Vocational reform from September 2013: Hard-to-reach learners don’t need to lose out
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Schools finding ways to continue to raise attainment amongst hard-to-reach learners.
This September will see big changes to vocational qualifications – 96% of GCSE-equivalent vocational qualifications will be removed from school league tables from 2014, following recommendations made in the Wolf Report. Further, from 2014, only two non-GCSEs will be allowed to count towards the existing five A* to C GCSE indicators. Research from the IPPR think tank, supported by the Edge Foundation charity, has noted that 60% of schools are now either planning to cut the provision of vocational qualifications, or have already done so. This is despite the fact that of the senior teachers interviewed, 79% said that vocational qualifications provided a firm foundation for school-leavers to get jobs, suggesting that a worrying gap will be left behind.How to continue to engage learners who have traditionally responded well to vocational learning is a challenge for schools and action is now more pressing than ever as September draws nearer.However, we are seeing examples of schools finding ways to continue to raise attainment amongst hard-to-reach learners.
GCSEs in action
At York High School, Lead Child Development Teacher Jenni Rawlinson and her colleagues are using our
Child Development online GCSE resources to guide hard-to-reach learners towards successful outcomes in their exams and controlled assessments. Jenni said:
“Learners who were predicted to get a D/E grade are now on target for a C. We’ve seen improved attendance, much better behaviour and a ‘ready to learn’ attitude since we introduced vision2learn to learners when they were in Year 9. The whole group also study Nutrition and Health using the online resources available on vision2learn, along with their other core subjects in school.”She added:
“The new vision2learn GCSE learning environment is strikingly vibrant. My learners find the bold colours, engaging information and useful study tools really motivating. It is all set out in the same way I teach it, following the course specification, which is very helpful. It’s got lots of great learning tools. ‘On the web!’ and ‘Read all about it!’ are amazing for research projects and the child study, while the ‘Time to think’ journal feature is ideal for cover lessons and work at home.”Raised aspirations
Gavin Cowley, Deputy Head teacher at York High School, says that vison
2learn for schools is clearly raising attainment and motivation. He said:
“We’ve seen clear evidence these programmes are raising aspirations, often among hard-to-reach students. We’ve tracked a marked impact on other areas of the Key Stage 4 curriculum. “The fact that pupils can make progress at their own pace, in their own time gives the course a real flexibility. The materials are enjoyable to use, and the techniques needed are of course very familiar to this age group.“For some students, it might be the one school activity where they can demonstrate success – it’s a real confidence-booster.”Prepare for the changes now