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Providing Inspection Services for

Department of Education

Department for Employment and Learning

Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Education and Training Inspectorate
Report of an Inspection
in
Lagan Valley Education Project
Alternative Education Provision
Inspected: January 2003

CONTENTS

SectionPage

1.PROJECT CONTEXT1

2.POSITIVE FINDINGS1

3.PROMOTING IMPROVEMENT2

4.SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION2

Name of Project:Lagan ValleyEducation Project

Date of Inspection:January 2003

1.PROJECT CONTEXT

The Lagan Valley Education Project (LVEP) was established by members of the local community who were concerned at the number of young people of compulsory school age in the greater WestBelfast area who were not attending school. The project is now based in a modern building in the Collinbrook estate in Poleglass. On average 20 young people are involved at one time; the majority live in the surrounding housing estates while a minority are drawn from the wider areas of Lisburn and Lurgan.

The data, supplied by the centre, reveals that approximately 90% of all referrals are long-term school refusers. During the four week period prior to the inspection, the average attendance was 88%; over the same period, 18 out of the 20 pupils managed to achieve an average attendance of 96%.

2.POSITIVE FINDINGS

  • The project manager provides clear leadership. He is experienced and well-informed and displays a high level of commitment to the project and the young people.
  • The staff provide a safe and supportive learning environment. They adopt positive and non-judgemental attitudes towards the young people, regardless of their previous behaviour. They know, understand and value the young people and take account of their individual needs.
  • There is significant evidence that the young people respond well to the supportive environment engendered. They demonstrate the agreed norms of behaviour and are acquiring positive attitudes to learning.
  • The young people are provided with an appropriate curriculum which includes literacy, numeracy, information and communication technology (ICT), art, personal and social education (PSE) and leisure/recreational activities. They are also provided with opportunities to gain practical workplace experience and to develop their basic skills through a vocational programme.
  • The young people make discernable progression to further education, vocational training and/or employment.
  • Many of the young people are successful in gaining external accreditations.
  • There has been significant improvements in the young people’s attendance.
  • The parents and carers interviewed at the time of the inspection expressed appreciation that their children had been motivated to return to their education and hence to improved employment opportunities. They also reported that there were strong links with the staff who actively encouraged them to support the young people and the work of the project. These positive comments were also reflected in 14 questionnaires returned to the Department of Education (DE).
  • Statutory and voluntary agencies as well as members of the local and wider community, are used effectively to provide an holistic approach to meeting the young people’s needs.
  • There are clear procedures in place to secure the pastoral care and protection of the young people, which comply with DE Circular 1999/10. All the staff have attended relevant child protection training and there are recognised staff vetting procedures.

3.PROMOTING IMPROVEMENT

  • The staff would benefit from increased access to staff development and other Alternative Education Provision (AEP) relevant courses organised by the South-Eastern Education and Library Board (SEELB).
  • Low levels of funding and the implications for planning on a year-to-year basis make long-term development difficult and can create instability in staffing.

4.SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

The quality of provision provided in this project is very good. It is evident that many of the young people have benefited personally, socially and educationally from their participation in this programme.

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 CROWN COPYRIGHT 2003

This report may be reproduced in whole or in part, except for commercial purposes or in connection with a prospectus or advertisement, provided that the source and date thereof are stated.

Copies of this report may be obtained from the Inspection Services Branch, Department of Education, Rathgael House, 43 Balloo Road, Bangor, Co Down BT19 7PR. A copy is also available on the DE website: