In 2012 I took 25 disengaged NEET learners who had challenged the education system on the NCS programme. In light of a recent Guardian article calling for it to end and funding to be devided up else where I wanted to share my experience and thoughts on the programme.
Context
In 2012 I was working for NEET provision that hard the hallmarks of the old Entry to Employment provisions that had been dispanded the previous year. It was roll off roll on in nature, meaning new learners started every 4 weeks while learners who where ready to progress on to higher level programmes where able to do so at any point after 8 weeks. The cohorts where diverse in nature and included long term NEETs, learners with SEN&D, learners poor educational histories and some learners who displayed challenging behaviours.
In total 30 learners accessed the provision at any one time.and on this summer in 2012 we where working with 25 learners. It was decided that we would use the NCS programme to deliver a residential programme over the summer.
Context of NCS
The National Citizen Service was established by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, in response to the riots in Hackney. He felt that a programme needed to be established to make young people to foster social cohesen, social mobility and social engagement. Run by charities and not for profit organisations this 4 phase programme has had a massive impact on the young people its worked with.
The four phases are:
- Adventure, residential at and outdoor activity centre away from home.
- Discover, a university style residential where you develop life and employability skills.
- Social action, choose a community project to deliver, organise the project raise money for it and then deliver it. This will be locally based and young people stay at home.
- Celebration, what it says on the tin.
The programme can be delivered over a week. Our learners did took part in the four week summer programme.
My summer of fun
I remember this time fondly, it was my greatest challenge but also the most enjoyable. We took 25 learners, the majority of whom had never been been away from there families for longer than a night, away for two week long residentials followed by two weeks back at home preparing a social action project. Just picture it 25 learners with challenging behaviour, little to no social skills and low confidence.
They arrived in dribs and drabs in there track suits with small holdals and packages under there arms. Bouncing with excitement, while also being scared witless they loaded on to a bus bound for Weymouth. None knew what was coming, not even the four members of staff!!
The first week in Weymouth was packed, literally packed with outdoor and water sport activites. This was many learners first experience of these types of activites and for a few their first experience of 3 healthy meals a day.
Over the week learner grew up, put there phones away and talked face to face and took on responsibility for each other. No one was left out, learners took care over each other. We introduced fines for swearing, general low level misbehaviour and not keeping to group rules. Staff where kept to these as well. At the end of the week, we reviewed how we had grown as a group and handed out activities in response to fines. Staff and learners laughted and celebrated at this event in the sunshine.
The individual learners developed so much over this week it was truely inspirational. Learners actually spent time talking in groups rather than being on their phones, made up activities, and reflected on how far they had come including what had gone wrong in the past. This progress was something we had been aiming to achieve all year. In one week, these learners where displaying these behaviours, 1 week!
In week 2, learners stayed in converted barns on the mendips. First thing, no phone signal! None what so ever! They had no choice but to talk too each other. During this time they took part in life skills classes, helped cook meals, ate together, and celebrated a great week at the end. Again fines where in place and learners looked forward to the end of week activities with excitment.
During this week one learner said that she had learnt to talk to people. Another said they no longer needed there phone and a third said she had had the best time, because she had been away from the stress of home. All learners had come along way, learners where no longer swearing everyother word, they would talk about life and future plans and would sit in a classroom for longer then 10 minutes.
There were of cause down sides, we sent one learner home for fighting, another for running away on the mendips and staff got no sleep. We struggled once back in Weston to get the learners to buy in to the social action project that in the end just fell flat. It was like being back at school at a time when they should be off for the summer. It did not work, if we where to do it again we would do it differently.
For 2 glourious weeks however, those kids grew and became adults. With a couple of little changes this programme could be truely amazing. Like sandwitching the social action between two residentials. With the final one being used as a celebration of all thet they have achieved.
As you can see above I think this programme has a lot to offer all young people who are 16 to 17 years of age. So much so that I think it should either form part of the learners final year of school or first year of college. The NCS provision would fit nicely into the new Transition years coming in to FE. The type of learners targeted by Transition year are the young people who would benefit most from NCS. With the higher level learners (3&4) completing the Duke of Edingbourgh Awards as part of their programme. Just look at the activities completed as part of Irlands Transition year programmes and the success they see. NCS does not need to end, it needs to be brought in to the mainstream, with all our young people completing some form of activity based provision that encourages social action.
I will always remember those days as some of my best as a teacher!
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