Adult Learners’ Week 2014

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Learning that goes far beyond the school classroom

Welcome to this year’s Adult Learners’ Week (ALW) supplement.

For me, the best thing about this annual week of celebration is the stories of people who find new skills that change their lives.

What has struck me this year is that it’s not just people who struggle at school who benefit from adult learning (although, of course, they do), it also boosts those who want to progress at work or pursue a lifelong dream or are in prison and want the skills to change their lives when they are released.

The National Institute for Adult Continuing Education (Niace) wants everyone to experience these benefits; on page 3, read the manifesto that it believes will help to make this happen.

On pages 4 and 5, learners, including winners of the ALW awards, tell their stories. Read too about the Transforming Lives award for tutors.

On pages 6 and 7, there’s a profile of Bob Rose, South Gloucestershire and Stroud College’s head of work and life preparation. He’s a man who has experienced the power of adult learning in his own life.

We’ve got a feature on prison learning on pages 10 and 11, with a piece by Prisoners’ Education Trust chief executive Rod Clark that celebrates offender learners’ achievements.

On page 12, Association of Colleges president Michele Sutton tells us what colleges can do for adult learners, and Dr Fiona Aldridge, Niace assistant director for development and research, analyses the institute’s adult learning participation survey.

On page 13, Frances Graham, director of Workbase Training, writes about Learning Associates who support learning in non-unionised workplaces, while Association of Employment and Learning Providers chief executive Stewart Segal calls for integrated employment and skills programmes.

Finally you can look at pages 14 and 15 for our calendar of taster sessions running across the UK throughout this wonderful week.

As always, you can contact us and keep track of events on twitter via @FEWeek #ALW14

Learner destination worries over homepage proposals

Concerns about the tracking of learner destinations have emerged with a new consultation on plans for colleges and schools to show key performance data on their website home pages.

Association of Colleges policy director Joy Mercer said she had worries about the Department for Education (DfE) proposals.

The DfE launched a consultation on Friday, June 6, for at-a-glance post-16 measures to be carried on college home pages to include students’ progress in academic subjects or Tech Levels as well as students’ average grades in each category.

Colleges and school sixth forms would also be expected to show the progress made by students who joined them without a C in English and/or maths, what proportion of their students drop out, and what proportion of their students go on to further study, a job or training at the end of their courses (when data is robust enough).

Ms Mercer said: “We are pleased to see a consultation on headline measures, because they were not part of the original consultation on changes to performance tables from 2016.

“It is very important these new headline measures are accessible to parents and potential students because all colleges will have to publish them as a condition of funding. However independent learning providers, which are also publicly funded, will not.

“We remain concerned that the headline measures using current national data, causes a particular problem for colleges in the way information on student destinations and progress is collected. This is something we’ve raised with the DfE.”

The consultation ends on July 4 with the proposals expected to come into force from 2016.

Current guidelines already require schools to publish information on performance. However, where and how this information is presented varies between schools and colleges. A DfE spokesperson said this made it “difficult and time-consuming” for parents to find information. Up until now colleges have not been required to publish evidence of their performance online.

James Kewin, deputy chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges’ Association, said: “The idea of schools and colleges publishing standard performance measures on their websites is a good one.

“But the data behind these measures must be robust. We would not want a situation where colleges are required to include measures on their websites based on incomplete or inaccurate data.

“The performance measures selected must also be the right ones. The five proposed in the consultation are important, and we are particularly pleased with the inclusion of a progress measure. But it must also be possible to link to make comparisons using more granular data if required. For example, using the proposed attainment measure, 80 per cent of sixth form colleges would have an average grade per academic entry of a C+, C, or C-.
“It is essential that the detail behind this proposal is thoroughly worked through before colleges are required to include performance information on their websites.”

The DfE proposals also affect primary schools, who will have to show pupils’ progress from age four to 11, among other things. And secondary schools will have to show pupils’ progress from age 11 to 16, including average grades across eight subjects.

Schools Minister David Laws said: “The information that will be published online by every school and college in future will support parents when choosing the best school or college for their child and help them challenge poor performance.”

Campus 19

College providing virtual answers in class

The mention of virtual reality learning is one that will trigger visions of clunky visors and black Lycra bodysuits for many, but, as FE Week reporter Paul Offord found out, the vision is not quite the reality, thankfully

Students at the College of North West London are making use of every learning aid at their disposal, even virtual reality (VR).

Around 1,100 learners on construction courses (levels one to four) in plumbing, gas utilisation, trowel trades of brick and plaster, carpentry and joinery, and painting and decorating use it.

A further 1,400 on engineering courses (again levels one to four) in electrical installation, air conditioning and refrigeration, welding, Vr-main automotive engineering, body and paint, mechanical engineering use VR.

Putting the college ahead of the field, virtually speaking, is its head of construction, Martin Biron.

“The College of North West London has embraced opportunities to support vocational education through the development of VR and AR [augmented reality],” he told FE Week.

“I think it is fair to say we are pioneers in advocating and developing the use of digital technologies within FE.”

He has been learning how to create new VR teaching programmes through a part-time masters degree at the University of the West of England and has developed a virtual hair and beauty training salon called le Salon De Coiffure at the college that is expected to be in operation from September.

“It can’t do things like simulate cutting hair,” he said.

“But students will be able to develop soft skills, like conversing with clients.

“I also developed a central heating component identification pod — this allows students to work in pairs within the virtual world and learn about the different components found within a domestic heating system.”

Students can download the VR software on home computers and smart phones.

They are also encouraged to use AR software that recognises tools filmed on smart phones (pictured below) and plays videos explaining how they work.

Another 8,500 students across the college have access to the college’s VR software that is not actively used in lessons. They use it to support studies, for example when learning about health and safety issues for a variety of skills training courses.

Mr Biron said that he saw VR teaching software as complementing rather than replacing workshop-based teaching.

“Gas fitting students, for example, can be working on a valve in class which controls the supply of gas to different appliances,” he said.

“We can show them on a big screen while they’re doing it which way the gas is flowing inside the valve.”

It might sound like an expensive piece of kit, and Mr Biron said it costs around £10,000 a year to maintain and update the VR and AR software, but he predicted providers would increasingly look to the technology as budgets are cut.

“It would cost hundreds of thousands of pounds for the college to build a new training salon, but one man did it for next to nothing in the virtual world and we will hopefully introduce that into the teaching programme from September,” he said.

He added: “We haven’t got the software yet to fully replicate practical physical activities like welding or cutting hair, but I’m confident there will be completely interactive virtual workshops within 20 years that will cut out all our current health and safety worries.”

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It’s Brazil to lift the World Cup say FE and skills leaders in FE Week fundraiser

Brazilian magic will see the host nation lift the World Cup in just over a month’s time — that’s the overwhelming view of the FE and skills sector.

Yes, Brazil, whose first game tomorrow night against Croatia will get the tournament under way, are the sector favourites to win the 2014 World Cup in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, July 13.

Lynne Sedgmore (pictured above, centre), 157 Group executive director, and David Hughes (pictured above, left), chief executive of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, were among those to back Brazil as FE Week launched its World Cup-inspired fundraiser for the Helena Kennedy Foundation.

“Our predictions have been developed following advanced algorithm-based scientific analysis and helped by the keen football insight of 157 ‘associates’ (ie family members of the team),” said Mrs Sedgmore.

“The host country must have a definite advantage to lifting the cup this year and Brazil are our favourites to beat Spain in a closely-contested final at the Estadio de Maracana.”

A similarly impressive prediction technique that arrived at Brazil as winners was adopted by Mr Hughes, who looked to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) for help.

“There’s very scientific reasoning behind my prediction,” he said.

“Firstly, I wanted to look at the most important data so I found the OECD’s Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) study on adult numeracy from 2013 and used that to forecast that the most numerate nations would do best.

“The main problem with this approach is that not all of the 32 nations in the World Cup participated in PIAAC, so I chose the best two European from the study and balanced that, to be even-handed with the clearly best two Latin-American countries. Simple. Let’s hope numeracy is related to spatial awareness.”

But while the host nation were also the favourites of Stewart Segal (pictured above, right), Association of Employment and Learning Providers chief executive, he couldn’t help hold out some hope for Roy’s Boys.

He said: “It’s hard to see anyone beating Brazil on home turf, but it may be close and there is still hope for an outsider that hasn’t won the tournament for 48 years [England].”

However, an AELP spokesperson later added: “Belgium could be considered as a decent each-way bet.”

The information may well have been leaked to the Education and Training Foundation, where leadership, management and governance director Olivia Dorricott (right) also had an eye on Belgium.

“We think Brazil will win, but the team to watch will be Belgium — lots of class and youth on their side,” she said.

“The South American advantage will play to the advantage of Brazil and Argentina, and just like with skills never underestimate the talent of Germany.”

