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Skills for LifeImprovement ProgrammeUpdateIssue 63 December June 2007 2007NEWS | TRAINING | PROFILES | CASE STUDIES | | ADVICE | | INFORMATIONForewordGraham Hoyle, Chief ExecutiveAssociation of Learning Providers‘The notion of theprovider takinghold of theirown continuousimprovement agendais one to which ALPwholly subscribes’Structural change will help drivequality improvementAt our recent Association ofLearning Providers (ALP) autumnconference the Skills Minister,David Lammy, told delegates ofthe progress made by the Learningand Skills Council, and stressedthe importance of building on it.He also referred to the anticipatedrole of the new UK Commissionfor Employment and Skills, akey recommendation by LordLeitch, in securing a highly skilledworkforce and helping to increaseemployment levels particularlyin those from disadvantagedbackgrounds. The subsequentannouncement that ChrisHumphries CBE, Director Generalof City & Guilds and a person whounderstands work-based learning,will be the first chief executive ofthe Commission has been warmlywelcomed by ALP.On the whole, ALP memberslike stable procurement andcontracting arrangements,and welcome the signs of anincreasingly joined-up approachbetween the LSC and JobcentrePlus. We believe this better servesthe needs both of employersand of individual learners. Thisis particularly true in respect ofthe non-employed with few or noskills, because instead of facinga revolving door from welfare towork, more of them can progressto employment with training.A demand-led system andSkills for LifeKey to the success of newstructural arrangementswill be continued progresstowards a successful Trainto Gain programme. At ourautumn conference, we heardfrom provider representativeorganisations from Australia, NewZealand and South Africa on howtheir countries are debating themerits of demand-led systems, butall agreed that meeting the needsof employers and learners shouldbe the paramount concern.ALP has submitted well-receivedproposals to ministers on howTrain to Gain can be more effectiveand responsive to the needsof employers. The proposalsinclude a recommendation thatthe programme should be moreflexible, for example in meetingemployers’ demand for Skills forLife, which is part of the overalloffer for improving workforce skills.Our members’ experience so far isContinued overleaf…December 20071

2In this issueForeword 1The Skills for Life ImprovementProgramme – a need for moreSkills for Life teachers 3Training literacy teachers toteach in prisons 5Out of the shadows and into thespotlight – focus on numeracy 8Creative Routes in 2007/08 10Places for providers availableon the Improvement Programme 11Events and contacts 12Sign up now for the ImprovementProgramme. Places are stillavailable for:• Workforce development– mentoring• Whole organisationapproach to improvinglearner success rates• Embedding literacy,language and numeracy• Working with people withlearning difficulties and/ordisabilitieswww.sflip.org.uk/07-08Register forregular updatesIf you wish to be informedof developments on aregular basis please emailsflipinfo@cfbt.comwith the subject as‘Register’ and your fullname, title, organisation,address, telephone andemail address in the bodyof the email.Contact usTo express your views,email the editor atsflipeditor@cfbt.comor write to:SfLIP Newsletter EditorCfBT Education Trust60 Queens RoadReading RG1 4BSSfL Improvement Programme Update…continued from page 1that employers’ demand for Skillsfor Life learning for their workforcehas not been fully satisfied.The Skills for Life ImprovementProgramme is an importantelement behind the success ofSkills for Life. Its high evaluationscores from providers’ staff andmanagers in the first year are atestament to its effectiveness,and we look forward to itsfurther development as a wholeorganisation tool, placing theneeds of learners squarely inalignment with the outcomesrequired by potential employersin today’s highly competitiveemployment market. In particular,it allows work-based learningproviders to make sound evidentialself-assessment judgementsbased on benchmarking andgood practice, and to access thesupport needed to bring them upto the level of the best. The notionof the provider taking hold of theirown continuing improvementagenda is one to which ALPwholly subscribes.Quality improvement as acornerstone of self-regulationThe Skills for Life ImprovementProgramme is one of severalquality improvement initiativesvalued by work-based learningproviders in a shared mission toimprove the outcomes for ourlearners and employer customers.As we enter a period of structuralreform, it is sensible that all in thesector are involved in reviewinghow we address raising standardsstill further.ALP is a participating memberof Sir George Sweeney’sworking party which is designinga blueprint for colleges andindependent providers totake more control themselvesof matters such as qualityimprovement. In a demandledsystem, it is important thatemployers and learners can easilyunderstand the indicators, whichshow how good the provision onoffer is. Ensuring high quality Skillsfor Life provision must continueto be a vital consideration ofthe deliberations as the reformsgather pace.What is the Associationof Learning Providers?The Association of LearningProviders is recognised as thevoice of independent learningproviders throughout England.The majority of its 400 membersare private, not-for-profitand voluntary-sector trainingorganisations. Membership isopen to any provider committedto quality work-based learning(WBL) and it includes over 50Further Education collegesinvolved in WBL.ALP works closely with policymakers such as Governmentdepartments, Members ofParliament and skills fundingagencies such as the Learningand Skills Council, JobcentrePlus, Ufi and Business Link. ALPis involved in the developmentof Government strategy.Members’ views on trainingare represented to the policymakers when new initiatives arebeing planned. The strength ofALP lies in the banding togetherof learning providers.The Association is asubscription organisation. Itis run by an elected Board ofDirectors who give their timevoluntarily.ALP representatives sit on theadvisory group of the Skills forLife Improvement Programme,alongside colleagues from theAssociation of Colleges, theLSC, the Department of Workand Pensions, the Departmentof Innovation, Universities andSkills, Ofsted, QIA and others.Published by CfBT Education TrustCommissioning Editor: Richard GossAssistant Editor: Bharat Mistry© The Quality Improvement Agency forLifelong Learning (QIA) 2007

The Skills for LifeImprovementProgramme – a needfor more Skills for LifeteachersRichard Goss, AssistantDirector – Skills for LifeImprovement Programme‘The ImprovementProgrammesupported staff from1,200 providers in2006/07.’In its first year, which ended31 August 2007, the Skills forLife Improvement Programmewas more ambitious thanits forerunners, the Skills forLife Quality Initiative and theWhole Organisation ApproachPathfinders. Its aims went broaderand deeper than any singlenational programme since thelaunch of the Basic Skills Strategyat the turn of the millennium.When the ImprovementProgramme was launched inautumn 2006, the Leitch reporthad not yet been published, butit was already clear that Englandhad a considerable skills need,and that Skills for Life learning wasfundamental to addressing thatneed. Good Skills for Life teacherswere needed. The ImprovementProgramme was charged withhelping to improve teaching,learning, progression andachievement across all learningsettings in the country.First year successesThe Improvement Programmeset up programme developmentgrants for teacher educationinstitutions to offer more innovativecourses to help staff to becomequalified, and QualificationSupport Grants for individuals andtheir employers to help them meetthe cost of training. As a resultof these grants, 1,486 additionalteaching staff enrolled on coursesleading to qualified status.The table below shows thenumber who took the subjectspecialistcourses and the numberwho took integrated courses,combining a teaching course withthe subject specialism. Top-upcourses were also offered toexperienced and well-qualifiedESOL teachers to give them theopportunity of meeting currentqualified status requirements.Regional spreadFar fewer places were takenup in the central regions of thecountry, particularly in respect ofnumeracy teaching. NRDC, theSkills for Life national researchcentre at the University of London,is investigating whether suitableteacher training places werealready available in those regions,whether teacher educationinstitutions were able to accessalternative grants, or indeed, asseems probable, a substantialneed is still unmet. This year weare prioritising numeracy, offeringbigger Programme DevelopmentGrants to teacher educationinstitutions for creative routes innumeracy teacher training.To add to the challenge ofachieving a fully qualified Skillsfor Life workforce, there was, andremains, a shortage of teachertrainers, particularly those who areknowledgeable about a range oflearning contexts – for exampleembedded learning, work-basedlearning, and offender learning.The Improvement Programmetrained over 200 teacher trainers,as well as over 500 experiencedstaff, to become mentors.Quality through a WholeOrganisation Approach, betterteaching and learningThe Improvement Programmesupported staff from 1,200providers in 2006/07. Of these,850 providers were supportedContinued overleaf…SubjectspecialismonlyIntegratedteaching coursewith subjectspecialismDiplomatop-upTotal %Literacy 425 60 N/a 485 33%Numeracy 238 58 N/a 296 20%ESOL 293 272 140 705 47%Total: 1,486December 20073

