| LEARNING FOR LIFE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| a CURRICULUM FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Welcome to this page . i hope you find it stimulating and useful matthew griffiths | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Curriculum | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Curriculum Framework Introduction 1 This project has been undertaken in response to the concerns identified through the inspectorate's national exercise on entry level qualifications for students' with learning difficulties. Inspection has revealed the poor quality of provision for these students in many colleges of further education. Inspection grades are lower than other programme areas with a significantly higher percentage of grades being 4. The following table shows programme area grades for the first four year cycle of inspections. Prog. area Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Science & maths 6 60 32 2 0 agriculture 10 44 43 3 0 construction 3 56 38 2 0 engineering 4 51 42 2 0 business 5 64 30 1 0 catering 13 60 24 3 0 care & hairdressing 7 65 25 2 0 humanities 14 62 22 2 0 provision for students with learning diffs 6 54 32 7 0* * one grade 5 was awarded but does not show in a percentage breakdown. The main weaknesses of provision for students with learning difficulties identified by inspectors are: poor curriculum development Teachers teach the performance criteria specified by the accreditation and do not see the need to develop a curriculum for their students inappropriate course content Students are not learning skills and competencies which will be useful to them on leaving college ineffective teaching Teachers are using inappropriate teaching methods which are hindering students' learning inaffective data on students, achievements' as accreditation which does not reflect what students learn Awards do not give an accurate and reliable description of what students can do. 2 It is also becomming clear that ithe second cycle of inspections,which is based on self-assessment, that colleges often have difficulty in recognising the weaknesses of this provision. The table about to be published in the chief inspectors annual report describes this over generous grading by colleges Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Self- Assessment 30% 52% 17% 0% 0% Inspection 2% 61% 37% 0% 0% 3 The identification of both the weaknesses in this area of work, and the difficulties which many colleges have in recognising them, comes at a time when much attention is focused on 'Entry level' qualifications which should inform national discussions about the design of entry level provision and awards for students with learning difficulties. 4 Currently, there is a multiplicity of awards specifically designed for students with learning difficulties. These awards have had a profound effect on courses for students with learning difficulties. However, there is no structure to indicate the different levels of the awards and their suitability for different students. An overall framework is needed, with clear levels, which identifies core learning objectives for students, and can also be used as a template for other curriculum initiatives or awards. 5 The following curriculum framework has been developed to meet these concerns and to support teachers of students with learning difficulties in colleges of further education. It aims to: - describe a progression route through to level 1 courses - identify the skills and competencies students need to develop at each level - explain the process of initial assessment - explain how to develop individual learning programmes for students - explore ways of devising timetables - describe the key features of successful schemes of work and lesson plans - outline effective teaching and learning methods - describe effective methods of assessing and recording students' achievements - outline procedures for monitoring, reviewing and adapting the curriculum. The Structure of the Curriculum Framework 5 Before teachers can begin the process of curriculum planning it is essential that they recognise that students with learning difficulties are not a homogeneous group. As with any other group of students, individuals have very different needs, aptitudes and interests. They will come from very diverse backgrounds, have very different lifestyles and be aiming for very different long term goals. It is therefore impossible to have one level of provision which will meet the needs of all students with learning difficulties. 6 The following 'ladder' illustrates the different levels within the entry level curriculum and describes progression from entry level to foundation level: Pre-entry level level 000 - This gives students the skills they need to enter entry level courses and leads to Entry Level level 00 which gives students the skills they need to enter prevocational courses and leads to Prevocational Level level 0 which gives students the skills they need to enter vocational courses and leads to Vocational level level 1 NVQ 1/ GNVQ Foundation which gives students the basic skills for employment or to progress to higher level courses. 7 Having established the basic structure of the curriculum framework, the next task is to analyse the skills and competencies which need to be taught at each of the levels. The starting point for this must be a careful analysis of the skills and competencies students need to learn if they are to succeed on level 1 or foundation level programmes. Once these have been identified, teachers need to 'work back' through the different levels and ensure that they are teaching students the skills and competencies which will enable them to progress successfully through the different levels to level 1 or foundation programmes. The following section identifies the skills that students need to succeed on level 1 and foundation level programmes and then works back through the different levels of the curriculum ladder and describes the skills and competencies to be taught at each level. Vocational level 8 To succeed on an NVQ 1 or GNVQ Foundation level course students need to be able to: behave within accepted norms in college and in the workplace follow instructions or take orders, and respond to them within an acceptable timescale relate appropriately to a range of people in different roles and environments communicate effectively wear appropriate clothing and protective gear in the workplace present themselves as potential employees and acceptable adults respond to the requirements and demands of work and of adult life learn to carry out routine tasks without continuous supervision accept that they have a lot to learn, and be willing to learn This means that at Prevocational level level 0 the main aims of the programmes will be to teach students: to behave within accepted norms in college and in the workplace to follow instructions or take orders, and respond to them to relate appropriately to a range of people in different roles and environments the skills of speaking and listening to wear appropriate clothing and protective gear in the workplace personal presentation to respond to the requirements and demands of work and of adult life to carry out routine tasks without continuous supervision To succeed on a prevocational level course, a student needs to be able to: follow verbal instructions relate appropriately to different kinds of people behave appropriately in different environments / simulated workplace present themselves as acceptable adults travel independently respond to some of the requirements and demands of work This means that at Entry level level 00 the main aims of the programmes will include: successful responses to verbal instructions relating appropriately to different kinds of people behaving appropriately in different environments wearing appropriate clothing and protective gear effective personal hygiene understanding some of the requirements and demands of work To succeed on an entry level course, a student needs to be able to: understand some spoken or signed communication communicate with others in some way relate to others, and to respond to the environment This means that at Pre-entry level level 000 the main aims of the programmes will include: the development of a basic vocabulary of words, sounds or signs the development of the use of this vocabulary to communicate with others the development of some basic responses to others and to the environment Work at pre-entry level is unlikely to fall within schedule 2 of the F&HE Act. All students at level 000 are capable of learning but they will have profound intellectual impairments and will require very specialised teaching. personal social vocational Within each major area the objectives for learning are divided into three kinds of learning: knowledge skills social or vocational role 'learning to be' To be developed in detail We can tell you all about this if it would help! c: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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