Educating 16-18 year oldsEddie Playfair, Principal of Newham Sixth Form College (NewVIc)

“Plan for 1 year and plant rice. Plan for 10 years and plant trees. Plan for 100 years and educate people.”

Confucius

“Human history becomes more and

more a race between

education and catastrophe.”

Herbert George Wells

1. Funding learningCommissioningLagged learner numbersLearners, learner numbers (LN)Standard Learners, standard learner numbers (SLN)National Funding Rate (SLN x NFR x PF + ALS = funding)Provider Factor (programme, area, disadvantage, success)Additional Learning SupportStartersQuality…Completers, retention rate (C / S)Achievers, achievement rate (A / C)Success Rate (A / S = SR)Value added (ALIS, ALPS, LAT….VA, DT)The supply chain: schools, colleges, HE and employersProgression(inc. HE accepances / HE applications)…all this is recorded, monitored and audited.

The paradox of the sorites Eubulides of

Miletus

“How many grains of sand make a heap?”

“How many learning experiences make an education?”

“Education is a social process”

John Dewey

“Through others we become ourselves”

Lev Vygotsky

2. Educating young people

Skills, knowledge, aspiration, commitment, potential… Citizens, workers, family and community members, leaders…Teaching, information, advice, guidance, support, funding,

Making sense of it all Making sense of it all A plethora of separate demands and initiatives or a single A plethora of separate demands and initiatives or a single

coherent vision of the learning community, the skilled coherent vision of the learning community, the skilled learner and active citizen? learner and active citizen?

From alphabet soup….From alphabet soup….AAT, ALS, BIS, CVA, DT, ECM, FO1-5, ILR, LAD, LAT, LN, NFR, AAT, ALS, BIS, CVA, DT, ECM, FO1-5, ILR, LAD, LAT, LN, NFR,

NQF, OfSTED, PF, SFA, SLN, SLN ratio, VA, YPLA…NQF, OfSTED, PF, SFA, SLN, SLN ratio, VA, YPLA…

……to a successful learning community…to a successful learning community…Where young people become skilled, confident and

independent learners and develop as community members; autonomous, active citizens and workers with the ability to make a contribution and serve others.

NewVIc: creating the NewVIc: creating the successful learning successful learning

community community we believe in…we believe in…success and achievement;success and achievement; setting setting

high standards and expectations.high standards and expectations.Respect for everyone:Respect for everyone: valuing diversity and valuing diversity and promoting equality.promoting equality.Education for everyone;Education for everyone; attracting and attracting and including new learners.including new learners.Education of the whole person;Education of the whole person; for personal and for personal and social developmentsocial developmentAccountability;Accountability; responding and contributing responding and contributing to our communities.to our communities.HoHonesty, openness, trust and sensitivitynesty, openness, trust and sensitivity in in everything we do.everything we do.

Among our strategic objectives:Among our strategic objectives: ““developing students’ autonomy and skills for developing students’ autonomy and skills for

learning, employment and global learning, employment and global citizenship.”citizenship.”

“Education is the point at which we decide whether we love the world enough to assume responsibility for it.”

Hannah Arendt

4 pillars of learning - UNESCO

Five Minds

for the future:

Disciplined

Creating

Synthesizing

Respectful

Ethical

Howard Gardner

The Skilled LearnerThe Skilled LearnerNewVIc aims to be aNewVIc aims to be a Successful Learning Community Successful Learning Community

Our students should aim to beOur students should aim to be Skilled Learners: Skilled Learners:

Active and Reflective Learners and Citizens / community membersActive and Reflective Learners and Citizens / community members

LearnerLearner CitizenCitizen

ActiveActive Creative: questioning, curiousCreative: questioning, curious

Listening, imaginative, playfulListening, imaginative, playful

Research, explore, experimentResearch, explore, experiment

Question assumptionsQuestion assumptions

Develop new ideas, connect/adapt Develop new ideas, connect/adapt ideas, make links, take risks, cope ideas, make links, take risks, cope with uncertainty/changewith uncertainty/change

