better future Be inspired Improving 24 Bristol PostStrategy 16 2019 - Education, Skills and Career Pathways skilled world class post 16 education fulfil your life ambitions Better qualifed 1 Foreword Bristol is proud to be a UNESCO Learning benefit from more diverse and technical City and our Learning City Partnership education opportunities and apprenticeships, has a strong ambition to enable all from inspiring employer engagement, from young people to achieve their full improved careers information, advice and guidance, improved targeted support and a potential in learning, life and work. co-ordinated curriculum that is more linked to Many young people in Bristol are achieving the world of work. great education success and have a smooth The priorities outlined here can only be pathway into further and higher education achieved through world class partnership work that leads to great careers. However, too many – with active involvement of young people and young people from all parts of the city are their parents/carers, generous collaboration failing to meet their full potential; they are between education and training providers, and disengaging early or leaving education without increased contributions from local employers. a clear picture of their skills and the best fit and pathways into employment opportunities. City leaders and partners are now mobilising to move from planning to action to help us Leading post 16 providers have come transform the future for our next amazing together to change this situation. They have generation. We thank them in their help in the worked together by carrying out research challenge to make Bristol a more equal place to and developing a collaborative strategy with live and work. clear priority actions. This plan is designed to change the way we work with young people, Marvin Rees parents/carers, providers, and employers to Mayor and Executive build a post 16 system for the 21st century. Director of People With this document, we are making a commitment to young people so they can The transition from secondary to the This post 16 strategy outlines how some array of post 16 pathways available to young people are currently being let-down young people today is often one of the by the system and provides a plan that will largest changes and academic decisions help students to prosper post-secondary school. young people have had to navigated at that time. Heavily based in the feedback and experiences of real students the strategy outlines plans This decision can decide the foundations that will truly benefit the young people in our of their future in the adult world. The community and create a transition that has different options ranging from A Levels to minimal stress and ambiguity. apprenticeships are often not explained and introduced to young people in a way that This is something I know enables them to fully utilise all the potential of I personally would have their chosen pathway. In some cases options benefitted from. that would really benefit that young person are unknown to them. Siena Jackson-Wolfe 2 Bristol City Youth Mayor Executive Summary Key Themes 1 Improve the Bristol Post 16 2 Improve earlier career Curriculum and Pathways insights Our Priority Actions Our Priority Actions a Introduce free bus travel for all 16 to a Show young people how their 18 year olds who progress into learning choices relate to future education and training so that no potential career destinations, achieved matter where young people live they through targeted experience of work, can access post 16 provision without collaborative careers events, case additional travel costs studies and online links to employers in b Design a co-ordinated and collaborative the city curriculum offer that aligns with major b Grow the availability of enterprise local developments and employer education so that young people can skills needs and provides young people develop their overall confidence and with clear pathways into positive and skills, as well as developing specific sustainable employment outcomes, knowledge and contacts to start their c Ensure there is a tailored offer, own business outstanding support and successful c Organise more engagement for young outcomes for all young people at risk people with people ‘like them’ who of disengaging, including those with have chosen certain pathways to share additional learning needs, those with their experience and act as positive an EHCP and young people in Care/ role models Care Leavers between ages 16-25 d Engage employers to enrich the and beyond – including supported curriculum offer and student internships and re-engagement, in-year, experience – including experience rolling provision of work, apprenticeships – enabling d Expand the city Traineeship and employers to understand Apprenticeship offer across a range education of sectors and levels, with targeted settings and support to reach young people facing young the greatest challenges, and accelerated people’s through a city wide campaign to needs. support employers to create great new apprenticeship opportunities and to sponsor young people through levy sharing. 3 3 Engage, inform and listen to parents and carers Our Priority Actions Engage, inform and listen to a Provide accessible information for 4 young people parents about post 16 opportunities and options from ye sar 7 onwards – including online information; post 16 provider events; integrating careers Our Priority Actions into school parent evenings; and a Ensure young people can directly dedicated events for parents of young influence service planning and delivery people with SEND through a range of mechanisms – b Provide shared experiences for focus groups, surveys, student forums parents and young people – for and ambassadors. This should be example: through joint careers events extended within a school setting and (extending into evenings); a career capture the voice of significant years focused Family Learning programme like Year 13 – What didn’t work? What for primary school aged children and could be better? Consider a youth their parents in priority communities; summit to launch our new way of piggy backing the Future Quest working. programme to target priority parent b Consider whether CEIAG can be groups. integrated within the PSHE offer so c Produce Learning City post 16 that it is regular and embedded and communication through a range of also helps to support young people’s media for parents/carers – and also resilience and positive mental health for the city – providing insights into c Don’t drop / swap – students need education, employment and training to be supported to stay in training opportunities and individual stories to and education so guidance on careers inform and inspire. should also recognise that some students change their minds and that things will still work out ok. 4 5 Improve staff training and support Support providers to work Our Priority Actions 6 together and thrive a Ensure that teachers and other school based staff benefit from initial and continuous training to prepare young people for successful transition at post Our Priority Actions 16. Start by sharing case studies and a Increase and share funding to back this organising shadowing opportunities plan and to increase the availability across pre and post 16 providers. of high quality post 16 provision, Explore how teaching schools might including: apprenticeship levy sharing; contribute. ESFA 16-19 funding; capital funding; b Ensure that staff providing CEIAG WECA investment funding; other can access continuing professional match funding e.g. Future Quest development and accreditation and b Support independent providers that there is peer review and support to access direct funding for their to help standardise and improve local specialist post 16 provision, including services. both capital and revenue funding c Recognise and reward exceptional c Explore options for an LCP kite mark post 16 support provided by staff – for the Bristol family of Post 16 celebrate the ‘X factor’ when staff Providers linked to WORKS branding make a lasting difference through their (Bristol Providers WORK – PBW). advice and engagement with young people. 5 Section 1 This plan has young people at the front and centre. The Bristol Learning City Partnership wants to see What we want all Bristol young people progress to education, employment or training at age 16 – to become better qualified, skilled and ready to progress to to achieve further success in education, work and life. This means we have to work differently to prevent young people from disengaging and dropping out of education early. We also want to prepare young people for a world which is rapidly changing both economically and socially. A word about language We have set out to write a plan in plain English which can be accessed by young people – including those that have taken part in focus groups and surveys to inform this plan. Government officials and professionals involved in the post 16 world talk a lot about ‘NEET’ – i.e. not in education, employment or training. We believe this term is very unhelpful as it tends to focus on symptoms rather than the causes of disengagement. By branding young people as NEETs, we are identifying them as a problem rather than focusing on why they are disengaging in the first place. For many young people, dropping out may actually seem like a rational response to their circumstances. Through this plan, we want to move beyond the idea of NEETs and find new ways we can improve the way we support young people to step from education into work – removing disengagement and firing up all young people about their future options. 6 Achievement is generally assessed by What’s our current the completion of a portfolio of work, Post 16 offer? and completion of practical assessment activities. Apprenticeships are available Post 16 services aimed at Bristol young from level 2 to graduate level in different people are made up of three different sector areas.