www.wakefield.gov.uk

Safeguarding, Quality Assurance and Progression in Alternative Provision

Support from the Alternative Provision Team

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This publication is intended to provide you with an overview of the support your school and providers will receive through accessing the provision coordinated by the Alternative Provision Team.

This support has been designed to add capacity to school; by providing the mechanisms for them to be confident that their learners are accessing high quality provision. The provision coordinated by the Local Authority is quality assured by the Collaborative QA Panel and the day-to-day support of the Alternative Provision Team. This reduces the burden on schools in fulfilling this requirement.

The booklet is divided into seven sections:

• Quality Assurance;

• Workforce Development;

• Impartial Information Advice and Guidance (IIAG);

• Recording and reporting;

• Information about provision and providers;

• Provision mapping and development; and

• Curriculum planning support.

Each section provides a brief overview of the support provided.

The Local Authority Alternative Provision Team provides an extensive range of support to schools, colleges and training providers.

Safeguarding, Quality Assurance and Progression in Alternative Provision: Support from the Alternative Provision Team

Support for schools is funded by the administration fee charged for each learner accessing the Local Authority coordinated provision at Key Stage 3 and 4. This provision falls into the following programmes:

• WorkStart – one day per week accredited vocational programmes;

• Extended Provision – three to fours days per week accredited vocational programmes;

• Personalised Programmes – flexible programmes developed for school, groups and/or individuals;

• Foundation Learning Short Programmes – accredited and non-accredited vocational programmes ranging from one day to thirteen weeks; and

• Wakefield Apprenticeship Awareness Programme (WAAP) – one day per week level 1 and 2 accredited vocational programme.

Full details of many of these programmes, including the providers, vocational areas

and qualifications available, can be accessed via the Key Stage 4 Foundation Learning Prospectus.

The Alternative Provision Team can be contacted via email: apt@wakefield.gov.uk

www.wakefield.gov.uk

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Quality Assurance and Safeguarding

Day-to-day support in coordinating your learner’s access to provision.

• Regular visit by the Alternative Provision Team to the provision to support learners and providers, tailored to need.

• The Alternative Provision Team support and monitor learners - including retention, achievement and progression.

• One-to-one action plans are developed to support learners where interventions are identified in half term reviews.

• Telephone based support for schools and providers during the planning and delivery of provision.

Policies and practice.

• Support is provided to ensure the providers have appropriate Safeguarding and Health & Safety policies and procedures in place prior to learners attending the provision.

• Members of the Alternative Provision Team had attended training and successfully achieved the IOSH qualification.

• Providers are supported in self evaluating and developing Quality Improvement Plans for their provision.

Collaboration and embedded two-way dialogue with the 14-19 Partnerships Collaborative Quality Assurance Panel.

• Visits to provision to monitor and support the development of quality assurance systems and processes.

• Sharing of day-to-day monitoring information with the Collaborative QA Panel.

• Systems are integrated with the Collaborative QA Panel, to provide a robust system of quality assurance.

Health & Safety vetting checks coordinated by the Alternative Provision Team.

• Expert support and reassurance about the safety of provision before your young people arrive, including reviewing and recording of CRB checks.

Online access to providers Risk Assessments.

• Quick, easy access to key information before and during your learner’s access of provision.

Effective communication with schools.

• Should issues arise; the Alternative Provision Team will coordinate with schools to ensure the relevant information is relayed to senior leaders.

Quality Assurance and Safeguarding

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Workforce DevelopmentMeetings between schools and providers.

• Frequent meetings are coordinated by the Alternative Provision Team for partners to share practice, developments and experiences.

• Focus Groups facilitated to strengthen partnership working between schools, colleges and providers in addressing identified needs.

Continuous Professional Development.

• Planning and delivery of a new programme of CPD for providers; further strengthening the quality of provision your young people access.

• Facilitate access to council-led professional development opportunities, including Safeguarding and Health and Safety training.

Networking and collaboration.

• Registration for school, college and training provider staff to participate in online collaboration forums, extending the impact of CPD and networking beyond face-to-face events.

Workforce Developm

ent

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Impartial Information Advice and Guidance (IIAG)

Planning and delivery of events for young people.

• Taster events are coordinated by the Alternative Provision Team, helping young people to access a hands-on introduction to the provision they’d like to attend during open evenings.

• Induction events are facilitated or delivered by the Alternative Provision Team.

• The Alternative Provision Team facilitate visits by Sector Skills Councils and related organisations.

Planning and delivery of events for parents/carers.

• Induction brings alternative provision information to parents/carers through opportunities to visit the provider. The visit provides the opportunity for parents/carers to talk directly with the providers or Alternative Provision Team, exploring the options available and answering any questions they may have.

Online information for young people and parents/carers.

• The Alternative Provision Team coordinate with providers to ensure the Area Wide Prospectus, www.applywakefield.org.uk, provides accurate and up-to-date information about the provision on offer. This helps young people and their parents/carers make informed decisions about the provision they would like to access.