…continued from page 3to develop good practice andimprovement through a wholeorganisation approach. Otherswere supported to embed Skillsfor Life learning in vocationalsettings, particularly construction,social care and healthcare, orto improve the experiences oflearners with learning difficultiesor disabilities.The Improvement Programmegrouped providers accordingto their learning context – forexample work-based learning,or offender learning. Althoughin most cases not starting untilJanuary, the group approachproved very successful. Providersof all types and in all learningcontexts valued the expertise ofthe development advisers, theirapplied approach, and their abilityto stimulate learning from theirpeers. Cooperation proved apowerful spur to mutual learning,as for example, Further Educationcolleges joined work-basedlearning cluster groups, learningfrom practice in the independentsector, as well as willingly sharingtheir expertise. Providers onthe whole made good progresstowards meeting their ownimprovement goals, and achievingtheir development plans. In afew cases, however, providersoverstretched themselves, bysigning up for more improvementgroups than they couldadequately resource.Provider staff feedback• 100% benefited from theopportunity to learn from otherproviders• 98% said that workingcollaboratively has motivatedthem and supported them toachieve their defined successcriteria• 98% stated they already haveor would transfer good practicedeveloped by the group to theirown organisations• 98% found that workingcollectively has been aneffective method to improveSkills for Life delivery.Continuing professionaldevelopment (CPD)In 2006/07, the ImprovementProgramme ran a series of onedayprofessional developmentevents across the country,with feedback from the 3,700delegates being very positive.This year we are offeringCPD in-house, arranging CPDaccording to needs identified bydevelopment advisers.Progress in 2007/08Providers are pleased thatsupport from the ImprovementProgramme has arrived earlier thisyear than last, and builds on theachievements of the first year.Measuring the impact of thesupport from the ImprovementProgramme is a key prioritythis year. We are working withspecialist evaluators YorkConsulting to devise a simple buteffective way of doing this. We arelikely to be asking providers if theImprovement Programme has hada positive impact, for exampleon teaching and learning, onmanagement, or on achievementand progression and whetherthese improvements are noted inself-assessment reports.We are keen to hear your viewsregarding the type of support youfeel is needed. We will continueto liaise with leaders of othernational improvement initiativesand will shape the ImprovementProgramme to respond toparticular needs, aligning it withyour plans for development andself-improvement.Engagement of providersby learning settingPrisonsYoung Offender InstitutionsProbationWork Based LearningTrain to GainEntry to EmploymentJobcentre PlusIndependent Specialist CollegesAdult and Community LearningVoluntary and Community LearningFurther EducationLearndirect‘98% (of providers)said that workingcollaboratively hasmotivated them andsupported them toachieve their definedsuccess criteria’4SfL Improvement Programme Update

Training literacyteachers to teach inprisonsBrian Creese, Development Offi cer –National Research and DevelopmentCentre for Adult Literacy andNumeracy, Institute of Education,University of LondonMike Westwood, Dianne Robinson and Steve Wade‘I didn’t really expectthe course to be anygood. I mean, I aman intelligent blokeand I am very literate.I was surprised tofi nd how good it allwas, and how much Ilearned on it.’Mike Westwood(1) HMP Featherstone (Wolverhampton),HMP Birmingham (Winson Green),Brinsford YOI (Wolverhampton) andSwinfen Hall YOI (Lichfield).In August Derby College tookon the contract for providingeducation at four prisons in theWest Midlands 1 . An immediatepriority was to increase thenumber of fully qualified teachers,particularly in Skills for Life.Dianne Robinson, ProfessionalDevelopment Co-ordinatorat Derby College, applied forImprovement Programmefunding to devise a ‘fast track’literacy teacher training coursespecifically for Skills for Lifeteachers working with offenders.She had an impressive take-upof 17, and with only the portfoliosleft to deliver, 15 are on track toqualify.Dianne faced the logisticalproblems familiar to those whowork in prisons: fitting in