ADULT SAFEGUARDED LEARNING

Adult Safeguarded Learning Still Available
Though Adult Safeguarded Learning is not part of the Widening Participation Agenda, it has links and connections and the £210mn Adult Safeguarded Learning annual budget is still going strong.

There are no major funding changes for Adult Safeguarded Learning programmes in 2011/12 from the previous year. The ASL Budget for 2011/12 is at the same level as 2010/11.

But four previously separate funding allocations (Personal and Community Development Learning, Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy, Wider Family Learning and Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities) are now combined into a single allocation. They are now “de ring fenced”. Providers are now free to decide how they meet commitments and respond to local communities.

What Adult Safeguarded Learning Funds
While the Government is still consulting on the future, the figures speak for themselves. In 2009/10, 752,800 learners participated on an ASL courses, with 663,000 achievements.

Of these:

  • 579,200 learners took a Personal and Community Development Learning course, and 505,900 learners achieved;
  • 43,700 learners took a Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities course, and 39,800 learners achieved;
  • 71,300 learners took a Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy course, and 62,700 learners achieved;
  • 79,600 learners took a Wider Family Learning course, and 72,600 learners achieved.

This spreadsheet shows Skills Funding Agency Allocations 2011/2012 for the current year including Adult Safeguarded Learning.

CONTINUING PREVIOUS WIDENING PARTICIPATION

Continuing AimHigher Structures
Though previous funding for previous ‘AimHigher’ Widening Participation is no longer available, a start might be made with funding from Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Under its Supplementary Education theme, the Foundation offers possibilities for partnerships between ‘supplementary’ and ‘mainstream’ schools, colleges and others.

This Programme supports proposals for the development of strong, sustainable partnerships between supplementary and mainstream schools. The scheme is particularly interested in proposals that present low cost models for building and maintaining close collaboration and sharing of practice that will in particular, benefit underachieving pupils.

Further information on widening participation will be posted in future Huckfield briefings.