1. A curriculum without qualifications
One challenge under the spotlight
Appreciate this won’t be a challenge for everyone. Some will already have tackled it successfully. Some may not have learners/provision for which this issue is relevant.
It is something that’s current however for many. Intend to use the example not just to help you to start thinking about this particular challenge but also about the process of peer-working to tackle challenges more generally.

2. What are the issues? Potential for mis-match between
knowledge, understanding and skills required by individuals to make successful progression into adult life
and
externally set learning outcomes and assessment criteria required by units/qualifications
Leading to
failure to offer personalised outcome-focused study programmes, as required by SEND reforms, EFA funding criteria and Ofsted Common Inspection Framework.
Over-reliance on an approach adopted ‘because we’ve always worked this way’ or because it fits with existing systems or other people’s expectations.

3. Too many short-term targets based on achieving qualifications
What are the issues?
Moving forward? Ofsted review: how well the further education and skills sector is preparing young people with high needs for adult life (March 2016)
Too many short-term targets based on achieving qualifications
Recording progress and achievement weakest where qualifications were not being used
Qualification success used as performance indicator but little consideration of how useful qualifications are in preparing for adult life.
What Ofsted says about qualification use in SEND provision.
Not to say that qualifications are never appropriate – but that we need to move away from the presumption that learners’ programmes should be based upon them. Not always the best vehicle for enabling young people to develop the skills and knowledge they need as individuals to progress effectively into the next stage of their adult lives.
One third of providers questioning usefulness of qualifications and switching to non-qualification provision

4. We know it’s probably the right thing to do for some of our provision but we don’t feel we’re ready to abandon qualifications just yet.
Taking here a scenario where college has yet to make this move. (This is a commonly uttered statement.) The issues will be similar for colleges who have already introduced non-qual provision and are looking for ways to improve it.

5. So what’s worrying you? Concerns
How do we decide what to teach?
How will we evaluate performance or effectiveness of programme?
How will we monitor and record progress and achievement?
How will we make sure staff are doing a good job?
How will I convince SMT/MIS it’s the right thing to do?
So what’s worrying you?
What will need to happen in order for you to move forward?
Question you can ask of your self or of a peer… depending on what stage in the process you are.
Short on-table brainstorm: if you’re facing this challenge, or have been through it, or hypothetically if it were something you were addressing… what are/were/would your concerns be?
These are some of the concerns providers most commonly raised
You can work by yourself or with a peer to then…
Prioritise certain aspects
Drill down into one or more issues
Explore what you’ve already tried, what you might try, what others have tried
This kind of peer support is akin to free coaching. Offering you space to share and explore a challenge with a critical friend – it does not necessarily require the supporter to have expert knowledge of the issue you are tackling. They can help you find your own solutions and chip in a few ideas at the same time.

6. How do we decide what to teach?
What is/are the primary focuses or aims of the course?
What are the skills, knowledge and understanding the learners need to progress successfully into adult life?
What are the learning activities that we should provide to enable relevant learning to take place?
How much (if any) individualisation of timetables needs to take place? How much learning can be done as a group?
How will we present/explain the course to learners/families, to staff and senior managers or to commissioners?
Example of drilling down into one area.
Here is some of the thinking that needs to go into deciding to what teach if you’re not pulling a qualification of the shelf and delivering what it says in the units…

7. How will we support staff so that they can design and deliver non-qualification programmes?
How shall we introduce the idea and get their buy-in? (Ofsted evidence, SEND reforms: opportunity to be more creative, better meet needs)
What CPD might they need? (curriculum development; skills analysis; understanding of individualised/personalised curriculum; introduction to/reminder of RARPA principles and processes)
What models/processes could we create for them to use?
How can we help them to share expertise/ideas between the team?
What performance management approaches might we need to check staff are on track?
Last one – big issue/blocker. With qualifications, as units get turned in, you know they are ploughing their way through the course content – what’s the equivalent in non-qual provision? RARPA provides some of the solutions, as can observations, team discussions, one-to-ones..

8. How will we evaluate performance?
Distance travelled
Destination data: jobs (paid/unpaid); apprenticeships; further (meaningful) learning; others?
Completion of targets/achievement of goals
Learner/family satisfaction rates/feedback

9. How could my peers in other organisations help me with this?
Would it be useful if…?
How could my peers in other organisations help me with this?
The most powerful peer support is often a blend of support requested of and offered by others.
On tables come up with suggestions… What type of help do you think she needs/would welcome? How could you help?

10. Could I get their MIS/QA people to talk to our MIS/QA people?
Will any of them let me look through their non-qualification course documentation?
Could I get their MIS/QA people to talk to our MIS/QA people?
Can any of my peers talk me through how they developed non-qualification programmes?
If I draft some curriculum materials, would someone cast a critical eye over it?
Might they contribute to some curriculum development CPD for our staff? Input or materials?
Could I visit and see a non-qualification course in action and have a look at learners’ progress records at the same time?
Would anyone be prepared to share tips for how to get staff and SMT on board?
Could we put the issue on the agenda at a network meeting?
Does anyone know of any useful support materials out there? A case study maybe or some templates?
Here I’ve focused primarily on the first issue: developing the provision.
Also come from the angle: how could people help me? Asking yourself the question from the perspective of the supporting peer will probably raise other possibilities: how could I help?
Is there anyone else addressing the same issue, who’d like to work with us side-by-side?

11. A peer support process What’s the challenge?
What are the different elements?
Which are the priorities for peer support?
What help do I need, at what point, in what form, from where?
How do I identify and access the support and get started?
How will I know if the peer support is helping/has helped?