Creative thinker, Independent Creative thinker, Independent enquirerenquirer

Persuasive, take initiativePersuasive, take initiative

Advocacy, represent othersAdvocacy, represent others

Dialogue, discuss and debate, find Dialogue, discuss and debate, find solutions, negotiatesolutions, negotiate

Team work: collaborate, participate, Team work: collaborate, participate, contributecontribute

Support others, deal with / resolve Support others, deal with / resolve conflict, adapt behaviour, reach conflict, adapt behaviour, reach consensusconsensus

Team worker, Effective participatorTeam worker, Effective participator

ReflectiveReflective DeterminedDetermined

Understand learningUnderstand learning

Self aware, self motivatedSelf aware, self motivated

Think critically, analyseThink critically, analyse

Evaluate options, develop theoriesEvaluate options, develop theories

Manage information and timeManage information and time

Reflective learnerReflective learner

Self managerSelf manager

Have clear values, care, compassion, Have clear values, care, compassion, empathy, respect for othersempathy, respect for others

Understand social justice Understand social justice

Value human rights, equality, Value human rights, equality, democracy, diversitydemocracy, diversity

Consider impact of decisions, Consider impact of decisions, accountable for own actionsaccountable for own actions

Critical awareness of social/political Critical awareness of social/political processesprocesses

Able to make judgementsAble to make judgements

OM competences for citizenshipOM competences for citizenship

The current UK context In post-16 education, the emphasis is on…•qualifications rather than whole learner•employment rather than citizenship•personal gain rather than social purpose•choice and competition rather than cohesion•Institutional diversity rather than comprehensive systemBut learning is social, doesn’t have to be a market commodity

In the wider political sphere, •Competing rather than collaborating•Defining nationhood rather than global humanity•Social mobility and “fairness” rather than equalityIf we are to tackle local global problems, we need shared values, awareness, dialogue, skills for citizenship

Prospects…Cuts:National Funding Rate to fall as participation rises (RPA)SSF/FE funding gap to be addressed EMA to be withdrawn

Greater competition:New providers being encouraged to enter marketSchools encouraged to open sixth forms?Partnership, federation, merger…?

Curriculum:Wolf review of vocational qualificationsThe English Bac pre-16 and reform of league tablesLinearisation of A levels and role of HE

Wider context for young people:Youth unemployment, restricted access to HE…

Staff and staff governorsStaff and staff governors

Staff are key members of the college communityStaff are key members of the college communityHave a major stake in the success of the collegeHave a major stake in the success of the collegePlay a major role in creating the ethos Play a major role in creating the ethos Should be major partners in college governanceShould be major partners in college governance

The following should be in place: The following should be in place: Effective representation and forums for Effective representation and forums for consultationconsultationTo support and develop staff representatives To support and develop staff representatives Full staff meetingsFull staff meetingsA staff councilA staff councilA Joint Consultative CommitteeA Joint Consultative CommitteeActive, well briefed staff governorsActive, well briefed staff governors

“be the change you

want to see in the world”

M.K. Gandhi

“You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!”

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

Dr. Seuss

“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”

Johann W. Goethe

““Now is the time, not Now is the time, not tomorrow, not some tomorrow, not some more convenient more convenient season. It is today season. It is today that our best work that our best work can be done and not can be done and not some future day or some future day or future year. It is today future year. It is today that we fit ourselves that we fit ourselves for the greater for the greater usefulness of usefulness of tomorrow. Today is tomorrow. Today is the seed time, now the seed time, now are the hours of work, are the hours of work, and tomorrow comes and tomorrow comes the harvest and the the harvest and the playtime.”playtime.”

“Believe in life! Always human beings will live and progress to greater, broader, and fuller life.”

W.E.B. DuBois