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OLP Conference 2004

Learner Awards 2004

Widening Participation in HE Dissemination

4th Annual Wider Stakeholders' Conference Report

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OLP Conference 2004

Oxfordshire Learning Partnership's 5th Annual conference, which was planned for 17th March, has now been delayed so that we can combine it with the next stage of stakeholder consultation on the Strategic Area Review (StAR) being undertaken by MKOB LSC. The new date is Thursday 29th April 2004. The place is Holiday Inn, Pear Tree, Oxford The morning will be devoted to StAR, to update you on the progress of the information gathering and analysis phase (July 03 - Feb 04) and to consult with you on the way forward throughout the StAR, developing and appraising strategic themes and emerging options phase (Jan - May 04). The OLP Learner Awards 2004 will be presented at lunchtime. The afternoon is devoted to the Aimhigher: Partnerships for Progression (AhP4P) initiative.  This will be an opportunity to find out about current work in Oxfordshire to encourage more and different kinds of students to enter higher education. You may be aware that this HEFCE/LSC funded partnership targets potential students aged 13 - 30 through a range of activities including those associated with information advice and guidance, raising aspirations and the development of clear and accessible progression routes into higher education. Invitations and further details will be issued next month.  If, in the meantime, you would like to register your interest and ensure an invitation, please contact the OLP office. Learner Awards 2004 At the 5th annual wider-stakeholders conference, to be held on 17th March 2004, the Oxfordshire Learning Partnership plans to celebrate learning with the gift of Learner Awards. These will be in recognition of special achievement by people living or studying in the county. There will be four categories: •Younger learners (14-19) in schools, FE colleges or with training providers •Adult learners in FE Colleges or Adult & Community Learning •Older learners (over 50) •Work-based Learning (nominated by employer) We are looking to celebrate the achievement of learners who have overcome barriers to learning and/or have contributed extraordinarily in the learning situation. We hope that their achievement can serve as a role model for others. If you are a learning/training provider in Oxfordshire, you are invited to nominate one of your learners for this recognition. A nomination form can be downloaded from this site. Click here to go to the downloads section. All nominees will receive a certificate of achievement. Two will be selected in each category to attend the conference (together with two guests) to be presented with their certificates and awarded a small cash prize. Please return the form by Friday 5th March 2004. Widening Participation in HE Dissemination Conference Report Oxfordshire Learning Partnership played host to 55 people from a wide range of organisations who attended a celebration/dissemination event on 6 May 2003. This was the culmination of a two-year project, funded by the LSC, to encourage progression to HE. The project targeted learners studying at level 2 or level 3, or those who have already attainment at that level but are not currently learning, or where personal aspiration and the skill needs of the local economy suggest this would be worthwhile. Professor Sir Clive Booth, the Chair of the Oxfordshire Learning Partnership, led the conference. At this event, 6 workshop sessions enabled project managers to describe what has happened and to respond to questions. In his keynote speech, Paul Smith, Consultant Adviser, Policy and Development Directorate, LSC, (seen above, with Sir Clive Booth) set these Oxfordshire initiatives in the context of the national strategy and gave all concerned valuable and valued feedback. Fay Croft, Head of Learning Partnerships at Oxford Brookes University, made the final input of the conference. Fay updated participants about the AimHigher: Partnerships for Progression Project. This was particularly pertinent to those projects seeking ongoing funding. Each project has written a comprehensive report and will distribute appropriately. They have all reported within their own organisational structures. The complete project report will be published on this website. As part of the project data was collected on the patterns of enrolment of Oxfordshire residents aged 19+. This currently covers the years 1997 - 2000 and an analysis of the data for 1999/2000 can be found elsewhere on this website. It is hoped that the Partnerships for Progression initiative will enable the continuation of this part of the project.   4th Annual Wider Stakeholders' Conference held on 12th February 2003 - A Report 'Doing More for Oxfordshire's Disadvantaged' Over 90 people attended the Oxfordshire Learning Partnership’s Annual Wider-stakeholders’ Conference held at the Holiday Inn, Oxford on Wednesday 12th February, which had the theme ‘Doing More For Oxfordshire’s Disadvantaged’ and included an awards ceremony. Opening the conference, the Partnership’s chair, Professor Sir Clive Booth, said that the Oxfordshire Learning Partnership aimed to play an important role in maximising the contribution of learning to local regeneration. Professor Richard Pring, Director of the Department of Educational Studies at the University of Oxford, delivered the conference keynote speech, in which he gave examples of local projects that showed how the community can contribute to the broader education of young people, many of whom suffer from many disadvantages. Professor Pring said, “Young people need to be acquainted with ideals and possible aspirations which are too often denied them. They need to acquire the skills of social interaction, of personal reflection, of moral deliberation. The school should be the focal point for children and their families - a place in which the different community resources can be drawn upon in extending the experience of the students. In particular, the different religious, ethnic, economic traditions and conditions should be seen, not as barriers to learning, but enriching opportunities for personal growth.” The full text of this speech