Ipsos | Uni Connect Phase 3 : Attainment-raising Activity – Final Report
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3 What are the opportunities and key challenges for partnerships ?
3.1 Introduction This chapter outlines findings relating to the opportunities and key challenges partnerships are facing during the delivery of pre-16 attainment-raising activities . It covers how partnerships are accessing and developing the skills and expertise necessary for these activities , including expertise from HEPs specifically . It also includes the key barriers partnerships have faced since delivery started .
3.2 Access to and development of expertise
Summary : There were three main ways in which partnerships were both accessing and developing the expertise required for delivering and developing attainment-raising activities within secondary schools . These approaches consisted of :
1 ) Maximising internal partnership expertise 2 ) Using external providers and / or partner expertise 3 ) Utilising resources publicly available and / or provided by OfS and other partners
Partnerships developed and delivered attainment-raising activities by leveraging their internal expertise . Though some partnerships employed new internal staff to support the new attainment-raising strand , most leveraged existing expertise . Figure 3.1 below highlights that 61 % of school staff reported that attainment-raising activities were delivered by Uni Connect partnership staff , demonstrating the importance of internal expertise across partnerships . Partnership staff ( e . g . delivery officers ) with subject or skill knowledge ( e . g . Humanities , SEND provision ) were a core form of support and , in some cases , provided localised knowledge based on previous employment as former teachers or school staff . Partnership leads expressed that teaching experience is not a requirement for an outreach-based role , recognising that this internal expertise was useful for developing and delivering materials but not expected nor essential . Nevertheless , the nature of existing expertise within the core partnership team often aligned with attainment-raising and informed the delivery approach of the partnership .
“ We have a history graduate in our team . We have a fantastic relationship with humanities , and the Head of School is really interested in working on history academically . So , it was mapping out the strength already within the partnerships , both in terms of my team and then also the wider partnership .” ( Partnership lead )
Some internal partnership delivery staff also received bespoke external training to enhance expertise and confidence in delivering attainment-raising activities , which ensured delivery staff were confident in the material , exercises and resources and had the facilitation skills for successful intervention delivery . This external training was provided by external organisations , including MADE Training who have a longstanding relationship with several Uni Connect partnerships . Staff considered this training useful , but they also felt what they learned needed adaption when in the classroom environment .
Some partnerships accessed the expertise required to deliver attainment-raising activities through external support from partners or external providers . Such expertise was accessed through either
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