LANCASHIRE 14-19 PARTNERSHIPS
Volume 1, Issue 1 January 2008
Online Area Prospectus-the vision All Local Authorities now have an online Area Prospectus. In some cases, as for London, this is an integrated one for the 33 LAs. http:// www.yourlondon.gov.uk/ choice/ The Lancashire AP combines information from our own county and Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool. http://www.steps4me.co.uk Within two years (by 2010) the Area Prospectus will be combined with a common applications process system and an Individual Learning Plan (ILP). The integrated system will enable 14-19 partnerships to understand current and
future demand for learning opportunities.
Inside this issue:
It is intended that the Area Prospectus will support learners from year 7 onwards as they plan their “learning journey”. A wide range of web based 14-19 information and advice, as well as curriculum materials, will be available through the Area Prospectus from late February 2008 (“More information” section of steps4me) Details of diploma offerings as they become available in each partnership will be publicized through the Area Prospectus with applications being made online by 2010 when it will integrate with the national diploma man-
The company which provides our system, s-cool of
Bristol, is working closely with its partner authorities to ensure that the vision is realized in good time for the deadlines mentioned. Our LA will be represented at the annual conference of authorities using the s-cool system (futures4me) and we
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Lesson plans
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What’s on where?
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The 10 point plan
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The diploma
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Personalisation
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Are you ready?
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agement system (Minerva). The Area Prospectus system will help the careers and advice service manage the September Guarantee and eventually integrate with the CCIS (Client Caseload Information System)
DCSF 14-19 Area Prospectus-vision Information within this newsletter is derived from the document “14-19 Area Prospectus- Vision” which has been put together by the DCSF, LSC, LAs and Connexions.
Too much information?
would welcome suggestions as to the way the platform develops (by February 12th please). Please email prospectus@ict.lancsngfl.ac.uk with suggestions/comments
Facts and figures • There are currently 190 providers in Steps4me • 25 of these are providers of apprenticeships and work-based learning • 50 other authorities are using the same system as ourselves • We are aiming for all providers to have full, up to date information in the system by the end of February 2008.
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ONLINE AREA PROSPECTUS
Too much information? or too little? With the many changes due to happen in September 2008, surely learners, not to mention their parents, can not have too much information to help them negotiate successfully the new opportunities and pathways open to them.
found “To follow”. What would you think? All providers should have nominated a person or people to manage the updating of the system. It is up to them to decide how best to ensure that option
Schools and other providers were asked in 2007 to submit details of their latest courses to put into the system. This was done by spreadsheet in the main.
information is added when needed by leaners making their choices (early in 2008) and that they then get in information from each appropriate Head of Department where there are changes. Subject information can be put into appropriate option blocks in the administration area ensuring that learners know that there is not a free choice. Subjects offered by external providers (such as your partner college or the Diploma Partnership) can be added as partnership offerings which is made clearly obvious in subject listings.
Now the online system is up and running with its easy to use administrative back-end, it is important that course and provider details are made as complete as possible for the benefit of learners.
If you did not attend the training sessions in October 2008 please email Steve Glover at prospectus@ict.lancsngfl.ac.uk for your username and password and a userguide for the system.
Imagine if you were looking up construction at the college as featured in the screenshot to the right and you
Lesson plans The LA is working closely with CXL to be available for use in good time for the produce sequences of learning which “options season” by the end of February will help learners understand how the 2008. Area Prospectus works and how it fits The production team is working closely into the overall picture of Information, with a number of Advice and Guidschools to ensure ance (IAG) within that the materials “The careers information website is at the area. are interesting www.cegnet.co.uk and contains schemes Lesson plans and and appropriresources are being ately pitched. of work, lesson ideas and resources” prepared and should To access the
lessons which will be usable on-screen or in printable format go to the More Information tab of the www.steps4me.co.uk web site and then go to elearning. We would be grateful if teachers in charge of PSHE , Careers or IAG could be informed of these materials. Any feedback on how they are used would be very useful to us for future developments.
