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	Higher Education Experience

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Background


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One of the main themes of the 2005 14-19 Education and Skills White Paper is the need to ensure that the curriculum challenges sufficiently able students.

Using HE units for 16- to 19-year-olds in schools and colleges is seen as a means of achieving this. For these purposes, HE units or modules are defined as being:

produced and assessed by an HE provider (university, university college or approved further education (FE) college)
normally above Level 3 (advanced level) of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).

Legislation has been passed to enable schools to offer these units, and to allow the use of Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funding for the purpose. Sixth form and FE colleges already had this flexibility. QCA was asked to undertake research and to produce guidance for schools and colleges wishing to develop their provision in this way.

In addition, the 2005 Nuffield Review of 14-19 education found that HE staff regard many students as lacking some of the skills needed for HE study. These skills include adequate communication and mathematical competence as well higher-level skills such as independent learning, research, note taking and essay and report writing.

Agencies providing or supporting HE for 16- to 19-year-olds

The Open University’s (OU) Young Applicants in Schools Scheme (YASS) enables young people to take selected units of various lengths and in a range of subjects, including mathematics, technology, science and languages. They can take them at various times in the academic year. Numbers have grown from around 10 students in 1996 to 2000 students in 2006 and further growth is anticipated. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) supports the scheme.

The recent policy focus on meeting the needs of gifted and talented students has led to the involvement of the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY). In recent years, efforts to improve HE participation -- principally within Aimhigher programmes – have intensified contact between the pre-HE and HE sectors across the country.

Also see

>Schools Network

>Specialist Schools and Academies Trust

>The National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth