4C:How is success in guidance and support recognised?
The following extracts from ALI and Ofsted inspection reports illustrate effective practice in guidance and support.
Adult Learning Inspectorate | OFSTEDThere is effective use of peer teachers, who act as classroom assistants in basic skills groups. They provide valuable one-to-one support to other learners in mathematics and English. Assistants act as good role models to other learners by demonstrating the benefits of gaining qualifications and developing skills.
Individual learner support is effective. Staff have good working relationships with learners. Staff have developed good learning manuals designed to meet individual learning needs. Learners are provided with guidance to manage their own learning and to meet the requirements of the specific courses on which they are enrolled.
Staff use their expertise effectively to help prisoners acquire new knowledge and understanding, which also improves prisoners’ self-esteem and confidence. They use their pastoral skills well to develop good relations with prisoners. An atmosphere of trust and openness in the classes helps learners to contribute positively in lessons.
Learners’ personal development is good. Many learners recognise their personal progression in self-confidence and esteem. Their increased ability to write and communicate and understand numerical problems helps to reduce social barriers. Learners are able to achieve personal goals such as writing home for the first time. Some learners are able to take part in additional courses like cookery or art that enable them to gain new personal skills. There is good support for learners with dyslexia which further enables learners to increase their confidence.
A two-day induction is carried out on arrival in the education department, followed by individual interviews with learners at the end of the week. Learners receive a copy of the learners’ code, the equal opportunities statement and the mission statement. During their induction, learners are given further assessments and advised about suitable courses. Two learning mentors are available, by appointment, on two days a week.
The education department periodically produces a magazine called “The Key”. Learners are encouraged to produce stories, articles, poems and artwork for the publication. When material is selected for publication, learners are delighted. When their talents and achievements are celebrated in this way, their self-esteem and self-confidence improve considerably.
Tutors provide an evening course in counselling skills and this is well attended. Some learners who have completed the courses work as classroom assistants. They receive training in the teaching of literacy and numeracy and are well supported in their duties of providing help and guidance to learners. Staff provide good mutual support and work well together when they experience difficulties with learners.
Individual support for learning is good. In lessons, tutors readily provide good help and encouragement to individuals working independently. They routinely monitor learners’ work, and make good use of their knowledge and understanding to clarify points of difficulty that learners raise.
Effective literacy and numeracy support is given to the learners where the need has been identified, and a specialist tutor works with learners in the workshops. Learners gain accreditation for literacy, numeracy and key skills at Levels 1 and 2. The tutor uses the health and safety module to develop these skills and the learning is done in context. Learners value these twice-weekly sessions and are well motivated to succeed.
There are good arrangements to celebrate learners’ achievements. Within the education department there is an effective monthly recognition scheme for all categories of learners who have made significant achievements or demonstrated improvement in their work, behaviour or conduct. These recognise the development of personal skills such as a supporting other learners, being consistently friendly and polite, and showing high motivation, as well as more tangible achievements. The prominent display on the noticeboards provide learners with opportunities to take a pride in their achievements. Well-managed, high-profile arrangements to recognise these achievers through successful events provide opportunities to celebrate those who have achieved qualifications or demonstrated high levels of attainment in singing, sport, IT or other activities.
There is very good support for ESOL learners. The ESOL co-ordinator visits the residential wings to give individual support and guidance to some learners. Learners are encouraged and supported to attend other programmes such as art and IT. Tutors have developed a particularly good set of self-study modules to develop learners’ language in the context of living in prison. Learners develop good language skills. The library has a good range of books for speakers of other languages.
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