DETERMINED TO SUCCEED
LOCAL AUTHORITY DETERMINED TO SUCCEED
PROGRESS REPORTS 2008-11
Ruth Bryan and Sue Granville
George Street Research
Scottish Government Social Research
2011
Table of Contents
KEY MESSAGES
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1
i
INTRODUCTION
1
Introduction
Aims and objectives
Methodology
1
1
2
2
FUNDING, LEADERSHIP & BUILDING CAPACITY
3
3
ENTERPRISING LEARNING AND TEACHING
8
4
ENTREPRENEURIAL LEARNING
13
5
WORK-BASED VOCATIONAL LEARNING
17
6
APPROPRIATELY FOCUSED CAREER EDUCATION
22
7
ENGAGING EMPLOYERS
25
8
FUTURE DELIVERY
30
9
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
33
APPENDIX 1: List of acronyms
APPENDIX 2: Topic guide
APPENDIX 3: Executive summary of George Street Research’s previous report: “Collation and
analysis of local authority determined to succeed progress reports 2009-10”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to all in the Determined to Succeed team at the Enterprise and Employability
for Young People Division of the Scottish Government Lifelong Learning Directorate
who provided input and offered advice as required. Thanks also to the local
authority personnel who took part in discussions with George Street Research to
feed into this report.
The views contained in this report are those of the authors, and do not necessarily
represent the views of the Scottish Government.
KEY MESSAGES
Determined to Succeed (DtS) is a strategy to develop the enterprise and employability skills of young
people. There are four key strands to DtS: enterprising learning and teaching; entrepreneurial
learning; work-based vocational learning; and appropriately focused career education. This Key
Messages document outlines the findings of work undertaken by George Street Research to analyse
LA progress reports and conduct qualitative research into the achievements of DtS 2008-11.
The journey travelled
Considerable progress has been made in relation to delivery across all four strands of DtS. There is
an overall trend of increasing levels of engagement with relevant partners, development of activity
across education sectors, and progress in offering a wide range of enterprise and employability
opportunities to Scotland’s young people. There is an increasing focus on enterprise in education as
a key element of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE).
Critical success factors
 Strategic level support and funding: the national DtS Team provided strategic direction, while
ring-fenced DtS funding has been crucial in enabling the key aspects of delivery
 Dedicated personnel at all levels including the National DtS Team, local authority DtS
Development Officers, and networks of school-based Enterprise Co-ordinators
 Leadership and staff commitment: DtS works best where head teachers demonstrate
commitment and enthusiasm for enterprise in education, and encourage this attitude among
teaching staff
 Partnerships: DtS has been characterised by strong partnership working at both the strategic
level and in the day-to-day management of DtS activities
 Building capacity: Investment in the development and support of professional learning in
enterprise in education, both formal and informal (including joint CPD with other learning partners)
Challenges
 The need to challenge traditional views of ‘enterprise’ and ensure that it is seen as an integral
part of learning and teaching within Curriculum for Excellence rather than an ‘add-on’ activity
 Awareness and recognition of the importance of entrepreneurial leaning, and the delivery of
experiential opportunities for all young people
 Ensuring buy-in across schools, and consistency across sectors
 The time required to develop effective partnerships, particularly with employers
 The capacity of employers to engage with schools due to the pressures of running a business
 Geographical issues (e.g. LA size and / or remoteness) which can limit access to colleges and
employers
 Promoting parity of esteem to ensure Skills for Work courses are seen as being relevant for all
young people
Recommendations
 Enterprise in education, as a theme across learning should continue to be promoted and
supported to enable all young people, wherever learning takes place, to develop the skills and
attributes associated with enterprise and employability
 While DtS has worked towards the embedding of enterprise within the curriculum, it will be
important to ensure that schools continue to have the support in terms of delivery and quality
assurance in order to deliver Curriculum for Excellence which embodies the four strands of
enterprise in education
 A focus on and support for entrepreneurial learning is required to ensure all young people
develop entrepreneurial knowledge and skills through the context of every day learning and
through the involvement in setting up and running a business
 The input of dedicated staff has been crucial to the success of DtS: the continued availability of
this kind of support would be beneficial but would have to be considered within the wider
economic perspective and CfE implementation
 There is an ongoing brokerage role for local authority staff and schools to contribute to the
development of employer and other partnerships at the school and local authority level. It is also
important that recognition is provided for these partnerships


Delivery of relevant CPD will help ensure enterprise continues to be embedded across the
curriculum. Sharing good practice and learning from colleagues is an effective way of teachers
and other staff ‘building capacity from within’
Sharing of good practice should continue to be encouraged, both within and across local
authorities, and across sectors
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction
Determined to Succeed (DtS) is a strategy to develop the enterprise and
employability skills of young people, ‘better preparing them for work and life in a
globalised society through embedding enterprise in education across and within the
curriculum and ethos in every school in Scotland’1. The second phase of DtS ran
from 2008-11. There are four key strands to DtS: enterprising learning and
teaching; entrepreneurial learning; work-based vocational learning; and appropriately
focused career education.
Each local authority is responsible for the delivery and reporting of DtS, and progress
reports were submitted in 2008-09 and 2009-10. The Scottish Government
Enterprise and Employability for Young People Division, Determined to Succeed
team, commissioned George Street Research to conduct a review of the 2009-10
reports, and to undertake further research in 2010-11.
Aims and objectives
The aims of the research were to:
 conduct desk research to produce a composite report analysing the 2009-10
local authority progress reports by question (this is available as a stand-alone
report which outlines findings of the analysis and includes examples of best
practice across local authorities)
 conduct qualitative research to gain an in-depth understanding of the critical
success factors and challenges in delivering DtS, and an overview of the
achievements of the strategy overall
 produce a final report describing the key messages under each of the four
strands of DtS in relation to achievements, success factors, challenges, and
sustainability of enterprise in education within Curriculum for Excellence
Methodology
In 2009-10, George Street Research conducted desk research analysing the 32 local
authorities’ reports, and an additional report submitted by Jordanhill School. A
bespoke analysis matrix was developed and findings were presented for each of the
progress report questions. In 2010-11, telephone interviews were conducted with
key local authority contacts in order to gain more in-depth information about the
issues involved in delivering DtS.
Key findings
Funding, leadership and developing capacity
A number of overarching factors have contributed to the successful delivery of DtS,
including:
1
See for example http://www.employersandyoungpeople.org/Home
i






The National DtS Team, which has provided strategic input, facilitated sharing
of good practice, and provided individual support and leadership development
opportunities for local authority contacts
Local authority Development Officers have played a vital role in promoting
and supporting delivery of DtS in schools
Ring-fenced DtS funding has been crucial in ‘kick-starting’ many initiatives,
and has been used in a wide variety of ways
A devolved model of delivery, enabling local authorities to make decisions to
suit their own needs (with central support where required)
Leadership within schools – attitudes and commitment of senior management
teams is crucial
DtS has been characterised by strong partnership working at both a strategic
level and in the day-to-day management of DtS activities
Enterprising learning and teaching
Enterprise in education is viewed as a crucial part of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)
across local authorities, and is reflected in relevant strategy papers and guidance
documents. Schools are increasingly embedding enterprising approaches across
the curriculum. Critical success factors in this area include:
 The timing of DtS and its relevance for Curriculum for Excellence
 Commitment / enthusiasm demonstrated by school senior management
teams / other school staff
 Staffing structures in place to deliver DtS (e.g. using school-based enterprise
coordinators)
 The role of DtS Development Officers in developing School Improvement
Plans and input to the Quality Assurance process
 Actions taken to build capacity, including formal and informal CPD
 Activities undertaken to broaden the reach of DtS to a range of sectors
 A focus on enhancing Scotland’s international profile
Challenges in this area were harder to identify. The main issues included:
 Challenging traditional views of ‘enterprise’ and ensuring that it is seen as an
integral part of learning and teaching rather than an ‘add-on’ activity
 Ensuring buy-in across all schools
 Ensuring enterprise is embedded across the curriculum in secondary schools
as well as primary schools
 Competing demands facing schools / other issues to contend with
Entrepreneurial learning
Entrepreneurial learning has been developed through a range of activities, including
entrepreneurial challenges, development of social enterprises, and other specific
projects. Critical success factors in developing entrepreneurial learning include:

Partnership working with organisations such as Young Enterprise Scotland,
the Princes Scottish Youth Business Trust, The Social Enterprise Academy,
The Co-operative Education Trust and involvement in the Social Enterprise
Awards and Young Enterprise Company Programme
ii


