An Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta
Department of Education and Science
Evaluation of Centre for Education
REPORT
Kilkenny Youthreach
Desart Hall, New Street, Kilkenny
Date of inspection: 23 March 2007
Date of issue of report: 17 January 2008
2 quality of centre management
4 quality of teaching and learning
5 summary of strengths and recommendations for further development
EVALUATION OF CENTRES FOR EDUCATION
This report has been written following an evaluation of Kilkenny Youthreach centre. It presents the findings of an evaluation of the work of the centre as a whole and makes recommendations for the further development of the work of the centre. Prior to the evaluation visit, the inspectors held a pre-evaluation meeting with the co-ordinator and teaching staff of the centre. The evaluation was conducted over a number of days during which the inspectors visited classrooms and observed teaching and learning. The inspectors interacted with teaching staff and learners in the centre, examined learners’ work and conducted an interview with a representative group of learners. Structured interviews were also conducted with a group of parents, with the centre co-ordinator, with members of the board of management, and with both the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Adult Education Officer (AEO) of Co. Kilkenny VEC. The inspectors reviewed relevant centre planning documentation and teachers’ written preparation. Following the evaluation visit, the inspectors provided oral feedback on the outcomes of the evaluation to the management and staff of the centre. The board of management of the school was given an opportunity to comment in writing on the findings and recommendations of the report, and the response of the board will be found in the appendix of this report.
1 centre context and ethos
Context
The Youthreach programme in Kilkenny is delivered in Desart Hall, New Street, Kilkenny. Desart Hall, originally the property of the Dysert family is owned by the Catholic diocese of Ossory and is rented by Co. Kilkenny VEC to house a number of its youth programmes. Youthreach occupies the first floor of the two-storey building.
The programme attracts learners from Kilkenny city and county, as well as some from Carlow. Serving such a wide catchment area, Kilkenny Youthreach is relatively small, both in the limited space it occupies and in its intake of twenty-five learners only. It has been in operation since the end of 1998, and has been developing its current direction during the past four years.
The programme on offer in the centre is geared to meeting the needs of its learners and so can differ significantly from year to year. The centre’s main focus is on educational certification for its learners. Twenty of its twenty-five learners are currently following a traditional Leaving Certificate programme. The other five learners are enrolled in a foundation course. A number of those in the Leaving Certificate cohort completed a foundation course with some FETAC certification, prior to embarking on the Leaving Certificate course. Entry to Kilkenny Youthreach is limited because of space and local circumstances. Kilkenny’s history of social service provision has resulted in the existence of a web of youth services, many under the patronage of the VEC. FÁS too through its Community Training Centre provides activities and initial ‘training’ or ‘pre-training’ courses for early school leavers.
Distinctive character and atmosphere
Kilkenny Youthreach is marked by an atmosphere of order, quiet work, clear goals, commitment and focused leadership. Because many of the learners are aged between eighteen and twenty-one years, and have come to the centre specifically to acquire a Leaving Certificate qualification, motivation to learn is high. Support by the staff for these learners is seen in the encouragement and support given to enable the learners to pass their particular subjects in the Leaving Certificate examination. A sense of purpose based on mutual respect exists in the centre. Such an atmosphere provides a healthy basis for personal and social development. The caring ethos which pervades the centre is obvious especially in the dealings which staff members have with the small group of learners who are not following the Leaving Certificate programme. The resource person is particularly effective in the manner in which he deals with the individuals in this group. Learners value the time they are given by staff and mention this fact along with the respect they are shown as defining attributes of Kilkenny Youthreach as a centre for education.
Supports for learners
While some learners or their parents approach the centre directly, entry for others is facilitated by one or more of the local services such as the local education welfare officer (EWO), the visiting teacher for Travellers (VTT), a representative of the Health Services Executive (HSE) or by the local Junior Liaison Officer of the Gárda Síochána.
Initial assessment is limited to ascertaining the general level of learners’ educational achievement with a view to appropriate class placement. Based on applicants’ previous educational attainment and perceived ability, tests in English and Mathematics are administered at one of three levels designated as ‘Leaving Certificate’, ‘Junior Certificate’ or ‘Options’. Such assessment needs to be supplemented in a variety of ways to enable the creation of individual education or action plans on which to base and chart the learner’s progress in the centre. In particular the guidance person should be involved with staff at this initial stage.
