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

14-19 PATHFINDERS: THE SECOND YEAR(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)Some liked going off-site to a college or training provider both as a break fromschool and as experience of a different physical environment.Many preferred the relationships which they had with college or training providerstaff to those they had with teachers. ‘They treat you like an adult’ was arecurring theme.Some responded to the hidden curriculum of colleges and training providers, forexample, being able to wear ‘ordinary’ clothes rather than school uniforms, nothaving to ask permission to go to the toilet during lessons.Some preferred the vocational, practical forms of learning involved in the courses(and the biggest source of dissatisfaction was when there was more ‘theory’ workthan had been anticipated).Some welcomed the opportunity to re-invent their identities, away from familiarschool teachers and students, in the new contexts of colleges or training providers.185. Of course, for many students, a combination of these factors influenced theirresponses to off-site learning. However, in relation to the sustainability and futuredevelopment of such curricular activities it may be important to understand as clearly aspossible the factors which produce positive results. For example, if it is the location of acourse away from a school which is the primary source of satisfaction for some students,siting the same activity in a school setting is unlikely to be effective. Alternatively, if it isthe vocational content which is the prime motivator, then as long as adequate facilities areavailable the location may not impact upon effectiveness. A clear understanding ofprecisely what makes particular learning activities and contexts effective will helppathfinders to match curricular provision as closely as possible to student needs.186. Finally in this section it is important to note that in the course of the evaluationwe observed, even if only briefly, many innovative and exciting developments. Some ofthese are explored in the case studies. Other examples can be accessed through the DfES14-19 Gateway at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/14-19/index.cfm?sid=1. The followingexamples can be found in the case studies in Section Six:62