Activities undertaken to enhance our international profile (e.g. involvement in
Fairtrade, establishing social enterprises with linked schools abroad etc)
Actions taken to build capacity of staff, including CPD and informal support
specifically related to social enterprise
Several respondents suggested that this was the most challenging of the DtS
strands. The key challenge in this area related to misconceptions among teachers
about the definition of entrepreneurial learning, and some resistance to the idea of
setting up businesses and a lack of understanding about appropriate strategies for
the development of entrepreneurial skills set in the context of their own subject area.
Several authorities have avoided promoting ‘entrepreneurial learning’ as a separate
entity, but have instead focused on embedding enterprising learning and teaching
which would then have an indirect effect on entrepreneurial activity.
Work-based vocational learning
Work-based vocational learning has been developed through two main routes: the
introduction / expansion of vocational programmes and Skills for Work courses; and
through work experience programmes, which are increasingly becoming more
flexible and targeted. Critical success factors in the delivery of work-based
vocational learning include:
 Strategic level commitment from local authorities
 Staff buy-in (at all levels, and from all relevant partners)
 The development of strong partnerships with colleges, and close working with
internal local authority colleagues, employers and Sector Skills Councils
 The availability of DtS funding to contribute to work experience programmes
and / or college engagement
The main challenges identified included:
 Delivering vocational programmes in the context of college funding cuts
 Geographical issues (e.g. local authority size and / or remoteness) which can
limit access to colleges and employers
 Promoting parity of esteem to ensure Skills for Work courses are seen as
being relevant for all young people
 Some issues relating to employer engagement (see page iv)
Appropriately focused career education
Career education is being delivered to young people via a range of activities and
through embedding enterprise in the curriculum more generally. Critical success
factors in the delivery of appropriately focused career education include:
 Partnerships with a range of organisations: e.g. SDS, local employers and
professional organisations, further and higher education providers,
collaboration with other LA departments such as More Choices, More
Chances (MCMC) and 16+ Learning Choices (16+LC) teams
 Close links with the Skills for Work agenda and the development of relevant
vocational courses
 Use of Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) to inform careers education at the
local level
iii
Challenges include:
 Keeping up to date with relevant LMI
 Sourcing appropriate work experience placements
 Managing young people’s expectations about realistic career options
 Encouraging the delivery of appropriately focused career education across all
sectors
Engaging employers
The number of employer partnerships across local authorities has increased year on
year and has been crucial to the success of DtS; further increases in the number of
partnerships in the future are also expected. The nature of employer engagement
has developed since the introduction of DtS, moving from ‘one off visits’ to a more
sustained input and increased partnership working. Critical success factors include:
 Having central DtS staff available to drive forward employer engagement /
facilitate partnerships
 Willingness / buy-in from both sides (encouraged by clear communication
about the benefits of partnership working)
 Effective links with the Chamber of Commerce where relevant
 Utilising a more strategic approach to employer engagement, e.g. using one
central point of contact
 A range of factors contributing to successful partnership working (e.g.
individual personalities involved, clear communication, regular meetings etc)
 Recognition of employer partnerships, e.g. through award events, business
breakfasts, media coverage etc
Challenges included:
 The time required to develop employer partnerships
 The capacity of employers to engage with schools due to the pressures of
running a business
 The availability of a range of employers, particularly in some smaller
authorities
Supporting future delivery
Respondents described a number of actions that are being taken to support future
delivery:
 Setting up partnerships with Chambers of Commerce and other organisations
to take forward employer engagement
 Taking action to ‘build capacity from within’ (e.g. the use of local networks to
share good practice, internally delivered CPD etc)
 Devolved funding models / empowering schools to deliver activities
themselves
 Concerns were expressed about the loss of central DtS staff, because of their
crucial role in policy delivery and the importance of having somebody in post
to ‘drive things forward’. Respondents will also miss the support and strategic
overview provided by the National DtS Team.
Although funding will still be available despite the end of ring-fencing, there were
some elements of DtS which respondents identified as being more challenging to
iv
maintain. These included Skills for Work / vocational courses, CPD, EEBL
placements, and work experience programmes that been funded / subsidised by DtS
funding.
Conclusions and recommendations
The journey travelled
The local authority reports and feedback from the qualitative interviews indicate that
considerable progress has been made in relation to delivery of DtS, and much has
been achieved in phase 2 of the policy, across all the key strands of DtS.
For example, there is an overall trend of increasing levels of engagement with
relevant partners, development of activity across education sectors, and progress in
offering a wide range opportunities related to enterprise and employability skills to
young people across Scotland. There is also an increasing focus on enterprise in
education as a key element of Curriculum for Excellence, and this is reflected in
Curriculum for Excellence implementation plans and other strategic guidance and
documents produced by local authorities. Many schools are increasingly placing
enterprise within the context of Curriculum for Excellence and building
interdisciplinary learning through such activities.
Overall, it appears that a solid foundation has been laid for enterprise in education
throughout the lifetime of DtS. Responsibility for various elements of the programme
has been shared across a wider range of teams and individuals and will be taken
forward through a variety of continuing activities, particularly in the implementation of
Curriculum for Excellence.
Recommendations
Enterprise in education, as a theme across learning should continue to be
promoted and supported to enable all young people, wherever learning takes place,
to develop the skills and attributes associated with enterprise and employability.
While DtS has worked towards the embedding of enterprise within the curriculum, it
will be important to ensure that schools continue to have the support in terms of
delivery and quality assurance in order to deliver Curriculum for Excellence, which
embodies the four strands of enterprise in education.
A focus on and support for entrepreneurial learning is required to ensure all young
people develop entrepreneurial knowledge and skills through the context of every
day learning and through the involvement in setting up and running a business.
The input of dedicated DtS staff has been crucial to the success of DtS. The
continued availability of this kind of support would be beneficial, but would have to be
considered within the wider economic perspective and the development of
Curriculum for Excellence.
There is an ongoing brokerage role for local authority staff and schools to ensure
that opportunities are identified and capacity increased, in ongoing development of
v
employer relationships and other partnerships at the school and local authority level.
It is also important that recognition is provided for these partnerships.
Delivery of relevant CPD will help ensure enterprise continues to be embedded
across the curriculum. Sharing good practice and learning from colleagues is an
effective way of teachers and other staff ‘building capacity from within’.
Sharing of good practice should continue to be encouraged, both within and across
local authorities, and across sectors.
vi
1 INTRODUCTION
Introduction
1.1 Determined to Succeed (DtS) is a strategy to develop the enterprise and
employability skills of young people, ‘better preparing them for work and life in a
globalised society through embedding enterprise in education across and within
the curriculum and ethos in every school in Scotland’2. There are four key
strands to DtS:




Enterprising learning and teaching
Entrepreneurial learning
Work-based vocational learning
Appropriately focused career education
1.2 In addition to these four key strands the second phase of DtS (2008-11) was
structured around six inter-related themes:






Supporting the development of skills for life and skills for work
Engaging employers
Broadening the reach of DtS
Embedding enterprise in the curriculum
Building capacity
Enhancing our international profile
1.3 Each local authority is responsible for the delivery and reporting of DtS, and all
32 authorities and Jordanhill School provided reports detailing the progress
made since the inception of DtS in 2003. The Scottish Government Enterprise
and Employability for Young People Division, Determined to Succeed team,
commissioned George Street Research to conduct a review of the 2009-10
reports, and to undertake further research in 2010-11.
Aims and objectives
1.4 The aims of the research were to:



2
3
conduct desk research to produce a composite report analysing the 2009-10
local authority progress reports by question (this is available as a stand-alone
report3 which outlines findings of the analysis and includes examples of best
practice across local authorities)
conduct qualitative research to gain an in-depth understanding of the critical
success factors and challenges in delivering DtS, and an overview of the
achievements of the strategy overall
produce a final report describing the key messages under each of the four
strands of DtS in relation to achievements, success factors, challenges, and
sustainability of enterprise in education within Curriculum for Excellence
See for example http://www.employersandyoungpeople.org/Home
The executive summary of this report is included in Appendix 3
1
Methodology
1.5 In 2009-10, all 32 local authorities provided a progress report. A report was
also provided by Jordanhill School and included in the analysis. George Street
Research analysed the 33 reports using a bespoke analysis matrix and the
information provided under each of the six main inter-related themes (structure
of phase 2 of DtS) was summarised.
1.6 In 2010-11, telephone interviews were conducted with key local authority
contacts in order to gain more in-depth information about the critical success
factors and challenges faced in the delivery of DtS and an overview of the
achievements of the strategy overall. In some instances, paired interviews
were conducted. Interviews were conducted with a total of 36 individuals,
across 32 of the 33 nominated contacts. Fieldwork was conducted between
13th January and 7th March 2011 and interviews lasted an average of around 50
minutes. The topic guide used in the in-depth interviews is included as an
Appendix to this report.
1.7 This report synthesises information from the 2008-09 report produced by the
SCRE Centre at the University of Glasgow, the George Street Research 200910 analysis report, and the qualitative interview findings undertaken by George
Street Research in 2011.
1.8 The following chapters outline the key achievements across each of the four
DtS strands, along with additional findings relating to: funding, leadership and
building capacity; engaging employers; and sustainability.
2
2 FUNDING, LEADERSHIP & BUILDING CAPACITY
Key messages
A number of overarching factors have contributed to the successful delivery of DtS,
including:

The National DtS Team, which has provided strategic input to drive the
enterprise and employability agenda forward, worked closely with local authorities
to ensure key messages are cascaded, facilitated networking events / sharing of
good practice, and provided individual support (including CPD) for local authority
contacts

Local authority DtS staff: Development Officers have played a vital role in
promoting DtS in schools, e.g. through establishing regular cluster meetings,
providing support, advice and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to
practitioners, and helping to develop a wide range of partnerships

Ring-fenced DtS funding has enabled the framework for delivery of the strategy
through centralised support and local teams

Devolved models of delivery giving flexibility in policy delivery, enabling local
authorities / schools to develop DtS to suit local needs

Leadership within schools is crucial; head teachers and senior management
teams play an important role in encouraging DtS activities across all strands,
particularly in embedding enterprising learning and teaching across the
curriculum

Partnership working: DtS has been characterised by strong partnership working
at both a strategic level and in the day-to-day management of DtS activities. This
includes partnerships with employers, other local authority teams, colleges and
training providers, and organisations such as Skills Development Scotland and
Chambers of Commerce
Research findings
National DtS Team strategic input and support
2.1
Respondents frequently commented on the importance of having a National
DtS team to focus on ‘driving forward the agenda’ at the strategic level. This
input at Scottish Government level has ensured the key messages about
enterprise in education are reflected in strategic guidance across the education
sector. As one respondent noted:
“I think it's really important we emphasise the role of the national team in
guiding national policy… If you look at the language that's sitting in so much of
the CfE documentation… And so when you were going to employers with
Building the Curriculum 3, Building the Curriculum 4, anything to do with
MCMC, there was threads there that, you know, took skills for learning, life and
work, and you were pushing against an open door a lot of the time”.
3
2.2
This input has filtered down to local authority level, with respondents
highlighting partnership working between central and local government as being
‘absolutely key’ to the success of DtS. Several people commented on the
strategic level support for DtS within their local authority, which has cascaded
these messages down to school level. For example:
“There has been significant involvement, there has been high level awareness
of the whole programme… there’s understanding from our Chief Executive now
as well as from our Director about the whole programme”.
“Our Directors in recent years have been very supportive of the whole
enterprise agenda… and have strived to push that and sell that whole concept
and culture with head teachers, and create an air of expectancy in terms of, you
know, delivering on the DtS recommendations”.
2.3
Overall, respondents were extremely positive about the support received from
the National DtS Team. Typical comments included:
“I would say it's been excellent. We've always had a tremendously good
relationship with every single person that we've worked with there, without
exception... they have helped us to build a community… I can't speak highly
enough of the support that we’ve had from them”.
2.4
This support included providing advice and guidance, one-to-one meetings with
National DtS Team Senior Advisers to review strategic plans, provision of
leadership development opportunities and organising national events that
enabled sharing of good practice. Although different local authorities had
varying levels of contact with the National Team, they were confident that they
knew who to contact if required (“it’s always been a comfort to know that you
have a senior advisor and can have open and frank discussions”).
2.5
National events were highlighted as a key strength of the National DtS Team’s
work, enabling networking with colleagues from across Scotland that would not
be possible without central organisation. This was seen to be crucial in terms of
building capacity across every level:
“A lot of sharing of good practice went on and that would be one of the pluses
that came out of DtS was… bringing people together and letting people see.
That, in itself, builds the capacity, it builds confidence about what people do”.
2.6
The ‘SG Comms’ system4 was also highlighted as being a useful way of local
authorities keeping in touch with national developments.
2.7
There were a small number of comments about the level of bureaucracy /
reporting involved, and the rate of staff turnover within the National DtS Team
during the course of DtS; however, these were very much in the minority and
the overwhelming message about the National Team was a positive one.
4
Electronic communication system to ensure all local authority DtS contacts received information
from the central team
4
Local authority DtS staff
2.8
Respondents emphasised the importance of having nominated staff members
such as DtS Development Officers to promote DtS within schools and partner
organisations. This contributed to all strands of DtS and was mentioned
repeatedly when discussing each element of the policy. For example,
Development Officers have established regular cluster meetings to share good
practice, provided support and advice and delivered CPD to practitioners, as
well as helping to develop a wide range of partnerships. As one respondent
noted:
“The critical success factor that overrides everything is having a Development
Officer. Having someone who is the point of contact, who can drive this
forward”.
2.9
Almost all local authority contacts reported that staffing levels have been
decreasing over the second phase of DtS, although some LAs have made a
commitment to retaining at least some central staff input.
For some
respondents, reduced staffing levels have meant they had to become less
‘hands on’ in terms of delivery within schools, although they have set up other
mechanisms for delivery.
Funding
2.10 The provision of ring-fenced funding for DtS was mentioned without fail by all
respondents when asked to consider key success factors in policy delivery.
Funding has been used for a wide range of purposes, including provision of
staff, CPD, funding for schools to develop individual projects, provision of
resources and so on. When discussing a range of initiatives implemented
across each of the DtS strands, respondents frequently made comments such
as “it just wouldn’t have got off the ground without the funding”. For example:
“Having [funding] ring-fenced no doubt allowed us the space and the time to
really get things up and running… If we look at the position where we were five
years ago to where we are now, it’s night and day in terms of our provision. It’s
improved greatly in terms of our enterprise learning and teaching... I’m quite
sure that educational provision wouldn’t have moved on in the same way that it
has [without the DtS funding]”.
2.11 Although authorities have taken steps to ensure sustainability of DtS activities
(see Chapter 9), having the funding was crucial to ‘kick-start’ the
implementation of the policy. Further, the ring-fencing of DtS funding was not
seen purely in terms of financial gain; respondents also felt that it sent the
message that DtS was important. For example, one respondent suggested the
importance of “actually having dedicated money set aside for offering CPD and
valuing it, you know”.
Devolved models of delivery
2.12 The flexible nature of DtS was appreciated by local authorities; although there
were key policy expectations to be delivered, authorities were able to achieve
these in the way they deemed most suitable to their local context. For example,
5
different authorities implemented different models of delivery in terms of which
DtS themes they felt they needed to focus on, and / or to what extent they spent
funding on central staffing or devolved funding for schools etc:
“[A critical success factor was] the acceptance by Scottish Government at the
time that one size doesn’t fit all. The realisation that we can adapt [DtS] to suit
local circumstances”.
2.13 Similarly, across all authorities at least some of the funding and responsibility
for DtS had been devolved to schools or school clusters. This kind of
‘empowerment model’ ensured that although there was a clear framework for
how money could be spent, schools were able to determine how best to meet
local priorities, again introducing an element of flexibility to the policy.
2.14 A common approach was to have a nominated contact (usually an Enterprise
Coordinator) within each school; these coordinators then created a network
across the local authority which enabled communication to be cascaded within
each school:
“I think one of the key drivers for success is that we have… a DtS co-ordinator
in every school… We have used them as Trojan horses within schools to keep
the message going, so I think that has been our key to success”.
2.15 This distributed leadership approach allowed a combination of local level
empowerment and central support when required:
“What we did was give every school… enough money to provide time for a
named individual to be the co-ordinator… So what we did is we handed it over
to them: ‘you need to take responsibility for this now but if you need any help
with this, we’ll see what we can do’.
2.16 In a minority of local authorities the funding was devolved to schools with no
central team created; this was done to ensure sustainability so they are “not in
a situation now where things are going to fall apart because central staffing has
to go”.
Leadership
2.17 Respondents were clear about the importance of school leadership in terms of
taking DtS forward. This applied across all strands and was emphasised as
being vital in the success (or otherwise) of DtS initiatives. As one respondent
explained:
“Where we've seen the greatest results in terms of Determined to Succeed is
where you have a small core of people, and one person who is committed to
taking this forward and sees the value in it…. So if you don't have those key
people in the school it doesn't happen... or it happens to a lesser degree”.
2.18 The role of head teachers / senior management teams is also crucial: even if
there are dedicated staff members in a school, it requires leadership from the
top to become embedded across the school:
6
“I think the head teachers are critical to that, because again from an authority
point of view we can do whatever we can and do the very best that we can to
provide support, but if the school does not buy into it, well then there is not an
awful we can do apart from keep trying”.
Partnership working
2.19 A clear message to emerge from both the local authority progress reports and
in-depth interviews was that DtS has been characterised by strong partnership
working at many levels. This includes work at a strategic level and in the dayto-day management of DtS activities. For example, relationships have been
built up with employers, other local authority teams (such as More Choices,
More Chances (MCMC), 16+ Learning Choices (16+LC), Community Learning
and Development (CLD) and Economic Development), colleges and training
providers, and organisations such as Skills Development Scotland and
Chambers of Commerce.
2.20 Again, respondents highlighted the importance of individual personalities in
forging relationships and developing and maintaining partnerships; for example:
“We have been fortunate that we have had the ability to establish very good
working relationships… You know, so much of it does come down to
personalities, and if you’ve got people who can actually get on with others and
be flexible and be sensitive to the needs of different organisations”.
7
3 ENTERPRISING LEARNING AND TEACHING
Key messages
Enterprise in education is viewed as a crucial part of Curriculum for Excellence
across local authorities, and is reflected in relevant strategy papers and guidance
documents. Schools are increasingly embedding enterprising approaches across
the curriculum.
Critical success factors in developing enterprising learning and teaching include:

