Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

Teaching and Supporting Vulnerable Learners

Establishing Learning Engagement

and Development Support within Hostels

Mike Smith-Clare & Gail Younge

Bluecat Initiative – Working with Homeless and Vulnerable Adults

Skills for Life Support for World Class Skills

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

Objectives:

clarify what is meant by Skills for Life be aware of the Skills for Life Strategy and the scale of need review the Intro’ session identify what is required at the different skills levels consider the skills required for service users to perform

everyday tasks identify the various stages of assessment consider ways in which support strategies can be used

within a hostel setting know where to go for SfL support and further CPD for key

workers

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

By adult basic skills we mean:

“The ability to read, write and speak English and use mathematics at a level necessary to function and progress at work and in society in general.”

Basic Skills Agency 1999

7 million adults in England have difficulties in using literacy and numeracy skills in everyday life

Moser Report 1999

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

£1.5 billion planned expenditure

New teaching and support materials

New qualifications for teachers

New qualifications for learners

Core curricula

National Adult Literacy and Numeracy Tests

Skills for Life Strategy launched March 2001

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

The Core Curricula

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

ESOL

Broad Categories:

Settled communities

Refugees

Migrant workers

Partners and spouses

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

09 March 2009

Skills for Life: CHANGING LIVES

597,000 literacy qualifications planned between 2008 and 2011

390,000 numeracy qualifications planned between 2008 and 2011

Total funding for Skills for Life expected to exceed

£1 billion a year.

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

Online Skills for Life Core Curriculum

ESOL Literacy Pre-entry

Numeracy Embedded Skills

www.excellencegateway.org.uk

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

Why?

o Interrupted schooling

o Sensory impairment

o Inappropriate teaching methods

o Loss of interest and motivation

o Dyslexic difficulties

o Lack of use

o New technology and changed working practices

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

Impact

Less likely to own a home

Less likely to be in good health

Less likely to be involved in public life

More likely to be homeless

More likely to have children at a young age

Over represented in prisons and young offender

institutions

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

Impact cont.

Most likely to end up in low paid work

Twice as likely to have been made redundant or sacked from

first job

Up to five times as likely to be unemployed or out of the

labour market

Four times more likely to experience long-term unemployment

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

The Levels:

Level 2: Transferable levelSkills are secure and transferable

Level 1: Coping levelcan access straightforward everyday material

Entry 3: ‘Getting by’ levelCan read familiar, basic everyday material

Entry 1 & 2: Survival levelCan only read very basic material

Pre Entry: Lacks reading skills – might know alphabet, few key words

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

The Rose Report

Independent Review of the Teaching of Reading, DfES, March 2006

pg 78

‘developing the abilities necessary to understanding and appreciating written texts in different content areas and literary genres continues throughout the lifespan.’

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

Phones for the homeless…. extravagant or essential?

Many service users will have mobile phones

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

Mobile Phone

• Enables people to avoid the stigma

of not having a permanent address

• Enables people to be contacted

regarding appointments, jobs,

support services

• Provides a lifeline to friends and families

• Provides opportunities for entertainment and mood-enhancement

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

Avoid talking about a skills acquisition interpretation of literacy -

Service users will probably be able to:

• create an address book

• use a calendar

• read and send text messages

• customise phrases for quick text messaging

• delete messages and block unwanted numbers

• manage their account and maximise deals

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

The Learning Journey

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

Choose Skills Check/Screening

Self Assessment

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A café owner buys some groceries. How much change does he have from £10? Coff ee £3.65 Squash £1.40 T bags £1.85

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

Use a Skills Check to suit your organisation

Allows your organisation to give well-informed advice

Gives you information that can help you to plan

provision

Supports you to contribute to government targets for

adults’ achievement of literacy and numeracy

qualifications

To download a Guidance Booklet: http://sflip.excellencegateway.org.uk/PDF/4.2sflguidance_2.pdf

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

Local provision:

City College Norwich: 01603 773311

Adult Education: 01603 306556

Learn Direct: 08000 150 450

Norfolk Family Learning Prog.: 01603 458754

Red Cross (ESOL): 01603 632816

NILE (private ESOL: 01603 664473

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

Qualifications

DTLLS – Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector PTLLS – Award in Preparing to Teach in Lifelong Learning

Sector PTLLS – contextualised (for key workers contact ACER)Local Centres CCN: 01603 773311 Adult Ed:01603 306556 Gt Yarmouth College: 01493 655261

Further info: ACER -BobRead@acer.ac.uk

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

Useful websites:

www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise

www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/embeddedlearning

www.move-on.org.uk

www.niace.org.uk

www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/profdev/literacy/571599/

http://.bbc.co.uk/raw

Teaching and supporting Vulnerable Learners

Objectives:

clarify what is meant by Skills for Life be aware of the Skills for Life Strategy and the scale of need review the Intro’ session identify what is required at the different skills levels consider the skills required for service users to perform

everyday tasks identify the various stages of assessment consider ways in which support strategies can be used

within a hostel setting know where to go for SfL support and further CPD for key

workers