Foundation Learning Support Foundation Learning and the learner journey: Planning personalised learning programmes This CPD resource is one of a suite of six resources to help providers and practitioners develop their capacity to support learners throughout their Foundation Learning programmes. The other resources in this series are: 1 Recruiting learners 1 Identifying learners needs through initial assessment 1 Teaching and learning 1 Reviewing learner progress 1 Accrediting learning and achievement.
How to use this CPD resource This resource offers advice to schools and their partners at Key Stage 4 on how to develop personalised learning programmes for learners undertaking Foundation Learning. It looks at ways in which Foundation Learning programmes might be personalised and the key steps in building a personalised learning programme using QCF qualifications. Learning outcomes This resource should help practitioners to: 1 consider the components of a Foundation Learning programme 1 understand how to build a personalised learning programme 1 understand how to record the learner s Foundation Learning programme. Resources Resources include: 1 QCF level descriptors for Entry level and Level 1 (page 7) 1 Tables 2 and 3: sample units (pages 8 and 9) 1 Examples of personalised learning programmes (page 12) 1 Self check prompts (page 15) 1 Reflective prompts (page 16) 1 Tasks. 2 Planning personalised learning programmes
What is Foundation Learning? Foundation Learning provides flexible learning programmes for young people at Entry level and Level 1. The programmes combine three curriculum elements 1 subject or vocational learning 1 personal and social development (PSD) 1 functional skills in English, mathematics and ICT. Foundation Learning offers learners choice and the opportunity to specialise and a clear path towards Level 2 destinations or other goals, including apprenticeships, employment and independent living. Foundation Learning programmes use qualifications and units at Entry and Level 1 in the QCF. The QCF enables learners to build up their learning in units towards a qualification. There are three sizes of qualification in the QCF: 1 Award (1 to 12 credits) 1 Certificate (13 to 36 credits) 1 Diploma (37 credits or more). Because they are made up of units, Foundation Learning programmes can start at any point in the year and do not have to conform to a specific timescale. QCF qualifications eligible for use in Foundation Learning programmes are listed in the National Database of Accredited Qualifications ((NDAQ) www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk). Programmes will be supported by information, advice and guidance, effective initial assessment, comprehensive ongoing review and provider collaboration. 3 Planning personalised learning programmes
Personalising learners programmes Providers need to design personalised Foundation Learning programmes that will equip learners with the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding to allow them to progress from their starting point to their planned progression route. The outcomes of the initial assessment process should be used to plan each individual learner s programme. Lack of a thorough initial assessment may result in learning programmes that do not meet individual learners needs. Programmes for individual learners are likely to differ in: 1 length 1 content 1 context or setting 1 weighting of the different Foundation Learning programme components 1 QCF units and qualifications which recognise learners achievements 1 level of difficulty and size of QCF qualifications. 4 Planning personalised learning programmes
Components of a Foundation Learning programme Learners will have the opportunity to undertake elements of vocational or subject-based learning, functional skills and PSD (see Figure 1). The unique mix of these three components will depend on the needs of individual learners. Figure 1. Foundation Learning programme components Vocational/ subject-based learning Personal and social development learning Functional skills 5 Planning personalised learning programmes
Four key steps in building a personalised learning programme using QCF qualifications In planning a personalised learning programme, there are four key questions that a provider should consider. Step 1 Which qualifications will the learner need to undertake to support them in progressing to their intended destination? The National Database of Accredited Qualifications (www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk) contains details of qualifications accredited onto the QCF and appropriate and eligible for use within a Foundation Learning programme. Providers should use these qualifications to design Foundation Learning programmes for individual learners. NDAQ also provides important information on the credit size of different qualifications and the performance points attached to them. In order to support learners in progressing to Level 2 learning opportunities, where appropriate, providers will want to consider which qualifications can best support progression to Level 2. Level 1 qualifications may also offer learners the opportunity to undertake some units at Level 2, within their rules of combination, and to gain credits for these. Engaging in a dialogue with Level 2 providers about their minimum entry requirements for programmes at Level 2 can best support this. 6 Planning personalised learning programmes
