Blackburn College

The college

Blackburn College is a large thriving college with an outstanding reputation for the quality of the service it provides for the local community. It has achieved grade 1 status as an outstanding college and has also gained the Training Quality Standard with excellence in providing training for both the Children and Young People’s Workforce and for training Support Staff in Schools. This award recognises in particular the quality of training for employers and specifically the impact that the college has on the local workforce in individual sectors.

The centre

The centre has been providing training for the schools workforce for 5 years and has worked with more than 100 schools over this time. The college provides training for over 200 learners who are supporting teaching and learning in schools every year. The staff in the centre work in partnership with our Local Authority to promote and extend training opportunities for staff in school.

Members of staff from the centre sit on a variety of advisory panels with the TDA supporting developments for the sector, so have an excellent understanding of the needs and requirements of staff working in support roles in schools.

Training opportunities

The centre provides a range of training for Support Staff in Schools which is currently as follows:

For new recruits:

• The CACHE Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools

A high proportion of individuals who join this programme gain employment in schools. The majority of people also progress to the Level 2 NVQ programme.

For staff working in support roles in school:

• NVQ level 2 and 3 in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools (STL)
• NVQ 3 Learning Development and Support Services (LDSS)
• Support Work in Schools Award
• City and Guilds ‘Working with Parents Certificate’

For parents (delivered in the school by school staff but supported and moderated by the college):

• Supporting a Child’s Learning and Development Award (one unit from this award is the development of the ‘Parents as Educators’ programme)

New developments

The centre is very involved in the development of the new qualifications which meet the requirements of the Qualification Credit Framework, and will be looking to deliver these new qualifications from September 2010.

Consultancy support

The centre has been recognised at a national level for the quality of their work with employers and their work supporting the development of new initiatives for the sector. Currently the centre is offering consultancy support for the following:

• Preparation for applying for the Training Quality Standard
• Information about the implementation and developments of Qualification Credit Framework
• Working with employers