2
BSQI 2000-2003: End of project report
3
BSQI 2000-2003: End of project report
Introduction and background
4
The AoC process
7
The training model for the residential events
13
Main messages from the events
17
One-day events
21
Prison education events
23
Other BSQI strands of activity
25
Examples of good practice influenced by the BSQI
26
Annex A: Acknowledgements
35
Annex B: Pen portraits of tutor team
36
Annex C: Evaluation form and statistics
42
Annex D: Event schedule
46
The Basic Skills Quality Initiative (BSQI) has been a major area
of focus for the standards fund since it was established by the
Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) in 1999. The initiative
was the FEFC’s response to the Moser Report and inspectorate
findings. When Skills for Life was published in March 2001,
we worked with partners including the Association of Colleges
to re-focus BSQI and ensure it supported the national strategy.
We continue to do this, most recently through announcing the
LSC’s Skills for Life Quality Initiative, which provides a continuum
of career and professional development opportunities through
the leadership and management programme and the programme
of professional development for teachers.
The BSQI Training and Development Programme, delivered on our behalf by the
Association of Colleges, has been a key part of BSQI. The role of managers in
improving the quality of literacy, numeracy and language provision is crucial.
The programme provided an opportunity for groups of managers to take part in a
residential training event that included updates on national developments, advice on
action planning and not least an opportunity to network and share good practice with
others in the sector. As confirmed in this report, over 1800 members of staff from over
800 LSC-funded providers have taken part over the past three years and the feedback
from participants is that the events have been valued.
Our thanks to the Association of Colleges’ project team for their hard work and
commitment and to all the participants for the knowledge and enthusiasm they
brought to the events.
The challenge for all in the sector is to continue the drive for improvement, working
locally, regionally and nationally to deliver the targets in Skills for Life. Nationally the
LSC will continue to work with the Adult Basic Skills Strategy Unit and key project
partners like the Association of Colleges to meet this aim.
Emer Clarke
Director, Quality Evaluation and Strategy
LSC
Foreword
Contents
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BSQI 2000-2003: End of project report
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BSQI 2000-2003: End of project report
During the same period 51% of literacy lessons and 46% of numeracy lessons received
grades 1 or 2. In particular there was too little exciting and imaginative teaching of
basic skills. There was also not enough information on what constitutes good practice
and how it could be replicated in other provisions.
As might be expected in the light of the small number of outstanding grades awarded
in inspections, too little of the work that was going on in literacy and numeracy was
particularly innovative or creative. Many examples, however, of sound and effective
work were identified, carried out by capable but often overstretched staff. Examples
of good practice included the employment of all qualified staff, all staff receiving an
induction, staff development programmes, basic skills teaching staff vacancies not
covered by other college staff with light timetables, lesson observations to ensure and
promote quality, and the variety of teaching styles used. Almost all the examples of
good practice identified focused, however, on what colleges and teachers do, not on
how much learners’ basic skills improve as a result.
With this in mind, and building on established good practice from the successful
Inclusive Learning Quality Initiative, the FEFC established a three-stage project
designed to improve adult literacy and numeracy skills and to help in meeting the
PSA target. English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) was included in the
project at a later stage.
The initial aims of the BSQI were to:
■
Increase the numbers of learners participating in literacy and numeracy courses
■
Improve the standards and quality of literacy and numeracy provision
■
Improve the experience of learners
■
Improve retention and achievement rates for literacy and numeracy learners
■
Improve people’s capacity to work and progress in education and employment
There were three stages to the initiative:
■
The production of the BSQI materials
■
The recruitment and training of facilitators
■
The training and development programme
Together these stages were intended to enable providers to work individually and on
their own behalf to develop their capacity to deliver high-quality basic skills provision.
The BSQI materials were available both in printed form and on the internet.
The report by the Moser group, Improving Literacy and Numeracy:
A Fresh Start, which was published in 1998, highlighted the fact
that 7 million adults in England had problems with literacy and
numeracy. Tackling this became a Government priority.
In March 2001, the Prime Minister launched Skills for Life: a
national strategy to improve adult literacy and numeracy.
To implement the strategy the Government has set an interim
Public Service Agreement (PSA) target of 750,000 learners who
will have improved their literacy or numeracy skills by 2004.
This target has been revised to 1.5 million adults who will have
improved their literacy and numeracy skills by 2007. An initial
target (since updated) was set with the aim of reducing the
number of adults with numeracy needs by 750,000 by 2004.
Different public bodies picked up the challenge of trying to meet
the need for a 100% increase in current literacy and numeracy
provision, among them the Further Education Funding
Council (FEFC).
In 1999-2000 the FEFC committed £350,000 to establishing the Basic Skills Quality
Initiative (BSQI) and to the early stages of gathering current practice material from
providers. In April 2001 the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) came into being and
continued to fund the initiative, in the light of a mission that clearly states its
commitment to improving the literacy and numeracy skills of adults. A further £3.5
million was subsequently allocated to support the BSQI.
There were a range of motivations for change. Basic skills, as it was then, while a very
significant component of many colleges’ curriculum, was not always given the
prominence or recognition it deserved. Many staff were working on a part-time basis,
often to meet the needs of the part-time delivery of the subject, and it was impossible
to do initial teacher training which majored on basic skills. There was a view that
staffing should be offered a professional route into this complex area of delivery and
that basic skills should gain greater recognition as a very significant and important
area of learning.
As well as the Moser group’s findings the FEFC took into account what had been
learned from the inspection of numeracy and literacy in colleges in setting up the BSQI.
Inspection showed that, although the overall quality of literacy and numeracy provision
nationally was satisfactory, there was too little excellent or very good teaching. In
1999-2000, 62% of all lessons inspected in colleges were awarded a grade 1 or grade 2.
Introduction and background