Welcome to RMBC 14-19 Education and Skills
14-16 Directory of Wider Learning Opportunities
The Rochdale 14-19 Education and Skills Team, under its brand name of ‘Future First’, recognise the need to develop an annual Directory of Wider Learning Opportunities which Secondary Schools can access for the benefit of their young people at Key Stage 4.
The introduction of the Directory supports our commitment to achieving 14-19 Team Plan, Objective 2, overleaf. This first version of the Directory has been compiled from an audit of provision conducted during Summer 2007 across Rochdale and Greater Manchester. The Directory will be updated annually.
The 14-19 Team would like to thank all the Training Providers who have contributed to the Directory. However, it must be stressed that the Training Providers have not been approved as Providers by the 14-19 Team at this stage. In future, it is our intention to scrutinise the quality of provision across Providers. This will enable us to advise Headteachers regarding Health and Safety and Risk Assessment issues.
Schools, therefore, will need to satisfy themselves regarding the quality of provision for their young people. Please refer to Appendices 1, 2 and 3 at the back of the Directory for guidance. Please consult with Rochdale LA’s Outdoor Education Advisor or the LA Health and Safety Team for any further guidance.
The programmes in the Directory are offered at varying levels, from Entry Level to Level 2, to ensure there is provision for all young people in Rochdale – from the most challenging to the gifted and talented. The 14-19 Reform Agenda is about curriculum change and the 14-19 Team recognises, in particular, that this Directory can also serve to provide potentially disaffected and disengaged young people with an appropriate curriculum offer and reduce NEET figures.
Schools must contact the Provider directly for all enquiries and liaise with the lead contact.
Main Purpose and Aim of the 14-19 Team
The purpose of the 14-19 Team is to work in collaboration with other partners, as part of an integrated service, to deliver the Rochdale Borough Children’s Trust, Children and Young People’s Plan. The 14-19 Team manage the implementation and advise on the development of Rochdale Local Authority’s 14-19 Strategy by:-
- working proactively on behalf of learners with the Local Authority, Learning and Skills Council, Schools, Colleges, Training Providers and other agencies to develop high quality, linked provision to extend choice for learners aged
- 14-19 in order to raise standards of attainment
- reporting to the 14-19 Consortium
- advising the 14-19 Consortia to ensure that plans are congruent with local and national aims and priorities, as well as those of schools, colleges and providers in the 14-19 Consortium
- working across multi-professional teams to ensure that 14-19 provision in Rochdale is fully inclusive ensuring there is sufficient provision to meet the demand for Diplomas from 14-16 year olds and working with the Learning and Skills Council in relation to sufficient provision for 16-19 year olds
Team Objectives 2007/08
- To research and formulate proposals on the development of the 14-19 Strategy, identifying and building on best practice from local, national and international initiatives
- To ensure learner’s entitlement by working with the Learning and Skills Council, Consortium Co-ordinators, Curriculum Managers of Schools, Colleges and Training Providers to break down barriers to collaboration to ensure that appropriate and sufficient vocational provision is available to meet the needs of all learners in Rochdale
- To act as a conduit of all 14-19 developments through identified working groups
- To establish and promote compliance with agreed protocols across all Partnerships as learners engage in linked provision
- To work with Providers and Local Authority Officers to monitor the quality and overall effectiveness of school linked provision so as to be able to contribute to/prepare reports including commentaries on student recruitment, retention and achievement. This will include National Progress Checks and contributing to schools’ self-evaluation and Local Authority reviews, including the Annual Performance Assessment and the Joint Annual Review
- To work proactively with Managers of Schools, Colleges and Training Providers, the REAL Trust and other Officers to ensure that staff working with school students receive appropriate professional development to support them in delivering high quality provision across the Local Authority
- To lead on the identification of, and bidding for, additional/alternative funding relevant to 14-19 provision
- To manage, monitor, evaluate and report on any additional funding
- To co-ordinate, update and promote on-line IAG provision
- To build upon existing good practice and disseminate across the Local Authority
- If you have any comments about the Directory or would like further copies, please contact the 14-19 Team at the Local Authority.
Contact Details for the 14-19 Team
To contact the 14-19 team please visit the Contact page by clicking here