Retention and achievement

In this section, the areas of retention and achievement are addressed. In the first instance, provision and accreditation should be relevant, whether they are discrete or embedded into other programmes. Retention and achievement will be more successful if entry requirements in Skills for Life are declared for all provision, and if a coherent assessment process is in place, so that those with skills gaps can be supported through appropriate provision to meet their goals. Appropriately trained and qualified staff will maximise retention and achievement. All relevant data should be gathered and included in the self-assessment report so that the organisation as a whole is clear about the current retention and achievement success.

Things to consider regarding retention and achievement:

Relevant programmes and accreditation - It is important to ensure that your learners are on the right programme for them. See the Raising Standards website.

Initial information, advice and guidance (IAG) - Effective information, advice and guidance is a crucial strand of the learner journey from pre-course information to post-course tracking services, and is part of the learner entitlement. IAG workers need a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Skills for Life strategy. See the IAG Workforce website.

Is screening and assessment followed by appropriate support: embedded, learning support, key skills, discrete? See the Tools Library website.

Things to consider:

Effective planning process for all learners - Are individual learning plans (ILPs) effective for all learner needs? ILPs demonstrate that learners are achieving their personal targets. For more information about ILPs, see Planning learning and recording progress and achievement: A guide for practitioners.

In embedded programmes, Skills for Life are taught as an integral part of the main course. See Planning learning and recording progress and achievement: A guide for practitioners for more information.

Embedding Skills for Life learning into other contexts, such as vocational courses and work-related learning, can be more meaningful and motivational for learners.

The National Research and Development Centre has analysed the effects on retention and achievement of taking an embedded approach to literacy, language and numeracy in You wouldn't expect a maths teacher to teach plastering… .

Management information and data analysis

Improved data collection and analysis was essential for the pathfinders to measure success. Evidence of improvement collected by the FE pathfinders is summarised in Evidence of improvements for learners - FE Sector (PDF).