A response to the Labour Party’s Vocational Education and Skills Taskforce

Vocational education, apprenticeships and the role of job guarantees in tackling youth unemployment.

April 2013

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Introduction

The Institute for Learning (IfL) is the independent professional body for teachers and

training practitioners in the further education and skills sector. Our members hold a

variety of teaching and training roles in further education colleges, community

learning providers and training providers in the private and third sectors.

The skills and talents of teachers and trainers in the further education and skills

sector are the single greatest determining factor in enabling young people and adults

to survive and thrive at home, at work and in society. They are the ones that equip

individuals with the basic skills that far too many in this country lack in English and

maths. They are the ones that deliver training with local businesses and increasing

the skills, knowledge and abilities of the workforce that drives local and national

growth. They inspire self-confidence and self-esteem in those for whom the education

system has so far not delivered.

Teachers and trainers need to be qualified. Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector Sir Michael

Wilshaw confirmed this, drawing on Ofsted’s evidence, when he stated on 19 April

that, ”We know that staff expertise and qualifications make a distinct difference to the

richness of young children's experiences and that there is a clear correlation between

the quality of provision and the level of staff qualifications.” So too have Ofsted found

that the quality of teaching in further education in literacy and numeracy was better

when teachers are qualified to do this. For young people to be taught or trained by

qualified teachers or trainers whether they are in a school, a college or in the

workplace is the starting point and vital for a sound and effective national vocational

education and training (VET) system.

IfL is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Labour Party’s policy review

through the vocational education and skills taskforce. This submission comprises of

relevant evidence we have submitted to inquiries and consultation on behalf of our

membership drawing on over 15,000 responses from teachers and trainers.

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Contents

What should young people learn between

fourteen and eighteen?

Page 4

How can we ensure high standards for

everyone, so that more students have the

skills they need for employment?

Page 10

How can we ensure that employers,

college and schools all play their part?

Page 18

References

Page 22

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Taskforce questions

1. What should young people learn between fourteen and

eighteen?

- How can we ensure young people are advised to study the best courses for

them, based on their interests?

As part of our evidence for the Wolf Review of Vocational Education1, informed by

consultation of 5,000 teachers and trainers, IfL argued that public and policymaker

perception of vocational education and training needed to be addressed. Teachers

and trainers told us that the debate is not really about vocational education versus an

academic education; because traditional universities in subjects such as medicine

and law are arguably both vocational and highly regarded. Instead, IfL suggested that

the problem with regards to the perception that somehow vocational education is

second rate to academic programmes is actually a problem with further education not

being as highly regarded as higher education. When the matter of perception is

considered in this way, instead of as a purely academic against vocational argument,

a number of ideas arise that mean that we can begin to view tertiary education as a

single entity rather than divisive distinct sectors.

1 http://www.ifl.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/17814/2010_11_ifl_response_to_wolf_review.ac.pdf

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It is fair to say that one of the single greatest differences between the academic and

vocational route is political stability. Most people will live their lives with some kind of

lived experience of GCSEs, A-levels and degrees; schools, sixth forms and

universities. Whilst there have been reforms to these qualifications, there is a

perception that they are linear and that any divergence from this path on to a

vocational pathway is the preserve of those incapable or unwilling to engage in the

academic gold standard or ‘royal route’. Vocational education, and further education

more broadly, however appears to be under constant review, which is particularly

demoralising for teaching and training professionals.

“I agree that the public values skills, but not necessarily the qualifications that go with

them. The continual changes to vocational qualifications are their undoing. GSCEs

and A levels have been used for decades, the public understands them and this

stability gives them value with employers. Both the public and employers struggle to

understand what is meant in terms of vocational qualifications.” Respondent to IfL

members’ survey informing the response to the Wolf Review.1

Over time, inequality of status has manifested itself in a number of ways such as in

the way we judge the performance of schools, colleges and even individual teachers

based on the number of learners that gain university places. In turn, this has

influenced practices and behaviours in schools that are unhelpful and are restricting

the opportunities available for all young people. Research conducted by the

Association of Colleges for Colleges Week 20122 suggested that as much as 82 per

cent of school teachers don’t feel that they are fully equipped with the right knowledge

to advise their pupils on careers and 57 per cent said that they felt obliged to

2 http://www.aoc.co.uk/en/newsroom/aoc_news_releases.cfm/id/F0680F00-88BD-4F9A-937E6FC2EE0B1630

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encourage their pupils to continue their education at the same school. This is

particularly worrying because it looks like the financial interests of the school are

being put before the needs and interests of young people.

