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The Tamar Valley Consortium (TVC) was a unique educational project developed in Plymouth UK. It ran from 1985 until 2011 when it was assumed within the Plymouth Learning Trust (PLT). At its peak it involved over 1500 14-19 students from a group of 23 schools and colleges.

The TVC evolved from an early CPVE consortium. The Certificate of Pre-Vocational Training (CPVE) was a curriculum model that mixed vocational training with work experience, key skills, and access to range of traditional sixth form courses. To be effective it needed to be delivered through school/further education college consortia. The compact city of Plymouth proved a suitable location for schools and colleges to make effective links.

Through the 1980's, in a response to growing youth unemployment schools across the UK began experimenting with post 16 learning programmes; to help young people enter increasingly challenging working environment. Initially there was a demand for GCSE retake programmes but the success rate for these courses was low. Programmes built around City and Guilds 365 courses and the following CPVE were explored as it was thought these could more effectively meet the needs of what became known as the 'new sixth-former'.

The response in Plymouth began in the mid 1985 where the City's comprehensive schools were led by an unusual group of head teachers. Faced with a demand for a new approach to post 16 learning programmes the school leaders realised that they could achieve more through working together than by competing. The group formed a consortium to deliver new post 16 courses and chose the new Certificate of Pre-Vocational Education (CPVE) as the hub. The consortium rapidly grew and it included all of the city comprehensives, Plymouth College of Further Education, and Plymouth College of Art and Design. In 1986 it was possibly the largest CPVE consortium in England.

The consortium was managed by a series of teachers seconded from one or other of the partner schools. In 1986 Keith Jones was the first appointed to the post of full-time co-ordinator of the City of Plymouth CPVE Consortium.

In 1989, with the support of Trevor Hamilton, Devon's Training and Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI) Co-ordinator, In Service Education and Training (INSET) was provided for those acting in the role of CPVE Co-ordinators at Consortium schools and colleges. This served to develop the understanding of the post 16 issues and extend the cross-institution networks; a common vision emerged.

In 1990 Maggie Noble was the second teacher appointed to the post of City CPVE Co-ordinator. Although all partners were loyal to the CPVE ideal it was acknowledged that there were flaws in the qualification. The 'taster' approach to vocational modules did not encourage commitment in the students and even with consortium sharing there were limited course options. To make up viable groups and to place students with contrasting vocational aims, learners were sometimes placed on inappropriate modules. The CPVE qualification itself had a brief history, it was beset with academic snobbery and it proved difficult to ensure universal acceptance. The Consortium tried to work with the awarding body to develop the qualification but progress was slow.

Desperate to expand the vocational choices two partner schools (Estover C.C. and Plymstock School) began to work directly with privately owned training providers (PSC Training and Professional Leisure Training). The alternative courses proved successful at retaining the students and the vocational qualifications helped to fast track them into apprenticeships. The experience of working with training providers was shared with partner schools and a branch of the consortium was formed around Plymstock School to extend the work with these commercial training companies.

The 'Approved Trainers' (AP) as they were then called could take small groups of sixth form students onto adult learning programmes on an infill basis. The APs provided real skills training leading mostly to City and Guilds vocational modules that had currency in their respective industries. It was cost effective, the students felt they were being treated as adults and with clear progression routes became committed to the courses.

In 1992 Mike Reeves was the third teacher appointed to the post of Co-ordinator and the Consortium abandoned the CPVE qualification but its spirit and curriculum model was maintained. Within the new programme there would be two training days with specialist providers, one day of linked work experience, with 'Core Skills'/GCSE options and tutorial support delivered by the home school or college on the remaining days. It became possible to provide flexible learning packages that met most students' vocational aspirations. All Approved Trainers in the City were canvassed to explore the range of occupational courses available. Successful talks were held with RSA Examination Board to develop a Post 16 Certificate of Education to embrace the core skills components delivered in the consortia schools.

As the Consortium no longer delivered the CPVE a new title was required and as schools and colleges from outside the city were being drawn in, Tamar Valley Consortium (TVC) was chosen and the first of new logos designed around the TVC initials.

By 1992 a total of 17 Approved Trainers were involved delivering a wide range of occupational courses. A promotional film was commissioned starring Colin McIntyre and Carol Voorderman in 1993.

In 1993/4 over 590 students were following TVC courses. Managers continued to be seconded from partner schools and colleges and these included John Down, Lesley Taylor and Helen Mudge.

