Educating 16-18 year olds
Eddie Playfair, Principal of Newham Sixth Form College (NewVIc)
“Plan for 1 year and
plant rice.
Plan for 10 years and
plant trees.
Plan for 100 years
and educate people.”
Confucius
“Human history
becomes more and
more a race between
education and
catastrophe.”
Herbert George Wells
1. Funding learning
Commissioning
Lagged learner numbers
Learners, learner numbers (LN)
Standard Learners, standard learner numbers (SLN)
National Funding Rate (SLN x NFR x PF + ALS = funding)
Provider Factor (programme, area, disadvantage, success)
Additional Learning Support
Starters
Quality…
Completers, retention rate (C / S)
Achievers, achievement rate (A / C)
Success Rate (A / S = SR)
Value added (ALIS, ALPS, LAT….VA, DT)
The supply chain: schools, colleges, HE and employers
Progression(inc. HE accepances / HE applications)
…all this is recorded, monitored and audited.
The paradox of the sorites
Eubulides of Miletus
“How many grains
of sand make a
heap?”
“How many learning
experiences make
an education?”
“Education is a social
process”
John Dewey
“Through others we
become ourselves”
Lev Vygotsky
2. Educating young people
Skills, knowledge, aspiration, commitment, potential…
Citizens, workers, family and community members, leaders…
Teaching, information, advice, guidance, support, funding,
Making sense of it all
A plethora of separate demands and initiatives or a single coherent vision of the
learning community, the skilled learner and active citizen?
From alphabet soup….
AAT, ALS, BIS, CVA, DT, ECM, FO1-5, ILR, LAD, LAT, LN, NFR, NQF,
OfSTED, PF, SFA, SLN, SLN ratio, VA, YPLA…
…to a successful learning community…
Where young people become skilled, confident and independent learners and
develop as community members; autonomous, active citizens and workers
with the ability to make a contribution and serve others.
NewVIc: creating the successful
learning community
we
believe in…success and achievement; setting high
standards and expectations.
Respect for everyone: valuing diversity and promoting
equality.
Education for everyone; attracting and including new
learners.
Education of the whole person; for personal and social
development
Accountability; responding and contributing to our
communities.
Honesty, openness, trust and sensitivity in everything we
do.
Among our strategic objectives:
“developing students’ autonomy and skills for learning,
employment and global citizenship.”
“Education is the
point at which we
decide whether we
love the world
enough to assume
responsibility for it.”
Hannah Arendt
4 pillars of learning - UNESCO
Five Minds
for the future:
Disciplined
Creating
Synthesizing
Respectful
Ethical
Howard Gardner
The Skilled Learner
NewVIc aims to be a Successful Learning Community
Our students should aim to be Skilled Learners:
Active and Reflective Learners and Citizens / community members
Active
Learner
Citizen
Creative: questioning, curious
Listening, imaginative, playful
Research, explore, experiment
Question assumptions
Develop new ideas, connect/adapt ideas,
make links, take risks, cope with
uncertainty/change
Persuasive, take initiative
Advocacy, represent others
Dialogue, discuss and debate, find solutions,
negotiate
Team work: collaborate, participate,
contribute
Support others, deal with / resolve conflict,
adapt behaviour, reach consensus
Creative thinker, Independent enquirer
Team worker, Effective participator
Reflective
Determined
Understand learning
Self aware, self motivated
Think critically, analyse
Evaluate options, develop theories
Manage information and time
Reflective learner
Self manager
Have clear values, care, compassion, empathy,
respect for others
Understand social justice
Value human rights, equality, democracy,
diversity
Consider impact of decisions, accountable for
own actions
Critical awareness of social/political processes
Able to make judgements
OM competences for citizenship
The current UK context
In post-16 education, the emphasis is on…
•qualifications rather than whole learner
•employment rather than citizenship
•personal gain rather than social purpose
•choice and competition rather than cohesion
•Institutional diversity rather than comprehensive system
But learning is social, doesn’t have to be a market commodity
In the wider political sphere,
•Competing rather than collaborating
•Defining nationhood rather than global humanity
•Social mobility and “fairness” rather than equality
If we are to tackle local global problems, we need shared values,
awareness, dialogue, skills for citizenship
Prospects…
Cuts:
National Funding Rate to fall as participation rises (RPA)
SSF/FE funding gap to be addressed
EMA to be withdrawn
Greater competition:
New providers being encouraged to enter market
Schools encouraged to open sixth forms?
Partnership, federation, merger…?
Curriculum:
Wolf review of vocational qualifications
The English Bac pre-16 and reform of league tables
Linearisation of A levels and role of HE
Wider context for young people:
Youth unemployment, restricted access to HE…
Staff and staff governors
Staff are key members of the college community
Have a major stake in the success of the college
Play a major role in creating the ethos
Should be major partners in college governance
The following should be in place:
Effective representation and forums for consultation
To support and develop staff representatives
Full staff meetings
A staff council
A Joint Consultative Committee
Active, well briefed staff governors
“be the change
you want to see in
the world”
M.K. Gandhi
“You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day! Your
mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!”
“You have brains in your
head. You have feet in your
shoes. You can steer
yourself any direction you
choose.”
Dr. Seuss
“Knowing is not
enough; we must
apply.
Willing is not
enough; we must
do.”
Johann W. Goethe
“Now is the time, not
tomorrow, not some more
convenient season. It is today
that our best work can be
done and not some future
day or future year. It is today
that we fit ourselves for the
greater usefulness of
tomorrow. Today is the seed
time, now are the hours of
work, and tomorrow comes
the harvest and the
playtime.”
“Believe in life! Always
human beings will live
and progress to greater,
broader, and fuller life.”
W.E.B. DuBois