Ofsted report, 2005
The Increased Flexibility Programme (IFP), launched by the Department
for Education and Skills in 2002, supports partnerships of schools,
further education (FE) colleges and providers of work-based learning
to improve vocational learning opportunities for 14-16 year-olds,
and keep more over-16s in education and training. Partnerships
now involve half the secondary schools and three quarters of the
FE colleges in England.
The report evaluates the IFP's progress during its first two years.
During these two years, links between schools and employers have
increased. Teaching and learning have both improved, particularly
in schools, but teaching is still on average slightly below that
in other key stage 4 (KS4) lessons; the quality of teaching is
best in colleges and least good in work-based training organisations.
IFP allows schools to offer a more diverse curriculum at KS4,
to which students have responded well, meaning that there have
been improvements among many of them in attitude, behaviour and
social skills, and an increase in numbers continuing in education
after age 16.
However, there have been various logistical and organisational
problems, such as timetable synchronisation and the passing of
information about pupils' prior attainment from one institution
to the next. The report recommends that partnerships should ensure
the curriculum offered more closely matches needs and aspirations
of all students at KS4 and has clear progression routes post-16.
It makes a number of other recommendations for schools, colleges
and training organisations.
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