As such, a future government should seek to reverse all perverse incentives which

put staying on at the same school or gaining a place at a university on a pedestal

over other successful outcomes such as sustainable employment, progression to

further education or an apprenticeship.

Four months after the 2015 general election, the education and training participation

age will rise to 18. Alongside reforms to performance tables and funding incentives for

schools, the performance of the new National Careers Service and statutory duty

placed on schools under the Education Act 2011 3 should be independently assessed.

Ofsted are well placed to make very clear judgements about the independence and

effectiveness of careers guidance.

IfL members have made clear their views that delivering a stable policy landscape is

an important step for raising awareness and understanding of vocational education

and training at levels 2 and 3. Whilst recent reforms to information, advice and

guidance policies are yet to be properly evaluated, IfL believes that their impact and

potential can shift society away from a single ‘royal route' and elitist approach to

achievement and progression in education. Ultimately, a change in attitude and

culture will take time.

3 Section 29, Education Act 2011, UK Government (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/21/part/4/crossheading/careers-education-and-guidance)

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- Why do some vocational qualifications fail to offer young people the depth of

knowledge and skills they need to progress onto further study or an

apprenticeship?

- We want all young people to study some English and maths to 18. Should this

further study involve working towards a qualification? And what extra training

and/or resources would schools and colleges need to deliver this new

requirement?

No individual can truly thrive without the ability to process and communicate through

written materials. Everyone should leave compulsory education functionally literate

and numerate. Unfortunately, we see and hear far too often from universities,

colleges and businesses that the country has a problem with literacy and numeracy

standards amongst its working population which is having a knock-on inter-

generational impact. This has to be one of the most challenging barriers to access, let

alone progression, to further study, apprenticeships and work.

According to the National Literacy Trust report, ‘Literacy: State of the Nation’ (2011),

one in six children leave primary school having not reached the expected standards

of reading and one in four children leave primary school having not reached the

expected standards of writing.4 The CBI / Pearson Education and Skills Survey

(2012)5 showed that even by the time young people reached working age, one in five

companies need to provide remedial training in literacy and numeracy and almost a

quarter provide remedial training in IT. IfL’s evidence for the Richard Review of

4 http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0001/2847/Literacy_State_of_the_Nation_-_2_Aug_2011.pdf 5 http://www.cbi.org.uk/media/1514978/cbi_education_and_skills_survey_2012.pdf

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Apprenticeships (2012)6, informed by the views of more than 700 IfL members,

showed that apprenticeships are an effective way of raising standards in literacy and

numeracy through integration in to the vocational curriculum where learning can be

applied and contextualised. IfL’s report showed that 68 per cent of teachers and

trainers said that it was quite or very straight forward to integrate literacy and 53 per

cent said that it was quite or very straight forward to integrate numeracy.

Of course, key to raising standards of literacy and numeracy amongst young people

is ensuring that teaching and training practitioners are themselves qualified to at least

level 2, preferably level 3, in literacy and numeracy, their skills are up to date and that

they have access to continuing professional development (CPD) relevant to their

vocational or subject specialism. One way in which teaching and training practitioners

take ownership of this themselves, and are able to demonstrate to their employers

and learners their qualifications, is through IfL’s professional formation process which

has meant that more than 13,000 FE and skills teachers have gained qualified

teacher learning and skills (QTLS) status. QTLS is the only professional status

available to further education and skills teaching and training practitioners which

demonstrates that they are qualified at least at level 2 in English and maths as it is a

requirement. Achieving QTLS also demonstrates that qualified teachers and trainers

can apply their teaching expertise effectively post initial teacher training. Currently,

colleges and training providers are free to decide for themselves their own

requirements, or not, for their teaching or training staff to hold at least level 2

qualifications themselves in English and maths. This is not good enough and IfL know

that there are teachers and trainers who are not qualified in maths and English to this

level, and one teacher who isn’t is one too many.

