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Leadership of senior managers and access to specialist teachers is key to success for post-16 learners with learning difficulties or disabilities

26 Feb 2007

The leadership of senior managers, irrespective of the type of college, is the key factor in establishing a positive, inclusive ethos for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD), according to a new report by Ofsted.

Current provision and outcomes for 16-18 year old learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities reports that learners with a range of LDD are as likely to do well in general further education and sixth form colleges as those taught in specialist colleges, as long as they have access to experienced specialist teachers and high levels of support.

The good colleges visited by Ofsted had improved their curriculum management and programmes. They responded well to local needs, emphasising external links and community partnerships.

Support and guidance for learners were good and often outstanding, and learners made good progress in developing their personal and social skills. In-class learning support showed some improvement. The management of learners’ behaviour was good in many of the colleges surveyed.

The number of learners entered for external accreditation had increased substantially, with many achieving high pass rates on accredited programmes. However, learners were not always placed on appropriate programmes that best met their individual needs. Learners’ progression to employment, vocational programmes and further training was underdeveloped.

Transition in and out of settings was often unsatisfactory for learners. This was largely due to the lack of transfer of reliable information on learners’ achievements and progress.There was also a lack of understanding of, and expertise in, initial, baseline and diagnostic assessment which continued to lead to poor target-setting and inadequate monitoring and recording of learners’ progress in many of the colleges visited.

Work with other agencies, although improved in many areas, was too often dependent on a college’s geographical location. The qualifications of staff working with LDD learners had improved, but insufficient staff were qualified to work with learners with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD).

The report recommends that the Learning and Skills Council, at a national and local level, should improve the collection and use of information in order to identify gaps and enhance provision and outcomes for learners and provide training for its staff about learners with LDD.

Colleges should provide learners with more opportunities to develop their work-related skills and develop routes that enable learners to progress to supported employment and vocational programmes.

The findings of this report are based on a survey of 22 colleges and eight local Learning and Skills Councils (LSC), and an analysis of the reports of 13 inspections carried out by Ofsted between September 2005 and May 2006.

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