Does it work?
Experiences from ELAMP
Origins
One of the major challenges in work with Traveller families is to encourage and support the take up of secondary education. By Year 9 and Key Stage 4 (14+) all too many young Travellers are no longer in school. Others are still at school but not engaging effectively. The Wider Key Skills project was initiated in 2006, with support from the DCSF, as one way of trying to address this challenge.
The programme developed by the project set out to target the vocational interests of these youngsters, and to use these as part of a set of materials aimed both at gaining ASDAN qualifications and focusing on vocational opportunities; jobs, college courses, etc1. From the start it also had an ICT component. Each learner was allocated a laptop and given access to a specially designed virtual learning environment2. Learners were encouraged to develop their computer skills and to use the internet as part of the 'challenges' which they needed to complete in order to gain qualifications.
Tutors were mainly drawn from local Traveller Education Services which meant they knew both the learners and their families; especially important where the learners were out of school.
- The materials were designed with 'Chrysalis 2000', a charitable organization which was later absorbed into the Ormiston Education Trust.
- The original VLE was designed by ‘Nisai’
Outcomes and Pointers for Successful Practice
By 2010, 21 LAs were involved and 90 learners were benefiting from the programme. Over the four years of the project a pattern had also emerged which provided some important indicators for success.
- Learner and family commitment proved very important and some learners proved likely to drop out before they really got started. The early drop out rate varied across LAs and schools but in aggregate was about 20%. It was usually possible to find replacements and it was useful to have some ‘reserves’.
- Where support was effective, some 75% of those who did make a substantial start on the programme gained at least one qualification. [The rest left part way through the programme, usually because the family moved away or where there were significant changes in personal/family circumstances]
- 40% of those obtaining qualifications went on to jobs or to take up places on vocational courses. Others had made supportive contact with Connexions and were still exploring options.
- 10% went on to be involved in the family business.
- Where the young learners were still on a school roll there was evidence of a strengthening of commitment to schooling.
- Tutors reported clear evidence of gains in self-confidence and self-esteem. For those who were out of school, they also reported on the benefits of a return to structured learning and on improved social skills.
- There were often significant gains in terms of both literacy and ICT skills
Based on the experiences of ELAMP, the Bridge Builder approach will not be a panacea in work with disadvantaged youngsters, including Travellers. However it does offer a relatively straightforward way to help to re-engage and motivate, and is felt to have an important part to play in any repertoire aimed at marginalized learners.
One final point: the recommendation that tutors are allocated one day per week to support a group of learners is also felt to be very important. Apart from tutoring, staff need the ‘space’ to develop their supportive role. This includes underpinning the learning process, but also making links with colleges, Connexions and other agencies as part of developing and reviewing holistic ‘personal learning plans’ with their groups.
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