In 2004, Helen Mudge was joined by Robert Mountjoy and together they oversaw a consortium of 21 schools and colleges (within the Plymouth travel to work area) and 19 training providers offering 70 occupational courses. Partner schools were inspected by OFSTED during that year and the TVC programme was included in the remit of the inspectors.

The Post Inspection Action Plan

In 2006 the TVC became part of the Plymouth City Council Department of Lifelong Learning. Robert Mountjoy was seconded for two years to work within the 14-19 Advisory Team and direct the operations of the Tamar Valley Consortium supported by Lynn Halley and then Fiona Aitkinson. In 2009 his position was made permanent.

Bringing the consortium under the umbrella of the City Council was in response to the value of the contribution it was making to the skills development and subsequent employment of the young people of the city. The 2004 OFSTED report praised the work of the consortium in helping the student progress into employment with learning (mainly apprenticeships) but there was criticism of the low qualification success rate. Most students were completing qualification modules but only 30% were achieving the full vocational qualification. These would continue to complete their qualification through their apprenticeships but this was considered double funding and could not continue. The new director was charged with addressing the funding issue and to raising the percentage of students achieving a full award to 90%.

Working with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) the director researched the issues that were causing students to fail to successfully complete their TVC course. It had been considered a success if a student had progressed to targeted employment before the end of the academic year but this could no longer be encouraged. Students needed to be retained for the full year and complete their qualifications. The main obstacles to this were identified as:

1. Inappropriate course choice 2. Low expectations of student success 3. Poor attendance at off-site modules

The director shared findings with partner schools and sought buy in to a 'Post Inspection Action Plan' that would address the problems.

Firstly, there would be an improved programme of recruitment to TVC courses. An annual 'Trainers' Fair' had existed to provide opportunity for students to meet the providers, see examples of the work and ask questions. This would be enhanced with school staff encouraged to attend to raise their awareness and understanding of options. Devon Careers Service would attend and help with directing students to the right progression route for them (not necessarily TVC). Careers staff would have sessions with individual and groups of students in school and TVC trainers would attend prospective sixth form evenings at schools.

Secondly, all partners would raise their expectations of the TVC students. The message was that had the right course choice been made (appropriate level and meeting realistic vocational aim) success should be guaranteed.

Attendance would be monitored with daily reports returned to home schools. From 2006 a bespoke software programme, developed by a local IT company (WebBased Ltd) would take the place of traditional, sometimes ineffective communications. Known as iPlymouth, the live software programme enabled students to be registered each morning and all staff would be able to check students had arrived on time by logging in on-line. The TVC Director would have an overview and algorithms would flag up problems before they became unresolvable.

The programme could also log achievement of modules and tests and staff could use this when in tutor sessions back in the school. Achievements could be celebrated. Again, this was monitored by the TVC Director who could trigger intervention.

Travel to a training provider across the city was a problem for some students and negotiations with the city bus company enabled some routes to be adjusted and a city student bus pass made available to TVC students.

The plan was effective in that success rates increased to a peak in 2008/9 when 78.23 percent of the 889 students achieved their target qualification in full. An additional 12.93 percent achieved units towards a modular qualification. Only 55 of the TVC students (7.9%) failed to improve their qualifications during that post 16 year.

The following year would be the last of the TVC in its present format. The number of schools pulling away from Local Authority Control and changes in the post 16 funding made its future precarious yet enthusiasm remained and in its last year 2009/10 the consortium recruited its highest number of post sixteen students. A total of 1113 post 16 students joined the programme but it was reported that many of these were late starters. It is not sure why this was but overall achievement of full awards dropped to 72.85%.

In 2011 the TVC was assumed into the Plymouth Learning Trust and Robert Mountjoy retired to paint full time.

The following is the last progress report submitted by the Director.

Tamar Valley Consortium

Recruitment, Retention and Achievement 2009/10

Recruitment This was the third year that the TVC has used i-Plymouth to monitor the learner population working with the consortium. Improvements to the system allowed us to account for learners' progress and success with greater accuracy. In total 1,274 learners were registered on iPlymouth but this was amended to 1,234 once those who had been added in error or entered twice had been removed. It was however the largest cohort on record. While KS4 numbers remained constant post 16 increased by 25%.

• Post 16 numbers were 1113
• KS4 learners were 121.
• Total 1,234

Retention It is hard to explain the surge in recruitment that the TVC experienced this year. The economic climate was certainly an influence but many of the additional recruits did not stay with us. Those leaving before the October half term are deemed 'early leavers' and having had no chance to complete any units are not included in the success rates. A total of 793 students from the original 1113 completed the year. When the early leavers, course changers and those on the first of a two year programme are taken into consideration this gives a 92% retention rate. The graph in Appendix 1 presents a clearer picture.

