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Whole organisation approach to improving
learner success rates
- Self-assessment and improvement planning and Skills for Life training needs analysis

The programme is now finished for this academic year and regrettably we are no longer accepting applications.

Strategic support to help you position the needs of learners in Literacy, Language and Numeracy (LLN) at the heart of your organisation’s activities through adopting a whole organisation approach.

What are the benefits to my organisation of accessing the programme?Teachers on the Improvement Programme

  • Work with other organisations to learn, share and transfer good practice across your sector
  • Access one to one support for self-improvement on specific areas identified through the inspectorate and national research
  • Gain a real understanding of the professional development needs of all your staff in line with the new teacher education reforms using a detailed organisational TNA
  • Participate in-house or local continuing professional development for managers and teams
  • Enhance knowledge of how to improve learners experience and achievement by taking advantage of the specialist expertise of development advisers

What are the key themes?

The focus for development will be priority improvement themes identified through Inspection reports, by using the popular and effective ‘organisational Healthcheck’ and your own self-assessment reports.

These include:

  • A WOA for leaders and managers
  • Self improvement through peer review and development
  • Skills for Life within the self assessment process, including setting targets for retention and achievement
  • Developing staff teams – observation of teaching and learning
  • Coaching and mentoring as a tool for organisational change
  • Embedding LLN for management and planning
  • Implementing a framework for planning the learner journey at a strategic level, including initial and diagnostic assessment and learning plans
  • Using the learner voice to improve quality in the delivery of Skills for Life

Who should get involved?

In 2007, 850 organisations were supported through this programme, with 92% giving high ratings to the quality of training and support.

The programme welcomes organisations where managers are committed to investing the necessary staff time to improve quality systems and processes for the benefit of all learners. There will be a particular focus on providers of:

  • Work-based learning
  • Jobcentre Plus
  • Offender learning
  • Train 2 Gain
  • Voluntary and community sector
  • Adult and community learning and all providers working with hard to reach learners

What is involved?
The 2007-08 programme draws on innovative approaches for supporting managers and staff developed within the last phase and through programmes such as the WOA Pathfinder project.

The support offered:

  • Brings together groups of organisations to share practice and work collaboratively on specific development themes identified through inspectorate findings and underpinned by national research.
  • Provides differing levels of specialist consultancy support and training opportunities for senior managers and their teams to develop a Whole Organisation Approach improvement model to Skills for Life
  • Offers a flexible programme of in-house or local professional development activities related to improvement themes

Who is the contact in my region for further information and guidance?

Region Lead Development Adviser e-mail
North East Caryn Loftus cloftus@cfbt.com
North West Ann Lucas alucas@cfbt.com
Yorkshire and Humberside Sheila Morton smorton@cfbt.com
West Midlands Stephen Pardoe spardoe@cfbt.com
East Midlands Elaine Scott escott@cfbt.com
East of England Jacqui Kelly jkelly@cfbt.com
South West Terri Williams twilliams@cfbt.com
South East Jennifer James jjames@cfbt.com
London Deborah Record drecord@cfbt.com

How do I apply for support?
The programme is now finished for this year and regrettably we are no longer accepting applications.