6 http://www.ifl.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/28985/IfL-Response_Richard-review-of-apprenticeships_September-2012.pdf

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IfL’s second research report for the Commission for Adult Vocational Teaching and

Learning (2013) 7also confirmed that integrating literacy and numeracy in to

vocational programmes works effectively.

7 http://www.ifl.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/29901/IfLResearchForCAVTL.pdf#IfL research to inform the work of CAVTL

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2. How can we ensure high standards for everyone, so that

more students have the skills they need for employment?

No level of system reform will have a greater impact on the quality of learning than

improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. IfL firmly believes that the

best way to achieve high standards for everyone is to ensure, as a minimum, that

each teacher and trainer is professionally qualified and that this is enshrined in law so

standards and expectations are consistent for all learners.

Teaching and training in vocational education and training is usually a second career

for professionals in industry who want to give back to their craft or profession and

teach the next generation. It is important to understand the journey that industry

professionals undertake when becoming a teaching and training professional from the

world of business and industry. IfL provided evidence to the Education Committee’s

enquiry in to ‘attracting, training and retaining the best teachers’ in October 20118. We

encouraged the committee to take a position that promotes government policy to

make teaching and training a respected and attractive career option, and learning on

the job when they start teaching as they work rapidly to becoming qualified as

professional teachers, thereby ensuring that the workforce of the future benefits from

the very best in industry expertise. IfL is developing thinking on a sister scheme to

teach first for FE teachers and we are happy to share our work to date on this.

“The UK’s next generation of further education teachers and trainers are already in

the workplace, gaining experience, developing their [occupational] skills and

progressing in their careers such as chefs, accountants, builders and engineers.” –

Institute for Learning response to Education Committee’s enquiry ‘Attracting Training

and Retaining the Best Teachers.’ (Oct, 2011)

8 http://www.ifl.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/26115/IFL_Attracting-training-retaining-the-best-teachers.pdf

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IfL’s membership data drawing on information given by many tens of thousands of

teachers and trainers demonstrates that teaching and training in vocational education

and skills is a second career for most teachers and trainers. Our records show that

the average age of a new entrant to teaching and training in our sector is 38 years

old, significantly older, by about 10 years, than the average age of new entrants to the

school teaching profession. The other significant difference between the school

teaching profession and further education teaching and training profession is the

requirements, and provision, for initial teacher training (ITT).

The current requirements placed on further education teachers and trainers are

detailed in The Further Education Teachers’ Qualifications Regulations (England)

2007 which were amended in 2012. Firstly, these regulations set out that a person

who teaches in a further education institution must achieve a Preparing to Teach

Award within one year of becoming employed in that position.

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The regulations also state that someone who is employed in a full teaching capacity is

required to obtain a level 5 qualification in teaching or training (equivalent to the

PGCE required by maintained schools) within five years of starting employment in a

full teaching role in a further education institution.

It is highly likely that the current government will change these regulations later this

year, not least because the names of the qualifications that the regulations cite will

soon alter. From September 2013, awarding organisations will begin to deliver the

Level 3 Award in Education and Training in place of Preparing to Teach in Lifelong

Learning and Skills (PTLLS), the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training in

place of the Certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (CTLLS) and the

Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training in place of the Diploma in Teaching in the

Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS). This is the result of a review of the ITT

qualifications of the sector carried out by the Learning and Skills Improvement

Service9 (LSIS). The new qualifications have broad support, including from IfL, and

they are not very different in structure from the current qualifications. The only major

differences are the names, which one could argue is a demonstration of the sector’s

constant state of reform.

The most pressing concern is the likelihood that the regulations will be revoked

altogether rather than simply amended. Guidance documents published by the

Learning and Skills Improvement Service have stated:

“Until September 2013, anybody in existing employment or newly employed must

comply with the amended workforce regulations relating to existing teaching

9 http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/24150

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qualifications. Thereafter, it is anticipated that all the workforce regulations will be

revoked and that it will be up to employers to decide what is appropriate for their own

staff and organisation. Employers will need to have internal policies in place to specify

the qualifications they require their teaching staff to hold and to determine what

continuing professional development (CPD) is appropriate. Policies should cover the

different teaching roles undertaken by their staff including those delivering English

(literacy and/or ESOL [English for speakers of other languages]), mathematics

(numeracy) and provision for disabled learners.” Guidance for initial teacher

education providers (page 4). Learning and Skills Improvement Service. (2013).10

IfL fundamentally believes that the government expecting every teacher and trainer to

be qualified is necessary because it is in the public interest. Our research shows

clearly that the teaching and training profession strongly opposes deregulation that

will diminish the effectiveness of teaching and learning, and also undermine further

their status and standing in society and so the status of further and vocational

education and training.