Learners readily state that, coming to Youthreach, what distinguishes the centre from their previous experience of education is the manner in which they are treated by staff. The supportive and respectful treatment they experience is something new to many of them in their generally negative experience of education. This core support manifests itself in the understanding teachers have of the personal, social and learning difficulties of many learners. It is seen in the way the teachers interact with the learners, in the manner in which they earn respect by setting reasonable boundaries and flexibly supportive structures. It is also seen in the encouragement towards achieving their goals, in the patience in bringing them through the steps of their learning and in being accessible to the learners. All of this was confirmed in various ways by the learners who participated in the interview conducted with them by the inspectors in the course of the evaluation visit. It is facilitated by teacher-learner interaction taking place in small groups, allowing considerable individual support. It is further enhanced by a mentoring system whereby each teacher is responsible for the care of a small number of learners. With discretion and tact, the pairing of a learner and a particular staff member is done taking strengths and needs of each into account.
Teacher interest in the learners is also seen when the latter absent themselves from the centre. Phone contact with the learner or their home is made by the co-ordinator or resource person. Such calls can at times involve a certain amount of persuasion to entice the learner to attend. In the case of repeated or prolonged absence, home visits and letters sent to the learner’s home are normal.
The guidance service provided is directed towards the career choices of the Leaving Certificate cohort, mainly on a one-to-one basis. This includes career profiling based on a standard psychometric aptitude test, preparation of individual curriculum vitae and relevant cover letters to accompany these. A more fruitful programme of personal supports and outcomes should be required of this service. In particular, the guidance person should be involved in the initial assessment of the learners and in devising, with others in the centre, an appropriate learning plan for the learner. The person with responsibility for guidance should also be available to support the personal and emotional needs of the learners during their stay in the centre.
Kilkenny Youthreach is to be complimented for its multi-faceted cultivation of learners’ interests in the arts. The Arts Council, the Dance Theatre of Ireland, participation in a writer-in-residence scheme, visits from musicians, visits to art galleries and to specific art exhibitions all support a vibrant arts programme in the centre. Interfacing in so many ways with the artistic and cultural life of Kilkenny is an excellent form of potential integration in the life of the city for these young people.
Some beneficial supports expected and found generally in centres offering the Youthreach programme are not offered to learners in Kilkenny. These include adequate access to practical subjects and sport, the provision of work experience and appropriate preparation for this. Some learners who come to embark directly on the Leaving Certificate course may not be able to benefit from an appropriate range of personal, social and literacy programmes, deemed central to the Youthreach programme. The allocation of monies to staff members to provide individual grinds in Leaving Certificate subjects is irregular and should be discontinued. The practice in other centres of providing balanced and nutritious meals for the learners is not a feature of provision in Kilkenny Youthreach. This divergence from standard practice might be considered by the management of the centre, particularly in the light of learners’ lunch choices, on the street, noted during the visit of the inspectors.
Links with the community
Kilkenny Youthreach makes very good use of a number of services and benefits especially from a range of cultural and artistic activities in the locality. Contacts are normally made by individual staff members arising from general interest or in support of their subject area. Two excellent experiences were observed during the days of the evaluation visits when a group playing traditional music performed for the learners in the centre and on another occasion a group from the centre visited an art exhibition arranged prior to the evaluation. The centre has close links with Ossory Youth Support Services, housed on the ground floor of Desert Hall. The Youthreach centre has generous access to the computer room of Ossory Youth and also avails of their minibus to good effect, especially for the summer programme.
Further links with the local community should be developed for the benefit of learners. Parents, to whom end of term reports are already sent, might be helped to engage with the centre through the establishment of more formal parent-teacher structures. It is recommended that representatives of parents and of business or industry be included as members of the board of management. This is particularly relevant in the light of the centre’s need to develop contacts and structures to support a work experience programme. The Centre Development Plan 2004-2007 includes the intention to develop a ‘P.R. Strategy’. This needs to be done without delay. In that context, the centre’s Information Booklet needs to be revised to fulfil a need, expressed to the inspectors, to make Youthreach more widely known in Kilkenny.
