A major part of the More Choices, More Chances strategy is to reduce the number of young people disengaging from learning before leaving compulsory education.
The flexibility offered by the experiences and outcomes of Curriculum for Excellence gives schools and their partners the opportunity to devise a curriculum that offers personalisation and choice to meet the needs of all young people including those in need of more choices and more chances.
The development of vocational, enterprising, employability, cognitive and personal skills, with a focus on literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing, will provide all young people with the foundation for careful and considered career planning, linking their learning to the workplace, as an integral part of their educational experience.
Receiving personal support that identifies needs, provides the right information and advice at the right time, with prompt and appropriate intervention if required, will also ensure that young people are prepared to move into positive and sustained destinations when the time is right.
Recognising all the achievements of young people, not just academic attainment, can help develop self-esteem, confidence and resilience. This sense of personal achievement can be enhanced by the use of awards provided by a range of bodies such as ASDAN, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince’s Trust and SQA.
If schools are to maximise the opportunities for young people, including those in need of more choices and more chances, then the role of their partners becomes increasingly important. The skills, experiences and contacts of partners such as Skills Development Scotland, FE colleges, Community Learning and Development, other training providers, employers and the voluntary sector will be invaluable to schools as they plan rich, broad and deep learning experiences.
For those young people most in need of more choices and more chances it is important that their needs are identified early and effectively, that intervention is prompt and appropriate, that support is consistent and ongoing and that the curriculum offers them opportunities to develop skills for the future in ways that motivate them both intrinsically and extrinsically.
Find us on