The timing of DtS and its relevance for Curriculum for Excellence: respondents
noted that enterprising learning and teaching is a ‘key tool’ in the implementation
of Curriculum for Excellence

Commitment demonstrated by school senior management teams to embedding
enterprise across the curriculum, and enthusiasm / attitudes of other school staff

Staffing structures in place to deliver DtS, e.g. having dedicated DtS staff and
school-based enterprise coordinators to encourage enterprising learning and
teaching

The role of DtS Development Officers in developing School Improvement Plans /
the Quality Assurance process: enterprising approaches to learning and teaching
are commonly included as standard in the QA / self-evaluation process and use
of the HMIe toolkit5 has also helped schools assess their progress

Actions taken to build capacity: DtS funding has been used to fund relevant CPD
activities, both formal and informal: e.g. a focus on cooperative learning, critical
skills, leadership training etc has enabled enterprising approaches to learning
and teaching

Joint CPD involving other learning partners (e.g. local authority colleagues,
colleges / training providers, employers etc) has encouraged a consistent
approach to enterprising learning and teaching across sectors

Activities undertaken to broaden the reach of DtS: Early Years practitioners have
always been very enterprising in their approach and the support provided by DtS
has helped to develop this even further. Enterprise activities also feature strongly
in programmes to support traditionally ‘hard to reach’ young people and those in
transition

A focus on enhancing our international profile: enterprising learning and teaching
has been encouraged through various activities including links with schools and
charities abroad, social enterprises involving other countries etc.
Challenges in this area were harder to identify. The main issues included:
5
See http://www.hmie.gov.uk/documents/publication/hmieieie.pdf
8

Challenging traditional views of ‘enterprise’ and ensuring that it is seen as an
integral part of learning and teaching rather than an ‘add-on’ activity

Ensuring buy-in across all schools (this also relates to the attitudes of staff and
senior management teams highlighted above)

Ensuring enterprise is embedded across the curriculum in the secondary sector
as well as the early years and primary sectors

Competing demands facing schools
Research findings
3.1
Local authority progress reports indicated that enterprise in education is viewed
as a crucial part of Curriculum for Excellence across local authorities, and is
reflected in relevant strategy papers and guidance documents. Guidance
provided to schools puts a strong focus on the central role of enterprising
activities to the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence, and schools are
increasingly being required to embed enterprising approaches across the
curriculum.
3.2
Qualitative interviews confirmed that local authorities have ‘come a long way’ in
terms of embedding enterprise:
“What I believe now is we have created this enterprise culture that people don’t
really see – and this is what we wanted to happen – people don’t see it as an
enterprise project, that it is embedded in the school and is just the way that we
work”.
Critical success factors
3.3
For many respondents, a crucial success factor for embedding DtS and
encouraging enterprising learning and teaching was the timing of the strategy
and its relevance for Curriculum for Excellence. Several respondents noted
that they had re-branded DtS as Curriculum for Excellence rather than seeing
them as two separate things; enterprise is therefore seen as “one of the key
tools in implementing CfE”, because “if you’re doing enterprise, you’re doing
CfE”. For example:
“I don’t think there could have been a Curriculum for Excellence without
Determined to Succeed... I think the whole ethos of Determined to Succeed
was what made Curriculum for Excellence happen… And I think the two
complement each other perfectly”.
“But we’re lucky in the sense that Curriculum for Excellence came along when it
did… [Curriculum for Excellence] provided a superb context for the work of DtS
and we’ve always felt in this local authority that DtS has been the forward
cavalry for CfE… So looking for more flexible ways of supporting young people,
9
the DtS methodology framework has come into its own and been embraced by
schools”.
3.4 Commitment from senior management teams within schools was also
highlighted as a critical success factor in successfully embedding enterprise,
with respondents arguing that “the leadership of the head teacher is key”. As
with any strategy, there has been variation in the level of buy-in from head
teachers, although respondents recognised that they have “a lot of other
pressures on them” and not everyone will prioritise enterprise. In general,
respondents held positive views about the attitudes of most senior managers.
3.5
Attitudes of other school staff were also mentioned, with respondents
stressing the importance of having teachers with the enthusiasm and
commitment to encourage enterprising learning and teaching within schools.
Although it was recognised that “there are always staff who are reluctant to
move with the times”, again these were felt to be in the minority compared to
the “folk who will take it on and have the capacity and enthusiasm and… get
some tremendous results”.
3.6
Staffing structures set up to deliver DtS were also mentioned, such as having
dedicated DtS staff and school-based Enterprise Coordinators to encourage
enterprising learning and teaching (see previous chapter for further details).
3.7
In particular, the role of DtS Development Officers in developing School
Improvement Plans and in the Quality Assurance process was highlighted by
respondents. Enterprising approaches to learning and teaching are commonly
included as standard in the QA / self-evaluation process and use of the HMIe
toolkit has also helped schools assess their progress.
3.8
Actions taken to build capacity also contributed to the development of
enterprising learning and teaching. DtS funding has been used to fund various
CPD activities, both formal and informal. Many authorities have focused on
areas such as cooperative learning, critical skills, leadership training and so on,
all of which have encouraged enterprising approaches to learning and teaching.
As noted by this respondent:
“I think some of the quality CPD that was put in through DtS right across the
country was really quite inspirational and it changed the way people think
about things… Not just what they did with EDOs and their local contacts but the
kind of things they made available to school staff”.
3.9
Authorities also reported joint CPD involving other learning partners (e.g. local
authority colleagues, colleges / training providers, employers – including
Excellence in Education through Business Links (EEBL) placements –
Chambers of Commerce and Skills Development Scotland).
This has
encouraged an enterprising approach to learning and teaching using a
consistent approach across sectors, has led to an increased awareness and
appreciation of the importance of partnership working, and improved links
between teachers and other partners.
3.10 Activities undertaken to broaden the reach of DtS have also helped encourage
enterprising learning and teaching. Respondents noted that Early Years
10
practitioners have always been very enterprising in their approach and the
support provided by DtS has helped to develop this even further. Enterprise
activities also feature strongly in programmes to support traditionally ‘hard to
reach’ young people and those in transition, for example:
“These services would have an out of the box approach anyway, because
mainstream working is not working with these youngsters so there’s no point in
plonking them down and teaching them more English and Maths because it just
doesn’t work. There’s no doubt that probably enterprise have contributed to the
range of opportunities and sparked off new ideas... So they’re not losing out,
because they’re not in mainstream schooling. In fact they’re probably getting
more exposure to Enterprise”.
3.11 All local authorities report encouraging enterprising learning and teaching
through activities to enhance our international profile: the main approaches
include links with schools and charities abroad, social enterprises involving
other countries, hosting visitors from abroad, and teacher and pupil exchange
programmes. Local authorities are applying enterprise in education across the
curriculum, and global citizenship and links between schools, business and the
community have been strengthened. As one respondent commented:
“Our schools have always been very good at international links and one of the
key success factors for me was getting some of the schools who were linking…
to build on that and ensure that they were using it in an enterprising way”.
3.12 Several respondents also noted that foreign delegations have been very
impressed with the enterprising approach seen in Scottish schools, for example:
“We are world leaders... we’ve had people from all over the world coming to
Scotland to look at these things… When they come into our schools they're
blown away by what the teachers and youngsters are doing. And there's no
doubt as a nation we have been extremely successful at promoting what we do
as very very good practice”.
Challenges
3.13 There were relatively few challenges identified in encouraging enterprising
learning and teaching. The main issue mentioned related to challenging
traditional views of ‘enterprise’ and ensuring that it was seen as an integral part
of learning and teaching rather than an ‘add-on’ activity. For example:
“Our biggest challenge… at the very early stages was... getting everyone round
to the way of thinking that enterprise wasn’t just about making and selling
something: it was about the skills and attitudes”.
3.14 Other challenges mentioned included:

ensuring buy-in across schools (this relates to the issue of teacher attitudes,
i.e. some schools may be more or less involved depending on the
commitment and enthusiasm of head teachers and staff. For example, “you’ll
have classroom practitioners who absolutely see the impact it’s having in the
11
classroom, but perhaps the barrier can be, you know, having the support and
the buy-in at senior management. But that’s not across the board… every
school is different”)

ensuring enterprise is embedded across the curriculum in secondary
schools as well as in early years and primary schools (although respondents
recognised that a lot of good practice exists in secondaries, most agreed that
the secondary sector has “taken longer to see how the enterprise agenda very
much is part and parcel of what they’re doing in the classroom”). Most
expected that this will become more embedded across secondary schools
with the development of Curriculum for Excellence

competing demands facing schools / other issues to contend with (e.g. time
pressures on staff, other initiatives and expectations).
12
4 ENTREPRENEURIAL LEARNING
Key messages
Entrepreneurial learning has been developed through a range of activities, including
entrepreneurial challenges, development of social enterprises, specific projects
aimed at the More Choices, More Chances group and training courses for young
people such as management leadership training.
These activities have increased awareness and understanding of private and social
enterprise among young people, and awareness of self-employment as a viable
career opportunity. Opportunities to be involved in setting up a business supports
understanding of the role of an entrepreneur as well as developing the skills
associated with entrepreneurialism (e.g. problem solving, risk taking, leadership etc).
There is anecdotal evidence about young people’s involvement in business startups, although the impacts in this area are difficult to measure.
Critical success factors in developing entrepreneurial learning include:

Partnership working with organisations such as Young Enterprise Scotland, the
Princes Scottish Youth Business Trust, The Social Enterprise Academy, The Cooperative Education Trust, and involvement in the Social Enterprise Awards and
Young Enterprise Company Programme: this kind of partnership working has
helped the development of entrepreneurial skills, e.g. understanding of business
functions and roles, and skills in planning, negotiating, decision-making, risk
management, problem solving, communication and leadership

Activities undertaken to enhance our international profile have contributed
positively to entrepreneurial learning (e.g. involvement in Fairtrade, establishing
social enterprises with linked schools abroad etc)

Actions taken to build capacity of staff, including CPD and informal support e.g.
specific CPD relating to social enterprise, input from the Social Enterprise
Academy, use of entrepreneur mentors, online training, workshops and EEBL
placements
Several respondents suggested that this was the most challenging of the DtS
strands. The key challenge in this area related to misconceptions among teachers
about the definition of entrepreneurial learning, and some resistance to the idea of
setting up businesses and a lack of understanding about appropriate strategies for
the development of entrepreneurial skills set in the context of their own subject.
Considerable effort has been put into communicating with schools about embedding
entrepreneurial learning rather than seeing it as an ‘activity’.
Research findings
4.1
Local authorities reported a wide range of activities to develop entrepreneurial
learning, both in the progress reports and the in-depth interviews. Examples of
some of the ways in which entrepreneurial learning is delivered include:
13







Opportunities to learn in a range of work related contacts;
Running businesses;
Entrepreneurial challenges to young people;
Employers delivering talks to young people;
Meetings with local entrepreneurs;
Games-based learning strategies;
Cooperative learning strategies.
4.2
A range of projects has been established such as Dragons’ Den challenges,
pilot programmes focusing on entrepreneurial learning and employability,
community cafes and other social enterprise companies, specific projects aimed
at the MCMC group, and training courses for young people such as
management leadership training.
4.3
These activities have increased awareness and understanding of private and
social enterprise among young people, and awareness of self-employment as a
viable career opportunity. Opportunities to be involved in setting up a business
supports understanding of the role of entrepreneur as well as developing the
skills associated with entrepreneurialism (e.g. problem solving, risk taking,
leadership etc).
4.4
Several respondents were also able to cite anecdotal evidence about young
people involved in business start-ups. However, there was widespread
agreement that impacts in this area are very difficult to measure, partly due to
not having processes in place to monitor business start-ups, and because of the
‘soft’ impact of entrepreneurial learning and difficulty in attributing changes to
this input (“you can’t do a cause and effect direct relationship there”). For
example:
“We do have… some individual very good case studies… [but] I think that’s
probably a real longitudinal study that is needed for that. How do you make the
link between a pupil… having been inspired… with an enterprise activity… and
then go on, fifteen years later, to set up a business! It would be really difficult,
you know-!”
“I think [schools] have embraced the social enterprise idea: that’s been a very
popular one, and a lot of our schools have achieved awards… and done some
very, very good things with Social Enterprise. Whether there have been locally
more business start-ups from leavers – I don’t think we would have the
statistics on that”.
Critical success factors
4.5 As with other strands of DtS, partnership working has contributed to success in
this area. Working with organisations such as Young Enterprise Scotland, the
Princes Scottish Youth Business Trust, The Social Enterprise Academy and
The Co-operative Education Trust is often used to help promote entrepreneurial
learning, and schools have been involved in a wide range of programmes such
as the Young Enterprise Company Programme and the Social Enterprise
Awards etc. Partnerships with local businesses, Business Gateway, Economic
14
Development Departments and Skills Development Scotland etc were also
commonly cited as promoting entrepreneurial learning.
4.6
This kind of partnership working has helped the development of entrepreneurial
knowledge and skills, e.g. understanding of business functions and roles, and
skills in planning, negotiating, decision-making, risk management, problem
solving, communication and leadership.
4.7 Many of the activities undertaken as part of the ‘enhancing our international
profile’ theme also contributed to the development of entrepreneurial learning
among pupils, such as involvement in Fairtrade, and the establishment of social
enterprises to help schools and communities in the Third World or in linked
schools abroad:
“There’s been an awful lot of work in the schools on social enterprise... what
they think of as fund-raising and I know it’s not a proper social enterprise… but
it’s about raising the opportunities for young people to find out about other
countries and to support other countries and to work with other countries as
well, through enterprise”.
4.8
Almost all authorities reported raising awareness of entrepreneurship and social
enterprise among staff, through CPD and informal support from enterprise
coordinators, including specific CPD relating to social enterprise. The Social
Enterprise Academy has been actively involved in developing this area of work
in a number of authorities. Other forms of training to staff in schools to help
with the development of entrepreneurial learning have included: entrepreneur
mentors; online training; workshops and EEBL placements.
Challenges
4.9
Several of the respondents in the qualitative research suggested that the area
of entrepreneurial learning was the most challenging of all the DtS strands.
There was also recognition that there is still more to be done to promote this
area of work and to ensure it is promoted across all areas of the curriculum and
at all school stages. For example:
“We’ve done our best and we’ve had quite a lot of successful programmes with
Princes Trust and so on, but with my hand on my heart I would say really
genuinely embedding entrepreneurship learning within Curriculum for
Excellence has been difficult”.
4.10 An issue which was raised by several interviewees in the qualitative research
was the challenge they faced when trying to promote entrepreneurial learning
related to ‘misconceptions’ among teachers that “it’s all about make and
sell”. Some reported a certain degree of resistance among subject teachers to
the idea of ‘setting up businesses’, and a lack of understanding about
appropriate strategies for the development of entrepreneurial skills set in the
context of their own subject area.
4.11 Respondents highlighted changing approaches to entrepreneurial learning, and
the effort required in communicating this to schools:
15
“I suppose, going back in time again, a lot of this was… sort of running a wee
business or whatever, and I think the interpretation of entrepreneurial learning
has moved on from that into… seeing it's more embedded in all aspects of
learning and teaching”.
4.12 Previous progress reports noted the importance of embedding the principles of
entrepreneurial learning in learning and teaching when implementing CfE. It
was also noted in the qualitative interviews that more work was required to raise
awareness among teachers about the “difference between entrepreneurial
learning and entrepreneurial activity”, and the difference between “developing
children as an entrepreneur as opposed to enterprising individuals”.
16
5 WORK-BASED VOCATIONAL LEARNING
Key messages
Work-based vocational learning has been developed through two main routes:


the introduction / expansion of vocational programmes and Skills for Work
courses (data show an increasing number of young people are achieving Skills
for Work and other qualifications)
through work experience programmes (although the focus is still on the traditional
one-week placement in S4, there is an acknowledgement from some authorities
of the need to move to a more flexible approach to meet young people’s needs –
including providing work experience at an appropriate point in time – and some
are introducing new models of work experience)
Critical success factors in the delivery of work-based vocational learning include:





Strategic level commitment from local authorities
Staff buy-in (from senior management teams and teaching staff, and from partner
organisations such as colleges)
Partnership working, particularly the development of strong partnerships with
colleges: regular meetings, clear lines of communication, and the individual
personalities involved all contributed to these relationships
Close working / joint delivery with other partners such as internal local authority
colleagues, employers and Sector Skills Councils
The availability of DtS funding to contribute to work experience programmes and /
or college engagement
The main challenges identified included:




