College sector overview report 2023 to 2024: Improving learner progress and outcomes

Strategies for improvement

In almost all colleges, managers have implemented effective arrangements for engaging staff in evaluation to improve rates of learner retention and successful completion. Staff reflect on programmes and units of learning to identify strategies for improvement. Most teaching and support staff use data well to track and monitor low attendance and progression rates of learners. A few colleges use live tracking systems productively to identify learners at risk of withdrawal and initiate early intervention. While these approaches have had a positive impact on improving retention and attainment in some colleges, and for some programmes, they are not yet translating into consistently improved learner outcomes across the sector. In some colleges, attainment rates are declining despite these efforts.

Quality enhancement

Almost all managers lead and support staff effectively through quality enhancement arrangements to identify approaches to improve learner retention and success. Almost all colleges make effective use of data, and most have developed useful tracking tools to monitor attendance and learner outcomes. Most staff are confident in using these systems to record and track learner progress. A few colleges evaluate additional support needs (ASN) data thoroughly to measure the impact of support services on learner outcomes. However, in a few colleges, service teams are not supported sufficiently to engage productively in self-evaluation activities or gather stakeholder feedback, which limits their ability to plan for improvement.

Learner support

Across all colleges, recruitment and induction arrangements provide helpful opportunities for learners to disclose ASN. Staff in support roles and teaching departments work well together to coordinate support before the start of programmes to ease transitions for new learners. Learners whose additional needs require a personal learning support plan (PLSP) are supported well by staff. Teaching staff use PLSPs productively to adapt learning and teaching approaches and develop resources and materials to the needs of learners. Quick response (QR) codes and smartphone apps are used effectively to provide learners with direct access to timetables; learning resources; mental health and wellbeing support facilities; and college communications. Learners experiencing digital poverty have access to laptops to support them in their studies.

Declaring a disability

Since 2018, there has been a 27% increase in the number of learners declaring a disability. A growing number of learners require individual, personalised and extensive support due to multiple and complex needs. As the number of learners declaring complex and multiple needs has increased, the additional demand upon colleges' support services has increased. College staff provide effective support for a wide range of needs, including disabilities such as autism, dyslexia, and other specific learning difficulties.

Colleges are experiencing a considerable rise in the number of learners seeking support for mental health issues. This has led to all colleges developing a range of effective additional support functions. Most colleges have created specific roles such as student support officers and mental health ambassadors to deliver wellbeing support facilities. All colleges make effective use of mental health and wellbeing transition funds. This meets the needs of the high number of learners requiring access to additional academic and support services to engage fully in learning. Increasingly, colleges are providing training to staff on mental health first aid and trauma-informed and response practice. All colleges have established designated quiet spaces to provide respite for learners who need it, for example, those experiencing anxiety. In a few colleges, new learners are invited on campus in the evening to meet staff and familiarise themselves with the facilities. This is completed prior to the start of programmes for learners who need a period of adjustment to adapt to a new environment.

More learners face challenges related to poverty, family instability, and chaotic lifestyles. This is changing the nature of support requirements in colleges post pandemic. College staff collaborate well with external agencies to source specialised support for learners with complex needs. All colleges have taken action to alleviate the financial hardship experienced by many learners. This includes offering free meals; establishing food larders and clothing banks; issuing free toiletries and sanitary products; and providing comfortable, heated spaces for study.

Care experienced learners

While the rate of successful completion for care-experienced learners has risen by 2.9%, a gap remains compared to FE full-time and HE-full time learner success rates - 7.9% and 10.1% respectively. Rates of learner completion with partial success have remained steady and learner retention rates have improved.

Transition information

Almost all colleges face significant challenges in obtaining important information about learner needs from schools. This leads to delays in providing appropriate support and restricts planning for effective transitions. Many learners enter college with limited understanding and unrealistic expectations of the programme that they are starting. There is a need for improved joint evaluation and data sharing with schools, agencies and employers to ensure smooth transitions and better outcomes. Additionally, many learners do not disclose their additional needs at an early stage, making it difficult for college staff to provide timely and appropriate interventions. Where identification happens quickly, learner needs are addressed at an early stage in programme delivery via fitness to study arrangements and PLSPs.

