UK Youth’s first three Youth Achievement Foundations (YAFs) are already showing the contribution a non-formal approach can make to educational achievement. By 2011 there will be 10 YAFs around the country making a real difference for young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEETs. Is this the answer to the governments growing problem with young people not in education, employment or training?
Given the current economic climate, rising unemployment among young people is of great concern, as are issues around education and skills. The number of young people not in education, employment or training is on the rise, with some figures saying we now have over 850,000 NEETs.
This concern was reflected in the Budget last month when the chancellor announced a raft of measures to address these issues including a guarantee for young people between 18 and 24 years old who have been unemployed for more than 12 months of a job, work placement or work-related skills training for at least six months. If it becomes necessary to do so, government will work with local authorities and other delivery partners to determine how participation in one of these options could be made mandatory.
UK Youth have been working with young people on issues such as these for 100 years. The charity exists to develop and promote innovative non-formal education programmes for and with young people – working with over 750,000 young people to develop their potential.
The Youth Achievement Foundations are a motivating vocational and activity based curriculum of personal and social development for students excluded, or at risk of exclusion, from secondary school at Key Stage 4. The foundations are based either within schools which act as a hub for local referrals or more commonly in distinct separate buildings run by independent organisations experienced in alternative curricular delivery.
UK Youth has been awarded significant funding by the Department for Children Schools & Families (DCSF) and the Youth Sector Development Fund (YSDF) to support the development of the first 10 of these pathfinder foundations through the period 2008-2011.
The key to success is that all staff act as mentors for students, giving priority to their personal development, especially employability skills, motivating vocational activities being the medium through which this is achieved. The clearest sign that the Foundations are making a difference is attendance. Working with young people whose average percentage school attendance has been in the low 30s, typical attendance figures at all three Foundations stand at well over 90 per cent.
Youth Achievement Foundations specifically strive to meet the recommendations within the May 2008 White Paper report “Back on Track”, a strategy for modernising alternative provision for young people. This builds on the December 2007 Children’s Plan proposals to set out new strategies to transform the quality of alternative education for those who are excluded or who are unable to attend mainstream school.
The White Paper emphasises; “the key role for schools in identifying children with challenging behaviour early on, and being able to access the right support before they reach the point of permanent exclusion. As part of this, schools should be able to make more use of alternative provision as a preventative early intervention.”
“Where a pupil remains in alternative provision because they are not ready to be re-integrated to a mainstream or special school, it is essential that they nonetheless receive an education that puts them on the path to success in adulthood.”
Significantly the report makes the point; “Alternative provision is commissioned by local authorities, usually on behalf of permanently excluded pupils and others without a school place, and by schools, usually on behalf of their own pupils (including those who are excluded for fixed periods). Alternative provision can be commissioned from a range of providers in the voluntary and private sectors, such as small independent schools.”
It is therefore clear that Youth Achievement Foundations satisfy the current strategy surrounding improving alternative provision.
Additionally YAFs integrate seamlessly with targeted youth support to bring local services together to tackle the causes of young people not in education, employment or training. YAFs will typically be the organisations working with young people who are identified through the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) as having significant additional needs through multi-agency working. The alternative curricular style of YAFs allows for individualised timetables to promote this support.
Young people are at the heart of the programme shaping its delivery as “service users” through consultation on curriculum content, learning environment and vocational experiences. The foundation model is proven and based upon a four year pilot which received an “outstanding” Ofsted report and is financially self sustainable.
The foundations are specifically designed to meet the needs of young people for whom mainstream education is no longer working. Whilst maintaining a core delivery of basic literacy and numeracy, pupils will be offered a curriculum that is more appropriate to their personal & social development and accredit their learning from a variety of vocational areas. Students develop a sense of ‘belonging’ to YAF through the student council. Personal needs are identified and addressed, for example in relation to sex and drugs education. Students are empowered to take increasing responsibility for their activities, their learning, themselves and each other.
YAF programmes ensure that students experience success, not failure, to enhance their self-esteem. Motivation is through a vocationally and activity oriented curriculum leading to employability skills. To date over 600 NEET young people have benefited, 75 per cent gaining Youth Achievement Awards, 75 per cent gaining a Key Skill and 100 per cent gaining accredited outcomes. From the work done by UK Youth and partners at the Youth Achievement Foundations to date, this seems to be a very real solution to the issue of school exclusions and giving young people real hope of meaningful employment in the future.
For more information visit the UK Youth website or email [email protected]