Headteacher or college principal decision to entitlement

1. How frequently are head teachers and college principals having to exercise their powers under the Measure to remove a learner’s entitlement to follow a course of study?

Swansea	Once
Vale of Glamorgan	Very rare
Torfaen	None so far
Torfaen	None
Merthyr	A few in specific circumstances as given below.
Flintshire	Not had to do this
Wrexham	I am aware of between ten and five cases over the last four years involving students at this school where the providers/lecturers at the college have tried to pressurise us to remove entitlement based on behaviour or attendance issues. With the attendance issues these were within the normal problems faced by a school and the behaviour issues were relatively minor and would have resulted in sanctions below exclusion level being applied in a normal 11-16 setting. I have refused to remove entitlement in these cases as it was not appropriate and the issues were dropped when I pursued this with their senior staff. We have never had serious incidents where entitlement needs to be removed by our college provider. We have removed entitlement from a student on a collaborative course here due to his inability to work around vulnerable learmers without bullying them. This individual also had to be removed from the special school collaborative provision for the same reason.
Gwynedd	None so far!
Newport	This has been rare as we have attempted to work alongside learners to listen and help them achieve their entitlement
Ceredigion	This has not been necessary
Pembrokeshire	None so far

2. There are grounds for removing entitlement listed in the Measure, including another person’s health and safety and disproportionate expenditure. What are the most common grounds for removing an individual learner’s entitlement to a course of study?

Swansea	Behaviour
Vale of Glamorgan	H&S for potential violence out of school on advice of police that were involved
Torfaen	Non viable courses
Torfaen	N/a
Merthyr	We only ever remove a Year 10/11 entitlement for newly arrived EAL pupils in order for them to receive more intensive English as that is the language they will be doing their examinations in.
Flintshire	I would have thought expenditure, but it hasn't applied to us
Wrexham	The most common reason I have been approached to do this is over poor attendance. Obviously we do not in schools remove students from courses when their attendance is poor. We do support the provider by chasing the student about their attendance but we don't support removal from the course on these grounds.
Gwynedd	N/a
Newport	Common areas have been cost and the courses running with poor take up. There may well be transport issues next year if the LA decide schools have to pick up the bill!
Ceredigion	Not applicable
Pembrokeshire	Not applicable

3. Are head teachers and college principals aware of many complaints and appeals regarding process of determining student entitlement?

Swansea	None received thus far
Vale of Glamorgan	None
Torfaen	One; The entitlement could be met at a college but parents were not happy.
Torfaen	None that I am aware of. As a general point, the school continues an open and honest dialogue with students and parents concerning the choice of an appropriate post 16 curriculum for that particular student. Through discussions and reaching agreement, the need for 'exercising powers' does not exist.
Merthyr	none
Flintshire	We are not aware of any.
Wrexham	I receive complaints regarding placement of students where a course is offered in two settings and a student is sent to the setting they wouldn't have chosen, and also with students who are refused entry onto the able students programme due to their grades in KS3. This has not yet gone to formal appeal but the complaints have to be dealt with by the school in the first instance, who did not make the decision over entry.
Gwynedd	None
Newport	To our knowledge complaints and appeals have been rare. Entitlement offers are very good and seem to be providing excellent pathways
Ceredigion	No
Pembrokeshire	No

Phased Implementation

4. Although not due to be fully implemented until September 2012, in practice has the Learning and Skills (Wales) Measure been implemented across Wales already? Are there any geographical variations as a result of some local authorities being slower to implement the Measure than other areas?

Swansea	On paper - in practise I'd say it's not
Vale of Glamorgan	Variations not an issue at the moment but will have the potential to happen as funding is less local [ corsortia based ] and may not meet LA needs; as funding gets less / vanishes; as 14-19 embeds and other initiatives take over and WG priorities. The best voc practice is developed where this is in the schools with links to colleges, not students spending time on the road; potential issues funding for transport and to pay course costs?
Torfaen	None that I am aware of.
Torfaen	Both schools and Local Authorities seem to be implementing the Learning and Skills (Wales) measure already in Torfaen. The concern as we move forward is the lack of a replacement for the NPFS model (deleted in February 2010). Practically, Wales will have 22 models of funding Post-16 education in April 2012. The implications for the Learning and Skills (Wales) measure without a suitable funding system are very significant
Merthyr	The Learning and Skills measure is implemented and has been for, certainly 2 years, possibly three, although the impending MLQ will mean that schools will have to start reducing their offer as staffing reduces over the next 2 years. regards
Flintshire	Already in place
Wrexham	It is in place in Wrexham already.
Gwynedd	Yes - as far as I aware! We are a very small school, and the measures have certainly been implemented here.
Newport	Newport LA has insisted it was implemented from September 2011 and there has been a coordinated approach to implementation under close scrutiny from WG.
Ceredigion	The Measure has been fully implemented at Penglais School. Smaller schools with Sixth Forms less than 150 have more difficulties in implementing the curriculum demands of the Measure - offering 30 subjects inc 5 Voc at KS4 and Post -16
Pembrokeshire	It is in place

Digital Learning

5. Has digital learning been useful in the delivery of Welsh medium education?

Swansea	N/a
Vale	N/a
Torfaen	N/a
Torfaen	Digital Learning contributes to the success of Post-16 Welsh Medium Education in the following ways: 1. It allows the delivery of Post-16 courses through Video Conferencing (Welsh Medium) between schools e.g. Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw and Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni. This is supported by support staff being present in the VC lessons, ensuring the students are in attendance and prepared and ensuring that the technology works and visual and aural communication is good. Technology does break down on occasions and this does affect the delivery of some lessons. Students are not attracted to study courses that are delivered only by VC. However, courses offered with a mix of teacher contact and Video Conferencing does work. 2. Improved ICT facilities have allowed post-16 students to research and develop their knowledge. Digital Welsh Medium resources are limited but are developing due to the co-operation of the Welsh Medium schools through CYDAG.
Merthyr	N/a
Flintshire	N/a
Wrexham	N/a
Gwynedd	Yes - there are many excellent examples of working together!
Newport	N/a
Ceredigion	Not applicable
Pembrokeshire	N/A