TwfSgiliau Cymru/SkillsGrow Wales Working together to give every post-16 learner in Wales the opportunity to improve their Communication, Application of Number and Digital Literacy Skills.

SkillsGrow Wales/TwfSgiliau Cymru is fully bilingual and will support a consistent, reliable and engaging approach to the assessment and learning of Essential Skills. Aimed at post-16 learners in FE colleges, WBL, ACL, schools and prisons across Wales. Part-funded by the Welsh Government it is being developed in collaboration with an expert user group, comprising experienced stakeholders from across the Welsh education sector.

The tool will comprise:  Screening tools in Literacy and Numeracy  Initial assessments in Literacy, Numeracy, ESOL and Digital literacy  ‘Drill-down’ diagnostic assessments in specific skill areas  Engaging, interactive learning materials in English Literacy, Welsh Literacy, Numeracy, ESOL and Digital Literacy (From Entry Level to Level 3)  A suite of rich and robust reports  Platform, ILP and MIS integration It can be used online (works on a range of devices) and offline.

Participants: Centres 33 FE/Access to HE: 10 WBL: 18 ACL: 5 Learners 1009 (revise this number to exclude demo users) Completed assessments Literacy 340 Numeracy 255 Tutors63 Administrators60 Learner questionnaire responses (online SurveyMonkey survey) 334 Tutor questionnaire responses (Word doc)Approx. 30 (some feedback from staff groups)

General feedback :  Positive comments, particularly with regard to what the system enables (or will enable) in comparison with other online tools used, and paper-based assessments.  Positive reaction to spiky profile information. Opens up opportunities for early diagnosis / intervention and informs future targets for learning  Fuller, more features, more in depth/intense, more context, more challenging, so more for learner to process but better overall experience.  Screens generally seen as user friendly and expected interactions well understood – looking at interactions to help lower IT ability

General feedback :  Positive response to the audio particularly at lower levels where concentration was an issue – higher levels turned off as read quicker than audio  Need to provide an audio test button on the first page and descriptions  Good feedback on navigation tool – will be a back button on launch version  Looking at the help functionality at the front end to guide learners  Learner name and date on assessment print out needed

Assessment feedback :  Combined IA/Diagnostic a detachment from normal delivery and raised issues over timing, learner motivation  Better for lower level as got into a rhythm  Looking at comments to motivate at key stages “well done you have reached…..” Questions feedback:  Good range of questions, varied and stimulating – concerns at L3 on complexity but in line with assessment criteria – in review  Reviewing vocabulary for lower levels – again in line with criteria

Numeracy questions feedback :  Complex use of literacy in numeracy questions may penalise able mathematicians - in line with current guidance on teaching maths  At all levels positive comments on range and diversity of problem solving questions, moving away from the formulaic approach of a GCSE  Other suggestions:  Provide certificates or similar as motivational tool as learner completes areas on their learning plan  Launch a community/website/blog for feedback, sharing of ideas

The schedule Phase 1end March Initial/Diagnostic in English and Maths for piloting Phase 2end June Initial/Diagnostic in Welsh + Maths: Welsh version Drill-down Diagnostics: English, Maths, Welsh Learning content: batch 1 Learning plan functionality MIS integration

The schedule Phase 3end August Anonymous self-service Screener Dyslexia assessment Learning content batch 2 Offline solution Phase 4end Dec ICT initial, drill down diagnostic ESOL initial, drill down diagnostic Learning content batch 3

For further information, please contact: Richard Meredith Regional Manager - Solutions Tribal T: M: E:

Training Proposals  Training should be under the Tribal GrowSkills Wales branding using FE space and staff  Content developed with members of the Tribal project team  Series of three workshops provided from 8.00am – 9.30am or 4.00pm – 5.30pm as appropriate  Training take place in early October to ensure that the tool has full functionality  Training rolled out to other parts of Wales post the October half term to ensure staff are trained by end of December

Training Proposals  The workshops could be offered to partner schools, targeting Head of Sixth From, personal tutors, literacy specialist staff and appropriate local area or consortium staff;  Places could be offered to the college’s own staff to encourage a shared participation in the workshops;  The topics for the three workshops could be:  The benefits derived from the tool for learners and staff;  The mechanics of using the tool;  Reporting and administration of the tool.  The participants would be offered access to one or more webinars to support their implementation of the tool at agreed times;