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

14-19 PATHFINDERS: THE SECOND YEAR352. The Pathfinder also has some important employer links. Jaguar is represented on theCollegiate management group. In addition to providing work experience placements andfactory visits Jaguar has also seconded a member of staff to the Pathfinder to workprincipally on the development of a GCSE Engineering course, working with college staff. Anumber of other local employers have also been involved in collaboration, for example, in theproduction of e-learning material to support vocational learning. The Pathfinder has alsobegun to develop a strand of enterprise work which is linked to a recently approvedEnterprise Pathfinder.Key issues from the Pathfinder353. A key issue within the Pathfinder concerns the entitlement of 14-16 year olds studentsto access all the opportunities within the Collegiate programme. There were veryconsiderable variations between schools in the extent to which they have taken up theCollegiate offer leading to suggestions that not all students were given opportunities tochoose from all options. At the time of our visit the Director of Education was visitingschool governing bodies and encouraging them to sign a contract which confirmed theirparticipation in the Collegiate and would thus reinforce the entitlement of all students tochoose from all options.354. The Collegiate focus is strongly on 14-16 and at this stage there have not been majordevelopments post-16. Collegiate leaders justify this partly by reference to the urgent need toraise attainment at 16 and because this will enable the greatest impact on the greatest numberof students. However, post-16 development has also been affected by the possibilities ofstructural change through the LSC strategic area review and an on-going comprehensivereview of Knowsley schools which may involve complex processes of rationalisation andcapital investment.355. The Pathfinder has attempted to tackle some of the funding issues involved incollaboration. Plans have been developed for the gradual reduction of central subsidisation ofcollege places with funding following the students from the schools. However, it isrecognised that it will be difficult for schools to pay the full cost of college provision.109