Delivering vocational programmes in the context of college funding cuts (some
colleges have already withdrawn certain courses for school pupils)
Geographical issues, e.g. local authority size and / or remoteness: some areas
face particular challenges relating to travel time and cost when accessing
colleges. Some schools are delivering vocational courses in-house to deal with
this challenge. Some areas also have limited opportunities in terms of the
number and range of businesses available to contribute to work-based vocational
learning
Promoting parity of esteem to ensure Skills for Work courses are seen as being
relevant for all young people (it was hoped this will continue to be addressed
through the development of Curriculum for Excellence)
Some issues relating to employer engagement (these are covered in Chapter 7 of
this report)
Research findings
5.1
This strand of DtS is directly linked to the theme ‘Supporting the development of
skills for life and skills for work’ and covers a range of vocational learning,
including delivery of Skills for Work courses and work experience.
17
5.2
All local authorities are supporting the development of skills for life and skills for
work through the provision of dedicated funding, and by funding local authority
personnel to help develop vocational programmes, establish partnerships,
provide resources and deliver CPD.
5.3
Several local authorities have introduced new vocational programmes and
Skills for Work courses over recent years, and / or expanded upon what was
already available6. Most of these courses are delivered in partnership with local
colleges, although an increasing number of schools are developing facilities
in-house:
“We also have now got some schools delivering Skills for Work courses...
There is a growing recognition and awareness there that these courses have a
part to play in the development of the kids as they go through the school”.
5.4
The data reflect this increasing awareness of the importance of Skills for Work,
indicating an increase in the total number of young people completing these
and other qualifications in 2009-2010; for example, the average percentage
increase since 2008-09 among the 25 local authorities who provided a figure
was 37%.
5.5
Work experience is used across all authorities to provide work-based
vocational learning. Although the focus is still on the traditional one-week
placement in S4, there is an acknowledgement from some authorities of the
need to move to a more flexible approach to meet young people’s needs
(including providing work experience at an appropriate point in time) and some
are introducing new models of work experience. Respondents in the qualitative
research emphasised the importance of tailoring work experience to meet the
needs of young people, and reported that DtS had enabled this flexibility:
“I think we have seen more of the appropriateness of the placement… [We]
tried to encourage the work placement at the appropriate time and in an
appropriate area that suited the needs of the youngsters. So it might not be
that everyone had to go out and do it because they had to do it; they would wait
until they had a reason to go – for example, maybe for a vocational purpose”.
5.6
A variety of positive impacts of work-based vocational learning were reported,
including enhanced vocational provision and choice for children and young
people, positive impacts on learners (e.g. confidence, motivation, engagement
in learning, greater awareness of the world of work etc) and the development of
partnerships with colleges and employers. As one respondent argued:
“Work-based vocational learning… has been very impactful and we can now
demonstrate improvements in attainment and achievement… Very
considerable improvements and greater personalisation of choice… and some
progression as well”.
6
The most commonly mentioned accredited courses in 2009-10 were Early Education and Childcare,
Construction, Rural Skills, Hair and Beauty, Food safety / food handling, First Aid, Duke of Edinburgh,
Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN), Skillforce, Princes Trust Xlerate,
Youth Achievement Awards and Millennium Volunteering
18
Critical success factors
5.7
Local authority progress reports specifically referred to a strategic-level
commitment to supporting the development of skills for life and skills for work,
which has helped to promote work-based vocational learning as a crucial area
of focus for schools.
5.8
As with many of the DtS strands, staff buy-in was highlighted as being crucial
for successful delivery. Having a supportive head teacher, an enthusiastic
champion at school level, and engaging the wider staff team were all mentioned
as success factors.
5.9
Some local authorities also note a change in staff attitudes, whereby teaching
staff are increasingly viewing enterprise as a key element of Curriculum for
Excellence. For example, some authorities have looked specifically at how the
four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence link to enterprise skills,
employability skills, personal skills etc. As this respondent noted, engaging
staff has taken time but the development of Curriculum for Excellence has
helped to engage teachers in Skills for Work:
“I think most teaching staff tended to want to concentrate on achievement on
attainment in the classroom, and to begin with maybe say five or six years ago,
[they thought] ‘what’s the point of giving kids experience of skills for life and
skills for work when we actually have a curriculum to get through?’… [but now
they have] sort of embraced these skills and the links to Curriculum for
Excellence”.
5.10 Obtaining the buy-in of partner organisations was also important, for example
respondents highlighted the importance of engaging with college staff so that
they “see what we do in schools as being part of their business as well”.
5.11 Partnership working in general was highlighted by many local authorities as
being crucial in strategic planning to support schools to deliver skills for life and
skills for work and there are examples cited of multi-agency work. Many local
authorities note an increase in the scale and diversity of partners working
together to promote work-based vocational learning.
5.12 Partnerships with colleges were frequently mentioned, with respondents
emphasising the need for regular meetings, clear lines of communication, and
involving all relevant stakeholders to “thrash out any problems”. Several
authorities mentioned the importance of having nominated staff responsible for
school-college liaison or co-ordinating vocational programmes, to ensure a
continuing focus on this area. For example:
“We’ve made sure that someone at the centre has a key role in co-ordinating
the vocational programme and that there’s good lines of communication
between the local authority, the schools, the colleges. We also bring people
together regularly to meet… and discuss how well things are going and any
issues that need addressed”.
19
5.13 As is the case with any partnership, the role of individual personalities was
again highlighted by respondents, with many examples cited of college and
school staff coming together to ‘make things happen’.
5.14 Partnership working with employers, Sector Skills Councils, and various
departments within local authorities was also mentioned by several respondents
in relation to work-based vocational learning, with similar issues emerging about
the need for strong relationships and joint delivery.
5.15 Funding was again cited as being a critical success factor for developing skills
for life and skills for work with respondents giving examples of activities that
relied on DtS funding. For example, this budget was used by several
authorities to fund work experience programmes and / or to support college
engagement:
“The one thing that we probably have done a wee bit more of since DtS was the
ability to prepare businesses for work experience… We were able to fund a
better way of managing the placement process… we were able to contract the
local college who had the expertise to manage the database and health and
safety aspects… That was through DtS funding, [and was] something we didn’t
manage to do very well before DtS”.
Challenges
5.16 The main challenge identified in providing Skills for Work and other vocational
courses reflected concerns about future funding for colleges, and doubts
about their continued ability to provide courses to schools.
Several
respondents noted that colleges are suffering funding cuts and have already
withdrawn certain courses for school pupils.
5.17 Some authorities also reported an issue related to their size and / or
remoteness. Some areas do not have local colleges at all, while for others
transport time and costs can be an issue. For example, one respondent
stressed that “it’s very difficult for us to have a school-college partnership when
it takes an hour and half for some of the pupils to travel to college”. Some
smaller and / or more remote authorities also have a limited range of
opportunities in terms of the number and range of businesses available to
contribute to work-based vocational learning.
5.18 A variety of approaches has been used to address these issues, such as
delivering Skills for Work through local businesses instead of colleges, trying to
find ways of resourcing and staffing courses in-house, and arranging for college
staff to deliver courses in schools. However, for some authorities (e.g.
particularly remote / island local authorities) “the same hurdles come back to
haunt us: travel, remoteness, and cost”.
5.19 Considerable progress has been made in terms of parity of esteem, through
measures such as timetabling changes and the inclusion of vocational courses
on options forms. However, several respondents felt there is still work to be
done to ensure vocational courses are seen as being as valuable as ‘academic’
courses. This is often linked to teachers’ and parents’ views of the importance
of ‘traditional’ qualifications (“a lot of this to do with school league table type
20
things”) but it was hoped that this may be addressed through the development
of Curriculum for Excellence.
5.20 Some respondents commented that organising college visits around school
timetables can be a challenge, although some schools are starting to
reorganise their timetabling to make this easier.
5.21 Finally, there are some challenges associated with employer partnerships;
these are addressed in Chapter 7 on employer engagement.
21
6 APPROPRIATELY FOCUSED CAREER EDUCATION
Key messages
This strand of DtS is closely linked with all other strands, and career education is
being delivered to young people via a range of activities and through embedding
enterprise in Curriculum for Excellence.
Critical success factors in the delivery of appropriately focused career education
include:



Partnerships with a range of organisations: e.g. Skills Development Scotland,
local employers and professional organisations, further education and higher
education providers, collaboration with other local authority departments such as
More Choices, More Chances and 16+ Learning Choices teams
Close links with the Skills for Work agenda and the development of relevant
vocational courses
Use of Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) to inform careers education at the local
level
Challenges include:




Keeping up to date with relevant LMI
Sourcing appropriate work experience placements
Managing young people’s expectations about realistic career options
Encouraging the delivery of appropriately focused career education across all
sectors (e.g. including Early Years providers)
Research findings
6.1
This strand of DtS is closely linked with all other strands, and career education
is being delivered to young people via a range of activities covered elsewhere in
this report (e.g. under work-based vocational learning, employer engagement
etc). As noted by one respondent, embedding enterprise in the curriculum will
also contribute to career education since it focuses on developing “the generic
skills so that it allows young people to tackle any sort of job”.
6.2
Respondents generally agreed that the wide range of activities undertaken as
part of DtS has helped to deliver appropriately focused careers education.
Increased partnership working with a range of relevant stakeholders, along with
use of local LMI, has helped to demonstrate the range of vocational
opportunities available to young people. Activities undertaken have also
increased young people’s confidence (e.g. in applying for jobs etc).
Critical success factors
6.3
Partnerships with various organisations have contributed to schools’ abilities to
provide appropriately focused career education. These include:
22

Close working with Skills Development Scotland (e.g. careers advisors
working in schools, particularly with guidance teachers, and specific input to
tailored employability programmes)

Partnerships with local employers and professional organisations (e.g.
employers and guidance staff working together to ensure pupils are given
useful advice about how to apply for jobs / what businesses are looking for;
input from employers to promote careers in certain sectors or industries;
provision of appropriate work experience placements.
Employers’
involvement in specific projects can also contribute to careers education, e.g.
“the kids have actually seen it as almost like a form of career guidance,
because it’s really made them think about what they want to do”)

Partnerships with further and higher education providers (e.g. providing
vocational courses to promote certain careers; input to schools at all stages
so young people are thinking about careers from a young age etc)

Collaboration with other local authority departments (e.g. Economic
Development, 16+ Learning Choices / More Choices, More Chances teams –
working together to provide relevant advice to young people, including
developing bespoke work experience placements). Joined-up working with
other departments was particularly relevant for the 16+ agenda; e.g.
increasing awareness of options for further education and other positive
destinations among school staff.
6.4
Much work in this area has benefited from linking closely with the Skills for
Work agenda (see the previous chapter on work-based vocational learning).
For example, Skills for Work courses have been developed to promote skills in
certain careers based on local information about skills gaps in the community,
often informed by information from Economic Development Departments and
LMI etc.
6.5
Labour Market Intelligence is also used to inform careers education, although
the extent to which this is utilised varies between authorities. LMI is used to
provide a picture of the local economy and a realistic view of local employment
opportunities, so that local authorities can identify key sectors to work with and
develop appropriate vocational courses. In this way, young people can develop
relevant skills and make informed choices about career opportunities. Some
local authorities have adapted LMI data so that it is presented in a ‘childfriendly’ format that was reported to be useful.
6.6
Respondents highlighted that local LMI is much more useful than national data.
There was also a perception that there are some limitations to using LMI as
“things are constantly changing”.
Challenges
6.7
Challenges identified in relation to career education included:

Keeping up to date with relevant industry / sector labour market information
through partnership working (e.g. “[It has] been a challenge for guidance staff
23
in schools to give good information to young people. Because with the best
will in the world they don’t have all the information – they don’t have the time
to gather it!”)

Sourcing appropriate work experience placements: e.g. because of the
number / capacity of suitable businesses in the area, some concerns among
employers about health and safety / insurance considerations etc.

Managing young people’s expectations about realistic career options (e.g.
matching career aspirations to opportunities in the local area, and the skills /
aptitudes of young people).

Encouraging the delivery of appropriately focused career education across all
sectors e.g. “sometimes it’s maybe about getting them to see the relevance of
some of the work, so... you know, why would you do early careers stuff with a
three year old!”
24
7 ENGAGING EMPLOYERS
Key messages
The number of employer partnerships across local authorities has increased year on
year; this includes businesses across the private, public and voluntary sectors.
Business engagement was seen to be ‘absolutely crucial’ to the success of DtS and
Curriculum for Excellence and all local authorities expect there will be further
increases in the number of partnerships in the future.
The nature of employer engagement has also developed since the introduction of
DtS, moving from ‘one off visits’ to a more sustained input and increased partnership
working – e.g. employers are becoming involved in helping design Skills for Work
courses, working directly in schools with teachers and pupils, offering work
experience and Excellence in Education through Business Links (EEBL) placements
and undertaking joint CPD with school staff.
Critical success factors in employer engagement include:






Having central DtS staff available to drive forward employer engagement /
facilitate partnerships
Willingness / buy-in from both sides (encouraged by clear communication about
the benefits of partnership working)
Effective links with the Chamber of Commerce where relevant
Utilising a more strategic approach to employer engagement, e.g. using one
central point of contact rather than ‘bombarding’ employers with requests for help
A range of factors contributing to successful partnership working (e.g. individual
personalities involved, clear communication, regular meetings etc)
Recognition of employer partnerships, e.g. through award events, business
breakfasts, media coverage etc
Challenges included:



