Commissioning Education

The Prisoner Learning Alliance (PLA) have produced a practical workbook, Greenhouses not warehouses:commissioning education to plant seeds of hope and opportunity, to help governors and managers plan and commission education. It includes a self-assessment tool and provides advice, case studies and additional resources around ten key aspects of commissioning. The resource asks crucial questions that governors will need to consider and suggestions on how to bring together the right people to answer them.

Quality improvement and inspection

The Whole Organisation Development Process (WODP) resource has been designed, by the sector for the sector, to establish a prison led approach to quality improvement of learning, skills and work. Use the pack to assess the position of your learning, skills and work provision in relation to Ofsted’s Common Inspection Framework (2015) and to assist you in preparation for formal inspection.

The Foundation commissioned the Adult Learning Improvement Network (ALIN) to develop an eBook, the Offender Learning Management Development eBook. The eBook includes the video on the right, which gives lots of ideas about how to approach inspection.

Partnership working

In this space we highlight effective practice examples of working in partnership.

In HMP Dartmoor's published Ofsted report highlighted the prison's partnership work that enabled prisoners prompt access to education and training opportunities.

"Good collaboration between the prison, the college and NCS staff meant prisoners were promptly and equitably allocated to education, training or prison work. They considered prisoners’ preferences and ensured that all prisoners could attend activities."

Danny Branley, Head of Learning and Skills at Dartmoor, wrote an article for our Spring 2018 Newsletter detailing the steps and decisions the prison took as they changed their induction and allocation process. 

In HMP Grendon's  published Ofsted report highlighted the prison's partnership with Oxford Brookes University. Students from the university provide learners with mentoring support. 

"Learners benefited from good support from mentors, university student volunteers and college staff."  Ofsted Report

Research

We will use this space to highlight new research reports.

The Foundation published its research report Successfully using ICT to support learning in the secure estate in September 2017. The report includes examples of effective use of ICT to support learning in prison.

The Learning and Work Institute published its research report Family Learning in Prisons, 2017. The report reinforces the importance of family learning, partnership working and provides guidance on evaluating initiatives. 

Continual Professional Development

The Leadership hub, funded by the Foundation, aims to create opportunities for current and aspiring leaders, working in the education and training sector, to develop professional relationships through which to share their expertise and experiences of leadership in education and training. Find out more by visiting the Leadership hub website.

Our News and Events page highlight events and courses relevant to the sector. And don't forget the Foundation's mainstream offer. Take a look on the Foundation's website for a range of courses to support teachers, leaders and managers across the FE and Skills sector.  

Please note, if there is sufficient interest from staff with a prison, or cluster of prisons, then it may be possible to offer the course in-house to prison staff. Contact Caryn Loftus(link sends e-mail), Associate of the Education and Training Foundation if you would like to discuss arranging an in-house course for staff working in prisons.

Find out what's happening in the sector by subscribing to our free Offender Learning Newsletter.

Visit the Society for Education and Training (SET) website to find out how our professional membership body can support you in your role within training and education.

Resources

Below you will find a wide variety of resources that can help you in your role. The individual pages of the Offender Learning Exhibition Site have resources relevant to that particular section, many of them will provide you with useful information.

A wide variety of our free offender learning resources can be requested in print format using this order form.​