WHAT’S ON where? Most providers are delighted to find that the Area Prospectus provides a central place for advertising forthcoming events relevant to transition both at 14 and 16. To add all your Open Days, Open Evenings, taster events and other type of activity, just log in to your administration area and add the date and details as soon as these are fixed. The events diary will become essential
viewing as new elements of the 14-19 agenda, such as the diploma ,come into being and taster events/trial sessions on each diploma line are organized within a travel to learn area. This will help KS3 learners decide on an appropriate course of action. Post 16 providers such as colleges have Users can search the diary by area been very proactive in getting or institution
their information events in, and have seen this diary as being a very positive innovation for promoting themselves. Some events can be quite early in the year so Key Stage 4 providers should ensure that the prospectus is well publicized.
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
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The ten point plan In order to embed use of the Area Prospectus in readiness for subsequent developments such as the Individual Learning Plan(ILP) and Common Applications Process (CAP) it is essential that schools and colleges commit to a certain level of proactive management of the prospectus. The 10 point plan gives some suggested actions which will ensure that you take ownership. 1. Publicize on Put a link to the Area school website Prospectus on your web site or VLE (moodle etc). 2. Print URL in student planners
List the AP alongside other useful websites in student planners.
3. In marketing materials
By providing a link to steps4me the school is committing to the area view of 14-19 education.
4. PSHE/IAG Build in use of Area lessons Prospectus with other IAG resources from year seven. Include IAG/AP in CPD 5. Training activities to show richactivities ness of 14-19 offering. (CPD) 6. Update system annually
Information should be timely and accurate. Update system as soon as curriculum decisions are taken.
7. Identified in area curriculum plan
Students need to be made aware that their choices are not confined to the offeringwithin the school.
8. Included in provider development plans/SEF
IAG for which the AP is a key tool needs to be carefully implemented throughout the school.
9. Usage is planned and monitored
Activity reports will reveal which students are fully engaged.
10. Annual review
Is the school’s entry up to date, accurate and appealing to students?
Diplomas in lancashire The first diplomas to be delivered in Lancashire are well under way with Diploma partnerships beginning to plan the detail of what is being taught, by whom and when. In the first wave, beginning in September 2008, Creative and Media is being offered in three areas-Burnley and Pendle, Hyndburn, Rossendale and Ribble Valley and Lancaster and Morecambe and Engineering is being offered by Chorley and South Ribble. If your school is involved in offering
the subject to your students you will already know about it but in future years, as more subjects are offered, the Area Prospectus will be the key place to seek information as the details of delivery arrangements will need all the sophistication of the online system.
“To find out more about the diploma go to the dedicated website www.directgov.gov.uk/diplomas”
The diploma site is for all stakeholdersstudents, parent,teachers and employers
p e r s o n a l i s ation Anyone visiting the Area Prospectus can create their own “account” where courses visited can be saved for viewing next time or during an interview with a Connexions PA. This is a simple but very useful facility and is the first step towards students having their own personalized Individual
Learning Plan. Trials will be starting shortly on the use of electronic ILPs linking with the Area Prospectus. The first trials will involve Diploma students, Engagement projects and Young Apprenticeships. We will be reviewing results of the trials very
carefully before recommending a particular solution for area wide use. Decisions will be made based on needs of both students and 14-19 partnerships including functionality, ease of use and comprehensive reporting. Straightforward access to meaningful statistics to facilitate planning and diagnostic tests for functional skills will help make the 14-19 agenda more manageable.
WHERE WE SHOULD BE BY 2010
Diagram showing how the Area Prospectus, Common Applications and Individual Learning Plan link together..
ARE YOU READY? Which member of your SMT has responsibility for getting the AP embedded in the curriculum?
Have you thought about putting the
Area Prospectus into your school development plan? Will your school’s entry for 2008-9 be ready by mid-February?
In which part of the curriculum is careers represented at KS3?
WHY NOT… Who will be responsible for gathering in, compiling and editing your AP information?
Pilot the Area Prospectus with selected groups at KS3 and KS4? Which ones?
Have you already quality assured what is currently there?
Add the URL to communications with parents?
Has our school begun linking the website and published materials to the Area Prospectus? View providers’ menu from which users can view all an institution’s courses or other opportunities.
This document has been created to provide information for the 14-19 partnerships within Lancashire. Any feedback, comments, observations, please email prospectus@ict.lancsngfl.ac.uk