Each case study tells the story of actions and outcomes. It shares practice and learning that can be useful in other offender learning and skills contexts and opens possibilities for networking and co-development.
We have used the term 'promising' because the practice we have shared here may not have been validated by external evaluation or inspection. Teachers and managers have found it useful and have been willing to share their experience in the case studies. Where possible, we have kept their own words.
There is a strong tradition of sharing promising practice in the learning and skills sector. It is valued because the examples of practice:
These case studies have been gathered over two phases of the promising practice in Offender Education and Training project. The case studies collected in Phase 1 have been published in Just learning? Case studies in offender education and training LSDA 2006. This new collection of case studies brings together the 26 case studies collected in Phase 1 with a further 32 case studies collected in Phase 2 in an integrated resource.
The project was commissioned by the Offenders’ Learning and Skills Unit (OLSU) at the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and managed by the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA), in partnership with the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE). From April 2006 the final stage of the development of the resource has been managed by the Learning and Skills Network (LSN).
On 1 April 2006 LSDA evolved into two new organisations. Its policy and strategy work has developed into the Quality Improvement Agency for Lifelong Learning (QIA). Its research, staff development and curriculum and quality support programmes are now being taken forward by the Learning and Skills Network (LSN).
In Phase 1 the work of the project team was guided by a steering group consisting of representatives from OLSU, the Learning and Skills Council, Prison Service, offender education providers, Skills for Life Support Unit, National Probation Directorate, Youth Justice Board, Adult Learning Inspectorate, Ofsted, National Research and Development Council, National Association for the Care and Rehabilitation of Offenders, Department of Work and Pensions, LSDA and NIACE.