Context and background to the effective or innovative practice
The young people in the youth offending unit at Parc Prison range in age from 15 to 17. The unit accommodates up to 60 young people and it is the only one in Wales. The young people come mainly from Wales, the South East and South West of England. The length of sentence varies but a significant number of young people in the unit have long sentences, in a few cases, longer than their current age. There are also young people on remand in the unit, who are awaiting sentence. Many have been in and out of care or juvenile offender settings for much of their lives. Nearly all young people have not attended school regularly, if at all, since a very young age, or they have had a very poor experience of formal education.
Description of nature of strategy or activity
The vision for the learning and skills centre, is ‘to improve every young person’s future and to change lives’. Leaders and staff promote equal opportunities and value diversity. They place a strong emphasis on helping the young people to improve their self-esteem and respect for others, as well as developing their confidence. Their aim is that young people leave prison with skills that will allow them to put their offending behaviour behind them and undertake useful roles in society.
The centre provides full time education (25 hours a week) for learners in an inclusive and supportive environment. Strict prison discipline is practised throughout the communal areas of the unit and there are clear sanctions for those breaking the rules. Security staff, education leaders and teachers work together well to ensure a safe environment. Teachers and young people work together in locked classrooms and they are searched on entry and on leaving the classroom. Despite the prison safety requirement teachers maintain a pleasant, supportive and purposeful atmosphere within the classrooms. Walls and sometimes the ceilings and floors are decorated with useful, subject specific, information and posters.
Learners have access to a regular supply of water, fruit and healthy snacks during the day. The centre has a well-stocked library with a resident librarian. There is a well-equipped music room with up to date electronic technology. There is also a training kitchen and a canteen. Learners move to other areas of the prison to use craft workshops where they learn practical employment skills. Learners also have access to a gym and fitness suite where they improve their fitness and learn about healthy lifestyles.
Young people are assessed within three days of arrival at the unit for their basic skills levels and they are assigned to a learning ‘pathway’ which most suits their needs and interests, for example, catering with maths, English and ICT. Staff identify those young people with additional learning needs and they put appropriate support and learning programmes in place. Staff give learners with ALN extra support.
The current curriculum reflects the new Curriculum for Wales and the Welsh Government’s policy for young people, Extending Entitlement. Learners can access useful extra programmes outside the normal timetable, to further support their re-integration into society on release.
Many of the young people have complex and diverse needs. Teachers use a multidisciplinary learner-centred approach to work with them. They have a strong commitment to supporting learners and maximising their potential through the course of their sentence and towards resettlement. Teachers promote respect and demonstrate endless patience. The young people in the unit can be challenging and sometimes display erratic and volatile behaviour. However, most young people have a genuine respect for the teaching staff and appreciate the teaching and support that they are given. Staff model respectful behaviour by shaking hands and greeting each learner by name at the start and the end of each lesson, whatever has taken place during the session. This promotes a sense of dignity and self-worth in the learners and emphasises that each session can be a new start. Despite the circumstances, staff do all that they can to make the learning environment pleasant and supportive.
Learners’ abilities can range from entry level 3 to GCSE. Teachers know the levels of new learners and they use differentiated activities well to ensure that everyone can benefit from the learning. Teaching is planned to cater as much as possible for the individual needs of learners. This is often challenging when lengths of sentences vary and learners are sometimes moved around the prison system at short notice. However, teachers prepare well planned lessons using materials that stimulate and interest the learners. The young people are not allowed access to the internet and so much of the material is designed and produced by the teachers, based on their knowledge of the needs and learning styles of the learners. Teaching is of a very high standard and often inspirational.
Leaders and staff work as a close team and support one another well. They hold weekly meetings where they monitor learners’ progress through individual learning plans. They provide individual work for learners confined to their cells. Refusal to attend education is rare.
What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?
Most learners gain useful skills and knowledge that will help them in their future lives and relationships and which will help them to gain employment and avoid future offending behaviour. During their stay in the unit, most improve by two levels of achievement or more. Many young people are successful in gaining qualifications that help them progress to further learning or into formal education beyond the prison gates. Many produce practical work, such as bookcases or chairs for their families and siblings, of a very high quality. This gives them a sense of accomplishment and makes their families proud. Many young people arrive in prison with very low levels of literacy and numeracy. Many improve their literacy and numeracy during their time in prison which increases young people’s employability. However, the most important impact of the teaching is the improvement in young people’s self-esteem, promoting a sense of dignity and hope for improved life chances beyond the prison gates.