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

14-19 PATHFINDERS: THE SECOND YEAR‣ The use of the Fast Tomato advice and guidance software in Lewisham‣ An arts and digital media course in Coventry‣ A GCSE course linked to professional sports clubs in Nottingham‣ The use of mobile vocational units in Hampshire‣ Full-time work-based learning provision for disaffected learners in Knowsley‣ A link course with the estates department of a local hospital in Islington‣ A link course with a prestigious bakery college in Southwark‣ An accelerated apprenticeship course in Sheffield187. These, and other examples in the case studies, showed the ability of teachers, lecturersand training providers to innovate. The Phase Two Pathfinders were particularly active inpromoting curricular and pedagogical innovation. What remains at issue however, is theability of the pathfinders to sustain innovation and disseminate it within their local areas. Wereturn to this issue in Section Seven and will focus upon it during the evaluation of year threeof the 14-19 Pathfinders.Enhanced advice and guidance188. In our report on the first year of 14-19 Pathfinders we described the overall picturewith respect to the enhancement of advice and guidance as mixed (Higham et al., 2004). Inthe year two survey coordinators assessed progress as follows:More than expected As expected Less than expected Not applicable8 14 3 3There was evidence of a great deal of activity in this area. This will be described in terms ofthree elements: the role of Connexions within pathfinders; the development of various formsof support for students; staff development.189. In year one the function of Connexions within the process of enhancing advice andguidance had been of concern, particularly within some schools, where there was lack of63