It is not reasonable to compare further education with higher education in this respect

as, by definition, new undergraduates are already very successful learners at level

three before they commence study in university. That is not to say however that

teachers in higher education should not receive teacher training. Learners in FE are

very varied and many have not fared well in school and need highly expert teaching

and learning approaches, and better than in schools.

10 http://www.lsis.org.uk/sites/www.lsis.org.uk/files/Guidance%20for%20initial%20teacher%20education%20providers.pdf

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In April and May 2012, IfL surveyed more than 5,000 teaching and training

professionals in the further education and skills sector on their views on the regulatory

framework. The data from this survey was broadly reflective of the sector as a whole;

41 percent of respondents work in a further education college, 22 per cent in adult

and community learning and 13 per cent from work based learning. Additionally, 22

per cent were from other areas of the sector including offender learning, armed

service, voluntary and self-employed practitioners. This survey informed our response

to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ consultation on revocation of

the further education workforce regulations in June 201211

Overwhelmingly, we discovered that the qualification regulations in particular were a

key part of teachers’ and trainers’ identity as professionals. Being trained and

qualified is a hallmark of all professions. In this large sample of more than 5,000

teachers and trainers, 87 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that teaching

qualifications should continue to be mandatory on a national basis. Some 90 per cent

agreed or strongly agreed that nationally recognised minimum teaching qualifications

add to the status and standing of the profession, and so of course in turn the standing

of vocational education and FE. Policies which impact on teachers and trainers, their

professionalism, their rights and entitlements and their status in society can only

impact positively on the quality of teaching, learning, assessment, recruitment,

retention and progression.

11 http://www.ifl.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/27744/2012-6-1-BIS_regs_consultation_IfL_response_FINAL_v2.pdf

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Recent reports, most notably the recent final report of the Commission for Adult

Vocational Teaching and Learning (CAVTL)12 which highlights, as one of four

characteristics on which excellent vocational teaching and learning for adults

depends, the importance of the skills of teachers and trainers as dual professionals.

This is a point that IfL has been making over many years to highlight both the

strengths and challenges that come with teaching and training in vocational

education. Becoming and maintaining your standing as an expert in your subject and

vocational specialist field is vital because learners benefit from your up to date skills,

knowledge, experience and expertise. It is no good however not being able to

translate those skills and that knowledge, experience and expertise without the

training and expertise in translating it in to an engaging, accessible and effective

curriculum and highly effective teaching and learning.

All too often, IfL sees the profession of teaching and training mischaracterised as the

delivery of teaching and training, the image of someone standing at the front of a

classroom. In reality, this is only a part of the day-to-day reality of teachers and

trainers. IfL therefore supports policies that recognise the professional needs and

interests of teachers and trainers in further education and skills in the drive to

effectively, consistently and continually improve standards and successful outcomes

for learners.

- How can learning be best assessed to maintain standards, sustain motivation

and recognise real achievement?

Crucially, as we have explored above, teachers and trainers with knowledge and

expertise in a variety of teaching, training and assessment theories and methods are

12 http://repository.excellencegateway.org.uk/fedora/objects/eg:5937/datastreams/DOC/content

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best placed to decide which approaches to deploy, in order to cater for learning

outcomes and that meet the needs of their particular learners.

IfL was commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to

undertake research to inform the work of the Commission for Adult Vocational

Teaching and Learning. One area that our preparatory research13 looked at was the

kinds of teaching practices that give learner the best learning opportunities. The

research involved in-depth investigations with expert vocational teachers and trainers,

including the analysis of reflective journals, where practitioners detailed and

evaluated their practice. Some of the most distinct ways that teaching methods were

found to have an impact on standards, motivation and quality was the availability and

provision of realistic working practices and the availability of teachers who have

adequate vocational currency.

