Ofsted calls for post 16 learning disability education review

The government is being called upon to review the education provision available to young people with learning difficulties and disabilities after inspectors found that too few progress from school to undertake further study.

Ofsted visited 32 colleges, independent learning providers and local authority providers of adult and community learning in England to assess the arrangements for transition from school and the opportunities offered up to the age of 25.

The inspectors found that the criteria used by local authorities for course placement decisions was not always clear, with recommendations not always based on an objective assessment of need.

Local authorities’ arrangements to provide the learning difficulty assessments, needed as part of the transition to post-16 provision, were criticised as ‘not working effectively’. In two thirds of cases studied, where the assessment should have been available it had not been received. In other cases it often lacked specific details or arrived late.

The report also concluded that too little is known about the destinations of learners once they leave post-16 provision, particularly once they reach the age of 19 or 20. The local authorities inspected do not have procedures to collect this information, which could be used to monitor the effectiveness of provision.

However, the report found that learners in mainstream colleges and apprenticeship programmes were well-supported and appropriate adjustments made.

Ofsted is recommending that the Department for Education, together with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, conducts a review of the arrangements for transition from school to the post-16 sector.

The government should also consider the introduction of national programmes of extended workplace learning in conjunction with third sector providers, after the existing foundation learning scheme was found to have too few practical, real work opportunities available to learners.
Local authorities should improve the arrangements for transition from school to the post-16 sector by ensuring that personal advisers are resourced and trained to provide timely learning difficulty assessments, Ofsted said.

Ofsted chief inspector Miriam Rosen said: ‘Decisions about the best kind of provision for individuals should be based on their individual needs. Young people need to be provided with meaningful programmes that enable them to progress to apprenticeships, employment, greater independence, further learning or community engagements.’