Thematic report |
Collaboration between schools with sixth forms and Further Education Colleges - 2006
The are several reasons why there is little or no collaboration between some schools and colleges, ranging from transportation difficulties to competition for learners. Schools tend to benefit more from collaboration than colleges, as collaboration enables schools to retain more learners in their sixth form.In both collaborative and non-collaborative arrangements, most learners are satisfied with their courses and with the support and guidance they receive. About two-thirds of learners feel that they were given useful information to help them choose their course, but a small number felt that they received biased advice.
Recommendations
The Welsh Assembly Government should:
- create planning bodies that can make strategic decisions about the nature of provision in an area;
- ensure that there is greater compatibility between the funding mechanisms for pre-16 and post-16 provision; and
- encourage LEAs to work with all partners to review the nature of provision in their area.
Local authorities should:
- work with all partners to review the nature of provision in their area.
Schools and colleges should:
- work together for the benefit of learners in their area by helping to rationalise and co-ordinate provision; and
- explore how collaborative activities can increase the range of general vocational and occupational courses on offer.
Schools should:
- ensure that learners receive full, fair and unbiased information and advice about the options available to them at 16 years of age.