withprison timetabling, restricted webaccess, difficult communicationchallenges, and a huge rangeof security issues. Diannecommented: ‘For the first time,many of these teachers wereworking in an environment whichwas not primarily focused oneducation. The prime function ofprison is to provide secure andsafe incarceration. This gives avery different set of priorities formost people working in prisons.’The teacher training courseThe course consisted of fourunits, each of which was coveredat the four residential weekends,spread over 16 weeks. In betweenthe residentials, the traineeteachers were given assignmentsto complete, gaining onlinesupport from their tutor.The trainee teachersLike most of the 17 teacherswho started the course, SteveWade and Mike Westwoodpreferred the residential formatto doing half-a-day-a-week allyear, though they found the workhard: ‘Sundays were especiallytough,’ said Steve, ‘withouthaving any recovery time from ouremployers.’Having previously worked in asolicitor’s office, Steve decidedto become a Further Educationteacher. A colleague suggestedworking in prisons, and he nowteaches literacy and numeracyDecember 20075

6‘The prime functionof prison is to providesecure and safeincarceration. Thisgives a very differentset of priorities formost people workingin prisons.’‘Contextualising theprogramme to theoffender setting wasa key factor in itssuccess.’Skills for Life Improvement Programme Updatein prison, as well as being anInformation and GuidanceAdviser. Mike Westwood trainedas a mathematics teacher in the1970s, but actually worked inIT for many years. Now nearingthe end of his career, he thoughthe would like to finally put histeaching into practice and findswork in the prison very rewarding.He started a ‘traditional style’ (oneevening a week) literacy teachertraining course last year, butgave it up. He felt the ‘intensive’approach offered by DerbyCollege was much easier to fit in.Teachers who work in prisondo not get many opportunitiesto meet people in similarestablishments, and theopportunity afforded by theresidential format to mingle withcolleagues from Young OffenderInstitutions as well as open andclosed prisons was invaluable.‘It was good to meet otherteachers from similar places.There was lots of talk aboutteaching during the weekends. It’salways good meeting people in asimilar position to yourself.’SteveBoth Mike and Steve thought thecourse content good, especiallythe focus on language analysisand the opportunities to reflect onpractice.‘I’ve always been interestedin language, it’s just in mybackground I suppose. I wasn’texpecting to get so much depthof knowledge of language. It wasreally interesting.’‘I didn’t really expect the courseto be any good. I mean, I am anintelligent bloke and I am veryliterate. I was surprised to findhow good it all was, and howmuch I learned on it.’MikeMike told us: ‘In the days when Idid my BEd it was all about whatyou knew and whether you didit properly. I find this reflectingon how I do something verydifficult. It’s a completely differentapproach.’ Steve, being new toteaching, found the reflective part‘very easy, very enjoyable’.The prison contextSteve and Mike appreciated beingon a course where all the traineesshared an understanding of prisoncontexts. For example, someprisoners see the education partas a component of the sentenceand can be very negative.The constant new arrivals andsudden departures make planningvery difficult. ‘It would be nicesometimes to have a classthat you had all the way fromSeptember to July, so you couldreally see their progress,’ saidSteve.As Mike pointed out, teachersquickly become very good atinitial assessment. He actuallyenjoys the constantly changingnature of a class. ‘Sometimes itdoes get worse with a change,but just as often it is suddenlybetter with a couple of newfaces.’ Both agreed, though, thatthe lack of informative paperworkaccompanying new arrivals to theprison was deeply frustrating foreveryone concerned.The teacher trainer’sperspective‘I was delighted that so manyteachers started the course,and I’m even more pleased thatnearly all have completed – orvirtually completed,’ said Dianne.‘Although one person decidedteaching wasn’t for them, andone other dropped out for otherreasons, this course has beenmuch more successful than ournormal one-evening-a-weekcourses. Giving the staff precoursereading and being explicitabout the criteria for entry helpedensure everyone was aware howintense this programme wouldbe. I also think that that theconcentrated nature of the coursewas a key factor in the highcompletion rate.’The prison service teamsfound the ‘fast track’ approachmuch easier to cope with anda very positive way of gettingstaff through to qualification.