2 quality of centre management
Role of VEC and board of management
Co. Kilkenny VEC maintains close links with this centre, the only one designated as ‘Youthreach’ in the county. This is done mainly by the Adult Education Officer (AEO) who liaises with centre personnel and board of management. The inspectors had a joint meeting with the CEO and AEO in the course of the evaluation. A separate meeting took place between the inspectors and the board of management. The main concerns expressed by the CEO related firstly to the national issue of the career structure of staff in designated ‘centres for education’, and secondly, the desirability that resources allocated for special needs at primary or post-primary levels might continue to be allocated to support the learners in Youthreach. Reference was also made by the CEO to the matter of programme balance, in particular the severe restrictions on practical areas of the curriculum and physical education or sport, due to restricted physical space in and around the building. Added to these concerns, it was highlighted at the inspectors’ meeting with the board of management that many young people out of school in Kilkenny were unable to access an appropriate education, such as could be provided by the Youthreach programme.
While the matters of staffing and resources for special needs are for consideration at national level, the issues of space and programming are within the capacity of Co. Kilkenny VEC and should be attended to with some urgency. It is recommended that both of these issues be considered within the broader framework of need expressed to the inspectors during the meeting with the board of management. This need, reiterated by personnel of the School Completion Programme and others indicates the existence in Kilkenny of a sizeable number of early school leavers who may not be in receipt of an appropriate ‘alternative’ or ‘second chance’ education. This suggests that Kilkenny needs a centre to accommodate many more potential learners in a building that could offer reasonable access to practical subjects, sport and adequate canteen facilities.
It is therefore recommended that Co. Kilkenny VEC begin to address the issues of a more comprehensive provision of educational programmes for early school leavers. This should include a review of the current Youthreach programme content and focus and a consideration of how buildings and facilities might be sourced to adequately accommodate increased numbers of learners.
It is also recommended that the composition of the board of management be reviewed with a view to making it more representative and effective. To this end, those members who do not attend meetings or whose organisations have become defunct might be dropped. It is recommended that a representative of parents/guardians/families of the learners as well as a representative of local business or industry should be invited to join the board of management.
Internal centre management and administration
The management work undertaken by the co-ordinator of the centre is effective and efficient. She engages actively in all aspects of the work, showing a keen interest in the academic, personal and social development of the learners. She is the main point of contact for callers to the centre and was seen by the inspectors to be particularly effective in maintaining staff morale. The co-ordinator has an office for her own use, housing all relevant files for the centre. However, most of the day-to-day management and administrative work of the centre is carried out in the staff room. This room, at the entrance to the corridor where the Youthreach classrooms are located, is the hub of the centre. It is where learners sign in each morning, where they come to talk to staff, especially the co-ordinator or resource person. It is where the in-house administrator has her desk for the ten hours per week allocated for this purpose. Working closely with the co-ordinator, the administrator provides general reception, secretarial and administrative assistance for the programme. Her work includes support for staff, the processing of payments to the learners, dealing with the centre’s non-pay budget and providing regular returns, reports, minutes as required by the co-ordinator and the AEO. Management in the centre is appropriately supported by the administrative services provided at VEC office level.
Organisation of the curriculum
All references to the curriculum in the literature of the centre mention it as being developed to meet the needs of the learners. It is seen to do this in the context of the philosophy of the centre which prioritises attainment of ‘recognised qualification’. The mission statement reads: ‘The purpose of County Kilkenny Youthreach is to give young people aged between 15 and 20 the opportunity to gain a recognised qualification and develop social and personal skills in order to participate positively in society’. During the 2005-2006 academic year, only the traditional Junior and Leaving Certificate programmes were on offer in Kilkenny Youthreach. This year, twenty of the centre’s twenty-five learners are preparing for the Leaving Certificate examination, one group in June 2007, the other group in June 2008. The twenty learners preparing for the Leaving Certificate examination all study English and Mathematics. Eighteen learners have opted to take Geography, thirteen Art, twelve Accounting, nine take both Business and Home Economics, eight take both History and Construction Studies, and one learner is studying Irish.