Common Application Process.

• The Alternative Provision Team support the use of the Common Application Process (CAP) and provision is accessible via this online tool.

Paper-based information resources.

• A wide range of IIAG materials are available for parents/carers and young people. These provide an overview of the provision available and the various curriculum routes they may wish to access.

Images: • AWPscreenshot

Impartial Inform

ation Advice & Guidance (IIAG)

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Recording and reporting.

Online systems and processes.• The Alternative Provision Team has established, and continues to develop, online tools to aid the transfer of data between schools and the providers. These are all completed within the same system; the It’s Learning VLE.

• Where schools don’t have access to this VLE, the Alternative Provision Team will provide access to the functions required.

• The system safely and securely stores the data online; all data stored on the VLE is automatically encrypted. Access to learner records is restricted to only those who need to view it; at schools, the LA and the provider.

• The schedule of Alternative Provision Team visits to providers is published online for schools to view.

Online recording and monitoring of attendance.

• The Alternative Provision Team will set up online registers to allow the efficient transfer of attendance data between the provider and school. Attendance data is recorded online within the first hour of the provision starting.

• The system developed by the Alternative Curriculum Team allows reports to be generated by schools, at the click of a button. These provide useful reference materials for events such as parent’s evenings.

Online recording of learner’s attainment and progress.

• Tracking of young people’s attainment and progress is completed online. Schools can log on at any time to view their young people’s data.

Online half termly reviews.

• The transfer of information about the young person’s engagement and progression with the programme is important to a school. This data is recorded online for schools to access.

Online referrals.

• Records of learners seeking to access provision is completed and stored online.

Online electronic individual learning plans (eILP).

• eILP’s are currently in development. These will be available for use in the near future.

Training and support.

• Like all new systems, colleagues require support and training to maximise their use of such systems. The Alternative Provision Team will provide training and support to schools and providers who access the provision coordinated by the Team.

Recording and Reporting

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Training and support.

• The Common Paper Trail, developed by the Alternative Provision Team, has become the backbone of support and guidance relating to alternative provision. This is available online, providing the latest resources with a supporting commentary to schools and providers.

• Online collaboration forums have been established to support networking and the sharing of good practice between school staff and/or providers. This informal CPD helps to maintain the relationships and collaboration between partners.

Coordinated approach for learner data.

• The Alternative Provision Team ensures that providers receive all relevant documents and data for the learners accessing provision. This ensures providers can meet learners individual needs through personalised programmes.

Recording and Reporting

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Information about provision and providers

Key Stage 4 Foundation Learning Prospectus.

• Details of the provision and the providers delivering the LA-coordinated programmes are available in one place. The Key Stage 4 Foundation Learning Prospectus has been developed, in partnership with the providers, to give schools the key information they need to select the provision to meet their young people’s needs.

• Examination Officers have found the Prospectus a useful resource in accessing qualification specific information – such as QAN numbers – for the provision accessed.

• The Prospectus is updated during the year, providing schools with an early indication of the providers and provision available, plus an updated version as selection processes begin

Key Stage 4 Vocational Learning Launch.

• Coinciding with the publication of the first release of the Prospectus each year, the Key Stage 4 Vocational Learning Launch provides schools with an overview of the provision available and an opportunity for them to talk directly with the providers. This is the ideal opportunity to ask questions and start to plan which provision your school will access.

• In November 2010, the event was evaluated by those attending; 92% rated the event as ‘excellent’ or better.

Information about provision and Providers

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Provision mapping and development.

Coordinated approach to addressing school and learner needs.

• The Alternative Provision Team has established, in partnership with providers, an extensive range of vocational learning opportunities for young people. These can be viewed within the Key Stage 4 Foundation Learning Prospectus.

• The Team, through interaction with schools, colleges and providers, seek to grow new provision - to address gaps in provision and new demand.

Strengthening learner progression.

• The Alternative Provision Team, as part of a wider LA team, also support the planning of progression for learners.

• Common Application Process (CAP) usage is monitored by the Alternative Provision Team.

• Apprenticeship vacancies and Sector Skills Councils information are disseminated to young people and their parents/carers. Curriculum planning support.

Provision mapping and developm

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Provision mapping and developm

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Curriculum planning support

Planning a personalised curriculum for young people.

• Support is available from the Alternative Curriculum Team, and the wider LA team, to assist senior leaders in planning for the delivery of a personalised curriculum for young people.

• Through the Alternative Provision Team’s extensive knowledge of alternative provision, it provides impartial information, advice and guidance to schools to ensure the provision schools offer their learners meets their needs.

• Support for senior leaders in planning a range of programmes, across one or more provider, is a key feature of the Alternative Curriculum Teams support for schools.

Coordinated support for the link between school and provider.

• The Alternative Curriculum Team supports the link between school and provider, to assist both parties in planning a curriculum that meets the learner’s needs.