Baroness Helena Kennedy QC said: “I’m going for the home nation to win. With Brazilian bravado behind them, Brazil can’t fail.”

And Shadow Skills Minister Liam Byrne was also going for the Brazilians — but was positive about England’s chances.

He said: “This World Cup is going to be a cracker. Topping the scoring charts will be Birmingham born-and-bred Daniel Sturridge, propelling England into an unexpected third place finish (a nail biting penalty shootout will see them through against Germany, in the most watched third-placed playoff of all time).

“Ultimately, the might of the Brazilians will see them through to the World Cup final where they’ll beat their South American rivals to clinch global glory and spark a carnival in Rio.”

However, there were some predictions of another nation lifting the World Cup.

James Kewin (left), Sixth Form Colleges Association deputy chief executive, said: “I am tipping Argentina to win the World Cup this year, with Brazil in second place, Spain in third and Portugal in fourth.

“Like sixth form colleges, these are high performing teams, full of talented individuals that are used to playing in an extremely difficult climate.”

Argentina, and specifically star striker Lionel Messi, also caught the imagination of Association of Colleges chief executive Martin Doel.

He said: “My rationale was that any team with Messi in it must be a strong contender and Argentina are always a strong street-wise tournament team.

“Spain are not as strong as they were four years ago with an ageing team, but still the best pure footballing team in the world. Brazil will be strong at home but I’m not sure that they have the rounded team to compete with Argentina or Spain.

“Belgium are the equivalent of England in the late 1990s/early 2000s, in that they have a ‘golden generation’ of talented players like Vincent Kompany and Eden Hazard and perhaps they will make better use of this generation than England did.”

Dr Ann Limb, HKF founder and chair, said: “Spain are the best team in the world at the moment and my money’s on them.”

But keeping the England flag flying was Skills Minister Matthew Hancock who thought Rooney and Co would emerge victorious.

“I’d love to see England in the final but it will be a tough journey. Brazil, with their flair and home advantage are the team to beat,” he said.

Lynne Segmore — Brazil, Spain (second), Argentina (third), Germany (fourth)

David Hughes — Brazil, Belgium, Uruguay, Holland

Stewart Segal — Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Germany

Olivia Dorricott — Brazil, Belgium, Argentina, Germany

Baroness Helena Kennedy QC — Brazil, Spain, Italy, Germany

Liam Byrne — Brazil, Argentina, England, Germany

James Kewin — Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Portugal

Martin Doel — Argentina, Spain, Brazil, Belgium

Ann Limb — Spain, Germany, Brazil, Italy

Matthew Hancock — England, Brazil, France, Portugal

World Cup ‘FE’ver kicks off at college

West Nottinghamshire College brought some Brazilian magic to Mansfield by staging a World Cup-style football tournament.

Taking part in the competition were 24 five-a-side teams made up of more than 160 students and staff from the college. Each team, named after one of the qualifying nations for the real World Cup, competed in a series of eight-minute group games, with the group winners and runners-up progressing to the knock-out phase.

Winning team Honduras, made up of level three sport and exercise science students Joe Martin, Josh Smyth, Scott Mills, Oliver Bennett and Liam Burley, beat staff team Bosnia 1-0 in the final to win a replica World Cup.

The event on June 6 also featured a World Cup-themed carnival, in tribute to the international tournament which starts in Brazil on June 12.
Sport tutor Rob Shaw said: “The tournament created a real buzz and excitement among students and staff and it was great to see all the hard work and planning come to fruition.”

Picture caption: From left: The winning “Honduras” team are Joe Martin, aged 18, Josh Smyth and Scott Mills, both 19, Oliver Bennett, 23, and Liam Burley, 17

Racing through endurance and mental agility tests

Learners from Aylesbury College and Amersham and Wycombe College raced through physical endurance and mental agility tests in front of former Formula One driver Mark Webber.

Teams of 12 students from each college completed events including a giant Krypton Factor-style puzzle against the clock, riding as many miles as possible in two hours on exercise bikes, and racing around Silverstone race track, in Northamptonshire, on handpowered cycles.

The winning team from Aylesbury College was presented with medals by Australian Mr Webber, who lives near both colleges in Buckinghamshire and helped organise the event.

Karen Mitchell, principal of Aylesbury College, said: “Some of the challenges were pretty tough but it was a great day for everyone involved.”

Andrew Kirk, events manager for Amersham and Wycombe College, said: “It was a very exciting day for all the students and they gave everything in the physical and mental challenges.”

The students raised £3,000 through sponsorship and a charity auction for the Aylesbury College Trust, which helps deserving students who need financial support continue their studies.