Such a programme may be seen to set up the centre as an alternative provider of academic post-primary senior cycle programmes. It may be argued that those learners who come to the centre to engage directly in the Leaving Certificate programme might more appropriately be accommodated elsewhere within the VEC programmes. However, most of the centre’s learners needed some measure of extra ‘foundation’ support to help them engage with the Leaving Certificate course, beyond what might normally be available in a mainstream school. The methodology employed here is different. Greater individual supports are available. Working in smaller groups, with greater flexibility and fewer constraints, benefits the learners and the financial supports are helpful. Most of these learners come to the centre having experienced some level of disaffection or trauma in their lives. Some have spent considerable time out of school. Others have experienced failure through inability to proceed at the pace of their classmates.
Given that most are not able to cope in that way, and observing the considerable difficulties they exhibit in trying to master aspects of the programme, the continuing need for literacy support is obvious. So too is a comprehensive programme of social and personal education, which should be visible on the timetable. The almost complete absence of practical subjects from the curriculum in the centre was lamented by some of the learners. Their inclusion would make the programme more relevant and accessible to the learners who were clearly struggling with a complex Leaving Certificate course, some of which meant little to them.
A small group of approximately five learners are taught together under a programme entitled ‘Options’. Learners in this group work on a number of FETAC modules throughout the year. Areas of study are timetabled under Literacy, Numeracy, Maths, Art and Craft, Computers, R.S.E., Geography, English, History, Woodwork/Construction, Sport, Home Economics. Literacy levels in this group are extremely low and attendance is poor. Most learners in this group have special education needs and require much individual attention. Individual teachers treat them with great understanding, kindness and personal supports. The resource person, in particular, is to be congratulated on his work and approach with this group. However, these learners are in need of initial professional educational assessment and each should have a specific education plan. Their meaningful engagement in a relevant programme requires additional planning by the entire centre team.
The summer programme of Kilkenny Youthreach is lively, varied and creative. This is true of the programme planned for 2007 as well as the evidence seen in the centre from the 2006 programme. On-site activities include basic first aid training, film-making, car safety demonstrations, and speakers on a range of social, financial and entertainment issues. Visits are arranged to places as diverse as Mitchelstown Caves, GAA museum in Dublin, Guinness brewery, Oakwood in Wales and the Dunbrody Famine Ship in New Ross. Learners are given the opportunity to participate in activities such as kayaking, rock-climbing, orienteering, pitch and putt, archery, ice-skating and others which may not normally come within their experience range. Much of the summer programme is conceived in a manner that enables learners to benefit from certification in a range of FETAC modules. Such certification is available to those already working on FETAC programmes as well as to those preparing for the Leaving Certificate examination.
Staff deployment
The staff team comprises the centre co-ordinator, one resource person, and four other teaching staff members. The co-ordinator and resource person are employed on a temporary wholetime (TWT) basis. Three staff members work part time (PT) while one is on contract of indefinite duration (CID). The three teachers on PT contracts work mainly as subject teachers, with an emphasis on teaching the Leaving Certificate programme and preparing the learners for this examination. A part-time teacher works in a PT capacity as centre ‘administrator’. All are suitably qualified and experienced. However, considerable upskilling in literacy teaching is needed by most of the staff.
The work of the co-ordinator in the centre is effectively complemented by the role and modus operandi of the resource person. Through his teaching of aspects of Construction Studies and his engagement with FETAC modules, learners are involved in a meaningful way in their own education, with a personally supportive bias. His engagement with the Options group is particularly impressive and is in keeping with the holistic philosophy of education in a Youthreach centre.
Accommodation and resources
The Youthreach programme in Kilkenny is delivered on the first floor of Desart Hall. This is a compact space which, on the whole, is adequate for delivery of most of the current programme. There are three general classrooms, a computer room, art room, guidance room, staff room, kitchen, toilets and a very small rest room. The centre has no outdoor space and no space or facilities on the premises for practical subjects and sport. While these facilities are sourced outside the centre, there is considerable inconvenience especially concerning the storage of items for the Construction Studies course. These have to be brought back to the centre after each class – an activity which becomes impractical in the context of large items or inclement weather.
The inspectors understand that consideration has already been given to an alternative siting of Kilkenny Youthreach. Along with the limited space noted above, other drawbacks include the fact that the centre does not have wheelchair access, has very poor canteen facilities and presents certain potential health and safety risks. Further, being a listed building, the centre’s capacity to develop or adapt is restricted, especially concerning work on the windows. The major advantage of having the programme in Desart Hall is its central location, in particular its accessibility to learners who travel from all parts of the county by bus. Isolation from the attractions and facilities of town along with difficulty of access are seen to make alternative accommodation unattractive.
