Last updated 16th September 2005
by Helen Nichols
Version 2 website
Launch 22nd October 2001

SYKSP Project - Key Skills News from South Yorkshire Colleges

South Yorkshire Colleges and the SY Key Skills Passport
The South Yorkshire Colleges are currently considering how to advance development of the South Yorkshire Key Skills Passport in their area. Sheffield College have finalised their plans and the LEA is currently drawing up a contract.
Sheffield College key skills team is, at present,supporting Sheffield schools in their delivery of key skills, on a consultancy basis.
NB: SY colleges will need to be able to find the 50% match themselves, in order to access the ESF funding. Each LEA will contract with their colleges in order that the college can access the ESF funding to support pre-16 key skills activity.
Contact your scheme manager to find out exactly how much funding is available for your college.

Some possible ways forward might be:
* Using the passport to accredit college vocational taster courses
* Sharing good practice ,including key skills assignments between
schools and colleges via the website
* College tutors accessing the SYKSP training programme and
working towards the key skill qualification at level 3 and /or the BTEC
qualification to become a key skills assessor (Event to be held between
April and June)
* Experts from SY colleges supporting school key skills
developments - consultancy
* Building up an advice page on the website including FAQs about
teaching and co-ordination of key skills
* For admission tutors to be aware of the passport scheme
* Further development of the Points Score system in Sheffield
between a group of schools and the college to include SYKSP, as a
recognised progression route

What's happening with Key Skills in the South Yorkshire colleges ?
Sheffield College
- 2,500 students 16-18 year old students at Sheffield college are currently working towards the key skills qualification at Level 3. This is delivered through TEKS (The Tutorial enrichment and Key Skills Programme) All students have a personal tutor. Tutorial take place weekly and tutors direct and assess the key skills development of their tutor group.
- Level 1 students are undertaking a basic skills programme, which includes Maths and English.
- All students have key skills support programmed into their timetable. All have access to short taught key skills programmes.
- It is intended that all subjects and subject teachers will contribute in a planned way to students practising their key skills and contributing to portfolio development.
(Information from Ian Johns, Key Skills Manager, Sheffield College)

Barnsley College
( Key Skills Co-ordinator - Phyllis Eblett) has 2 systems for the delivery of key skills. There are between 1700 and 1800 students enrolled to key skills across the college
1.* Level 3 students( e.g A level,BTEC national ,Advanced Diploma) are divided into tutor groups. There are 60 tutor groups (Every hour two tutorials and 4 key skills lessons take place)
* Specific dedicated lessons for key skills test ( 2 hours for each key skill over 4 weeks)
* 2 hours spent on assessment of work taken from main programme of study
* A drop in facility is available to prepare student evidence and provide 1:1 guidance
2.* All vocational students are enrolled onto level 1 and 2 key skills
* Vocational students have 1 hour per week timetabled for each key skills
Other points
- Registration with OCR is taking place at the moment (Feb 2001)
- Some students are entered for tests in March
- OCR have completed an advisory visit to Barnsley college

RCAT - Rotherham College of Arts and Technology
- (Head of Unit Tutorials, Enhancement and Key Skills- Paul G. Daniels)
All 16 -18 year old full time students are taking key
skills (approximately 640). RCAT has 3 main models for the delivery of key skills
* Most of the courses apart from those running in the sixth form centre students have 1 hour per week for key skills. It is delivered through TEKS (Tutorial Enrichment and Key Skills) units, by one of the
key skills team or by tutor with a vocational background
* The NVQ construction students are currently working on key skills with the help of CITB and City and Guilds ( This vocational linking is a particulary
welcome development at RCAT)
*The Central Sixth Form College are operating a model similar to Barnsley College in that the key skills are linked to the subjects and directed self study.
Other points
- RCAT has recently had internal moderation and Edexcel training.
- There are two main areas for schools and colleges undertaking key
skills to consider. They are the actual assessment/delivery of key
skills and staff development (i.e tutors developing their own key
skills)

Doncaster College
(Key Skills Co-ordinator - Alison Hughes)
All 16-18 year olds are taking at least one key skill, where all three are not taken, substitute qualifications are taken.There are approximately 1,800 students claiming the entitlement in 2000/01.

Four models are in operation:
1. Key skills are linked to subjects with self-directed study, with additional support identified via diagnostic tests (mainly 6th form centre and Arts).
2. Key skills mainly delivered and assessed via vocational units and enrichment activities. Gaps in the KS syllabus is taught in 1 - 3 hours a week. This model comprises the majority of programmes.
3. Key Skills taught and assessed separately, although vocational work forms the basis for the portfolio. These form a minority of programmes.
4. Work Based Training. There are 500 students on this programme and key skills is delivered jointly by the workplace and the college.

Tests
In the first year, students will be tested in the March and June series, this will be reviewed for next year.

Exam Boards
The majority of our students are registered with Edexcel, a minority registered with OCR, and a few registered with HAB.

Thomas Rotherham College - awaiting update