2A: How to achieve success in teaching, training and learning

Context

Many offenders on community supervision will have attended school erratically. A small minority may not have attended school at all. Negative experiences of school can make many offenders fearful of learning. This fear can sometimes manifest itself in negative behaviour. How to motivate offenders to re-engage in learning and maintain regular attendance at literacy, numeracy and ESOL skills provision therefore often needs careful thought. Offenders’ potential barriers to learning are listed more fully under CIF Question 1 ‘How well do learners achieve?’.

Teachers who are good at working with offenders understand offenders’ needs. While recognising offenders’ individual needs, including their emotional responses to learning, good teachers can make skilful judgements about how to set offenders appropriately challenging learning goals and targets. Skilled teachers know when to be flexible, and when to maintain boundaries previously set, to maximise potential learning.

The learning journey

The Skills for Life Strategy Unit has defined the components of the Skills for Life Learning Journey (DfES, 2004). Its core elements, as represented by Figure 2, are:

• signposting and/or referral
• screening
• initial assessment
• diagnostic assessment
• an individual learning plan (ILP)
• learning materials
• formative assessment
• summative assessment at the end of a learning programme.

The learning journey is a process, with, potentially, a number of cycles. Figure 2 indicates that summative assessment can be followed by diagnostic assessment, as the precursor to a subsequent ILP and learning programme.

Within this, there are appropriate learning materials and formative assessment. At the end of a second learning programme, there is a summative assessment. This cycle can be repeated, to assist in learner progression. The learning journey of some offenders on community supervision, as with many other adult learners, may be fractured. It is therefore essential that there is effective record-keeping and information-sharing, so that, for instance, offenders do not needlessly repeat assessments and learning programmes, when there has been an interruption in learning.

Figure 2: The Skills for Life Learning Journey

Conducting assessments

When assessing offenders on community supervision, it is important to remember, first, that they have already been asked a lot of questions by different individuals in the criminal justice system, about themselves and aspects of their background related to their offending behaviour. Providers should therefore liaise effectively with probation staff, so that information is shared appropriately and offenders are not needlessly asked the same questions by providers and probation staff.

Second, offenders may have a range of barriers to learning (see CIF Question 1 ‘How well do learners achieve?’). This potentially complex range of needs means it is particularly important to question offenders sensitively, and to make assessment a positive experience. When assessment is conducted skilfully, offenders on community supervision can realise that the assessor is genuinely interested in aspects of themselves that are relevant to their learning.

Duplication of assessments is likely to be extremely demotivating for potential learners and is an ineffective use of resources. To avoid unnecessary duplication of assessments, providers should work in partnership with probation staff and other relevant organisations, such as Jobcentre Plus and the Prison Service, to transfer relevant information on learners.

To maximise the progress offenders can make within the context of community supervision, it is crucial to have in place a rigorous, engaging assessment process, tailored to individual learner needs. Many offenders are more likely to engage with electronic rather than paper-based assessments. Screening, initial assessment and diagnostic assessment should be the starting points for an individual learning plan (ILP).

See CIF Question 1 ‘How well do learners achieve?’ for detailed information on:

• screening
• initial assessment
• diagnostic assessment
• ILPs
• formative assessment
• progress reviews
• summative assessment
• record-keeping.

Offenders complete electronic assessments at Dorset Probation Area.

Alan, a learner in Dorset Probation Area, refers to his ILP as he works on his literacy skills.

Teaching strategies

Teachers should use a range of teaching strategies. For example, as appropriate, teachers should use whole-group teaching, pairwork, independent work and role-play. They should differentiate activities to cater for different ability levels within a group. Teaching should be carefully planned, though good teachers will adapt their planning where necessary, such as when an offender is behaving unpredictably. The national standards, core curricula and pre-entry curriculum framework should be used as tools to plan sessions in ways that will encourage coherent progression in literacy, numeracy and ESOL skills within and across classes.

Sessions should be carefully structured, with a clear beginning and end. The beginning should refer to what has been learned in the previous class, as well as the aims and objectives of the current session. Teachers should ensure that they keep written lesson plans. These should include comments on the strengths and weaknesses of individual teaching sessions. Planned lesson outcomes must be SMART (specific, manageable, achievable, realistic and timebound). At the end of a session, the teacher and learners should review what has been learned. The teacher should allow enough time at the end of sessions for learners to evaluate their progress in their ILP. Learners may need support to do this.

