



	Print this page

Blackburn College


		11-16 schools

		6th form schools

		Colleges

This case study shows the use of ASDAN awards as part of post-16 curriculum enhancement.

The college

Blackburn College is an FE college situated on several sites in central Blackburn, with a total of 24,000 full-time and part-time enrolments. The college offers students a wide range of programmes with the possibility of progression to more than 30 HE courses.

The college includes a range of enhancements activities as part of its curriculum for first year advanced level students. The enhancements are allocated up to three and a half hours and are within the option blocks in order to maximise accessibility for appropriate students. They aim to give students experience of particular careers to improve their chance of success in applying for employment or HE in these areas. There are currently seven enhancement areas: pre-teaching, pre-medical, pre-uniformed services, pre-media, pre-legal, outdoor pursuits, and recreational studies.

Using ASDAN awards in the curriculum

The college uses the ASDAN universities award:

as a pre-vocational enhancement to the A level programme
to provide a well-structured opportunity for students to investigate future career options.

The pre-teaching and pre-medical enhancement groups undertake the universities award, which is structured by the college around four challenges:

work experience based on an individual’s career interests (usually half a day per week for about 20 weeks)
preparing a portfolio and making a presentation based on career-related research and experience
two other challenges chosen from any area the student wishes. These may be activities such as learning a foreign language or volunteering at an after-school support club at Blackburn Rovers Football Club. Alternatively, students may be given the opportunity to gain other awards or qualifications, such as coaching awards, a driving licence or a sign-language qualification.

In year 12 the pre-teaching group do a half-day per week placement in local schools between October and Easter. Preparation takes place over the first six or seven weeks of the course. In addition, a session of one and a quarter hours per week is spent on discussion of issues arising from the placements.

Other work experience is also integrated into the award. When a student has a part-time job, the experience can be used in meeting some of the challenges in the award. Enrichment activities taking place in the college can also be included as ASDAN challenges, such as creative writing, first aid, Amnesty International, film appreciation, choir, front of house theatre, and the usual range of sports.

The ASDAN universities award booklet provides a structure including objectives, standards, looking for evidence and completing a log or diary. Students complete the ASDAN student challenge booklets, including an action plan and diaries. There are two formal reviews with a member of staff. To start with, students may have difficulty coming to terms with self-directed learning. They must organise, carry out and complete some of the challenges themselves, and this may entail finding a work placement or part-time job. However, staff feel that by the time students have completed the challenges they have improved the organisational skills that will be particularly useful to them in HE. Students are guided throughout the process. Review activities and action planning form part of the award.

Assessment in the college is through internal moderation meetings to ensure the same standards for different students and different enhancement groups. Assessment is formative. Most of the students who complete the programme achieve the award – typically, the students soon realise they must make a commitment.

The ASDAN co-ordinator at the college comments:

‘We work through the wider key skills using discussion, the ASDAN booklet, presentations and, most importantly, through the challenges that students undertake and complete. ‘Work related activities’ is a central challenge for everyone as they do their placements, and students choose which of the challenges to include, covering quite a variety. One student, for example, who is ambitious to become a national success at disco dancing completed a challenge on dancing, designing and making her costumes, and on working in a school in the local community.’

Evaluation

The college’s experience is that the ASDAN universities award provides a vehicle for the development of wider key skills and for the communication key skill.
Students on the programme receive excellent work placement reports and benefit from the opportunity to investigate a future career.
The scheme provides a bridge between academic study and practical vocational skills.
Students gain in self-confidence through the acquisition of skills, building up their portfolios and through the review and guidance process.
The strengthening of students’ personal statements on the UCAS form helps with success at HE entry.