Mr Webber began racing in Formula One in 2002 and retired last year. His best overall finish was third for the 2010 season.

Picture caption: Former Formula One driver Mark Webber (third from left) and Aylesbury College principal Karen Mitchell (far right) with students from her college’s winning team

Hearing disability can’t stop Charlotte

A student whose hearing disability persuaded her to choose fashion over French is Cleveland College of Art & Design’s graduate of the year.

Charlotte Elise Walters, aged 22, was presented with the award at the college’s annual fashion show by former student and lingerie designer Michelle Taylor.

She said: “I couldn’t really do French because I was born deaf in one ear so opted for textiles.

“Studying at the college has been an inspiration, as you get really fantastic support from tutors.

“My dream now is to develop my menswear label Point. I love menswear as there is so much opportunity to develop the clothes with pockets and gadgets.”

Ms Taylor completed a BTec national diploma in art and design course at the college in 1993 and worked as a designer for Selfridges, Top Shop and Playboy before launching vintage luxury lingerie label Tallulah Love in 2010.

Picture caption: Graduate of the year Charlotte Elise Walters with Tallulah Love

Learning about health care and cultural differences at Indian hospital

New College Nottingham students spent a fortnight shadowing doctors and nurses at a hospital in India. They were shocked to see a mother reject her baby because it was a girl, but came home elated after watching patients’ lives being saved or transformed by surgery, writes Patrick Widdess.

India is situated in a different continent to Britain, and students who spent a fortnight at a hospital there felt like they were in a different world.

The dozen BTec extended diploma health sciences learners, aged between 16 and 21, accompanied doctors and nurses in wards and operating theatres throughout Meenakshi Mission Hospital Research Centre, in Madurai.

Caroline Houldsworth, head of science, technology, engineering and maths at New College Nottingham, said they were shocked to see a mother initially reject her newborn baby girl in the maternity ward.

“The students saw first-hand that there is a cultural preference for the first baby to be a boy and the mother was distressed when she saw it was a girl,” said Ms Houldsworth.
“She refused to handle the baby immediately after the birth, but later on in the day they encouraged her to try and feed the child.”

Ms Houldsworth added the woman eventually breast-fed the baby.

Hospital staff thought was an “encouraging sign” that the family would accept the child and it would not be one of many first-born daughters still abandoned in the vast country.

The highlight for student Neha Mahato, aged 21, was watching cleft pallet surgery on children who were subsequently able to smile confidently for the first time.
She said: “The children who had the surgery were mostly very young.

“It was really good to see them smiling [after the operations] and their parents too.”

Neha, who plans to study nursing after graduating from college, said staff at the hospital taught students the importance of remaining objective so they could keep a clear mind when considering treatment.

She said: “I learned that when you see a patient you feel sympathy for their pain.

“But as a professional you have to think about how to cure them, not the pain.”

She also recalled how students overcame the language barrier to communicate with patients.

“We had to do it through speaking slowly and using common gestures,” said Neha.

Neha was joined by fellow learners Lauren Walker, Abigail Walker, both 16, Emilia Hope, Pippa Carr, both 17, Sidra Asif, Katie Alexander, Victoria Gale, Summun Ahmed, all four 18, Charlotte Turner and Sonja Radosinovic, both 19.

The students, who returned from the trip last month, had previously spent 18 months raising £2,000 per person to fund the trip, through activities including cake sales and packing shoppers’ bags at supermarkets.

Neha raised £1,000 in a single night through a Bollywood-themed event for her friends and family.

The event took place at an Indian restaurant where she has worked for three years, called 4,550 Miles from Delhi.

As well as their experiences in the hospital, the trip also involved a weekend trip to the Gavi national park, in Kerala, where they camped, went trekking in the jungle and saw wild dogs and black deer.

They also visited the Gandhi Museum and bought colourful saris from the local market.

Neha said: “It was not only educational.

“We developed as individuals and really got to know each other well.

“It was an extraordinary experience.”

Main picture: Back from left: Students Emilia Hope, Abigail Walker, Katie Alexander, Lauren Walker, Victoria Gale, Sonja Radosinovic, Sidra Asif, and college head of science, technology, engineering and maths Caroline Houldsworth. Front from left: Students Summun Ahmed, Neha Mahato, Pippa Carr and Charlotte Turner

Inset right: From left: Two Indian hospital medics with Charlotte Turner and Sonja Radosinovic

Inset left: Charlotte Turner learns how to take the pulse of a patient