Page 88 - Guiding-at-risk-youth-through-learning-to-work-Lessons-from-across-Europe

Guiding at-risk youth through learning to work
Lessons from across Europe

learning. Young people receive support also from their ‘buddies’ and subject
experts.

NotSchool.net, UK (http://www.inclusiontrust.org/notschool/)

The NotSchool.net project aims to engage teenagers who are out of school in learning. It offers alternative
education provision for young people who cannot cope with traditional schooling or other measures such as
home schooling or specialist units, through a virtual online community.

The project is led by Inclusion Trust, a notforprofit education charity. Partner organisations include the British
Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the World Wildlife Fund and the Science Museum, who have contributed
stimulating study material. The core team based at the Inclusion Trust is responsible for overall coordination
of the project as well as strategic work. Day-to-day operation is undertaken by teams at the local authorities
which have signed up to use the model.

To ensure that NotSchool.net remains a last resort, young people must be referred by a relevant agency (they
cannot selfrefer) but both the young person and their family must agree before a person can participate in the
project.

Shortly after acceptance on the project, young people are invited to an induction session with their parents,
where they are able to meet members of their local support team. After the induction, the young person’s
mentor devises a bespoke individual learning plan together with the young person. Each young person has
the freedom to decide which areas of learning they will follow, how long they will spend on each area of
learning and where they will learn.

The project offers over 150 subjects (including comics, music, and wrestling) and learning plans may contain
any subject, based on the young person’s interests. They are reviewed every six weeks and amended as
necessary. Once the young person has successfully engaged with the project, mentors provide ‘soft’ guidance
to encourage take-up of more conventional subjects such as English, maths and science, with a view to
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gaining GCSEs ( ).

Learners can study and access resources at any time, any day of the year and can also submit their work
through the online system at any point they wish. They are supported by a team of personal mentors, subject
experts and virtual ‘buddies’ who variously direct, assist, assess and encourage them (Duckworth, 2005).
There is also a support hotline which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is manned by the
project mentors who are qualified teachers.

Using the right support and terminology is fundamental to Notschool.net and the project avoids the use of
terms associated with school such as student. Instead young people are referred to as ‘researchers’.

An accreditation system has been developed which rewards creativity, selfdirection and problem solving.
Young people can earn informal awards to help raise their self-esteem and can also submit work for
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assessment against official awards which are NVQ ( ) equivalent and part of the national framework.

The project demonstrates a very good success rate in supporting transition from inactivity to further education and
employment. This has also been confirmed by external evaluations (Duckworth, 2005). In 2004/05, 50 % of
participants found places at college or in other further education, a quarter (26 %) found collegerelated
employment such as modern apprenticeships and 18 % entered full-time employment. In the same year, nearly all
participants (96 %) obtained national, recognised qualifications. During this time only 1.7 % of beneficiaries
dropped out, which has been described as extraordinary, given the fact that the project works with young people
who have failed to integrate into all other forms of education. Some participants are working beyond levels
expected nationally for their age, and many have continued into higher education. Young people have also
reported positive emotional and social outcomes as a result of the project. This includes raised confidence and
self-esteem, problem-solving skills and a renewed interest in learning.

For more information, see: http://www.inclusiontrust.org/notschool/ [cited 15.12.2009].

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( ) General certificate of secondary education (GCSE) is the name of an academic qualification
awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14-
16 in secondary education in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
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( ) National vocational qualifications (NVQs) are work-related, competence-based qualifications.
They reflect the skills and knowledge needed to do a job effectively, and show that a candidate
is competent in the area of work the NVQ framework represents. NVQs are based on national
occupational standards.

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