Step 2 What level of qualification should the learner undertake? 1 Regulatory arrangements for the Qualifications and Credit Framework (Ofqual, 2008), available at: http://ofqual.gov. uk/files/regulatory_ arrangements_ QCF_August08.pdf The level descriptors for Entry and Level 1 of the QCF 1 (see Table 1 below) can help in understanding the key differences between entry level qualifications (Entry 1, 2 and 3) and between Entry and Level 1. They can provide a starting point for thinking about which level of qualification a learner might be suited to. Table 1. QCF level descriptors for Entry and Level 1 Level Summary Entry 1 Entry 2 Entry 3 Level 1 Entry 1 recognises progress along a continuum that ranges from the most elementary of achievements to beginning to make use of skills, knowledge or understanding that relate to the immediate environment. Achievement at Entry 2 reflects the ability to make use of skills, knowledge and understanding to carry out simple, familiar tasks and activities with guidance. Achievement at Entry 3 reflects the ability to make use of skills, knowledge and understanding to carry out structured tasks and activities in familiar contexts, with appropriate guidance where needed. Achievement at Level 1 reflects the ability to use relevant knowledge, skills and procedures to complete routine tasks. It includes responsibility for completing tasks and procedures subject to direction or guidance. Each unit within a QCF qualification identifies clear learning outcomes and assessment criteria. Table 2 (on page 8) and Table 3 (on page 9) show examples of an Entry 3 unit and a Level 1 unit from Edexcel s BTEC WorkSkills suite of qualifications. Both units have the same title (Working in a Team) and the same credit value (3 credits). Comparing these units allows you to see whether a learner might be more suited to undertaking a unit at Entry 3 as opposed to Level 1. 7 Planning personalised learning programmes
Table 2. Working in a team Working in a team E3 (F/501/6332) This is a 3-credit unit from Edexcel s WorkSkills suite of qualifications. Search on the NDAQ website www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk to identify all the qualifications that feature this unit. Learning Outcome Assessment Criteria 1 Know about team working 1.1 Identify key rules for effective team work. 1.2 Identify skills individuals need for effective team work. 2 Know how to match their strengths and interests to a team task 3 Know their own role and responsibilities in relation to a team task 4 Know how to work positively as a member of a team 5 Understand their performance as a member of a team 2.1 With guidance, identify some aspects of a given team task that they think they could do well, based on their strengths and interests. 3.1 Identify what the team is working to achieve in the team task. 3.2 Identify their role and responsibilities in the task. 4.1 Listen to ideas and suggestions of other team members without interrupting them. 4.2 Give their ideas and suggestions when asked to do so. 4.3 Offer help to other team members when asked to do so. 4.4 Follow instructions to complete the aspects of the task they were allocated. 5.1 Identify areas where they worked well as a team member. 5.2 Identify areas where they could improve their ability to work as part of a team. 8 Planning personalised learning programmes
Table 3. Working in a team Working in a team Level 1 (L/501/5832) This is a 3-credit unit from Edexcel s WorkSkills suite of qualifications. Search on the NDAQ website www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk to identify all the qualifications that feature this unit. Learning Outcome 1 Understand that effective team-work requires team members to behave in certain ways 2. Understand how own strengths, skills and experiences may contribute to a team task 3 Understand the roles and responsibilities of team members (including their own) in relation to a given task 4 Be able to work positively as a member of a team 5 Be able to consider their performance as a member of a team Assessment Criteria 1.1 Describe positive behaviours necessary for effective team-work. 2.1 Outline their own strengths, skills and experiences that might be relevant to a particular task. 2.2 State some aspects of a particular task that they think they could do well, based on their identified strengths, skills and experiences. 3.1 Describe what the task is about and what the team is working to achieve. 3.2 Describe own role and responsibilities and those of others in the team. 3.3 Explain how their role contributes to the work of the team as a whole. 4.1 Give examples of when they listened to the ideas and suggestions of others. 4.2 Give ideas and suggestions as to how the team might complete their task. 4.3 Outline examples of when they offered to help or support other team members. 4.4 Outline examples of when they accepted the help or advice of others. 4.5 Complete the aspects of the task they were allocated, in line with the brief. 5.1 Describe which positive team-working behaviours they demonstrated in undertaking the task. 5.2 Identify some team-working skills that they could improve. Not all qualifications will necessarily be available at each level and it will be important to check this on the National Database of Accredited Qualifications. 9 Planning personalised learning programmes
Each QCF qualification will typically offer units at least at two levels and sometimes at three levels. The rules of combination specify the minimum number of credits that need to be achieved at the level of qualification which the learner is working at, and how many can be achieved at either the level above or the level below this. This allows learners spiky profiles to be addressed and can support progression to the next qualification level. For example, if a learner undertakes a Level 2 unit as part of their Level 1 qualification, they may be able to use the credits which they have achieved from this to contribute to a Level 2 qualification in the future, if the rules of combination allow for this. Step 3 What size of qualification should the learner undertake? There are three sizes of qualification in the QCF: 1 Award (1 to 12 credits) 1 Certificate (13 to 36 credits) 1 Diploma (37 credits or more). As one credit is equal to 10 hours of learning, Certificate-sized qualifications, for example, could vary from 130 to 360 learning hours. Determining whether a learner undertakes an Award-, Certificate- or Diploma-sized qualification will depend on the: 1 size of available qualifications within a particular chosen qualification at Entry and Level 1 there are more Awardand Certificate-sized qualifications available than Diploma-sized qualifications 1 amount of qualifications that the learner will undertake the learner might choose a number of Award-sized qualifications as opposed to one larger qualification, such as a Diploma 1 learner s needs and how much learning is required in a particular curriculum component for example some learners may need to undertake more learning in PSD than others 1 maximum amount of learning time available 1 minimum requirements of the learner s intended progression route. Learners can add to their achievements over time using QCF qualifications. A learner might first choose to undertake an Award in a particular qualification and then add some units to this to gain a Certificate or a Diploma. 10 Planning personalised learning programmes
