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

14-19 PATHFINDERS: THE SECOND YEAR192. Several pathfinders had also developed substantial mentoring schemes to provideguidance to students. Progression coaches have been an important part of the StocktonPathfinder where 13 coaches support students in nine schools. Some have specialised roles inrelation to ethnic minority and disabled students. The Gateshead Pathfinder has deployed aProgression Mentor within its rural strand. The Progression Mentor works in both schoolswithin the strand and advises on courses and progression routes at age 16 and 19. Mentorsfrom both business and higher education also play an important role in supporting learningand progression in the Norfolk Pathfinder (see case studies for more detail on these latter twoexamples).193. A further area of considerable activity within the pathfinders was the provision ofstaff development for school careers staff and Connexions advisers. This work was oftenaimed at increasing staff knowledge of provision, progression routes, qualifications and locallabour markets.194. Thus there had been significant progress in the enhancement of advice and guidance.Despite this, when coordinators were asked about the obstacles to development, a commontheme emerged. This concerned the patchiness of provision and practice in schools. Thiswas succinctly put by one coordinator:Although there is a national framework for the teaching of CEG the staffing structuresin schools do not always reflect its importance as the amount of time given to careersco-ordinators varies widely.195. Another coordinator said “the absence of compulsion on, in particular, schools makesdelivery very difficult to assure”. In contrast, most of the schools visited were quite sanguineabout the quality of the advice and guidance which they were providing, although someschool careers staff were concerned about pressure of time on their work, especially with theintroduction of citizenship education.196. Thus, although pathfinders had put considerable effort into the production of adviceand guidance material, staff development activities had increased and partnerships withConnexions were settling down, there was uncertainty about how far these developments hadfiltered through into schools and impacted upon the quantity and quality of advice and65