Skills for life planner

The course is run during school time and consists of six or seven fortnightly sessions. Schools appreciate the positive impact on pupil achievement and are therefore happy to release teaching assistants to attend the course. The course is offered on a rolling basis and will run until all teaching assistants who need the training have had it.

Enfield uses an annual guide, information sent out in pay packets and briefing sessions to promote skills for life and other development programmes. The annual programme guide provides details of skills for life courses including course outlines, objectives, costs, times and venues and accreditation. This information can also be viewed online. Briefing sessions explain course content, methods of assessment, access to support and levels of learner commitment so potential learners can make an informed decision about their training.

Enfield has developed guidelines and quality criteria for all its training programmes. Course participants are asked to complete a written evaluation including feedback about the course and training providers. They are also encouraged to give verbal feedback on ‘what went well’ and ‘what could be improved’. This feedback is used to inform a constructive ongoing dialogue with training providers as part of a continuous cycle of course review and improvement. Enfield also monitors the outcomes of courses in terms of their impact on individuals and their schools, as well as completion and success rates.