Resources in the centre as well as those available from outside are adequate. Computer hardware and software are sufficient and well utilised. There is a generous supply of books, cards and games used to support the centre’s various programmes. This is particularly true of the material resources for literacy in the centre. Materials are neatly stored in shelved cupboards, which are allocated to individual teachers. The tidiness of the centre is impressive, something which is essential to maintain order in a small space occupied by approximately thirty people.
3 quality of centre planning
Centre plan and policies
In the context of the Quality Framework Initiative, Kilkenny Youthreach has a Centre Development Plan in place, covering the years 2004 to 2007. Following consultation with staff, management and learners, this plan was compiled by the centre’s ‘planning group’ supported by a QFI facilitator. The ‘planning group’ consisted mainly of the co-ordinator and resource person. Actions planned for the three years of the plan are more or less up to date with the final action, the development of a ‘P.R. Strategy’ proposed for the term March-June 2007. In the light of findings in this report concerning poor local knowledge of the existence of Youthreach, and some concerns about early school leavers in the city and county not being adequately provided for educationally, the inspectors consider this action to be of high importance.
The centre has a wide range of written policies in place. These are clear, concise and practical and form the basis for action as need arises. The issue of child protection was discussed with the management of the centre. Evidence was provided to confirm that management and staff have taken appropriate steps to develop policies in line with the provisions in Children First: National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children (Department of Health and Children, 1999). A designated liaison person has been appointed in line with the requirements of these Department of Health and Children guidelines and staff members have participated in relevant continuous professional development organised by Co. Kilkenny VEC.
Planning process
In all areas of this centre’s planning, staff and learners are involved in the initial consultation phase. The work of drafting policies is done by the co-ordinator, with the assistance of the resource person and the AEO. Responsibility for specific actions and their monitoring are shared among the staff members. These are clearly tabulated under the actions specified for each of the three years of the Centre Development Plan 2004-2007.
Implementation of plan
Internal centre evaluation, within the QFI process, was carried out in summer 2006. Areas identified for development, arising from this review, include expansion of the programme, inclusion of a work experience programme and review of the centre’s guidance policy. Suitability of the premises also features as an item for consideration. All of these items now need attention. It is also recommended that documents compiled during the 2004 to 2007 planning phase might be reviewed to reflect changing circumstances or to give a more comprehensive statement.
4 quality of teaching and learning
Planning and preparation
Planning for teaching in the centre is carried out, for the most part, at the level of the individual teacher. This is seen in particular in the two Leaving Certificate groups, where the emphasis is on delivery of syllabus content. Long-term preparation of material by the teachers takes into account and attempts to balance the extent and depth of the syllabus material, the time to be spent delivering the course, allowing for a degree of learner absenteeism, and the capacity of the learners to absorb the matter presented. With few exceptions, homework is not a feature of study for these learners; neither is much independent learning. For these reasons, planning for teaching, along with the sequence of material to be presented, incorporates provision for work by the learners during class time.
Planning for lessons observed by the inspectors is generally appropriate, fitting in to the continuum of the programme and reflecting the teacher’s targeted level of programme coverage at this time of year. In some areas attempts are being made to cover a number of new topics in quick succession. This is extremely challenging for the learners. It is recommended that the staff, as a whole, reach a level of consensus concerning the breadth and depth of coverage planned for each subject.
In the context of overall centre planning of the curriculum, two considerations are relevant. Firstly, in relation to subject provision, the programme is essentially academic, with very little capacity for subjects of a more practical nature. Secondly, while teachers explain their material well and are extremely supportive of individual learners, the material studied is merely a means to an end, namely certification, with little genuine engagement or enjoyment being derived by the learners from most of the subjects. This becomes very obvious when, in contrast, one observes the fulfilment they experience in being able to engage in a hands-on way in art class. Learners’ burden needs to be lightened by the inclusion of more practical subjects on the curriculum.
