Collaborative Approaches to 14-19 Provision - Communities and ...

14-19 PATHFINDERS: THE SECOND YEARKNOWSLEY PATHFINDERThe local context343. Knowsley was in many ways a by-word for disadvantage in the 1980s and early 1990swith high levels of unemployment and poverty. However, while unemployment remainsabove the national average it is much lower than it was, although variable across the area.Substantial regeneration has taken place in the local economy with a significant shift awayfrom manufacturing towards service industries, which now account for 70% of employmentwithin Knowsley. Some firms find difficulty in filling jobs. However, wages remain low inthe area and there are lower than average numbers of business starts. 43% of Knowsleyresidents aged 16-74 were reported by the 2001 census as having no educationalqualifications. Despite the overall improvement in employment, youth unemploymentremains high by national standards, with about 17% of 16-19 year olds falling into the NEETcategory.344. Educational achievement as measured by qualifications remains well below nationalaverages at both 16 and 19. Participation in both full-time and part-time education andtraining is over ten points below national averages at both 16 and 17. Thus in terms of theobjectives of the 14-19 reform agenda Knowsley faces major challenges in raisingparticipation and achievement. However, recently both the LEA and the further educationcollege have received excellent Ofsted reports providing evidence that education inKnowsley is improving significantly, with the Pathfinder playing an important role in the 14-19 phase.Focus of the Pathfinder345. The major thrust of 14-19 development in Knowsley is the establishment of theKnowsley Collegiate. This was described in the pathfinder proposal as “an ambitious andunique approach to education in Knowsley bringing together in a coherent way a partnershipthat will support both the Collegiate and each individual student”. The aspiration is to createa new, coherent single phase of education in which “the traditional break at 16 willdisappear” and in which all education and training institutions and all 14-19 year olds see106