Sessions should be planned to reflect the different learning styles that learners have, including those with visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning styles. Teachers need to be aware that many learners will have more than one preferred learning style. The Access for All training is useful in helping teachers understand different learning styles, through the use of learners’ comments. The London Language and Literacy Unit (now LLU+) was commissioned by the Skills for Life Strategy Unit to produce a summary report on learning styles. This provides useful background information, and can be accessed on the Read Write Plus website at: www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/bank

Many offenders on community supervision are likely to have limited attention spans, so there should be a range of activities within sessions. Learners should not be required to listen for extensive periods of time. Skilled teacher questioning and feedback should help ensure that learners are actively engaged in sessions. For example, after asking a question, teachers should make sure they give offenders sufficient time to respond. Learners should be encouraged to use the literacy, numeracy and ESOL skills they have learned, outside formal sessions. This should include opportunities for learners to feed back to teachers or support staff on how they have used their skills between sessions.

Teaching should be made relevant to learners’ interests and lives. Embedding literacy, numeracy and ESOL into, for instance, vocational programmes, is one way of increasing learners’ motivation to improve their skills, by increasing their awareness of the relevance of these skills to future employment. The embedded learning materials, commissioned by the DfES and developed by a consortium led by the Centre for British Teachers (CfBT), are helpful in teaching embedded literacy, numeracy and ESOL across a range of vocational and recreational areas.

Learning materials

There should be a good range of differentiated materials, to meet learners’ interests and needs. The materials should be referenced to the national standards and core curricula. They need to be written in language that the learner can understand, and presented accessibly. To teach effectively and cost-effectively, teachers should make use of the Skills for Life learning materials, including the materials on embedded learning. Materials should be relevant to learners’ needs and interests, provide opportunities for differentiation, and promote diversity and equality of opportunity.

Materials should include paper-based, electronic and audio resources. Effective providers have well-produced, photocopied resources, though teachers should not over-use photocopied worksheets. Teachers should also make good use of ‘real-life’ materials, such as newspapers, timetables, catalogues and documents associated with, for instance, bank accounts and bills. Where appropriate, materials should be available in a range of formats to suit individual needs. This will often mean using larger print, graphics and very clear instructions which learners with low levels of literacy, numeracy and ESOL can understand. Sufficient resources should be available to support groupwork and independent study.

ICT and e-learning

Tina practises the literacy test (Level 2) in Dorset Probation Area.

Skills for Life emphasises the importance of ICT in promoting high-quality teaching and learning. Evidence suggests that ICT is a potentially important motivational tool, and that it can increase learners’ confidence in their literacy, numeracy and ESOL skills (NRDC and BSA, 2004). Providers should use ICT in a range of ways in their teaching.

Computers should be available in the teaching room for learner use. Computer programmes should be suitable for educational purposes. Learners should have access to the Internet, though staff must monitor this carefully.

ICT can be used for assessment, teaching and learning. It can also be used for offenders to practise for and take the national tests. Teachers should ensure that the use of ICT is always linked to the aims and objectives of the ILP. Staff should be trained in the use of ICT to make the best possible use of it in teaching literacy, numeracy and ESOL.

For information on the Skills for Life teaching and learning materials, see the Read Write Plus website at: www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/teachingandlearning

For information on resources for teaching and learning using ICT, see, for example, the joint NRDC and BSA publication Using Laptop Computers to Develop Basic Skills: A handbook for practitioners (NRDC and BSA, 2004) and the learndirect website at: www.learndirect.co.uk

Chris, in Nottinghamshire Probation Area, is using the Skills for Life literacy materials.

Marking and feedback

Regular marking of learners’ work and appropriately detailed, constructive feedback are important to help learners develop their knowledge and skills. Learners should be involved in giving feedback on their work. Teachers should ensure that they comment on work in terms that learners can understand and act upon.

Staff training

All staff teaching and supporting learning should hold or be working towards a nationally recognised teaching qualification. Those responsible for teaching should have or be working towards the Level 4 subject specialist certificate in adult literacy, numeracy or ESOL. Those supporting teaching should have or be working towards the Level 3 certificate in subject support for adult literacy, numeracy or ESOL. Teachers should have attended training in the core curricula and be familiar with Access for All. Teachers and support staff should have access to regular CPD opportunities. CPD should include the background and needs of offenders on community supervision; managing challenging behaviours; and effective liaison with the NPS about arrangements for literacy, numeracy and ESOL for offenders. This should include arrangements for collecting and analysing learner data, and planning for performance improvement.

Staff training for assessment

All staff conducting assessments should be appropriately trained. Individuals conducting screening should have or be working towards the Level 2 certificate in adult learner support. Individuals conducting initial assessment should have or be working towards the certificate in subject support for adult literacy, numeracy or ESOL at Level 3. Teachers conducting diagnostic assessment should have or be working towards the subject specialist certificate in adult literacy, numeracy or ESOL at Level 4.

See the Read Write Plus website at: www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/qualityandtraining for information on the Skills for Life teaching qualifications framework.