The Independent Living Skills (ILS) Curriculum in Further Education: Welsh Government response

Welsh Government welcomes the Estyn thematic report on the Independent Living Skills (ILS) Curriculum in Further Education (FE). We note the findings and accept the recommendations as they relate to Welsh Government.

The review was commissioned and funded by Medr as an in-year addition to Estyn’s remit for 2024 to 2025. The report focusses on establishing a national picture of ILS provision across Further Education Institutions (FEIs) in Wales, and evaluating the effectiveness of Independent Living Skills learning pathways in meeting the needs of learners with learning difficulties and (or) disabilities, and supporting colleges to meet their statutory duties under the Additional Learner Needs (ALN) Act and Code.

It considers progress made since Estyn’s review in 2017, ‘Learner progress and destinations in independent living skills learning areas in Further Education colleges’. 

The report points to significant improvements in the provision of ILS since the last review in 2017, especially in personalising learning and improving collaboration, and illustrates the ‘life-changing’ potential of the supported employment pathway for some learners. The report also found, however, ongoing variability in provision, inconsistent assessment and tracking, and weaknesses in quality assurance systems.

The report goes on to provide practical insights and recommendations to ensure the design and delivery of the programme meets the needs of learners with learning difficulties and (or) disabilities, and to support colleges and local authorities to meet their statutory duties to young people under the Additional Learner Needs (ALN) Act and Code.

Most of the recommendations are addressed to Further Education Institutions (FEIs) and Local Authorities. Two recommendations are for Medr and three recommendations for Welsh Government in relation to Additional Learning Needs (ALN).

Recommendation 1

Medr should revise ILS programme specifications to:

• ensure that they are aspirational, better reflect learners’ ALN, have clear expectations on learner outcomes and progression and support FEIs to be person-centred
• align with colleges’ statutory responsibilities under the ALNET (Wales) Act (2018) and wider national priorities including The Well-being of Future Generations Act (2015)

Recommendation 2

Ensure that learners have clearly understood targets and progression pathways by providing guidance to the sector on important areas of ILS such as: 

• person-centred baseline assessing, incorporating personal development goals
• outcomes-based curriculum planning, including accredited learning
• part-time provision
• what destination data to record and how to use it in planning for improvement
• progression within and between learning pathways 

Recommendations for Welsh Government

Recommendation 3

Ensure that all young people with ALN can access post statutory education and training in line with their non ALN peers, in Welsh and English.

Recommendation 4

Ensure that updates to the ALN Code provide clear guidance to local authorities, schools and FEIs on how to work in partnership to support better transition into tertiary education, and in particular onto ILS programmes, through appropriate target-setting, IDP drafting and curriculum planning.

Recommendation 5

Provide further national guidance and accountability mechanisms to ensure consistent implementation and quality assurance of Individual Development Plans (IDPs) across all regions.

Welsh Government response

Welsh Government welcomes the review to evaluate the effectiveness of Independent Living Skills learning pathways at a national level to ensure the design and delivery meets the needs of learners.

Welsh Government accepts the three recommendations.

The Cabinet Secretary for Education has made it her personal mission to lead improvement to make sure that the ALN system is implemented more consistently across Wales ensuring that all children and young people are able to access the education and training that meets their needs.

Although the report focuses on a small and important cohort of learners with a range of needs from moderate to severe and profound learning difficulties and disabilities who access Independent Living Skills’ programmes, we recognise that the issues identified are reflective of challenges faced by the broader spectrum of learners with ALN. 

In October 2024, the Cabinet Secretary for Education launched a review of the ALN legislative framework. This was the first step in understanding the issues being experienced by those delivering and navigating the system, and in identifying how we can resolve them. In July, the Cabinet Secretary announced her five priorities to address the challenges highlighted by the review. 

They are:

• Provide clarity to the education sector on how to support children and young people with ALN.
• Improve national consistency in delivering the ALN system.
• Ensure children, young people and their families have the right information and support.
• Improve multiagency integration and collaboration to meet the health, social care and educational needs of children and young people with ALN.
• Explore a longer-term vision for an inclusive education system.

Work is ongoing with partners, including those in the post-16 sector, to co-produce practical solutions which include supporting learners accessing Independent Living Skills (ILS) programmes. This collaborative approach acknowledges the importance of joint working to ensure continuity and consistency in support as learners transition from one phase of their education to another. While the report acknowledges improvement in collaboration between stakeholders, it also identifies the need for greater consistency across Wales.

The National Post-16 Implementation Lead continues to work closely with local authorities, further education colleges and other partners to provide support and challenge during the implementation and delivery of the ALN system. This work has included embedding good practice and a consistent approach across Wales in information sharing to smooth transition and access to appropriate resources and support, improving the quality of Individual Development Plans (IDPs), and ensure they are tailored to meet the needs of the young person.

The Welsh Government also welcomes the wider recommendations as they support our expectations, and the strategic duties placed upon further education institutions (FEIs) and local authorities set out in the ALNET legislative framework.

The recommendations are an important source of self-reflection for Welsh Government, Medr, FEI’s and local authorities to work together to enable ongoing improvement of the ILS programme design, and delivery of the ALN system to ensure that learners are able to access appropriate support, education and training to meet their needs.

Recommendations for Further Education Institutions

Recommendation 6

Embed systematic links between RARPA target-setting and IDP intended outcomes to ensure statutory coherence

Recommendation 7

Provide professional learning for teaching and support staff which is appropriately tailored to meet the breadth of additional learning needs learners experience as well as the pedagogy to support this including ensuring that staff supporting the development of learners’ employability skills and in work placements are suitably trained

Recommendation 8

Work with local employers to identify skills gaps that could be filled by learners as trainees or interns, leading to volunteering, apprenticeships or paid employment

Recommendation 9

Ensure that the attainments and destinations of ILS learners informs self-evaluation processes including collating and evaluating the number of learners dropping out of ILS courses and reasons for them leaving

Recommendation 10

Ensure that their websites provide accessible information for young people who have ALN on the courses available to them

Recommendation 11

Ensure that all learners classified as having ALN meet the statutory definition and hold a current, high-quality IDP.

Recommendations for Local Authorities

Recommendation 12

Ensure that advice and guidance they give to young people with ALN leaving statutory education is clear and reflects their ALN post-16 strategy, working with Careers Wales as appropriate

Recommendation 13

Work with FEIs, local employers and Independent Specialist Colleges to ensure equitable access to the most suitable further education and training provision for all learners with ALN, in English and Welsh

Recommendation 14

Support schools and PRUs to ensure a consistent understanding of the legalities and importance of timely information sharing as pupils progress to Further Education and training, including sharing IDPs

Recommendation 15

Formalise arrangements to support those learners with ALN who drop out of further education in terms of appropriate review, updating or ceasing of an IDP and provision of any other support in line with the Youth Engagement and Progression Framework.

Estyn will publish its full thematic report on or after 25 September on estyn's website.

Welsh Government will publish its response to the report and recommendations at: Inspection of education and training (Estyn) as soon as possible after the publication by Estyn of its report. 

Medr will also publish its own response to the report on News and Publications.