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BSQI 2000-2003: End of project report

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BSQI 2000-2003: End of project report

The 2001-2002 residential programme

Building on previous information published by the FEFC in Council News and FEFC

circulars, the AoC publicised the programme extensively through its network of

contacts with providers. In particular, the AoC Briefing, a well-established bulletin 

that goes to all AoC members, was used to increase awareness of the initiative.

The events were open to all institutions funded by the FEFC to provide literacy and

numeracy programmes. The target group of staff consisted of a senior manager, an

operational manager and a lead practitioner. Part of the rationale of the programme

was to encourage providers to work in teams, for this reason providers were not

booked on events unless they were able to send at least two people. Separate events

were held for sector colleges and external institutions, as their experiences and

concerns tended to differ.

The programme for this first series of events was designed around that of the four

pilot events.  

Due to the overwhelming response from delegates, places on all eight events were

filled within a matter of weeks. A waiting list was created containing some 100

organisations still wishing to attend. The AoC approached the LSC to discuss the need

for further training. The LSC agreed to extend the initiative for a further year, until

the end of March 2002, to offer opportunities for more providers to attend an event.

Notwithstanding this overwhelming demand, in April 2001 the LSC invited the AoC

to carry out research into the non-acceptance of places on events and/or of LSC

funding offered to providers under the BSQI. The LSC was concerned that amongst

the providers that had not accepted there was a lack of information about the level of

potential interest or need. Fifty-four providers had formally declined to take part in

the initiative; a further 54 did not respond to the LSC’s offer. The LSC wished to

establish what need for support existed amongst the non-accepting providers. 

This could potentially lead to a provision of support for them through particular

training events or other forms of activity. 

The results of the research were encouraging. They showed that:

■

Information about the BSQI funding was reaching providers; only a very small

proportion gave lack of awareness as a reason for not responding to the offer of

funding. Of these several later attended events

■

There was an informed and growing interest in sixth form colleges in providing

numeracy and literacy provision

■

Small or non-existent provision was the main reason for many institutions’

decline of funding; the formula on which the offer was based was the size of the

institution and not the size of basic skills provision

■

Local LSCs were establishing their role in promoting and providing information

about the BSQI

The BSQI residential training and development programmes

The AoC won the tender to manage the BSQI residential training and development

programmes for managers on behalf of the FEFC in November 2000. The programme

also started in November 2000, with four pilot events. Following these events, it was

agreed that the AoC would publicise and deliver a further training and development

programme, for up to 400 staff, between January and April 2001. The programme was

to consist of eight events held at venues in different parts of the country, to promote

access for the greatest number of participants. The first series was heavily over

subscribed with not all colleges managing to gain a place. Allocation was made

strictly on a first-come, first-served basis.

The AoC was keen to ensure that the training and development programme matched

both the needs and expectations of the delegates. Although the programme for all

subsequent events closely followed the model of the four pilot events held in

November and December 2000, meetings were held at the close of each event in the

new series to review the programme and study feedback from delegates. Comments

from participants were discussed in detail and the programme amended 

where necessary.

Following the establishment of the LSC, BSQI continued as a priority within the

Learning and Skills Standards Fund.  Funding was made available for further

residential training and development programmes in 2001/02 and 2002/03. 

The project was also broadened to include providers of literacy, numeracy and ESOL

from independent specialist colleges and work-based learning (WBL) providers, in

addition to FE colleges and Adult and Community Learning (ACL) providers. 

Between November 2000 and March 2003, more than 1800 staff from almost 800

organisations attended the 41 residential events. This total far exceeded the original

target of 1000 staff set by the FEFC in 2000.

The project director considered that literacy, numeracy and ESOL in prisons was an

area that deserved special recognition. A separate strand of the programme, which

drew on lessons learned from running these residential events, was developed for

prisons and young offenders’ institutions. This comprised six residential events. 

Information on this programme can be found on page 23.

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BSQI 2000-2003: End of project report

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BSQI 2000-2003: End of project report

Each of the 41 events was designed to include:

■

Updates on the various national initiatives and overall strategy in literacy,

numeracy and language

■

Information and guidance on the support available through the BSQI for

improvement programmes; the BSQI materials were central to the training

activity and were the focus for review and planning by providers, preparing 

staff to work with the materials and with their facilitator back on site at their

organisation 

■

Input on specific areas of difficulty in literacy and numeracy provision and on

relevant good practice, as identified by inspection

■

Workshops helping providers to review their provision and develop strategies 

for bringing about improvements in specified areas

■

Time for providers to develop their own quality management programme,

working in their own team and with others in their peer group; the focus

throughout the programme was on strategies for improving literacy and

numeracy provision

Residential learning

The residential experience was a significant feature of the training model. 

The residential events not only provided extended time for team working and

networking with other providers, but also encouraged a clear focus on the curriculum

issues at the heart of the events. For managers to take two or three days out of their

organisation is rare. It is even rarer for them to do so to attend events with a focus on

self-criticism and innovation in relation to the curriculum for literacy, numeracy and

ESOL. The collective sense of purpose developed during the events was tangible and

resulted in high levels of productivity. It was not unusual to see teams of staff working

on their action plans in the hotel, surrounded by their BSQI folders, late into the night. 

Teams of staff with senior managers

The training plan for the three-day day events was based on the premise that in 

order to secure change across an organisation, it was essential to involve the senior

management in the reviewing process and at the first stages of planning. 

The evaluations of events showed that the inclusion of a senior manager in the

reviewing and planning process was a critical factor in being able to implement the

plan effectively in an organisation. The evaluations from organisations which had not

included a senior manager frequently included a comment that their planning had

been limited because of the levels of the positions held by team members. 

The inclusion in each team of staff representing different levels in the organisation

enabled each provider to review all their provision comprehensively in the light of 

the structure of the whole organisation. There were additional learning outcomes for

some participants who were unaware of either the activities or the needs of other

areas of their organisation. The team approach also increased the probability that the

action plan would be implemented, as there were several members of staff to support

each other in taking it forward in the organisation.

The training model for the

residential events

The 2002-2003 residential programme

The programme for 2002-2003 was modified to take account of the extension of the

BSQI to include ESOL, and to include work-based learning providers. It also directly

supported priorities in the national strategy Skills for Life, the LSC’s national delivery

plan, and guidance on good practice from ABSSU, OFSTED and the Adult Learning

Inspectorate (ALI). 

Consideration was given to the feedback received from delegates at the first series of

events. The need for attendance from a senior manager, if participants were to gain

maximum benefit from the events, had been highlighted repeatedly. It was suggested

by many participants that compressing the event into two full days, instead of

spreading the programme over three days, would attract more senior managers, as it

often proved difficult to release senior staff for three days. The AoC took these

comments back to the LSC, who agreed to reduce the length of the events, whilst

preserving the majority of their original content. To reflect changes in the handling of

funding and the planning of provision, representatives from both the national and

local LSCs were included in the team of presenters, as was a senior representative of

the Adult Basic Skills Strategy Unit (ABSSU). 

The 2002-03 programme of events was therefore organised to provide two-day

training and development residentials. As with the earlier series of events, teams of

two or at most three delegates from LSC-funded providers were invited to each event.

As with earlier events, the target audience was staff working at middle and senior

management level, for example, curriculum managers, quality managers, and

programme managers. These events were open to all providers of literacy, numeracy

and ESOL funded by the LSC, including providers of work-based learning. The events

had a regional focus, reflecting the nine government regions; three further events

were held at the end of this series for those providers who had been unable to attend

any of the previous events. 

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