can be downloaded from the downloads section of this site. The conference closed with the OLP Learner Awards, presented by Sir Christopher Ball, to celebrate the achievement of people who have overcome barriers to learning. The winners were: Schools section - Lucy Merchant (Lord Williams’s School) who overcame a severe vision loss at age 13 to gain A levels in Art and English and is now studying at Keele University. Further Education College - Victoria Crossland (The Henley College) an “exceptional student” who has struggled with cystic fibrosis since birth. Adult and Community Learning - Margaret Padar (Oxfordshire Parent-talk Programme) having left school at 15 with 2 CSEs, she has managed to achieve an honours degree and is now training to be a teacher, whilst raising 3 children more or less single-handedly in difficult circumstances. Work-based Learning - Daniel Wilson (Abingdon and Witney Training) described as a model learner due to the sheer effort he puts into his own development and the development of others whilst over coming hurdles along the way. OLP manager, Mr Derek Barry, said, “The stories behind our award winners are truly inspirational. We hope that their achievement can serve as a role model for others.”   More Archives Learning pathways for adults in Oxfordshire, Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire - Conference Report Oxfordshire Learning Partnership Annual Conference 23rd January 2002 A précis of the keynote speech delivered at the Oxfordshire Learning Partnership conference on 23rd January 2002 Building a Learning Future for Oxfordshire   Learning Pathways for Adults A conference held at Oxford Brookes University was the culmination of a yearlong project on supporting adult progression. 44 delegates heard Dr Maggie Greenwood of the Learning and Skills Development Agency outline the findings and recommendations of their research, which was commissioned by an Oxfordshire consortium and funded by the Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Learning and Skills Council. Keynote speaker was Christine Doubleday, Director of Research and Development at MKOB LSC. Christine summarised the local LSC’s strategy for adult learning and welcomed the contribution made by this project. The conference, which was chaired by Sir Tony Atkinson, Chair of One City Oxford and Warden of Nuffield College, considered actions that can now be taken by providers, the LSC and the Learning Partnerships in the MKOB area to implement the recommendations; in particular, to improve collaboration and joint working, information about and strategic oversight of learning pathways. The study addressed the concerns of learners, employers, learning providers, and information, advice and guidance (IAG) organisations. These concerns focused on ways to improve learning opportunities and job prospects for people with poor qualifications and low skills, particularly in health and social care; the construction industry; and the tourism, hospitality, catering and leisure sector in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. A copy of the summary report can be seen and downloaded from this web site. If you have any comments about the report or suggestions for implementation of the recommendations, please send them to derek.barry@ntlworld.com.   Oxfordshire Learning Partnership Annual Conference 23rd January 2002 The New Learning Landscape Nearly 100 delegates attended the Oxfordshire Learning Partnership's Annual Wider-stakeholders' Conference held at the Holiday Inn Oxford on Wednesday 23rd January, with the theme 'The New Learning Landscape'. Oxfordshire Learning Partnership manager, Mr Derek Barry, said, "This was a most successful conference. The number of delegates who attended and their contributions to the event were most gratifying. They were able to shape the thinking of the Partnership and help us move our Learning Plan forward to cover the next two years." Professor Clive Booth (pictured left), the Partnership's chair, and local LSC Council Member opened the conference saying: "The Oxfordshire Learning Partnership is playing an important role in enabling providers of education and training to move to a high level of collaboration and partnership in the county." Sir Christopher Ball (pictured right) delivered the conference keynote speech (a précis of which can be found elsewhere on this site), in which he argued that traditionally what we learnt had been more important than how we learnt it. "In the 21st century we need to change this. If we can first get the 'how' right then the 'what' will follow, and so will the 'where'." He added that a lack of confidence and self-esteem coupled with poor motivation were major impediments to learning. Using the analogy of decorating, he said, "Providing these gives the primer on which we can put a solid and lasting top-coat."   A précis of the keynote speech delivered at the Oxfordshire Learning Partnership conference on 23rd January 2002 The New Learning Landscape  by Sir Christopher Ball I keep six honest serving men (They taught me all I knew); Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who. (Kipling: Just So Stories) 1. Compare the holiday industry with the education and training services: are they a) broadly satisfactory b) needing further reform and improvement, or c) demanding radical restructuring and fundamental change? 2. The why, who and when questions are easy: learning pays and empowers (it is our best hope of health, wealth and happiness), everyone needs to learn, it is a lifelong venture. That is all obvious! 3. The what, how and where questions are more difficult. The 20th century allowed what we learn to dominate how we learn. That was a mistake. In the 21st century we must put how before what - and if you know how, you will know where people learn best. 4. The major thesis: get the how of learning right, and the what will follow. People learn (and live) best in an environment and conditions of high challenge coupled with low threat (remember the matrix).        Challenge  High          Low                                          Threat                   High Low  Anxious  Dim  Bright  Spoilt 5. Treat every child as special: give them experiences of 'outrageous success'; encourage 'lofty aspirations'. (Adults need this too!) 6. Consider the American research on 'successful schools': the importance of (small) size. Why? So that the Head can recognise and greet by name every child or student . . . 