The national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills Helen Casey London Region Co-ordinator

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The national strategy for improving adult
literacy and numeracy skillsHelen
CaseyLondon Region Co-ordinator
SKILLS FOR LIFE
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Changes

• Requirement for all new teachers in FE to gain a
  recognised teaching qualification from Sept 2001
• Introduction of the National Qualifications
  Framework (NQF) from August 2002
• Requirement for all specialist teachers of adult
  literacy and numeracy to achieve subject
  qualifications at level four from Sept 2002
• Requirement for all specialist teachers of adult
  ESOL to achieve subject qualifications at level
  four from Sept 2003

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FENTO Subject Specifications

• Subject Specifications for teachers of adult
  literacy and numeracy
• Personal literacy or numeracy skills
• Knowledge and understanding
• Practical teaching skills interpreted from FENTO
  Teaching and Supporting Learning Standards

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New adult literacy teachers from September 2002

• Will need to work towards
• The Certificate for Adult Literacy Subject
  Specialists at level four
• plus
• A Certificate in Education or equivalent meeting
  the FENTO Teaching and Supporting Learning
  Standards

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New patterns of recruitment

• Adult literacy and numeracy teacher training at
  level four, with mainstream recognition
• Adult literacy and numeracy volunteer training at
  level two new qualifications
• Ladder of opportunity still in place but not all
  have to start at the beginning, depending on
  existing skills
• New qualifications emerging from a range of
  awarding bodies and universities

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New partnerships

• Expertise located in different contexts now
  needs to work together
• For example
• Experienced basic skills teacher trainers
  seconded to work with experienced Cert Ed teams
• Basic Skills teacher trainers linking with
  colleagues delivering CG7307-type courses in
  same institution
• Locating delivery in selected venues for the
  benefit of all partners in a local area or LLP or
  similar

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Levels and Stages

• NQF Level two - volunteer qualifications
• NQF Level three support qualifications
• NQF Level four teacher qualifications
• Offered as full time options or as a part time
  option, divided into three separate stages, as
  per the Statutory Instrument for FENTO Initial
  teacher training
• NQF Level 4 Stage 1
• NQF Level 4 Stage 2
• NQF Level 4 Stage 3 (Cert Ed)

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Awarding institutions developing new
qualifications - processes

• Awarding Bodies Higher Education
  Institutions
• QCA Accreditation HEI internal
• validation processes
• FENTO Approval Subject Specs
• FENTO Endorsement TL Standards

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QCA qualification specification L4

• QCA guidance to awarding bodies includes
• 90-120 guided learning hours
• Assessment of personal skills to be internally
  assessed (units A02 a,bc)
• Assessment of knowledge and understanding to be
  independently assessed (units A01a,bc)
• Some APL guidance eg degree in English would
  cover A02 units but not A01 units

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FENTO guidance -three delivery models

• Subject specific ITT qualification, all
  candidates literacy teachers or numeracy teachers
• Generic ITT qualification, additional specialist
  option for literacy or numeracy teachers
• Discrete, stand alone qualification for those
  already with a Cert Ed, with additional teaching
  practice requirement

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Level four adult literacy teacher qualifications
- part time routes

• Stage 1 Initial teacher training Personal
  skills units from
• L4 Certificate for Adult Literacy Subject
  Specialists
• - 20 hours teaching practice with 2 assessed
• - est 85 GLH / 25 credits
• Stage 2 Initial teacher training further L4
  subject units
• - 40 hours teaching practice with 4 assessed
• - est 175 GLH / 53 credits
• Stage 3 ITT Cert Ed final units from L4
  subject certificate
• - 60 hours teaching practice with 4 assessed
• - est 260 GLH / 78 credits

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Assessing personal skills

• Screening personal skills in literacy/numeracy at
  entry
• Candidate meets personal skills requirements
  through APL or assessment - ITT stages 123
  with analysis and understanding units
• Candidate partly meets personal skills
  requirements through assessment ITT stage1 with
  integrated work on personal skills before
  accessing stage two and beyond.
• Candidate does not meet personal skills
  requirements personal skills modules and/or
  level 2 or 3 qualifications

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Teaching practice issues

• Possible teaching practice options
• Organising stage one courses to allow for
  teaching practice after taught elements
• Using training classes to maximise quality of
  supervised teaching practice
• Combining stage one and two courses to facilitate
  more work before requiring trainees to take
  responsibility for classes

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ESOL teacher qualifications

• ESOL subject specifications currently out for
  consultation
• until 12 July
• Interim arrangements until September 2003
• CELTA and Trinity Cert submitted for QCA
  recognition at level four and for inclusion in
  funding lists
• New level two volunteer qualifications to offer
  an ESOL option
• CELTA and Trinity in process of application for
  endorsement to meet mainstream FENTO teaching and
  Learning Standards

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The national strategy for improving adult
literacy and numeracy skills
SKILLS FOR LIFE
Helen Casey London Region Co-ordinator 07887
511 892 helen.casey_at_dfes.gsi.gov.uk