Supporting Learners through Online Enrichment
In the modern digital world, our attention is constantly being pulled in different directions, and young people are exposed to a number of potential risks and temptations as they enter adulthood. As a result educating and safeguarding young people has never been so important, and more than ever providers are taking a holistic approach to their curriculum by educating young people on topics such as Mental Health, Citizenship, Online Safety, Health & Safety, Social Media Awareness and British Values.
Ofsted has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding learners in the new Education Inspection Framework. As well as safeguarding arrangements, they will be looking at how well the curriculum equips learners with the knowledge and skills required to keep them safe and prepare them for life in modern Britain. A part of this is the new Personal Development Judgement, which looks at the opportunities learners have to develop their confidence, resilience and knowledge throughout their learning journey.
In an exclusive Ascentis article, Education guru Beej Kaczmarczyk of e-Memoir, has given advice on how to meet Ofsted’s requirements and safeguard learners…
“Centres will need to incorporate aspects of personal development, behaviour and welfare into all of the elements of the learner’s study programme, and at the same time, provide evidence of having done so, in a consistent and meaningful way.
Aspects of provision should promote and support learners’ development in the following ways: career choices, employability skills, personal health and well-being, self-confidence and resilience, internet and social media awareness, citizenship and British values.
Mapping these aspects to the learner’s core studies is easier in some subjects than others, e.g. health and social care, but nevertheless, the tutorial and enrichment programmes are where a lot of the provision will take place. There is also an expectation from Ofsted and the ESFA that 16-19 year old learners will have access to a programme of group tutorials, one-to-one tutorials and enrichment activities, including online learning, where appropriate.
So it is critical that centres provide their learners with appropriate learning materials that will encourage the learners to develop their awareness and confidence of these aspects of personal development, behaviour and welfare.
One way is for centres to incorporate short online courses into the tutorial and enrichment programme, which not only deliver the learning outcomes, but also enhance the learner experience.”
Another requirement of the new Education Inspection Framework is that curriculum leaders must provide effective support for those teaching outside their main areas of expertise. This is why at Ascentis we designed our Short Online Qualifications (SOQs) to support tutors with the delivery of crucial personal development topics through online resources, indicative content and learner assessment booklets. These qualifications are interactive and allow learners to proceed at their own pace. They cover topics such as Citizenship, British values, Healthy Living, Mental Health and Well-Being, Personal Finance, Online Safety and Social Media Awareness.
