In the frame for learning

Pupils are being sent to college to learn at an advanced level. It could be the start of a trend, says Donald Hiscock

What a relief it must be for hard-pressed teachers to get rid of some of their darling little charges for a while by lending them out to the local college. The pupils no doubt benefit from demands on their maturity made by a more grown up kind of place of learning, while the teachers manage a smile and then get on with the latest round of paperwork.

This is what it might have been like in the past, but the Pathfinder programme, a new government initiative, seeks to make workable links between schools and colleges that have lasting benefit for all concerned.

The scheme arose out of a Green Paper on extending opportunities and raising standards in education in the 14-19 age group. Twenty-five projects are under way in England. Looking at ways of increasing flexibility for students of all abilities, the buzzwords on the lips of local education authorities in pilot areas are "enhancement", "collaboration" and "entitlement".

"If the learner is not motivated, then the lesson will not be a success.To motivate the learner they need to share a sense of ownership of and commitment to the studies in which they are engaged, and that requires a system suited to the needs of the individual, not a timetable suited to the needs of the institution," Schools Standards minister David Miliband said earlier this year.

This view is endorsed by Rosemary Tong, chief inspector for education in Southampton, the only authority in the South East involved in the scheme. She has overseen earlier initiatives that allowed school students to work with colleges.

"Such an experience really motivated students and made them see the benefit of staying in education after 16," says Tong. "And we're not just talking about the least able with the current Pathfinder scheme, but how we can accelerate learning for those who need to go at a faster pace."

Southampton has established a series of master classes to enable school students to gain the benefit of working at a more advanced level in the three further education colleges in the city.

Students in year 10 at Cantell and Woodlands schools have had the opportunity to be taught AS critical thinking by staff from Taunton's College and Itchen College. Other taster classes have been offered in a variety of subjects at all three further education institutions, some linked to the work done for GCSE in schools.

"Doing a course in critical thinking has been absolutely brilliant for the students," says David Burge, head teacher of Cantell School. "Their confidence has been significantly enhanced."

Burge has found himself on the receiving end of his students' newly developed skills in reasoning and argument. Following a successful series of classes the students drafted a letter arguing convincingly for them to be allowed to take the subject at AS level. The head, of course, had no option but to agree.

Rosemary Tong is optimistic that 14-19 age group education partnerships in the city will see an increase in the transition to further education. She is also hoping that the scheme will raise awareness of higher education and address the city's current low take up rate for degree courses. "Pathfinder is also about increasing opportunities for HE. A future stage will see the involvement of the university and the Institute of Education," says Tong.

There are also issues of raising awareness among parents and of involving employers. The city has close involvement with Solent Skills Quest and is seeking to provide combinations of qualifications between schools and colleges that will lead to the achievement of Advanced Modern Apprenticeships. What about the hard pressed teachers? Does the Pathfinder scheme mean a strain on the timetable in schools and a requirement for college lecturers to learn how to deliver Key Stage Four and then produce online teaching materials? The answer is yes, but Tong talks in terms of curriculum flexibility.

"The scheme offers such a wide range of possibilities, particularly in terms of sharing expertise across the city" says Tong. "There is positive support from everyone involved. The government funding for Pathfinder has helped to really get things established."

Burge agrees. "There is a good foundation for Pathfinder to move things on in the city. In the past there has been a focus on further education and vocational teaching, but these new initiatives have filled in the gaps in the overall picture of education beyond school." The school students involved in the programme are enthusiastic in their approval. The chance to work with digital cameras and editing software, for example, to enhance their GCSE work has understandably proved popular. They have also approved of the fact that they are not necessarily learning directly from college lecturers but from the college students. "The college offers a lot more than you can get in school," says Cantell School student Pardeep Singh Bhakar. "Working at college is a good idea because you get to learn from other people. I think it's good for the college lecturers as well, so that they get to find out what kids are doing in school."

The DfES will be using the evidence from authorities like Southampton as an indicator of what would make an effective nationwide 14-19 system. "By next year we aim to have a co-ordinated city curriculum, with almost any school having an opportunity to work with college and university staff," says Tong. "We want to make Southampton's education something special."