Learner retention and attainment is supported positively by college staff. However, there remains inequity in learner outcomes, particularly for learners with disabilities related to physical impairments or mental health conditions. Learners appreciate support staff efforts and overall, arrangements work well. However, in some colleges, learners face long waiting times for support, which can negatively impact their performance.

Although the attainment gap between learners with declared disabilities and those without a disability has narrowed overall, rates of attainment for learners who have a disability have declined. Success rates also vary significantly between learners with different types of disability, highlighting a need for targeted support strategies.

College partnerships

All colleges work productively with community partners and third sector organisations, including the Department of Work and Pensions, the Scottish Prison Service and local and regional support organisations to encourage and promote engagement in learning. Curriculum teams design and deliver inclusive provision to meet the needs of specific learner groups including refugees; neurodiverse learners; and learners with disabilities. Community based learners are supported well by staff helping them to transition from informal locally based provision to full-time college programmes.

Most colleges respond pro-actively to a significant rise in demand from learners for part-time and full-time English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) programmes. Learners in these programmes are guided well by staff to progress through meaningful pathways into further or higher education, or into employment. However, funding arrangements including credit caps, significantly influence what is delivered by each college. As a result, colleges are faced with difficult decisions about resource allocation and programme availability.

Guidance provision

Learners receive comprehensive and inclusive support from guidance tutors, lecturers, and support staff. All colleges take good account of corporate parenting responsibilities. A few colleges have established strategic cross-college working groups that have improved the retention and attainment of learners with additional challenges. These groups have helped extend the range of support services available to learners. This has included increasing the range of adaptive online learning resources, coordinating subject related drop-ins and timetabled individual learning sessions.

Support staff plan and deliver sessions on funding and finance, helping learner awareness of what is available to them and how to access support. Learners experiencing mental health issues have good access to support services both within the college and through external organisations. As demand increases and outstrips supply, long waiting times emerge for support. Most support teams have completed training on trauma-informed and responsive practice to further enhance support for learners.

Overall, colleges are deeply committed to providing a comprehensive, inclusive, and responsive support network for all learners, with particular attention to those facing significant challenges.

Learner health and wellbeing

In the majority of colleges, increased joint working with national support agencies such as Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) and Action for Children is showing signs of improving retention and success rates for key groups of learners. Hairdressing and Beauty learners at one college have partnered with the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU) and Brothers in Arms (BIA), men’s mental health platform, to support those suffering from mental health challenges. Learners receive training to inform them on the impact of drugs and alcohol on mental health, and what to do to support clients who may make significant disclosures. These learners apply Scottish Government’s ‘Time, Space and Compassion’ principles and approach to suicide prevention and are certificated upon completion.

These initiatives highlight the sector’s commitment to enhancing learner health and wellbeing through targeted partnerships and practical training opportunities.

Adjustment to curriculum design

Colleges proactively adjust their curriculum to provide flexibility and alignment with the needs of learners and the job market. For some colleges, this has contributed to improved learner success rates. However, in many colleges learner attainment has not improved as a result of efforts to adjust the curriculum.

Curriculum managers provide staff with appropriate direction and support to create adaptable and flexible programmes that meet the needs of employers, and eases transition to further study. An increase in the provision of part-time programmes is helping learners overcome financial barriers and supports those who wish to remain in full-time employment while studying. These programmes provide learners with the necessary skills to gain employment quickly and enable employees to upskill or retrain for new jobs.

Programmes such as Foundation Apprenticeships (FAs) and Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) are of particular benefit to learners seeking employment, or for existing employees who want to change career. This is more prevalent in industries such as healthcare, hospitality, IT, finance, business and management, tourism and construction.

Many colleges annually review their arrangements for the recruitment of school-age learners to senior phase programmes and draw on the findings to support improvements and ease the transition to college-based learning.