4B:What is 'success' in guidance and support?

Close liaison between support and teaching staff means a prompt response to problems.

Subject tutors on a 16–18 programme were aware that one of their learners was displaying some unusual behaviour but were taken by surprise when this developed into a disturbing incident in class. They spoke to the Guidance Officer, who agreed liaison procedures to contact the GP and Community Mental Health Team to ensure that the learner received the right medical support. The college is in regular contact with the learner’s mental health worker and provides material for private study in preparation for the learner’s planned return to college. The other learners in the group were thrown by the incident and they received support from the Guidance team to talk it through and deal with the issues the incident had provoked for them.

Learning support for specific learner needs such as dyslexia require the coordination of several strands of support, as in the following example.

All teaching and support staff receive dyslexia awareness training so they are able to spot learners who might need support in this area. Teachers are given a prompt sheet with indicators that trigger a dyslexia referral and are confident of making referrals. The college also runs an accredited Adult Dyslexia Support course to train both its own and external tutors.

The college publicises its dyslexia support in appropriate venues to learners who can self-identify. During enrolment week, enrolment rooms are leafleted with a ‘Do you think you might be dyslexic?’ leaflet, and a helpdesk is open throughout enrolment to give advice and further guidance. The college’s Managing Dyslexia course, publicised through the community, is often a route into other college provision.

All applicants who reveal dyslexia needs are invited to a two-day Preparation for Study programme before the start of their course. They are also offered a one-to-one programme with a dyslexia support tutor.

On-programme, learners with dyslexia are strongly supported by the different services within the college. Dyslexic learners can borrow laptops loaded with voice recognition and Text Help assistive software from the learning centres. There is a Dyslexia Support Group facilitated by a member of the guidance staff. The college also runs Brain Gym classes to promote left/right brain coordination through exercise.

Learners new to an Introduction to Computing course take part in activities designed to stimulate thinking about their aims and ambitions. Each learner completes a Personal Language History, beginning with a group discussion about the learners’ different language backgrounds. Each learner then goes on to produces an illustrated and word-processed report about their own language heritage. Many are of a very high quality.

Learners also write a letter to an old school friend, telling them about their hopes and first impressions on starting college. They are encouraged to reminisce about school experiences, and to say what will be different this time.

Research skills are developed when each learner is asked to write a simple report about the Learning Centre, explaining what’s there, who can help, how you find things and what facilities are available. This also helps them identify the new skills they want to develop.

These examples show how an innovative approach that learners will respond to can help to improve attendance and punctuality.

Teachers on fashion courses have found appropriate ways of tackling low attendance and poor punctuality. Strategies include:

• sending out fashion postcards to learners with poor attendance
• celebrating the achievement of learners with 100 per cent attendance at the end of each term
• having an annual award for good attendance and punctuality.

The strategy has seen improved attendance rates among fashion students.

A course for under-19s has a ‘Blitz Week’ when tutors feel standards of attendance and punctuality are slipping. Letters go out to parents and learners before the week begins, reporting and commenting on punctuality, attendance and behaviour. Learners are warned that the Student Charter will be vigorously enforced during the week, and the college’s usual red card system is reinforced. Those learners with a red card have a corner cut off if they are late, if their mobile goes off in class, if they fail to ring in to explain absence or if they forget essential learning resources. Learners know that a red card with no corners will result in disciplinary action. That stage has yet to be reached during a Blitz Week.

Support does not only come from the professionals: sometimes the most powerful support comes from fellow students. Support services can be key to making this happen. At one college, learners provide support to their peers through a number of roles, including:

• Enrolment Buddies – offering basic translation in community languages
• Welcome Teamers – supporting induction by showing potential and new learners around the college
• Study Buddies – passing on their skills, for example in ICT
• Millennium Volunteers – supporting whole-college projects and links with other agencies
• Peer Mentors – giving personal support and dealing with individual and group barriers to success.