Post sixteen groups had 63 'early leavers'. Another 120 left during the year and before any units could be achieved but 33 of these gained apprenticeships,

Course changes iPlymouth has allowed us to record those who change course and through the year. At various stages 128 students discovered that they had made the wrong choice. This is the first time that we have been able to document this group with any accuracy and so it is difficult to compare with previous years. It is clear however that those changing course increased in number this year, some students changed course twice. Those changing course were deleted from their first teaching group(s) and included in their ultimate group for purposes of calculating achievement rates. Of the 128 who changed course only 3 gained a full award.

Achievement Post 16.

Since the 2004 Post Inspection Action Plan the TVC has been working to raise the measurable achievement of its recruits with some success. The implementation of an achievement improvement strategy in 2004/5 led to a significant rise in achievement which was held for three years. It was not until the introduction of i-Plymouth on line attendance and progress monitoring did achievement rise beyond the 64/65% plateau. In 2007/8 the achievement of full awards leapt to 79.8% and this was closely matched the following year. It is very disappointing that the achievement of full awards dropped back this year to 72.85%.

Those improving their qualifications this year by gaining full awards or at least units towards their target qualification also dropped back to 87.87% from 92% last year.

Post 16 Achievement by Level

Success rates by level have been varying throughout the years that results have been accurately recorded. There has been more inconsistency this year and the results do not follow recent trends.

Level 3 students achieved a 98.5% full award success rate; exceeding last years 90%.

Last year there was a focus on raising the achievement of Level 2 learners and this had met with some success. Unfortunately level 2 success dropped back to 64.58% full awards and 72% full awards or units towards the target qualification.

Level 1 students fared even less well with an overall achievement rate of full awards dropping back to 61% and 71% gaining full awards or units towards.

Although smaller in numbers, Entry Level success achieved a 82% success rate. No Entry level student gained units only.

Gender A total of 451 post 16 female students (41%) and 662 male students completed the TVC year. Success rates were 71% female and 70% female. Of the 859 students who stayed beyond the official 'early leavers' cut off date 71 male students and 49 female students left their programme before any units were achieved. While there is a gender imbalance in recruitment to TVC programmes there is not any significant difference in achievement or retention. Pre 16 there were 21 female students and 100 male. Only 6 of the female students achieved a full award while 35 of the completing male students achieved.

Destinations Providers were asked to give intended destinations on the last report but 380 were left blank. Many (257) indicated that their students were staying on at school (probably TVC) Progressing to FE were 116 and Apprenticeships gained 78. Employment with Training recruited 19 students and Employment with No Training 41.

Achievement Pre16

The pre 16 TVC group remained relatively small in size again this year. There were 121 recruits of which 15 left us prematurely and 55 were on the first year of a 2 year programme. Of the 52 who were expected to achieve this year 41 gained a full award (38 Level 1 and 3 Level 2). Overall success rates were 78.84%.

Discussion It is very disappointing that the improvement in achievement rates that has been growing year on year took a step back this year but it has been an unusual year.

The leap in recruitment was unexpected. There has been a dip in the post 16 population in the city and a corresponding drop was anticipated for TVC recruits. The 224 extra students represented a 25% increase on 2009/10. Fortunately we had the capacity to accommodate the extras but a large proportion of these extra students were amongst the late arrivals and the early leavers. We have become used to a large proportion of late recruits who return to school at the start of September having changed their plans over the summer break but this year 321 students were registered from October 2009 and 44 from January 2010. Of these late arrivals 44 gained a full award but it was a tall order for most.

Of the 1113 that joined us 793 (92%) of those intending to complete this year stayed the course. This, in percentage terms is close to the last two years (91% and 93%) but an unprecedented number (140) changed course during the year. Of those which joined us after 1st October (321), 75 changed course during the year and an additional 60 left again before the end of the year.

We know that full completion of a TVC year with a prompt start and steady attendance throughout is the measurable factor that most clearly to contributes to learner success. Students who join a course after the start of the year not only have work to catch up on but also have to find a place in a social group that has settled. Both these challenges face those students who are often least equipped to face them. Never-the-less some of these late arrivals succeeded and some of those who left again before completing transferred to an apprenticeship (11).

Level 1 and 2 success rates fell this year and this is where the all of late arrivals landed. Level 3 recruits formed a more stable population and the respective success rates of the different levels were possibly a reflection of this.