The needs of learners in the ‘Options’ group closely reflect those of the general learner cohort found nationally in centres delivering the Youthreach programme. Planning for this group needs to be firmly based on the individual plans for each learner. Specific goals need to be articulated for each with development of literacy skills prioritised. A considerable amount of collaborative and cross-curricular planning is required in the programme being delivered to this ‘Options’ group. Their programme needs to be made more user-friendly and delivered in a unified and cohesive manner which they understand and in which they participate more fully.
Classroom management and teaching methodologies
Two very different kinds of classroom management and teaching methodologies are in evidence in the Kilkenny Youthreach centre. These are based on the programme division into Leaving Certificate and Options elements. Learners in the Leaving Certificate groups are young adults, most of them aged eighteen to twenty years, who are appreciative of a ‘second chance’ education, are generally well behaved and are motivated to achieve certification. Securing a Leaving Certificate is their reason for being in the centre. With small numbers and academic subjects, the general practice is essentially a direct, lecture style of presentation, supported by photocopied pages which combine the material being taught and questions or exercises based on that material. These may be taken from a variety of sources, though on the whole they are textbook based. Activity in the classroom is purposeful and learners are given consistent, caring and encouraging individual attention. It is the caring quality of this attention, normally in small groups, and in an unhurried manner which distinguishes the study environment of these learners from that of their peers in mainstream schools.
Staff and learners share a common goal, namely the attainment of ‘the Leaving Cert’ as a passport to employment or further education. Imparting information is accepted as the normal role of the teacher. Group work, pair work or any of the more active methodologies were rarely seen. Greater involvement by the learners could be achieved by more lively questioning, and by giving the learners a greater role in discovery and exploration of information for themselves.
Support for the poor literacy levels of many of the learners is understated, with some teachers showing awareness of the need to explain or spell many commonplace words. Words misspelled or incorrect punctuation are generally ignored in work presented by the learners. This is understandable in the context of trying to get a course covered, while upholding learner morale. However, it indicates a need for continuous engagement by staff in cross-curricular support for literacy and ideally, a more focused improvement of literacy skills, prior to embarking on what is seen as an ‘assault’ on the Leaving Certificate programme.
Teaching aids, such as film and computer software enhance certain areas of study. Good use is made of the blackboard, especially for illustration, revision and summary purposes. Overheads, where used, tended to have too much material at one glance. This was disconcerting for the learners who tried to read the very small print and listen to the teacher at the same time. Art, especially, has the benefit of exhibitions, artist visits and general artistic activity in Kilkenny’s galleries. It is excellent to see the arts in all their forms promoted by the entire centre community.
Teaching in the Options group is entirely different from that seen in the Leaving Certificate classes. The group of five learners, an ideal number to enable teachers to respond to the specific needs in evidence, is rarely complete. In several instances, two or at most three learners were in class. This is a group whose needs require detailed planning by the entire staff. No two show the same kinds of special needs. For this reason, attention, motivation and progress of each learner needs to be supported by an IEP, crafted jointly by the resource person, individual teachers, and the guidance person, with such other input as may be deemed appropriate according to the need.
Programme content observed by the inspectors is well chosen with the learners’ interests in mind. A wide range of varied resource materials, including books, games and cards, is available in the classroom. Inevitably, regardless of the lesson title, work is forced to resort to aspects of literacy teaching. The capacity of some of the teachers to interact with these learners is admirable. Others will need to develop skills to deal with the extremely short concentration span of most of this group. Most importantly, development of the literacy skills of these learners needs to be more carefully planned and more structured.
Assessment of learners’ progress
Teachers are seen to know the individual levels of ability and application of the learners in their particular classes. They also know where each learner is at in their particular subjects and by means of the contents of some of the learners’ folders, progress can be detected. It is recommended however, that teachers chart the progress of each learner in a more systematic way, that regular testing is used in a formative way, and that learners themselves can gain by being able to build their confidence on the progress they can observe for themselves.
Outcomes and standards
During the last full year, 2005-2006, eighteen learners left the centre. Most of these achieved their planned goals in the Junior or Leaving Certificate examinations. Copies of certificates from the State Examinations Commission were seen by the inspectors. Information supplied on the destination of this cohort of learners shows that seven learners proceeded directly to work, two engaged in FÁS training courses, two continued in further education and one learner resumed study in a mainstream post-primary school. This is excellent progress for the twelve learners, two-thirds of those who left the centre last year, who so achieved. Given the focused nature of educational provision in Kilkenny Youthreach, the level of individual support given to learners to achieve their goals, it may now be time to look nationally at that group of young people, who, even after Youthreach support, and for various reasons, remain outside the work and education fields. More specifically, one might also ask if the programme offered to that one third of the year’s cohort matched their needs.
