Study Programmes: resources to support improved curriculum design and delivery
In 2017-18, Natspec and ACER led a project, funded by the Education and Training Foundation on behalf of the Department for Education, to help providers design and deliver high quality study programmes that support learners with SEND to achieve ambitious outcomes and prepare them for further or higher education, employment and fulfilling adult lives.
The project was open to all providers in the FE and Skills sector and concerned with study programmes for learners with and without EHC Plans and for those in discrete and mainstream provision. It included
- support for 14 collaborative development projects bringing together groups of providers and other partners to tackle their own improvement priorities
- delivery of five practical webinars
- development of three interactive self-led learning resources
- two innovative practice dissemination events.
Providers involved in the collaborative development projects took part in dissemination events in Birmingham and London where they showcased the work they had undertaken. This included sharing a huge range of resources developed during their projects, which they have kindly agreed to share with the wider sector.
Click here for a full summary of the material produced in this project.
Please see below for a full list of resources developed by each cluster group
- Showcasing learners’ capabilities to prospective employers (led by Develop)
- Preparing learners to move successfully from study programme to supported internship (led by Abingdon and Witney College)
- Embedding competitions into the vocational curriculum (led by New College, Durham)
- Raising awareness of apprenticeships as a progression route (led by Sussex Coast College)
- Improving transition – leading to better curriculum planning (led by City College, Norwich)
- Supporting learners to make informed choices about post-school options and ensuring college provision meets their needs (led by Sussex Downs College)
- Making effective use of assistive technology (led by Beaumont College)
- Co-creating the curriculum with learners (led by West Suffolk College)
- Improving learning support (led by Preston’s College)
- Developing social skills for learners on mainstream programmes (led by Palmer’s College)
- Developing access to work for learners with more complex needs (led by Telford College)
- Promoting the value of supported internships to employers and young people (led by Heart of Worcestershire College)
- Supporting learners with SEND in the workplace (led by Gloucestershire College)
- Meaningful work experience for learners with SEND (led by City of Wolverhampton College)
Webinars
Webinar 1: RARPA – practical advice, guidance and tips on creating an effective, robust and learner-centred RARPA process within an FE setting
View a recording of this webinar
Webinar 2: ‘First steps to setting up a Supported Internship’
View a recording of this webinar
Webinar 3: Achieving Skills Excellence – Competition activity in the curriculum: raising the standard of study programmes for students with SEND
View a recording of this webinar
Webinar 4: Assistive Technology to Support Learners with SEND – where to start?
View a recording of this webinar
Webinar 5: Making Maths Accessible for Learners with SEND: Effective techniques for developing maths skills, confidence and engagement.
View a recording of this webinar
Interactive self-guided learning resources
These mini-modules have been developed to support learning at a time and pace to fit with practitioners’ busy working lives.
- External review of RARPA through peer review
- Improving access to apprenticeships
- Personalising study programmes
Education & Training Foundation toolkit for SEND FE
Over the course of several months, Natspec has been working closely with our associates and the ETF to create a set of toolkits aimed at SEND professionals responsible for curriculum planning in specialist FE.
Here are the toolkits available to access for free.
Supported internship leaflet
Supported internships are incredibly valuable for young people with SEND to develop confidence, communications and key employability skills. Engaging employers from the outset isn’t always easy and straightforward for providers, so here’s a link where you can download a customisable leaflet explaining supported internships to employers.
Working with learning support assistants
Learning support assistants are a valuable resource in SEND provision – and the most expensive too which is why effective use of this resource is essential. We have put together an in-house development activity to help you consider how to make the most of the LSAs in your setting. Get access here.
Competition in the vocational curriculum
Competition activity is a great way to raise aspirations, improve learners’ skills and employment prospects, strengthen learning programmes and introduce an element of excitement into the vocational curriculum. While competition activity is relatively well-established as a feature of the curriculum at higher levels, it is less commonly used with learners at Entry level and Level 1. However, providers who have been exploring the use of competition with learners with SEND report that it is just as beneficial for their learners – and easy to implement.
Co-creation of curriculum
Co-creating the curriculum is a great way to involve learners in deciding what to learn and how they might be taught. This toolkit has been designed to help curriculum managers and tutors in FE settings to explore co-creation, explain the concept to colleagues and engage their learners with SEND in co-creating their curriculum in a meaningful way. Learn more and access the toolkit here.