A challenge for the trainers,however, was managing theobservations. Prison timetablingis always challenging, and the fastroute made this even more so.Dianne said that she didn’tthink she could have run thecourse without the contributionmade by the Skills for LifeImprovement Programme. The‘Creative Routes’ providedthe extra funding for the costsof contextualisation and theresidentials. Contextualising theprogramme to the offender settingwas a key factor in its success,though very demanding and timeconsuming.When asked about potential forimprovement, Dianne thought thatit may have been just a bit toofast-track, and perhaps six weeksbetween the residentials wouldbe more appropriate. She wouldalso be keen to build on theexperience at the Winson Greenprison where the trainees set uptheir own study group, and offertutorials in each prison.Derby College, recently awardeda Grade 1 2 , is applying for fundingto run a similar programme forstaff to qualify as literacy teachersnext year.Steve Logan, Vice Principal atDerby College, commented,‘We were pleased to deliver thisexciting and innovative course.We wanted to move away fromthe traditional one-session-aweekand design a course tomeet the needs of tutors workingin Offender Learning contextswithin the West Midlands. Wewere delighted to hear thepositive comments from thetrainee teachers. All credit tothem. They worked extremelyhard in keeping to challengingdeadlines.Heads of Offender Learninghave identified a further 14 staffneeding the Additional Diplomafor Literacy; we would thereforehope to take this forward andoffer an intensive fast-trackcourse in the New Year.’‘We were delightedto hear the positivecomments from thetrainee teachers. Allcredit to them. Theyworked extremelyhard in keepingto challengingdeadlines.’(2) This is Grade 1 (interim) untilfinally announced towards the end ofDecember.Support for Providers – remaining fewplaces still available for:• Workforce developmentMentoring• Embedding literacy, language and numeracySupport and professional development• Working with people with learning difficulties and/or disabilitiesSupport for embedding guidance materials• Whole organisation approach to improving learning success ratesSelf-assessment and improvement planning and Skills for Life trainingneeds analysisSee page 11 for details or visit www.sflip.org.uk for application information.December 20077

Out of the shadowsand into the spotlight– focus on numeracyNoyona Chanda, Head ofthe Numeracy Division andAssistant Director of LLU+LLU+ team working on SfLIP Numeracy activities‘It is clear that poornumeracy has anadverse economic aswell as social effect.’Numeracy is important. Indeed,in their succinct booklet, DoesNumeracy Matter More? 1 ,Samantha Parsons and JohnBynner showed that poornumeracy makes it difficult tofunction effectively in all areas ofmodern life. They pointed out thatpoor numeracy has a particularlynegative effect on women, evenwhen their literacy is competent.Parsons and Bynner assert thatnumeracy skills decline if theyare not used and practised inemployment, leading to a viciouscircle: ‘poor numeracy leads tolimited employment, which leadsto declining numeracy, whichmakes it harder to obtain and stayin employment.’‘The ImprovementCompetitiveness andProgramme … isemploymentConcern about the UK’splacing increasing economic competitiveness andthe link between Skills for Life,emphasis onskills and employment are keydrivers of Government educationnumeracy.’and skills policy and strategy. Thegoal of an economically advancedsociety is full employment.The current target is to raiseemployment among the workingage population from the currentlevel of 75% to 80%. Only theSouth East is currently at thislevel; lowest employment ratesare in London, at 70%, and in theNorth East, at 71%. Employers’demand for qualifications(1) Does Numeracy Matter More? continues to rise, even for jobsS. Parsons & J. Bynner. NRDC, Institute that would have been consideredof Education, 2005unskilled not so long ago, for8 SfL Improvement Programme Updateexample in waste managementand industrial cleaning.McDonald’s and numeracyParsons and Bynner do not saywhether work as a crew memberfor the fast-food restaurant chainMcDonald’s falls within the scopeof their term ‘limited employment’.Speaking at the Skills for Lifeconference in London last month,David Fairhurst, McDonald’schief people officer in northernEurope, said that neither literacynor numeracy were importantskills in many crew members’job roles. He did however highlyvalue numeracy and literacy asthey contributed to people’sconfidence, an attribute he prizedhighly in McDonald’s employees.Numeracy targetsIt is clear that poor numeracy hasan adverse economic as well associal effect. The Department ofInnovation, Universities and Skills(DIUS) is strongly aware of thelink between literacy, numeracyand employability, which isincreasingly confirmed by newresearch. New Public SectorAgreement (PSA) targets for DIUSinclude a separate target fornumeracy for the first time. DIUShas an ambitious achievementtarget to help build numeracycompetence throughout theworkforce, and throughoutsociety. Lack of numeracy isoften a major barrier to accessingvocational and other learningprogrammes.

