ii<strong>Recognis<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>and</strong> Record<strong>in</strong>g Progress <strong>and</strong> Achievement <strong>in</strong> Non-accredited Learn<strong>in</strong>g
<strong>Recognis<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>and</strong> Record<strong>in</strong>g Progress <strong>and</strong> Achievement <strong>in</strong> Non-accredited Learn<strong>in</strong>gExecutive SummaryThe Learn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> Skills Council (LSC) has been work<strong>in</strong>gwith the Department for Education <strong>and</strong> Skills (DfES),the Office for St<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>in</strong> Education (Ofsted)<strong>and</strong> the Adult Learn<strong>in</strong>g Inspectorate (ALI) to developa broad <strong>and</strong> coherent set of measures of success thatcan properly recognise <strong>and</strong> celebrate all learners’<strong>achievement</strong>s across the learn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> skills sector,<strong>and</strong> gauge the success of providers.<strong>Recognis<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>record<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>progress</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>achievement</strong><strong>in</strong> <strong>non</strong>-accredited learn<strong>in</strong>g (RARPA) is a prioritymeasure. It is the first to be piloted, evaluated <strong>and</strong>applied. RARPA applies to <strong>non</strong>-accredited learn<strong>in</strong>g<strong>and</strong> provides a way of recognis<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> <strong>record<strong>in</strong>g</strong>learners’ success <strong>in</strong> this context.The pr<strong>in</strong>ciples of the staged process <strong>and</strong> the benefitsof the approach for quality-assur<strong>in</strong>g learn<strong>in</strong>g will<strong>in</strong>fluence other aspects of the developments with<strong>in</strong>the New Measures agenda.RARPA started as an <strong>in</strong>itiative to raise the qualityof <strong>non</strong>-accredited teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g.It has developed <strong>in</strong>to a priority new measure underSuccess for All, reflect<strong>in</strong>g the significance of this work<strong>and</strong> the contribution RARPA has made to the NewMeasures programme.Non-accredited learn<strong>in</strong>g is typically found <strong>in</strong> adultprovision, often part time, <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> formal <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>formallearn<strong>in</strong>g contexts. RARPA should also be appliedto other areas of <strong>non</strong>-accredited learn<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>glearn<strong>in</strong>g by people with learn<strong>in</strong>g difficulties <strong>and</strong>/ordisabilities where the primary learn<strong>in</strong>g goals maynot be accredited outcomes, <strong>and</strong> Entry to Employment(E2E) provision, where personal <strong>and</strong> social developmentis a key outcome. RARPA is not <strong>in</strong>tended to be appliedto full-time 16-19 provision, for which other newmeasures are be<strong>in</strong>g developed <strong>and</strong> piloted for valueadded<strong>and</strong> distance travelled.RARPA supports the LSC’s aims <strong>and</strong> those of its keypartners, recently described <strong>in</strong> Quality Improvement<strong>and</strong> Self-assessment (LSC, May 2005), by provid<strong>in</strong>gthe approach for quality-assur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>non</strong>-accreditedprovision. The guidance requires, as a m<strong>in</strong>imum,that providers’ self-assessments <strong>in</strong>clude judgementson all areas, accredited <strong>and</strong> <strong>non</strong>-accredited,<strong>and</strong> evaluate all learners’ <strong>achievement</strong>s.The key themes of RARPA are that:• the learner is at the centre of the RARPAapproach• the purpose of <strong>in</strong>troduc<strong>in</strong>g RARPAis to enhance the learners’ experience• the application of RARPA should be fitfor purpose• the approach, both <strong>in</strong> the staged process<strong>and</strong> the quality assurance of learn<strong>in</strong>g,is to be unbureaucratic• the approach should complement <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>tegratewith exist<strong>in</strong>g processes for quality assurance<strong>and</strong> learner <strong>record<strong>in</strong>g</strong>• the staged process is mapped to the newCommon Inspection Framework (CIF)<strong>and</strong> should encourage effective self-assessment<strong>and</strong> evidence of effective learn<strong>in</strong>g processesat <strong>in</strong>spection (see paragraphs 49 to 53 below).The actions that providers need to take are to:• ensure the quality assurance processes,self-assessment <strong>and</strong> quality improvementplann<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>clude all provision, accredited<strong>and</strong> <strong>non</strong>-accredited• review teach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g strategiesfor <strong>non</strong>-accredited learn<strong>in</strong>g to ensure thatthe staged process can be applied to teach<strong>in</strong>gpractices <strong>in</strong> a way that ensures the stagedprocess is be<strong>in</strong>g applied to the benefitof learners• review their quality assurance systemsto ensure that sufficient <strong>in</strong>formationis collected <strong>in</strong> a suitable way to allow selfassessmentdecisions to be taken• review data collection systems to ensure thatthese are fit for purpose <strong>and</strong> not unnecessarilybureaucratic• develop, as necessary, self-assessment report<strong>in</strong>gprocesses for 2005-06 to cover all provision,accredited <strong>and</strong> <strong>non</strong>-accredited• implement RARPA for E2E provision fromSeptember 2005.iii