14-19 Collaborative learning systems

Ann Hodgson, Ken Spours and Susannah Wright

In this paper we make an initial attempt to develop a concept of '14-19 collaborative learning system' as a way of focusing on learning and learner needs; the relationships between providers in a local area and the respective roles of local and national policy in 14-19 education and training. While we use the context in England to explore this concept it may also be of relevance for Wales and Northern Ireland where the institutional arrangements are similar to those in England, although the policy context and some of the steering mechanisms are different. We explore, in particular, the idea of a 'local learning area', which we see as the focus of institutional collaboration. However, the term 'local learning area' is problematic because it may be defined differently by different actors in different parts of the country. We therefore examine what the term might mean and how defining it more carefully might help both conceptually and practically in the development of more inclusive, effective and collaborative 14-19 learning systems. Later in the paper we identify six key dimensions of 14-19 collaborative learning systems through which we compare the Government's 14-19 White Paper 'partial routeway' approach and the Tomlinson Final Report 'unified system' approach. We argue that an effective and inclusive 14-19 collaborative learning system is closer to the second than the first but that there are overlaps between the two and potential for movement from the first to the second. We conclude the paper by arguing for strong collaboration focused on the needs of a local learning area rather than simply on the individual needs of any one of the partners.

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