Increased Flexibility for 14 to 16-Year-Olds Programme (IFP)
The Increased Flexibility for 14 to 16-Year-Olds Programme (IFP) has created enhanced vocational and work-related learning opportunities for local 14-16-year-olds by enabling FE colleges to form partnerships with schools and other agents.
In most cases young people on the programme will:
- study off-site at a college, or with a training provider for one or two days a week throughout Key Stage 4
- have opportunities to work towards worthwhile vocational and work-related qualifications
- be given the opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding in a work context.
Around 290 partnerships have been formed, largely between colleges and schools. There is at least one partnership in each local LSC area and initial research indicates that there are approximately 2 000 schools involved and over 90 000 pupils.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the objectives and targets of the Increased Flexibility Programme?
- Where will learning take place?
- What funding is available to support the programme?
- Who are the key partners?
- What progress has been made?
- What was the outcome of the costing study?
- What are the findings of the evaluation undertaken by NFER?
What are the objectives and targets of the Increased Flexibility Programme?
A. Objectives:
- to raise the attainment in national qualifications of participating pupils
- to increase their skills and knowledge
- to improve social learning and development
- to increase retention in learning after 16.
Targets/aims:
- one third of the young people involved in the programme should gain at least one GCSE in a vocational subject at level 2 (over and above their predicted GCSEs)
- one third should gain at least one NVQ at level 1 (over and above their predicted GCSEs)
- three quarters of the young people involved should progress into further learning
- attendance rates of the young people involved should match that of the average for the Key Stage 4 group (age 14-16).
Q. Where will learning take place?
A. The majority of young people involved in this programme will spend their off-site time in an FE college for one or two days a week. Smaller numbers will visit a sixth-form college, private training provider or learn in an employment environment.
Q. What funding is available to support the programme?
A. Funding is being routed via the Learning and Skills Council. Funding of up to £100 000 per partnership has been made available to support activity in 2004-2006. The allocation of funding has been decided locally between the partners. However it is expected that this amount covers the costs of:
- part-time vocational placements in further-education training and enhanced work placements;
- support for local/regional planning and managerial and administrative support to schools and colleges;
- training for teachers and co-ordinators in schools, both for planning and supervising vocational provision and teaching towards vocational training; and
- supporting young people, for example with travel grants, equipment costs
and learning materials.
A fourth cohort of 14 to 16-year-olds began part-time vocational courses from September 2005. Building on the partnerships that were created in the third phase, the funding will continue to strengthen the links between the colleges and schools. It will also embed the GCSEs in vocational subjects in the secondary curriculum as well as offering valuable pointers to the ways in which the 14 to 19 agenda might develop.
Q. Who are the key partners?
A. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC), through 47 local
offices:
- is the main funding route for the partnerships
- has assisted partnerships in the development of their proposals
- will continue to facilitate partnership relations though representation on the strategic steering groups
- has responsibility for monitoring and evaluation of the programme.
The Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) is providing a
comprehensive training and support programme both for the Increased Flexibility
Programme and for the GCSEs in vocational subjects. This includes:
- regional conferences
- training for placement co-ordinators
- creation of networks for placement co-ordinators
- consultancy support
- production and distribution of teaching materials.
National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) has been appointed to research the impact of the programme, and whether it has met the aims, objectives and targets set for the programme. The evaluation will also focus on more subjective measures of quality and standards.
Q. What progress has been made?
A. Early indications are that good progress is being made — attendance and behaviour are good, and drop-out rates are low. About 60 per cent of the pupils on the programme are working towards a GCSE in a vocational subject. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is the most popular GCSE (18 per cent), followed by Health and Social Care (11 per cent). Leisure and Tourism and Applied Business are next with 9 per cent each.
Q. What are the findings of the evaluation undertaken by NFER?
A. The research briefs and reports are available from the DCSF Research website.