The role of learning technology in making the most of assessment should not be

underplayed either. This was a further feature in IfL’s evidence for the Richard

Review of Apprenticeships alongside the importance of a well-qualified teaching and

training profession. The case studies we received from practising teachers and

trainers speak for themselves.

“We now gather 100 per cent of our evidence using audio recordings. From a positive

point of view, it enables assessors to gather more evidence [from apprentices] in less

time, and a witness testimonial for a whole unit can be obtained in a few minutes.”

Business administration assessor. IfL evidence for the Richard Review of

Apprenticeships (2012).

13 http://www.ifl.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/28220/IfLReportForCAVTL-v3-final.pdf

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“The use of video recording equipment in training scenarios made learners more

aware of their own personal behaviours and performance; how they spoke and how

their body language came across to customers. This was used to encourage and

promote confidence when going for interviews and interacting with people.” Travel

and tourism trainer.

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3. How can we ensure that employers, colleges and schools all

play their part?

- Employers are also crucial here. How can the Government harness the

expertise of employers and put them, along with schools and colleges, at the

heart of vocational qualifications accreditation?

Since April 2012, further education teachers and trainers who have successfully

achieved qualified teacher learning and skills status (QTLS) and who maintain their

membership with the Institute for Learning have been recognised as fully qualified to

teach in schools14. This was a landmark achievement for the FE teaching and training

profession and for IfL’s objective to see teachers across schools and further

education valued equally and vitally to give young learners access to the best

specialist teachers with QTS or QTLS wherever they learn in a school or a college. .

One year on, IfL continues to hear from members who are grateful and excited to be

able to share their knowledge and skills with pupils, and on a fair basis on the same

pay and conditions as a teacher with qualified teacher status (QTS)15.

Earlier in this response, IfL has called for stability in reform of vocational qualifications

because of the negative impact that constant reform, or the perception of constant

reform, has on the confidence of learners, further education and skills providers,

teachers and trainer and employers and the public.

14 http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/careers/traininganddevelopment/qts/a00205922/qlts-guidance 15 http://www.ifl.ac.uk/newsandevents/press-releases/ifl-members-mark-first-year-of-qtls-parity

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One of the most common features of successful vocational education and training

systems across the world is the respect that the skills system carries amongst

employers, learners and the wider public. In countries such as Switzerland, an

absence of competing commercial awarding organisations means that the most

prestigious vocational qualification, the federal vocational baccalaureate16 is widely

recognised not only amongst employers, trainees and apprentices, but amongst

higher education institutions too.

International evidence on the structure and formation of qualifications shows that

higher quality and esteem is linked to employer involvement. David Raffe’s

research17 shows that characteristics of healthy transitional systems in the world for

all young people include: vocational pathways that are clear and understood;

widespread work experience connected and well integrated with education; good

careers information, advice and guidance; tightly knit safety nets for any individual

who may fall through at any point; a logic of ‘delivery’ with effective organisations and

processes; a healthy economy with opportunities; as well as well qualified teachers

and trainers. The characteristics of highly effective transitional systems include:

standardisation with strong study programmes, clear content and assessment, all of

which build understanding and trust and confidence in the system; permeability and

progression so that individual young people can change across pathways; logics that

work in total so all young people are very well catered for, whether as in Sweden

vocational education is delivered through schools or in Switzerland where it is with

employers.

16

http://feweek.co.uk/2012/06/29/vocational-education-the-swiss-way/ 17

http://www.ces.ed.ac.uk/publications/briefings.htm

20

The system is best where qualifications are both occupationally specific and also offer

a broad education for each individual young person, and/or for those individuals who

have not yet decided on a specific career goal that there are general applied

vocational learning programmes which also include sampling of specific occupational

areas and a breadth of learning. Either way for each young person there is both

breadth of learning as well as a strong vocational focus. The danger is that in

England there is a separating of sheep and goats tendency dividing young people into

occupational specific if they have chosen a career goal without the breadth in the

programmes seen in the best countries such as Germany where two days out of five

for apprentices are on general education, or those who are not sure of a career goal

or who have not achieved very well going into a general vocational programme with

insufficient breadth and insufficient sampling of occupational specific areas. Also see

