Evaluation of the Key Stage 2 Language Learning Pathfinders

• Local Authorities and schools should consider carefully the terms of employmentand working conditions of permanently resident native speaker assistants. Avalid career path for such posts should also be established.• The use of PPA in the context of language provision should be carefullymonitored.• Primary language teachers should recognise the need to introduce morechallenging activities in the final years of KS2 and should be supported in thiswith appropriate resources and training courses.5.7.1 Cost Analysis• Better accounting of costs needs to be encouraged in future Pathfinderprogrammes, including full reporting of spending on different aspects.• Full account needs to be taken of costs and opportunity costs when makingchoices on delivery models, especially where scale up of Pathfindersprogrammes is desired. The large amount of voluntary time spent in Pathfindercannot necessarily be replicated elsewhere.• Funding for Pathfinders needs to be provided on the basis of full costs, withdistribution of resources over a lower number of Pathfinders being more desirablein terms of testing models for scale up than underfunding a larger number ofPathfinders.131