priority areas; as
well as taking part in cross-CETT activities such as the Mentoring sub-group
and the national CETT meetings.
2. Identify any activities listed above which have been particularly
successful and explain why you think this occurred.
The guidance and project management activities developed in relation to the
6 proposals outlined above have been very successful. These activities
included:

Development of guidelines for WMCETT projects submitted under the LSIS
Enabling Access to Effective Mentor Support scheme.
This ensured proposals were viable and projects covered each of the; key
areas of WMCETT activity (WBL, ACL, FE and the voluntary sector).
 Provision of 3- days individual support for each project by WMCETT advisers
This has enabled on -going monitoring and targeted support for projects as soon
as the need has arisen. As well as regular feedback to inform the WMCETT
coordinators
2
 Organisation of 3 x 1 day development workshops for project workers.
This has been a particularly successful initiative enabling the development of a
community of practice amongst the project participants who have learnt from and
contributed to each other’s projects. All participants have benefitted from an
overall synergy that has begun to emerge from the process of sharing research
findings and experience.
 Development of on-line materials and resources to support action research,
linked to the Warwick ITT programme.
3. Identify any activities listed above which have been particularly difficult
to undertake, or targets which have proven difficult to reach, and discuss
why.
The development of on-line materials is underway, but was not in place to
support 2008 -09 action research and development projects. Funding which
could be used for resource development was accessed late ie towards the
end of this period.
Some research completed in 2007-2008 still awaits wider dissemination due
to the time required to make it ready for publication.
3