Professor Alison Fuller’s research18, which includes analyses showing that the hours

of learning in general vocational programmes varies from England at the bottom at

around 15-16 hours a week, compared with others countries at 30 hours and Austria

at 40 hours. Why do we expect teachers to work miracles and achieve world class

vocational skills and outcomes for learners in half the time? Professor Fuller’s work

also highlights that there are good systems in place in other European countries

where a college, a school or an employer has to demonstrate that it has the

capabilities to give serious and effective vocational learning opportunities and

therefore not every employer or provider will meet the standard required and so they

cannot offer recognised vocational routes such as apprenticeships. The shape of the

vocational education system is rooted in the nature of the economy or a part of the

economy, for example, SME dominated economies are usually focused on college or

provider based programmes because the employers can not have sufficient

specialist capacity to give a broad vocational education, although they will offer work

placements. .

18 http://www.southampton.ac.uk/education/about/staff/af.page#publications

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Whilst the further education and skills sector, particularly awarding organisations,

providers and teaching and training practitioners, should continue to engage with

employers, IfL believes that employers should have a more proactive role to play. In

maintaining their dual professionalism, teachers and trainers need to ensure that they

are keep up to date with the latest economic, technological and environmental

developments in the industry they teach. It is in this sense that IfL would argue

employers can make a significant contribution to the whole skills system, rather than

simply being a passive customer. Employers should offer professional development

through industrial programmes for further education teachers and trainers, with time

spent out in industry. A survey by IfL of teachers and trainers with some 2,500

responses showed that around 30% of this large sample of teachers and trainers

never or hardly ever had any industrial updating.

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References

Association of College (AoC), 2012. New study reveals school teachers and parents

struggling to give careers advice. Press release, 09 November 2012.

Chowen, Shane., 2012. Vocational education the Swiss way. FE Week.co.uk Events,

[blog] 29 June 2012. Available at <http://feweek.co.uk/2012/06/29/vocational-

education-the-swiss-way/> [Accessed 25 April 2013].

Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning, 2013. It’s about work…:

Excellent adult vocational teaching and learning. Coventry: Learning and Skills

Improvement Service.

Confederation of British Industry (CBI), 2012. Learning to grow: what employers need

from education and skills. London: CBI.

Department for Education, 2012. Information on Qualified Teacher Learning and

Skills (QTLS) status recognition in schools. [online] Available at:

<http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/careers/traininganddevelopment/qts/a0020592

2/qlts-guidance> [Accessed 26 April 2013].

Education Act 2011. (c.29), London: HMSO.

Fuller, Alison

http://www.southampton.ac.uk/education/about/staff/af.page#publications

23

Institute for Learning (IfL), 2010. Attracting, Training and Retaining the Best

Teachers: a response to the Education Committee on behalf of the Institute for

Learning. London: IfL.

Institute for Learning (IfL), 2010. The Wolf Review of Vocational Education: a

response from the Institute for Learning. London: IfL.

Institute for Learning (IfL), 2012. Department for Business Innovation and Skills

consultation on revocation of the further education workforce regulations: a response

on behalf of the Institute for Learning. London: IfL.

Institute for Learning (IfL), 2012. IfL preparatory research to inform the work of the

Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning. London: IfL.

Institute for Learning (IfL), 2012. Richard Review of Apprenticeships: a response from

the Institute for Learning. London: IfL.

Institute for Learning (IfL), 2013. IfL members mark first year of QTLS parity. Press

release, 11 April 2013.

Institute for Learning (IfL), 2013. IfL research to inform the work of the Commission on

Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning. London: IfL.

Learning and Skills Improvement Service, 2013. FE Teacher and Trainer

Qualifications Review 2012-2013. [online] Available at

<http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/24150> [Accessed 24 April 2013].

24

Learning and Skills Improvement Service, 2013. Teaching and Training Qualifications

for the Further Education and Skills Sector in England (2013): Guidance for initial

teacher education providers. [online] Available at

<http://www.lsis.org.uk/sites/www.lsis.org.uk/files/Guidance%20for%20initial%20teac

her%20education%20providers.pdf> [Accessed 25 April 2013].

National Literacy Trust, 2012. Literacy: State of the Nation. [online] National Literacy

Trust. Available at:

<http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0001/2847/Literacy_State_of_the_Nation_-

_2_Aug_2011.pdf> [Accessed 24 April 2013].

Raffe, David http://www.ces.ed.ac.uk/publications/briefings.htm