The time required to develop partnerships
The capacity of employers to engage with schools due to the pressures of
running a business
The availability of a range of employers, particularly in some smaller authorities
Research findings
7.1
Although engaging employers is not an individual strand of DtS, it underpins the
success of each of the four strands and is one of the six themes that plays a
key role in the delivery of the strategy, and it is therefore examined separately
in this report.
7.2
Local authority progress reports and feedback from the qualitative interviews
indicate that the number of employer partnerships has increased year on year;
this includes businesses across the private, public and voluntary sectors.
25
7.3 Comparisons between the 2008-09 and 2009-10 progress reports show that the
number of formal partnerships has risen from nearly 11,000 to over 17,500
partnerships – this is an average increase of 54% (see Figure 8.1). The ‘initial’
target for employer partnerships as outlined in the DtS recommendations was
20007. Informal partnerships also exist in most schools, in addition to the
formal ones included here.
Figure 8.1: Total number of employer partnerships
No of partnerships in
2008-09
10854
Total number of
partnerships in 2009-10
17549
0
2000
4000
6000
8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000 20000
Information on partnerships was provided by 23 local authorities in 2008-09 and 27 local authorities in
2009-10
7.4
Comments made in the qualitative research confirmed that “business
engagement was absolutely crucial to the success of Determined to Succeed”,
and all local authorities expect there will be further increases in the number of
partnerships in the future.
7.5
Importantly, the nature of employers’ engagement has developed since the
introduction of DtS, changed from ‘one off visits’ to increased partnership
working. For example, employers are becoming involved in helping design
Skills for Work courses in some authorities, are working directly in schools with
teachers and pupils, offering work experience and EEBL placements and
undertaking joint CPD with school staff. This means that employers are offering
meaningful work experience, contributing to careers education and encouraging
teachers to make learning more relevant to the world of work. For example:
“There's a real shift… They're actually delivering the curriculum. They're not
just going in for a wee visit or a wee chat or a mock interview. They're actually
in the classroom talking about the curriculum itself, which is good”.
Critical success factors
7.6
Respondents identified a range of factors that contributed to successful
employer engagement.
7.7
Most authorities noted the importance of having central DtS staff /
Development Officers to drive forward the idea of employer engagement and
help facilitate the establishment of partnerships. Having this intermediary
helped forge good relationships, kept employers engaged in the process, and
Development Officers were also able to give teachers appropriate skills, advice
7
See http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/47034/0023917.pdf
26
and support (e.g. how to approach employers, appropriate methods of
communication with businesses) to help them develop their own partnerships.
As one respondent noted:
“Taking it from the point of view, or from the centre first of all: to start off with I
had a development officer for two years who could concentrate on [employer
engagement]… I would say that's the sort of strength… Because we’ve got off
to a very strong start with it and we’ve built it an expectation within the schools
and we’ve had it as a high priority”.
7.8
There is also evidence that a more strategic approach to employer
engagement is being employed across local authorities; for example involving
Economic Development Departments, More Choices, More Chances and 16+
Learning Choices teams in meetings with employers “trying to have a much
greater strategic approach and planned way of improving employer
engagement”.
7.9
School-employer partnerships depend on willingness / buy-in from both sides,
which has also been encouraged by central staff. In general, employers were
reported to be ‘very receptive’ to the idea of working with schools, and teachers
have also been keen to establish joint working. However, input from DtS staff
has helped develop more meaningful partnerships, as outlined by this
respondent:
“Where it’s really worked has been where staff in school absolutely see what
you’re trying to achieve… And getting school staff, getting them to buy in, to
see the difference between bringing in an employer for a one-off careers talk –
and that in itself is a good thing to do – but also to see how employers can
enhance the curriculum on an ongoing basis… So I think the real critical part
has been getting – and not just the school staff – I think getting employers as
well to see what’s in it for them, and what can this involvement bring to their
business?”
7.10 For many authorities, effective links with the local Chamber of Commerce
have been crucial in developing employer partnerships. This has allowed them
to access a range of employers via one nominated contact (who is already a
known and trusted business contact for employers), and has avoided a situation
where employers are ‘bombarded’ with requests from several different schools.
Indeed, in some areas the Chamber of Commerce has dedicated staff to
develop school-employer links, for example:
“Well, our model that we have worked on with [two neighbouring local
authorities] we’ve actually contracted with the Chamber of Commerce locally,
and they have two development workers... their specific remit is to support our
schools in making employer links… So that’s been a real success story”.
7.11 In some cases, DtS funding has been used to make all schools members of the
local Chamber of Commerce, so that they can access their database of
employers and make contact themselves as required.
27
7.12 However, in a small number of authorities responsibility had been devolved to
schools, with respondents arguing that empowering schools to develop
partnerships at the local level was a key success factor.
7.13 As is the case with any joint working, respondents emphasised the importance
of individual personalities in developing successful partnerships, as well as
the importance of continued communication, regular meetings and so on.
Being sensitive to the needs of employers was also highlighted as being key to
successful engagement, and tailoring the partnership to individual companies
(e.g. taking into account the size and capacity of different companies when
asking for input). Having clear expectations from the start about what each side
hoped to gain was also noted to help develop partnership working.
7.14 Local authority reports and interviews confirmed that recognition of employer
partnerships is universal; this is carried out by both local authorities and
schools (e.g. through partnership agreements, newsletters, annual award
events, business breakfasts, media coverage, school websites and presentation
ceremonies). This has a positive impact on sustaining relationships, as well as
increased levels of employer commitment.
Challenges
7.15 A number of challenges to employer engagement were identified, although
mostly these had been overcome using the approaches identified above.
7.16 The time required to develop partnerships was sometimes an issue for
schools; this was one area where the input of DtS staff was seen to be
particularly helpful, as they had the time and resources to dedicate to
developing / establishing employer partnerships:
“It is usually a series of meetings and a sharing of ideas, and seeing how you
could help one another to work together, and as I say time is a precious
commodity…”
7.17 The capacity of employers was identified as a potential issue, because of the
pressures of running a business. Although most respondents had not seen a
decline in engagement, they suspected that the current economic climate could
have a detrimental impact in the future:
“As the recession has hit and companies have reduced their staff levels... their
ability to then respond to requests for careers fairs and challenge events, for
school visits, has diminished slightly. Although I can only congratulate our local
guys: they have been fantastic”.
7.18 There was some variation in experience between different authorities; for
example the number and size of businesses in rural areas are very different to
those in the cities. Some smaller authorities noted that it was more challenging
to them to establish partnerships because of the small pool of employers
available to them. However, others suggested that the nature of rural
communities ensures employer involvement despite the prevalence of small
businesses in the area:
28
“I think employers have been a delight to work with because in a smaller
community, whilst we have a very narrow economic base, employers get it:
they see when they’re working with education in terms of developing the local
community the young people who they see as local customers, clients,
employees...”
29
8 FUTURE DELIVERY
Key messages
The majority of respondents felt that enterprise in education will continue because it
is a crucial part of Curriculum for Excellence implementation. Close links to the More
Choices, More Chances and 16+ Learning Choices agendas, and the importance of
enterprise in various local authority strategy documents and plans will also mean DtS
will remain high on the education agenda.
Work has already been undertaken to support future delivery, such as:



Setting up partnerships with Chambers of Commerce and other organisations to
take forward employer engagement
Taking action to ‘build capacity from within’ (e.g. the use of local networks to
share good practice, internally delivered CPD etc)
Devolved funding models / empowering schools to deliver activities themselves
Concerns were expressed about the loss of central DtS staff, because of their crucial
role in policy delivery and the importance of having somebody in post to ‘drive things
forward’. Respondents will also miss the support and strategic overview provided by
the National DtS Team.
Although many respondents raised concerns about the future delivery of various
elements of DtS, most were broadly positive about the future of enterprise in
education. A solid foundation has been laid for enterprise in education throughout
the lifetime of DtS.
Research findings
Embedding enterprise in Curriculum for Excellence
8.1
Several respondents noted that enterprise in education will continue because it
is a crucial part of Curriculum for Excellence implementation. Approaches like
cooperative learning and other changes that have been introduced because of
DtS will continue. For example:
“I think all the work that’s been done over… the last seven years or so of DtS...
has made a huge impact, a huge difference to what goes on in our schools and
how they see enterprise education. It has… definitely transformed what
happens in the schools, and so it’s not like this is going to stop when the DtS
funding stops”.
“I’ve been delighted to be involved with Determined to Succeed from the start. I
think the programme aims and ethos were incredibly strong and incredibly
powerful, I think it has been a real springboard for a Curriculum for
Excellence… and I’m quite positive that we will be able to maintain the kind of
momentum we’ve had”.
30
8.2 All respondents noted that they had always been aware that the ring-fenced
funding would end, and most have therefore already undertaken work to ensure
it is embedded within Curriculum for Excellence. This includes:

Setting up partnerships with Chambers of Commerce and other organisations
to take forward employer engagement, building relationships with employer
organisations and enabling schools to access employers through a single
point of contact

Taking action to ‘build capacity from within’, e.g. encouraging the use of local
networks / involvement in enterprise learning communities etc for practitioners
to share good practice and learn from one another, even if funding is no
longer available for formal CPD:

Devolved funding models / empowering schools from the start, or approaches
by Development Officers to ‘withdraw’ from active involvement over the past
year, e.g:
“A lot of my role has been… to try and become invisible; to try and say ‘this is
how you could do it; are you now doing it for yourself?’ We’ve very much tried
to focus on getting the schools to the point where they didn’t need the central
team”.
Local authority priorities
8.3
Even if ‘Determined to Succeed’ funding is no longer ring-fenced, its crucial
contribution to Curriculum for Excellence implementation and its close links to
the More Choices, More Chances and 16+ Learning choices agendas will
ensure that the strategy continues. This is reflected in various LA strategy
documents and plans “and you can see the threads of DtS running through all
those plans”.
8.4
Respondents generally agreed that where there is strategic level support for
DtS, and local authorities prioritise this area of work, it will be sustainable:
“I think there is a will at the top of the tree to make sure this continues... and at
the end of the day, I think that’s what makes the difference. If the leadership
are saying ‘this is important’, then I think it happens”.
Staffing
8.5
A key concern among all respondents was the issue of staffing. One or two
authorities knew they were able to retain central DtS staff, but the majority will
no longer be able to keep these posts. As has been noted throughout this
report, the input of DOs has been crucial to the success of DtS and there are
issues associated with the loss of central staff because “it still needs somebody
to drive these things forward”.
8.6 Although there will be a reduction in Development Officers, there will still be
Quality Improvement Officers (QIOs) in post who have been involved in
overseeing the delivery DtS. Their input was viewed to be ‘crucial’ in taking
31
enterprise in education forward. However, this will only be one part of a wider
overall remit and “the challenge is going to be workload for officers”.
The role of central direction
8.7
Reflecting the importance of the National DtS Team in supporting DtS (see
Chapter 2), several respondents expressed concern about the change in
Scottish Government involvement in the policy in the future due to enterprise
being embedded within Curriculum for Excellence.
For example, they
highlighted the importance of having someone organising networking events to
share good practice at a national level. It was also argued that a central team
has been important in order to ‘get the message out’ about the importance of
enterprise and how it fits in with Curriculum for Excellence etc. As one
respondent commented:
“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the central team… and it is a shame
that they are going to go and that support is going to go from the national level.
I would just like to think that something, someone, some department out there
would be having an overview and keeping an eye on the situation and trying to
support where at all possible. I know that that is a big ask in these times, but it
is a shame, it is a shame”.
Overview
8.8
Overall, the tone of the local authority progress reports and the feedback
received during the qualitative interviews was very positive in relation to the
achievements of DtS. Several respondents commented on the journey
travelled since the start of DtS, highlighting the impact on teachers and young
people. For example:
“I think it’s a great success. If you were to look at the school profile 2003 and
where it is just now, DtS has been key to helping that to move forward, and I
think there is enough body of enthusiasm which places value on the sort of
work that DtS has been promoting, to enable that to move forward”.
“I've just seen such a difference in so many people over the last few years in
changing attitudes, not just youngsters but adults as well. I personally will miss
it greatly when it goes. The fact that it's no longer going to be called
Determined to Succeed – the brand name has become synonymous with
quality and enterprise… DtS has become part of people's language within
education circles. Yeah, I think it'll be greatly missed”.
8.9
Across local authorities, a solid foundation has been laid for enterprise in
education through the activities undertaken throughout the lifetime of DtS. To
ensure future delivery, responsibility for various elements of the programme
have been shared across a wider range of teams and individuals and will be
taken forward through a variety of continuing activities and embedded within
Curriculum for Excellence.
32
9 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The journey travelled
9.1
The local authority reports and feedback from the qualitative interviews indicate
that considerable progress has been made in relation to delivery of DtS and
embedding the policy within Curriculum for Excellence.
9.2
For example, there is an overall trend of increasing levels of engagement with
relevant partners, development of activity across education sectors, and
progress in offering a wide range of opportunities related to enterprise and
employability skills to young people across Scotland.
9.3
There is also an increasing focus on enterprise in education as a key element
of Curriculum for Excellence, and this is reflected in the importance placed on
DtS-related activities in Curriculum for Excellence implementation plans and
other strategic guidance and documents produced by local authorities. Many
schools are increasingly placing enterprise within the context of Curriculum for
Excellence and building cross-curricular links through such activities.
9.4
Analysis suggests that progress has been made across all the key strands of
DtS: enterprising learning and teaching, work-based vocational learning,
entrepreneurial learning and appropriately focused career education.
Critical success factors
9.5
A number of factors have contributed to the success of DtS, and many of these
were mentioned in discussions of several of the key strands and themes.
Critical success factors across the whole programme can be divided into
several key areas, as outlined below.
Strategic level support and funding
9.6
A focus on enterprise by the Scottish Government and local authorities, along
with funding for DtS, has highlighted the importance of this area of education.
The National DtS Team provided strategic direction, while ring-fenced DtS
funding has been crucial in enabling the key aspects of delivery.
Dedicated personnel
9.7
The staffing structure set up to deliver the policy consisted of dedicated
personnel at all levels and contributed to the successful delivery of DtS.
Dedicated personnel included the National DtS Team, local authority DtS
Development Officers, and networks of Enterprise Co-ordinators was
emphasised as being key to the success of DtS.
9.8
Together, these teams have worked together to promote enterprise in
education in a wide variety of ways across all local authorities in Scotland.
Development Officers in particular were praised for their input, e.g. through
establishing regular cluster meetings, providing support, advice and CPD to
practitioners, and helping to develop a wide range of partnerships.
33
Leadership and staff commitment
9.9
Leadership within schools, as well as at the strategic level, was reported to be
crucial in encouraging DtS activities across all strands, particularly in
embedding enterprising learning and teaching across the curriculum. DtS has
worked best where head teachers and senior management teams
demonstrated commitment to enterprise in education, and encouraged this
attitude among teaching staff. Commitment of other teaching staff is also
crucial to the successful delivery of DtS.
Partnerships
9.10 DtS has been characterised by strong partnership working at both the strategic
level and in the day-to-day management of DtS activities. This includes
partnerships with employers, other local authority teams, colleges and training
providers, and organisations such as Skills Development Scotland and
Chambers of Commerce. Regular partnership meetings, clear lines of
communication, and the individual personalities involved have all contributed to
the development of effective relationships.
Building capacity
9.11 There has been a focus on building capacity during the programme. DtS
funding invested in the development and support of professional learning in
enterprise in education, both formal and informal (e.g. a focus on cooperative
learning, critical skills, leadership training etc has encouraged enterprising
approaches to learning and teaching). Joint CPD has also been undertaken,
involving other learning partners such as local authority colleagues, colleges /
training providers and employers. Building this capacity has increased the
focus on enterprise among teachers and other staff, and will contribute to the
sustainability of much of the policy.
Challenges
9.12 Various challenges have been faced in the delivery of DtS, although
respondents tended to focus on future challenges and sustainability issues,
rather than particular problems encountered so far. Key challenges identified
included:

The need to challenge traditional views of ‘enterprise’ and ensure that it is
seen as an integral part of learning and teaching rather than an ‘add-on’
activity: this was particularly in the case of developing entrepreneurial
learning, where there have been misconceptions among teachers about the
definition of entrepreneurial learning.

Ensuring buy-in across schools: again, this relates to the attitudes of staff and
senior management teams and efforts required to obtain buy-in from some
schools

Ensuring consistency across sectors: there was general agreement that
enterprise is already delivered successfully in Early Years establishments and
34
is embedded across the curriculum in primary schools; however, secondary
schools have faced greater challenges embedding enterprise

The time required to develop effective partnerships, particularly with
employers

The capacity of employers to engage with schools, due to the pressures of
running a business. This was perceived to be of increasing importance in the
current economic climate

Geographical issues, e.g. local authority size and / or remoteness: some
areas face particular challenges relating to travel time and cost when
accessing colleges. Some schools are delivering vocational courses in-house
to deal with this challenge. Some areas also have limited opportunities in
terms of the number and range of businesses available to contribute to workbased vocational learning

Promoting parity of esteem to ensure Skills for Work courses are seen as
being relevant for all young people (it was hoped this will continue to be
addressed through the development of Curriculum for Excellence)
Future delivery
9.13 The majority of respondents felt that enterprising learning and teaching as a
crucial component of Curriculum for Excellence implementation is set to
continue. Action already taken to build capacity, set up partnerships and
empower schools to deliver activities themselves will all contribute to
sustainability, while the ongoing focus on the More Choices, More Chances
and 16+ Learning Choices agendas will also mean employability will remain a
high priority. However, concerns were raised about the loss of central DtS staff
and National Team
9.14 Overall, it appears that a solid foundation has been laid for enterprise in
education throughout the lifetime of DtS. Responsibility for various elements of
the programme has been shared across a wider range of teams and individuals
and will be taken forward through embedding of enterprise in education in
Curriculum for Excellence.
Recommendations

Enterprise in Education, as a theme across learning should continue to be
promoted and supported to enable all young people, wherever learning takes
place, to develop the skills and attributes associated with enterprise and
employability.

While DtS has worked towards the embedding of enterprise within the
curriculum, it will be important to ensure that schools continue to have the
support in terms of delivery and quality assurance in order to deliver
Curriculum for Excellence which embodies the four strands of enterprise in
education
35

A focus on and support for entrepreneurial learning is required to ensure
all young people develop entrepreneurial knowledge and skills through the
context of every day learning and through the involvement in setting up and
running a business.

The input of dedicated DtS staff has been crucial to the success of DtS. The
continued availability of this kind of support would be beneficial, but would
have to be considered within the wider economic perspective and Curriculum
for Excellence implementation

There is an ongoing brokerage role for local authority staff and schools to
ensure that opportunities are identified and capacity increased, in ongoing
development of employer relationships and other partnerships at the school
and local authority level. It is also important that recognition is provided for
these partnerships

Delivery of relevant CPD will help ensure enterprise continues to be
embedded across the curriculum. Sharing good practice and learning from
colleagues is an effective way of teachers and other staff ‘building capacity
from within’

Sharing of good practice should continue to be encouraged, both within and
across local authorities, and across sectors
36
Appendix 1: List of acronyms
16+LC
ASDAN
CLD
CPD
DtS
DO
EDO
EEBL
HMIe
LMI
MCMC
QIO
SFC
SDS
16+ Learning Choices
Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network
Community Learning and Development
Continuing Professional Development
Determined to Succeed
Development Officer
Enterprise Development Officer
Excellence in Education through Business
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education
Labour Market Intelligence
More Choices More Chances
Quality Improvement Officer
Scottish Funding Council
Skills Development Scotland
Appendix 2: Topic guide
The following question areas have been developed to provide a framework for discussion.
All relevant topic areas should be discussed and covered at some stage during the interview, but
should be addressed in such a way that facilitates a natural flow of conversation.
Interviewers to review the LA’s 2009/10 report before conducting each interview and use
as prompt / to update info.
Discussion to focus on critical success factors and any challenges faced, rather than
repeating info on activities undertaken etc (focusing on Policy Expectations for Local
Authority Delivery 2008-2011)
Key areas for inclusion are sustainability, knowledge transfer, employer engagement and
entrepreneurial learning – please ask respondents to bear these in mind during the
discussions
Introduction
 Moderator introduction
 Reminder of purpose of the interview
 Recording and confidentiality
Respondent info / background
 Role within LA / job title, length in post
 Involvement / responsibility for DtS
 Details of contact with establishments in relation to DtS; contact with partner
organisations in private, public, 3rd sector etc over lifetime of DtS
 To what extent have establishments and partner organisations embraced DtS
 Views on the support provided by the SG DtS team
SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SKILLS FOR LIFE, SKILLS FOR WORK

To what extent has DtS encouraged:
o Partnership working so all children and young people have opportunities to build
skills for life and skills for work across all areas of the curriculum
o Promoted parity of esteem across key stakeholders (parents, teachers, young
people, careers advisers, employers etc) through a range of ways including
enterprising leadership and CPD opportunities

What have been the critical success factors in supporting the development of skills for
life / skills for work?
What have been the key challenges in this area? (How) were they overcome?

ENGAGING EMPLOYERS

To what extent has DtS:
o Broadened and strengthened employer engagement
o Built stronger links with Business Gateway, Economic Development Departments
and Skills Development Scotland (SDS) to target key growth sectors
o Helped increase business start-ups and the social economy turnover by further
developing entrepreneurial learning
o Ensured active employer representation in local partnerships
o Built on relationships with colleges to improve transitions for young people
through improved employer engagement
o
o


Considered local and broader labour market intelligence (LMI) within
implementation of the strategy
Celebrated and recognised the contribution of employers
What have been the critical factors in successfully engaging with employers?
What have been the key challenges in this area? (How) were they overcome?
BROADENING THE REACH OF DETERMINED TO SUCCEED

To what extent has DtS:
o Encouraged the gathering and sharing of effective enterprise in education
practices in early years and embedded these to ensure a stimulating context for
learning
o Ensured all young people (including those in residential / other non-school
provision, and those in transition) are given opportunities to enhance their
employability


What have been the critical success factors in broadening the reach of DtS?
What have been the key challenges in this area? (How) were they overcome?
EMBEDDING ENTERPRISE IN THE CURRICULUM

To what extent has DtS:
o Ensured the breadth of enterprise in education is reflected in the implementation
of CfE (this includes enterprising learning and teaching, entrepreneurial learning,
work-based vocational learning and career education)
o Ensured schools have fully addressed the recommendations for action in HMIE’s
‘Improving Enterprise in Education’ report
o Supported collaborative approaches to delivering enterprise in education within
CfE


What have been the critical success factors in embedding enterprise in the curriculum?
What have been the key challenges in this area? (How) were they overcome?
BUILDING CAPACITY

To what extent has DtS:
o Ensured authorities and schools extend CPD in enterprise, entrepreneurship and
work-related aspects, establishing as a regular feature for all staff and as part of
leadership development
o Ensured CPD continues to foster an understanding of partnership working and
increased recognition of the role played by employers in enhancing and informing
learning and teaching, encouraging a cross-sectoral and cross-curricular
approach
o Ensured CPD includes an understanding and application of local and broader
LMI to inform learning and teaching
o Encouraged continued partnership working with the Scottish Government and
SDS to meet EBBL targets; and to develop a more sustainable model for delivery
of EBBL beyond 2008/09
o Encouraged joint CPD activities that involve teachers and other learning partners
(e.g. colleges, HE, training providers, employers)

What have been the critical success factors in building capacity relating to enterprise in
education?
What have been the key challenges in this area? (How) were they overcome?