In terms of personal and social development, it is clear to the inspectors that learners’ experience in Kilkenny Youthreach is an enriching one. Inspectors were made aware of decline in anti-social behaviour and saw evidence of learners’ ability to better manage their lives. Positive attitudes, self-confidence and a realisation that after two or three years in the centre, the learners felt they had a basis on which to build a meaningful life for themselves, are among the more nebulous but very real outcomes for learners in Kilkenny Youthreach.
5 summary of strengths and recommendations for further development
The following are the main strengths identified in the evaluation:
¨ This centre benefits from an exceptionally strong, committed and effective management team, incorporating the centre co-ordinator and resource person with support from the AEO.
¨ Staff members, while mainly subject-based, offer much individual care and support to the learners.
¨ Learners are enabled to benefit from State certification.
¨ The compact space available to the programme has advantages in the areas of programme management and learner behaviour.
¨ The staff has access to excellent resources for certain areas of the programme.
As a means of building on these strengths and to address areas for development, the following key recommendations are made:
¨ Co. Kilkenny VEC should consider and seek to address through an expanded and more appropriate Youthreach programme the needs of a wider range of early school-leavers, especially in Kilkenny City.
¨ A revised admissions policy to reflect that intake should be drawn up with input from all stakeholders.
¨ While preparation of learners for eventual certification is laudable, all learners should have an initial foundation course incorporating social and personal education and the development of literacy skills.
¨ Work experience is an integral part of the national Youthreach programme and should be made available to all learners in this centre in a planned manner.
¨ A more comprehensive, whole centre approach is required to support the literacy needs of learners.
¨ The role of the guidance counsellor in the centre should be expanded to include support for assessment and learning, particularly for learners in the Options group.
¨ The Leaving Certificate curriculum on offer in the centre needs to be revised to include a greater balance of practical and academic subjects.
¨ The intention to develop a ‘PR strategy’ for the centre should be undertaken immediately. The dissemination of factual information about the centre and its programme should be targeted to reach those most likely to benefit from the service.
Post-evaluation meetings were held with the co-ordinator, teaching staff and AEO at the conclusion of the evaluation when the draft findings and recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed.
Appendix
School Response to the Report
Submitted by the Board of Management
Area 1 Observations on the content of the inspection report
1.1 Context
Co. Kilkenny V.E.C. Youthreach Centre operates a protocol arrangement with the local C.T.C. , Kilkenny Employment For Youth, with the C.T.C. offering a more practical programme and Youthreach offering a combination of practical and academic subjects leading to certification through state examinations and through FETAC. This has been the case since its inception in 1998.
1.3 Supports for Learners
The learning environment in Youthreach is characterised by small group work and individual learning support. Part of the learning support programme involves individual learning provision based on the needs of the learners determined by the professional judgement of the co-ordinator and staff. This additional support involves tutorial support, work-related to specific learning difficulties, reinforcement of learning as well as advocacy, and mentoring work and while it has included individual support for learners coming up to examinations, to describe it as ‘individual grinds’ as understood in today’s wider educational context is to undervalue and misinterpret it as an educational support measure within the context of the programme.
2.3 Organisation of the Curriculum
This report rightly points out that “most of the learners in Youthreach have experienced some level of disaffection or trauma in their lives”, accordingly the best learning environment for them is one where the atmosphere and the range of supports is such that it can encourage their ongoing participation and progression. We strongly believe that these learners would not maintain their engagement elsewhere within other V.E.C. programmes without the supports provided in Youthreach.
Area 2 Follow-up actions planned or undertaken since the completion of the inspection activity to implement the findings and recommendations of the inspection.
5. Recommendations
- County Kilkenny V.E.C. has sought additional places to meet local need and ensure curricular balance and looks forward to a positive response to this in 2008.
- The policy on Guidance is currently being reviewed and extra support from the Guidance Counsellor is being provided to all learners.
Work Experience has been made available to all learners in the centre.