The drive for better numeracyDIUS has commissioned theNational Centre for Excellence inTeaching Mathematics (NCETM)to consult on a Numeracy andEmployability strategy. NIACEis compiling a numeracy reportfor DIUS, and the drive tohelp young people and adultsbecome functionally numerateis being boosted by the roll-outof the Functional Skills SupportProgramme.QIA has commissioned thereview and revision of the AdultNumeracy Core Curriculum(along with the ESOL andLiteracy Curricula and the PreentryCurriculum Framework) sothat it is fit for the purposes offunctionality and integrated use ina wide range of contexts.QIA’s Skills for LifeImprovement Programmefocus on numeracyThe Improvement Programmealigns and links with otherinitiatives and is placingincreasing emphasis onnumeracy. We intend to producea series of short reports onaspects of numeracy throughoutthis academic year.The Improvement Programme’scontribution to the national effortto improve numeracy teaching,learning and achievementincludes the following capacitybuilding and quality improvementactivities:• Helping to meet the shortageof numeracy teachersOur Creative Routes funding tohelp colleges and other teachereducation institutions to developmore innovative, responsive andflexible teacher training courses,is weighted towards numeracy.• Helping to meet the shortageof numeracy teachereducatorsThe Improvement Programmeis again training more teachertrainers, including manyparticularly for numeracy.• Helping all teacher educatorsin numeracyThrough QIA’s Skills for LifeImprovement Programme,LLU+, the teacher-educatorarm of London South BankUniversity, is training genericteacher educators to implementthe numeracy minimum coreeffectively. LLU+ is also draftingand piloting entry assessmentsfor use in initial teacher training.• Helping numeracy teachingand learningWe will be providing continuingprofessional developmentcourses in numeracy to helpTell us what you thinkExample from Numeracy Minimum Core resourcessupport good teaching andlearning.Many of our developmentadvisers and other consultantswill provider direct support innumeracy on providers’ premises.This will be extensive and varied,and include numeracy support forlearners with learning difficulties,effective embedding of numeracywithin vocational programmes,and effective numeracy as part ofa whole organisation approach toSkills for Life.1. What are the key numeracy issues and concerns in yourorganisation?2. In what ways can provision, practice, curriculum andassessment help to increase the numeracy capability of theworkforce?3. What do you think are the key barriers to achieving a 100%numerate workforce?Please email your responses to any or all of these questions by18 January 2008 to Noyona Chanda:n.chanda@lsbu.ac.ukNoyona is Head of the Numeracy Division and Assistant Directorof LLU+, the national consultancy and professional developmentcentre for literacy, numeracy, dyslexia, family learning and Englishfor Speakers of Other Languages.LLU+ is part of London South Bank University, and leads theImprovement Programme’s work on numeracy.December 20079

Creative Routes 1in 2007/08In 2007/08 the ImprovementProgramme is offering a furtherround of grants to support SkillsCreative routes to qualifiedfor Life teacher training. Ratherthan directly supporting individualstatus for literacy, numeracycandidates, the 2007/08 grantsand ESOL teachersare for the teacher traininginstitutions to develop theirAlison Wedgbury, Development provision. It is expected that 1400Officer, NRDCmore teachers, new and existing,will reach fully qualified status viathese programmes. 2Numeracy, integrated and locallycreative programmes will all behigh priority and they attracthigher grants than in 2006/07.In addition to the new Diplomaprogrammes, there is alsosupport to develop preparationcourses that help aspiring Skillsfor Life teachers to confirm theirown skills in English or Maths.These will be at QCF Level 3 tomatch the new, national entryrequirements to Level 5 specialistteacher training.As well as administering theTutor and learners discussinggrants, the project team ata Maths problemNRDC will facilitate professionalexchange of practice for teachertrainers through:• events relating to specificdevelopment options, themes ortype of programme• online support, facilitatingprofessional exchange andnetworking• telephone consultancy• advice and support on projectset-up, monitoring andreporting.Each centre will focus closely ona particular feature of effectiveteacher training, for example:• innovative approaches tosupport the practical teachingelement, such as group orpaired teaching practice• development of integrated(1) Details and application forms forliteracy, numeracy and ESOLCreative Routes grants are at:teacher training programmeswww.nrdc.org.uk/creativerouteswhich simultaneously accredits(2) Support for individual teachers in participants with generic and2007/08 is expected to come from other subject specific qualificationssources, including the Learning and Skills• part-time pre-service