ENHANCING OUR INTERNATIONAL PROFILE

To what extent has DtS helped to:
o Host foreign delegations interested in enterprise in education
o Seek and respond to collaborative learning opportunities through local authority
engagement in global connections
o Set enterprise in education in a world-wide arena helping young people to
develop their capacity to play an active part in the global economy through
embedding the breadth of enterprise in education in the curriculum and broader
international education


What have been the critical success factors in enhancing our international profile?
What have been the key challenges in this area? (How) were they overcome?
Overview


What are respondent views on the future for DtS given that ring fenced funding is ending
in March?
What will be key challenges to its continuation and how can these be overcome?
Appendix 3: Collation and analysis of local authority determined to succeed
progress reports 2009-10 – Executive Summary
Introduction
Determined to Succeed (DtS) is a strategy to develop the enterprise and
employability skills of young people, ‘better preparing them for work and life in a
globalised society through embedding enterprise in education across and within the
curriculum and ethos in every school in Scotland’. The second phase of DtS is built
around six inter-related themes:






Supporting the development of Skills for Life and Skills for Work;
Engaging employers;
Broadening the reach of DtS;
Embedding enterprise in the curriculum;
Building capacity;
Enhancing our international profile.
Each local authority is responsible for the delivery and reporting of DtS, and all 32
authorities have provided reports detailing the progress made in the delivery of DtS
in 2009-10. The Scottish Government Enterprise and Employability for Young
People Division, Determined to Succeed team commissioned George Street
Research to conduct a review of these reports that outline the progress made in the
delivery of DtS.
Aims and objectives
The aim of the research was to produce a composite report containing the following:





A full explanation of the findings and a breakdown of the questions in the
progress reports;
(If appropriate) the use of graphs, charts, diagrams or verbatim quotes to
demonstrate key findings;
Case studies of the practices used by each local authority;
Conclusions and recommendations;
Examples of best practice with regard to all aspects of delivery including
systems and processes.
Methodology
All 32 local authorities provided a progress report. An additional report was provided
by Jordanhill School and included in the analysis. The responses were collated in
electronic form using a bespoke analysis matrix and the information provided under
each of the six main DtS themes was summarised.
It should be noted that several of the questions required numerical responses, and in
some instances the data provided were found to vary in format / detail, making it
difficult to compare data across local authorities or reach robust conclusions. The
research findings should be read with this in mind. The level and depth of information
provided by each local authority varied and it should not be assumed that a lack of
information about any specific initiatives equates to a lack of involvement in DtS.
The following paragraphs outline the main findings of the analysis.
Main findings
Supporting the development of Skills for Life and Skills for Work
Almost all of the local authority reports specifically referred to a strategic-level
commitment to supporting the development of Skills for Life and Skills for Work.
Support is provided through dedicated funding, and by local authority personnel, DtS
teams and Enterprise Development Officers (EDOs), and delivered in a variety of
ways including school meetings, development of programmes, development of
partnerships, provision of resources and Continuing Professional Development
(CPD).
Partnership working in particular is highlighted by many local authorities as being key
in strategic planning to support schools to deliver Skills for Work and Skills for Life
and there are examples cited of multi-agency work. Many local authorities note an
increase in the scale and diversity of partners working together to promote enterprise
education.
Several local authorities have introduced new vocational programmes and Skills for
Work courses and / or expanded upon what was already available. In general, there
is an increase in enterprise education and DtS related activities. Data shows an
increase in the total number of young people completing Skills for Work and other
qualifications in 2009-2010.
Work experience is used across all authorities in the development of Skills for Life
and Skills for Work. Although the focus is still on the traditional one-week placement
in S4, there is an acknowledgement from some authorities of the need to move to a
more flexible approach to meet young people’s needs and some are introducing new
models of work experience.
Local authorities are aware of parity of esteem issues and are introducing measures
to promote this to stakeholders. This is leading to an increase in the number and
range of young people able to participate in vocational courses. Some local
authorities also note a change in staff attitudes, whereby teaching staff are
increasingly viewing enterprise as a key element of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE).
Engaging employers
Most authorities either have a formal Employer Engagement Strategy or are in the
process of developing one at local authority level. However, local authorities note
that most education establishments engage in either formal or informal partnerships
with employers. Most local authorities also report an active involvement in
development of partnerships with local businesses across a range of different
sectors including private, public, voluntary, Skills Development Scotland (SDS),
Chambers of Commerce and local colleges.
A wide range of entrepreneurial learning initiatives are offered across local
authorities, often linked to CfE. Entrepreneurial learning has had a positive impact on
increasing the awareness and understanding of private and social enterprise among
young people and self-employment as a viable career opportunity.
Most local authorities use Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) to some degree although
for many, usage is limited. Where LMI is used, this is for the development of
vocational programmes, identification of areas of expected growth and employment
opportunities.
Across the local authorities, 23 were able to provide information on the number of
employer partnerships that existed in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010, and this ranged
from 100 to over 2,000. Importantly, all local authorities reported an increase in the
number of employer partnerships this year and the expectation from many is that
there will be further increases in the coming session.
Recognition of employer partnerships is universal and this is carried out by both local
authorities and schools (e.g. through partnership agreements, newsletters, annual
award events, business breakfasts, media coverage, school websites and
presentation ceremonies). This has a positive impact on sustaining relationships, as
well as increased levels of employer commitment.
For young people, key impacts are an increased number of work placements in their
area, a capacity to contextualise their learning, an understanding of the qualifications
and skills required by employers, an opportunity to see what work opportunities are
available to help them enter into positive and sustained destinations, and increased
motivation.
Broadening the reach of DtS
A wide range of activities are being undertaken to broaden the reach of DtS, with
authorities at different stages of development. Key work in the early years sector
includes support offered by DtS personnel e.g. provision of CPD and resources. A
variety of events and initiatives being undertaken in the early years sector were
described in the reports, which have resulted in positive impacts on staff and pupils.
Most authorities mentioned funding CPD for staff who are involved in working with
young people in non-school settings, including residential establishments. The use of
flexible, multi-agency approaches was highlighted, including work experience
placements where appropriate, customised programmes involving partnerships with
colleges and employers, and outdoor education. Reported impacts of this kind of
work included increased engagement and motivation among young people.
In relation to supporting transitions for young people, authorities reported a positive
and increasing level of strategic coordination of approaches, closer cross-sector links
and a more 'joined up' approach. Enterprise activities featured strongly in
programmes to support young people through transition phases at all stages.
Embedding enterprise in the curriculum
Enterprise in education is viewed as a crucial part of CfE across local authorities,
and is reflected in relevant strategy papers and guidance documents. Guidance
provided to schools puts a strong focus on the central role of enterprising activities to
the implementation of CfE, and schools are increasingly being required to embed
enterprising approaches across the curriculum. Other actions taken to embed
enterprise across the curriculum include: establishment of short-life working groups,
consistent communication through CPD and staff meetings, close collaborative
working between relevant staff, and support provided by Quality Improvement
Officers (QIOs) in developing School Improvement Plans and in the Quality
Assurance process.
The report published by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIe) relating to
embedding enterprise has been widely distributed across almost all local authorities,
using a variety of dissemination methods. The report's recommendations are being
implemented using a range of structures and approaches, including integration into
strategic guidance, through school improvement planning, support from local
authority staff, and promotion / development time to use the self-evaluation toolkit.
Building capacity
The proportion of staff undertaking formal CPD in relation to partnership working and
the role of employers varied widely across authorities, although it was also reported
that professional learning is taking place in a variety of informal ways. Most
authorities reported positive impacts of CPD activity, including an increased
awareness and understanding of the benefits of partnership working, a rise in the
number of businesses engaging with schools, and greater confidence among school
staff in approaching employers. This in turn leads to increased motivation among
young people as a result of engagement in stimulating and relevant learning
experiences.
Almost all authorities reported raising awareness of entrepreneurship and social
enterprise among staff, through CPD and informal support from enterprise
coordinators, including specific CPD relating to social enterprise. The Social
Enterprise Academy has been actively involved in developing this area of work in a
number of authorities. A wide range of social enterprise activities was described,
including involvement in Fairtrade and credit unions, global enterprise activities and
participation in the Social Enterprise Challenge. This has led to an increased
capacity among staff in the delivery of entrepreneurial education, and positive
impacts on young people (e.g. increased motivation, improved understanding of
social responsibility and increased interest in self-employment).
Excellence in Education through Business (EEBL) placements have taken place in
almost all local authorities, with no consistent pattern of increasing or decreasing
numbers of placements across authorities since last year. Evaluation reports suggest
that there have been positive impacts of EEBL, including changes in classroom
practice, enhancement of lessons and the development of strong employer links.
Most authorities provided positive comments about their commitment to EEBL
placements, although concerns were raised by several authorities relating to future
funding and staffing issues. Approaches to future models of EEBL placements
include inter-authority delivery and integration within CPD programmes.
All authorities highlighted a wide range of CPD activities involving other learning
partners including local authority colleagues, other public services, colleges / training
providers, employers, Chambers of Commerce and SDS. Impacts of such CPD
activities include an increased awareness and appreciation of the importance of
partnership working, and improved links between teachers and other partners.
Local authorities noted that evidence from teacher evaluations of CPD, QIO quality
assurance visits and HMIe school inspection reports all suggest a range of positive
impacts of enterprise-related CPD experiences. These include learning and
teaching which includes a focus on enterprise, making learning more relevant to the
world of work, embedding enterprise across the curriculum and improved links to
CfE. Positive impacts on young people, including increased engagement /
enjoyment, confidence and achievement were also identified.
Enhancing our international profile
All local authorities report activity in this area, the main approaches including links
with schools and charities abroad, hosting visitors from abroad, and teacher and
pupil exchange programmes. Links with other schools and organisations exist in a
wide range of countries and schools are involved in a wide range of relevant
initiatives. Local authorities are applying enterprise in education across the
curriculum, and global citizenship and links between schools, business and the
community have been strengthened.
Conclusions and recommendations
The local authority reports indicate that considerable progress has been made
in relation to delivery of Determined to Succeed. While the level of activity varies
between themes and across local authorities, analysis suggests that there is an
overall trend of increasing levels of engagement with relevant partners, development
of activity across education sectors, and progress in offering a wide range of Skills
for Work and other courses to better meet the needs of young people across
Scotland.
By building effective partnerships with colleges, employers (including third sector)
and other partners, as well as utilising relevant LMI data, local authorities are
developing a greater capacity to offer a wider range of vocational programmes and
Skills for Work qualifications relevant to the local community.
The reports also demonstrate an increasing focus on enterprise in education as a
key element of Curriculum for Excellence, and this is reflected in the importance
placed on DtS-related activities in CfE implementation plans and other strategic
guidance and documents produced by local authorities. Many schools are
increasingly placing enterprise within the context of CfE and building cross-curricular
links through such activities.
A wide range of positive impacts was identified as a result of the work undertaken as
part of DtS. This includes impacts on teachers and employers, such as a greater
understanding of each other's sectors and an appreciation of the benefits of
partnership working, leading to work in the classroom being more relevant to the
world of work. Impacts for young people include the development of Skills for Life
and Skills for Work, as well as other benefits such as improvements in motivation,
engagement, confidence and self-esteem.
Many local authorities recognise that there are still areas for development, and
several indicated areas for improvement in the next year. Some authorities raised
concerns about their ability to source appropriate work experience and EEBL
placements as a result of the economic downturn. This suggests that decisionmaking based on values and priorities will need to be undertaken in order to address
funding and staffing issues and to ensure that young people have appropriate and
timely opportunities for work experience and if programmes such as EEBL
placements are to continue.
The overall tone of the reports is very positive and authorities are committed to the
development of the DtS agenda.
Recommendations

With the end of ring-fenced funding in 2011, local authorities will need to give
careful thought as to how the momentum that has been established in schools
in delivering DtS activities can be maintained;

The input of dedicated DtS / enterprise staff is clearly appreciated by schools
and important to the development of enterprise in education (EinE)
approaches. Ensuring the availability of this support would be beneficial, but
would have to be considered within the wider economic perspective;

There is an ongoing brokerage role for DtS staff, local authority staff and
schools to ensure that opportunities are identified and capacity increased, in
ongoing development of employer relationships and other partnerships at the
school and local authority level. It is also important that recognition is
provided for these partnerships;

Delivery of relevant CPD will help ensure EinE continues to be embedded
across the curriculum;

Sharing of good practice should continue to be encouraged, both within and
across local authorities;

As was the case with the previous year's progress reports, there was an issue
with the consistency of the quantitative data provided by local authorities in
response to some of the questions. Reporting is likely to change, with more
responsibility placed on local authorities in terms of managing their own
gathering and use of intelligence. Consistent and systematic provision of data
should be considered for future reports at local level to assist in benchmarking
and considering progress.