Learner Needs in Runnymede

Assessment of Learning Needs

From the Department of the Environment (DoE) index of local conditions, Runnymede is listed as the worst borough (i.e. highest need) in Surrey at place 170 out of 366 in England and Wales.  However the borough has wards which are listed in the 'worst' 20 in Surrey and also in the 'best' 20 in Surrey.  The ward with the highest identified socio-economic need is Chertsey St Ann's.  Other wards which show up on the indices are Hythe, Addlestone North, Addlestone Bourneside, Chertsey Meads and Englefield Green West.  Wards which feature highly on the concern about crime also feature these wards.

In addition to geographical areas of need, there are also communities of need which have something in common and are throughout the borough.  These 'communities' include

1. People with physical disabilities (White Lodge)
   
2. Mental health problems (Project 18)
   
3. Travellers (a large community of settled and roaming in Runnymede)
   
4. Disaffected youth - St Ann's, Englefield Green, Chertsey
   
5. Single/young parents - Chertsey, Englefield Green, Egham
   
6. Basic Skills needs are identified in pockets throughout the borough, but 3 wards ranked in the top 20 of wards in Surrey for poor literacy and numeracy (Hythe, Chertsey St Ann's, Englefield Green West) with another two Addlestone Bourneside and Addlestone North included in the top 45. Runnymede has the highest percentage of all the boroughs in Surrey - 19% of the total population - for estimation of poor numeracy levels, and second highest estimated level of low literacy at 19.9%).
   
7. Students who need learning support are also a 'group' with needs and are located throughout the borough in various settings.
   
8. Ex offenders need links to learning opportunities which are not necessarily FE based.
   
9. Labour market trends - Runnymede has 0.7% unemployment compared with 0.6% for Surrey and 3.2% for the rest of the UK.  Employers often find it difficult to fill a wide range of occupations - applicants often do not have required levels of numeracy and literacy.  Runnymede has a higher proportion of jobs than the county average in health and social work and construction.  In common with the rest of Surrey the most common vacancies placed by employers with Careers centres are clerical/secretarial, managerial/professional/technical, sales, skilled trades and childcare.
   
10. Older People - there are health and social benefits which accrue from learning later in life.  Only figures for those attending adult education and further education from 60+ are available for Runnymede.

Barriers to Learning

Barriers exist which follow national trends - local ones in particular seem to be transport, self esteem, lack of interest.  No research has been conducted with non-learners but the following has emerged from interviews and other enquiries:

• Communication barriers still seem to exist at operational level within departments of SCC - difficult to find information.
• The same applies at operational level between the colleges although strategically all parties are in agreement.
• Transport - a consideration when deciding on places to run learning. No research done into bus routes in Runnymede.
• Teaching in off-site venues can be very isolating.  Staff employed are often part time hourly paid staff who may not be fully conversant with college systems for providing resources.  They often need a lot of support, which could be costly.  There is also the issue of safety here - is there a lone workers policy?
• Childcare, particularly with some vulnerable groups, childcare is often a problem.
• Support/relief for carers who may wish to learn and are unable to leave the home.
• Basic skills needs, preventing understanding of what is available.
• Self-esteem (very high on barriers in lone parents, vulnerable young)
• Language barriers - in ethnic minority cases often cultural barriers exist (relevant to whether people will attend classes outside the home, different times, evening etc.)
• Lack of interest/motivation/apathy - the 'not for me' attitude - often as a result of bad experiences at school.  
• Cost - lack of awareness of funded provision.
• Lack of IT experience or phobia about computers prohibits learning 'online'.
• Family demands or 'no time' because of employment.
• Lack of information - at the right place at the right time.
• Lack of coherent provision - it still seems as though providers at the operational level put on what 'goes' - there are few pathways identified from informal to formal.  Competition element still exists.
• Barriers identified specifically by Surrey Springboard for their particular clients were no staying power, 'keeping up', home life not conducive to study, disruptive lifestyle which clients are just coming to the point of dealing with.
• Debt/funding, substance abuse, re-offending.
• Pressure of the classroom - leading to mental blockages.
• Education term times - September enrolment etc can be inconvenient for many people - more variety in start times/hours, delivery points etc.  Especially true of accredited  courses.
• Older people often do not like to go out at night, and appreciate provision nearby, with transport during the day.  The same applies for classes in community settings - going to the learner.