teacherCouncil funding announced in Septembertraining programmes which2007 to enhance teacher training.provide a complete package10 SfL Improvement Programme Updatefor prospective new teachers,including placements andmentoring support• flexible tuition and assessmentapproaches, such as innovativetimetabling (includingresidentials and intensiveblocks) or use of blendedlearning approaches, such aspiloting the Reflective PracticeModule (developed as part ofthe 2006/07 SfLIP).Grants available are:Numeracy teacher trainingprogrammes at QCF Level 5 orabove:• Integrated programmes(Diploma) – £12,000• Subject-specific programmes(Additional Diploma) – £7,500Literacy or ESOL teacher trainingprogrammes at QCF Level 5 orabove:• Integrated programmes(Diploma) – £9,000• Subject-specific programmes(Additional Diploma) – £5,000Preparation for entryassessments for Numeracy,Literacy or ESOL teacherqualifications:• Preparation in Maths at Level 3– £2,000• Preparation in English at Level 3– £2,000Candidates must be onprogrammes that enrol between1 September 2007 and 31 March2008. The initial deadline forproposals was 3 December 2007.If funds allow, later applicationsmay be invited and some startsfrom April to June 2008 may bepossible.Forms and guidance are on theNRDC website at: www.nrdc.org.uk/creativeroutesand on the ImprovementProgramme site at:www.sflip.org.uk/workforcedevelopment/creativeroutes.aspx

Skills for LifeImprovement Programme 2007–08Places for providersare available on thefollowing programmes:All programmes are free but have limitedplaces. Apply now for maximum benefit.Workforce developmentDeveloping the knowledge and skills of teachersand managers• mentoring – opportunities for experiencedliteracy, numeracy and ESOL teachers and traineeteachers to develop their skills for mentoring andreflective practiceWhole organisation approach to improvinglearner success ratesSelf-assessment and improvement planning andSkills for Life training needs analysis• access to in-house or local training for keymanagers and staff• expert consultancy support for you and for keyteams across your organisation• membership of a local group resourced tosupport peers engaged in evidence-based reformand development, with opportunities to shareeffective practiceEmbedding literacy, language and numeracySupport and professional development• expert in-house management consultancy forsenior/curriculum managers• practical support for staff teams keen to improvethe quality of the learner’s experienceMeeting prospectiveproviders at the Skills for LifeConference in York, 19 NovemberWorking with people with learning difficultiesand/or disabilitiesSupport for embedding guidance materials• specialist adviser support for senior managers,curriculum managers, practitioners and key staffacross the organisation• access to in-house or local training tailored toyour needs• peer support through regional clusters designedto support development and facilitate the sharingof practice and resourcesHow to get involvedFor further details of the areas of support,the benefits for you and your organisation,criteria for participation and to completethe online application form, please visitthe websitewww.sflip.org.uk/07-08• access to in-house or local training tailored toyour needs• regional networks to support development, sharegood practice and resourcesSTOP PRESS:The Assessment and Speaking and Listeningareas of activity are now full. We are no longeraccepting applications for these areas.December 2007 11

The Skills for Life Improvement Programme isdelivered on behalf of the Quality ImprovementAgency by CfBT Education Trust and partnersEvents for your diaryLeading Through Teaching and LearningTuesday 12 February 2008Lord’s Cricket Ground, The Nursery Pavilion (North Gate Entrance), LondonFor further details or to book your place visit www.neilstewartassociates.com/jd192For general enquiries about QIA’s Skills for Life Improvement Programme contact the programme office:0118 902 1920, sflipinfo@cfbt.com or see www.sflip.org.ukConsortium members, programme responsibility and main contactCfBT Education Trust*Monica TurnerLLU+ London South Bank University*Helen SunderlandLSN Learning and Skills Network*Helen HoldenThe National Institute of AdultContinuing Education*Julie YoungThe National Research andDevelopment Centre for AdultLiteracy and Numeracy*Helen CaseySkill: National Bureau for Studentswith DisabilitiesBarbara WatersUniversity of WolverhamptonKarl RoyleQuality through a Whole Organisation Approachmturner@cfbt.comTraining the Teacher Trainersh.sunderland@lsbu.ac.ukEmbeddingAssessmenthholden@LSNeducation.org.ukLearners with learning difficulties and/or disabilitiesSpeaking and Listeningjulie.young@niace.org.ukTeacher trainingNew models of deliveryh.casey@ioe.ac.ukLearners with learning difficulties and/or disabilitiesbwaters@skill.org.ukMentor trainingk.royle@wlv.ac.uk* Denotes Coordinating PartnerCfBT Education Trust60 Queens RoadReadingRG1 4BST: 0118 902 1920F: 0845 838 1207E: sflipinfo@cfbt.comW: www.sflip.org.ukwww.sflip.org.uk