The QCF also offers the opportunity for learners to transfer credit between qualifications and awarding organisations. All awarding organisations in the QCF accept the credit offered by all other awarding organisations recognised within the framework. The conditions under which credit may be transferred between qualifications are set by the rules of combination for that qualification. If a unit falls within the rules of combination for a qualification, a learner can count credit achieved through that unit towards the qualification, irrespective of the awarding organisation that entered the credit in the learner s learner record. Step 4 Which units from the qualification can best meet the learner s needs? Each QCF qualification is made up of a range of units that learners will select from. In choosing which units to select, learners should be given information about: 1 which units will help them to address their individual needs 1 how units can be combined to make up a qualification 1 which units will help them progress to their chosen destination. The wider the range of units that a provider can offer, the more personalised a learner s programme can be. Figure 2 opposite shows examples of personalised learning programmes. 11 Planning personalised learning programmes
Figure 2. Examples of personalised learning programmes City & Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Employability and Personal Development + Functional Skills in: 1 Mathematics Level 1 1 English Entry 3 1 ICT Level 1 = 30 credits Edexcel Entry Level Entry 3 BTEC Diploma in WorkSkills + Functional Skills in: 1 Mathematics Entry 3 1 English Entry 3 1 ICT Level 1 = 52 credits NPTC Level 1 Diploma in Work based Horticulture + ASDAN Level 1 Award in Personal and Social Development + Functional Skills in: 1 Mathematics Level 1 1 English Level 1 1 ICT Level 1 = 56 credits 12 Planning personalised learning programmes
Recording the learner s Foundation Learning programme Learners should have a written individual learning plan (ILP) that identifies: 1 their chosen progression destination 1 the QCF and functional skills qualifications which the learner will undertake, and the selected units 1 the planned total credit value of the qualifications and units being undertaken 1 how and when learning will be undertaken and who will provide it this will include both on- and off-site learning 1 arrangements for reviewing their progress. Further information on developing ILPs at Key Stage 4 can be found in Individual learning plans in Foundation Learning at Key Stage 4 (LSIS, 2009), available at: www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=257755 13 Planning personalised learning programmes
CPD learning activities The following CPD activities can be used by a group of colleagues or individually. They include self check prompts and a series of tasks. The tasks will help you to identify ways of personalising learners programmes, based on their desired qualifications and using suitable QCF qualifications. Further information on Foundation Learning can be found on the Foundation Learning Support website (www.excellencegateway. org.uk/foundationlearning) and you can post questions about Foundation Learning through the Foundation Learning discussion forum (www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=190332). 14 Planning personalised learning programmes
Planning personalised learning programmes self check A B C Read through the following checklist and for each point tick the box for the statement that is most accurate in relation to your organisation: I know that this is in place in my organisation I know that this is not in place in my organisation I m not sure if this is in place in my organisation. A In place B Not in place C I m not sure Each learner has a clearly identified progression destination. Progression destination requirements have been identified to support the planning of each individual learner s programme. Qualifications and appropriate units are selected from the National Database of Accredited Qualifications (www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk) to plan each individual learner s programme and help them progress to their chosen destination. Each learner undertakes an appropriate amount of learning in each of the three curriculum areas to meet their individual needs and to support their progression destination. Each learner has their own written ILP, which identifies the qualification and units that they are undertaking, planned credit values and planned length of programme. Each learner s starting point is taken account of when planning the length of their programme. 15 Planning personalised learning programmes 15 Planning personalised learning programmes
Reflecting on your learning You may find that the following prompt questions help you to reflect on what you have learned in working through the tasks above. 1 Which QCF qualifications will we use to build personalised learning programmes for our learners? 1 How will we determine these? 1 Which qualifications will support learners to progress to level 2 destinations where appropriate? 1 How will we personalise programmes for individual learners? 1 What actions should we be putting into our Foundation Learning implementation plan? Use the space below to record your initial reflections. 16 Planning personalised learning programmes