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

14-19 PATHFINDERS: THE SECOND YEAR469. Another development within the pathfinder is the production of some on-line casestudies. These are building upon work done in a neighbouring pathfinder. They are designedto support work in Leisure & Tourism, Engineering and Health & Social Care. The casestudies will include material gathered in local companies and made available both on-line andon CD-ROM. They are designed to match the GCSE specifications in each subject. Thematerials have been piloted with teachers and are expected to be made generally availableduring 2004/05. These case studies address the major issues identified in OFSTEDinspection reports on GCSEs in vocational subjects concerning the lack of knowledge andaccess to local companies. The case studies are used by the curriculum support groups forGCSEs in vocational subjects.470. The pathfinder is working to improve advice and guidance and link this to thedevelopment of individual learning plans. Pilot work was been carried out in four schools.Connexions is playing a role within this process but has been hampered by restructuring andfinancial difficulties in 2003/04. A new contract has now been negotiated which shouldclarify the resources which Connexions can provide to schools, although as elsewhere theyare required to focus on disadvantaged and at risk young people. The schools we visited areaware of the challenges which the 14-19 reform agenda poses for advice and guidance andare working to improve their programmes. They were relatively sanguine that they canachieve this within their existing resources and staff. The view of pathfinder managershowever, was that advice and guidance remains variable across schools and more work needsto be done.Summary and emerging issues471. The Sheffield pathfinder is building on, and is strongly integrated with, a series ofother initiatives designed to reform secondary education, and 14-19 in particular, in Sheffield.There is strong but collaborative leadership provided through the L4L team and schools,colleges and training providers are working well together.472. This approach has led to the development of an extensive and varied curriculum offerwhich was made available to schools and will be implemented from September 2004. Over3500 year 10 students will be embarking on vocational courses.140