7. SUN literacy! Only 4% of jobs today can be done by illiterate people. 60% of those aged under 30 in prison can't read. The OLP is in the front line of creating a decent society. 8. The 1 in 6 rule: 18% of pupils throughout the 20th century hated school, failed to learn the basics, played truant or disrupted classes - or practised 'intellectual truancy'. Something must be wrong. 9. Consider the story of Tom Dick and Harry, each required to learn to play the trumpet. Tom didn't want to; knew he could if he tried; had a trumpet. Dick wanted to; knew he couldn't, no matter how much he tried; had a trumpet. Harry wanted to; knew he could; but had no trumpet. Who do you think is most likely to succeed? 10. The four impediments to learning are: i) Low self-esteem and lack of confidence ('I'm hopeless!') ii) Weak or absent motivation ('I couldn't care less') iii) Lack of ability or potential ('I'm no good') iv) Lack of opportunity ('I've never had a chance'). The 20th century focused on (iii) and (iv) and almost overlooked (i) and (ii). In fact, (iv) is simply untrue for people in developed countries - and (iii) is equally untrue except for less than 5% of the population with severe learning difficulties and special needs. There are plenty of trumpets and heaps of talent! We need to think about - and act on - (i) and (ii). How? 11. For a start, ensure that all learners have plenty of the 5 Cs: confidence, choice, challenge, clarity, comfort. Try the experiment yourself of learning something without one (or more) of these! 12. The secret of high achievement: an environment characterised by the support of lots of 'warm, demanding adults', and exploratory (negotiated) curriculum of learning, and only limited access to the peer group. Beware your peer group: it dumbs you down! 13. As for the 21st century, remember that if we get the how right the what will follow naturally. (Think about babies learning!) But as a guideline, try this KSA>ASK. This means that our traditional curriculum, described in terms of Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes, should be converted so that Attitudes (readiness, self-reliance, teamwork, optimism, responsibility, determination . . . ) come first, followed by Skills with Knowledge last (and least important!). The idea is that good attitudes make it easy for us to acquire the necessary skills: with these knowledge is readily accessible. It doesn't work the other way round. 14. Where are the growth points and change-agents in education and training? Three will prove particularly influential and could produce revolutionary change: brain science, e-learning and voucher funding. 15. Distinguish between incremental and transformational learning. Memorising the names of the states of the USA and their capital cities, for example, is incremental learning. We do it bit by bit. Learning to ride a bicycle is a transformational learning experience. There is a magical moment when you can 'get' balance! Humans need both sorts of learning, but formal education and training is disproportionately concerned with the former. Contact the Landmark Education Corporation (0207 969 2020) or Insights (0207 706 2021) if you want to experience good transformational learning. For another approach, ring the Talent Foundation (0207 930 1524), which I founded and chair, for information about our two-day transformational programme, the Talent Key. You need to prime a wall before you paint it. Learners need priming too; without a 'readiness to learn' much of training and education fails to make an impact. 16. So, now do you think we need radical restructuring and fundamental change?   BUILDING A LEARNING FUTURE FOR OXFORDSHIRE The Oxfordshire Learning Partnership and local LSC working together An agreement has been celebrated which will optimise the learning opportunities for people and businesses across the county. The local Learning and Skills Council and the Oxfordshire Learning Partnership signed a protocol at a dinner on 10 January to establish effective ways of working together to benefit individuals and businesses in Oxfordshire. Signing the protocol agreement: (l to r) Derek Barry OLP Manager, Lynda Purser, executive director of the local Learning and Skills Council, Dr Pat Upson, Chair of MKOB LSC, and Professor Clive Booth, Chair of Oxfordshire Learning Partnership Lynda Purser, executive director of the local Learning and Skills Council said: "We share a common commitment with Oxfordshire Learning Partnership to increase the participation in learning throughout the county. We will work together to increase the range of education and training opportunities for people in Oxfordshire. We will support learning providers in developing the quality and range of provision, and in celebrating best practice and achievement." One way the organisations will work together effectively is by combining research projects, which will cut costs and potential duplication of effort. For example the local LSC has joined forces with the Oxfordshire Learning Partnership, and the Learning Partnerships for Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes to commission research to map the current learning provision for 16-19 year olds across the three areas. The project will explore gaps in urban and rural provision, identify any equal opportunity issues, and assess current local provision in the context of students' and employer's future needs. Mr Derek Barry, manager of the Oxfordshire Learning Partnership said: "In order for people to fulfil their potential, and to boost Oxfordshire's economic future, it is important that we promote the benefits of lifelong learning to individuals and employers. " During the evening the three Learning Partnerships for Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire fed back their views on the local LSC's Draft Strategic Plan. The final Strategic Plan, which will set out the local LSC's objectives and targets until 2005 will be published in March this year. A copy of the Draft Strategic Plan can be found on the Internet at www.lsc.gov.uk/mkob For a hard copy of the Plan please contact Matthew Williams on 01235 556111.