14-19 curriculum

Many refugee students achieve their potential at school but they may initially need support learning English and tackling gaps in their learning. The supporting language and learning area of this website provides information on this.

Changes to the key stage 4 curriculum have increased the flexibility available to schools to personalise learning to suit the individual aspirations, circumstances and talents of each student.

Teachernet 14 -19 phase of learning includes information on:

• The 14-19 curriculum
• Key stage 4
• A stronger vocational offer for all
• Pace and progression
• Collaboration
• Financial support for 16-19s
• School performance tables
• 14-19 Area inspection
• Careers education and guidance for pupils
• Education maintenance allowance

The DCSF Personalised Learning website provides information and resources to develop practice in five key areas of personalised learning:

• Assessment for learning
• Effective teaching and learning
• Curriculum entitlement and choice
• Organising the school
• Working beyond the classroom.

The supporting language and learning area of this website gives further curriculum guidance for practitioners working with 16-19 year old refugee students.

Good practice

Schools can help refugee students achieve in a more flexible 14-19 curriculum in a variety of ways.

Individualised learning programmes

Learning programmes need to acknowledge each refugee student’s prior learning, aspirations and desired learning goals. This facilitates building additional learning opportunities to support their needs with systems of assessment supporting clear routes of progression.

Mentoring refugee students can include the development of individualised learning programmes. Mentors and students can build an individual learning plan so the student can work out a planned educational route that will achieve the desired aim. The DCSF Progress File: Achievement Planner is a set of interactive materials designed to help young people and adults manage their own learning and career development.

Advice and support for refugee students

Work closely with Connexions and other agencies. Connexions Personal Advisers can provide vital assistance. Connexions guidance for supporting young refugees can be downloaded from their publications website.

Refugee student familiarisation with their new environment

Encourage teachers, pastoral managers and Connexions Personal Advisers to plan and review the citizenship and PSHE curriculum so that it responds to the needs of refugee students. Refugee students will need to develop the skills and gain the knowledge required to become familiar with and active in their new environment. Further information about the citizenship curriculum is given in the celebrating diversity area of this website.

Community language courses

Enable students who wish to do so to take external examinations in their community’s language. There are currently GCSEs in several languages spoken by refugee students. These include Turkish, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Farsi, Cantonese and Punjabi. Schools with few students from a particular language group can liaise with other schools and local community schools to ensure their students gain access to the community language courses of their choice. Further information about community schools is given in the supporting language and learning area of this website.

EAL supportfor vocational routes and work-based programmes

Specialist staff can plan strategies and develop resources for students to access vocational courses successfully. Induction programmes for new arrivals can also add vocational English to the English curriculum that is already taught. It is important that schools consider carefully the support 14-16 year old students will need for them to benefit from vocational courses. For guidance see:

QCA 14 – 19 learning which includes Work-related learning information.

Increased flexibility programme at Key Stage 4 (2005) Schools and colleges will find the key findings of this Ofsted report useful when planning work-based and vocational collaborative programmes.

Consider ways of increasing the relevance and appropriateness of work experience programmes for refugee students. Schools’ work experience and business links coordinators can work closely with other staff, including the Connexions Personal Adviser and ethnic minority achievement staff. This can help the school identify work experience placements that are relevant to each student’s aspirations and prior learning. Connexions can also, for example, help extend business contacts, develop consultation with refugee students and their parents, and provide further individual support. By inviting local employers to school events, especially performances and prize giving, they can become more familiar with the diversity and potential of the student community.

New arrivals in key stage 4

Ensure that refugee students who arrive late in the school curriculum cycle receive appropriate support. The key stage 4 new arrivals area of this website provides information.

Case studies

Developing a flexible curriculum for beginners of English (.PDF)

Oxford Community School in East Oxford receives a significant number of new arrivals from overseas each year. This case study explains how the school has designed a more flexible curriculum for year 10 and 11 pupils who have English as an additional language

A personal success story (.PDF)

Ilii is a young unaccompanied minor who spoke very little English when he arrived in year 10 in Cathays High School in Cardiff. This case study shows how, with support in key skills across the curriculum, Ilii went on to achieve six GCSE grades C and above, including an ‘A’ in History. Ilii’s teachers believe that his story is evidence that students can be successful at key stage 4 without being fluent English speakers.

Further useful websites

National Vocational Qualification (NVQ)
This website is designed to give background information on NVQs- why they exist and how they can help individuals and key players in the employment, training and qualifications world. It also provides links to relevant websites.

DCSF Qualifications for schools and colleges
The Qualifications website offers a range of information for parents, teachers, pupils, lecturers, students, employers and anyone with an interest in qualifications. Information on GCSEs, A levels, vocational qualifications, and guidance on the latest policy developments.

DCSF Qualifications for schools and colleges: Acronyms
A list of acronyms particularly useful to parents new to the education system.

Leicester City Council - Lifelong Learning
Lifelong Learning covers the spectrum of learning in the City from Early Years & Childcare through Youth to Adult Education.

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority QCA): 14-19 Learning
The site is for all those with an interest in 14-19 learning. The main audiences are curriculum managers and teachers in 11-16 schools, schools with sixth forms and all colleges providing for the age group. This is the home page. A number of direct links to different areas of the site have been included below.

QCA: 14-19 learning: Entry to employment
This is a guide for individuals advising young people about the courses and work-based qualifications available at levels 1 to 3, and the progression routes to which they lead. Work-based qualifications enable young people to provide evidence of the skills and knowledge needed to do a specific job.

QCA: 14-19 learning: Exams process
These pages explain who and what is involved in the exam process, from the design of qualifications to the issuing of results to candidates. They describe the stages in exam marking and awarding of grades.

QCA: 14-19 learning: Qualifications
This section of the website contains information relating to qualifications.

QCA: 14-19 learning: Publications
A list of QCA publications relevant to the 14-19 phase.

QCA: 14-19 learning: 11- 16 schools
This part of the website contains the information, guidance and case studies relevant to 11-16 schools.

QCA: Key skills
In this section you will find information and guidance on the key skills. Exemplar tests, reports, updates, awarding body details and IT level 3 and 4 data files are also available here. The key skills specifications can be downloaded from the QCA website.