Skills for life planner

Jacky Elliot is the school’s extended learning manager. ”We have a team of tutors who carry out an initial assessment for learners,” she explains. ”We offer the assessment as part of any course induction, although it is not compulsory. Learners are then invited to attend the appropriate training programme. When they're ready, they sit the national tests in literacy and numeracy.”

The school has a structured performance management system in place which covers all members of the school staff and includes a training needs analysis. There is an ’open office’ policy, meaning that any member of staff can drop by the school office at any time to discuss their training needs. ”Extending training opportunities to all members of the school workforce makes them feel part of the school team,” says school business manager Jane McCann.

This has worked well in practice. For example, a group of five teaching assistants have enrolled on a literacy and numeracy training programme and are looking to progress to national tests. Learning is classroom-based with teaching usually taking place at the end of the school day. Jane explains the benefits of the training. ”Teaching assistants feel more confident in their role. They say that they are better able to relate to the students they support by sharing their own learning experiences with them, such as doing homework and sitting tests!”