As the only Further Education (FE) College on the island of Jersey, Highlands College is a vocational and technical education mainstay for the island’s further and higher education learners. While we have a strong reputation for innovation and excellence, until recently, the curriculum and qualification framework at Highlands was based exclusively on the English FE model. In some cases, our qualifications are also up to 10 years old, and while we boast excellent headline results, 25% of our graduates said they did not feel fully prepared for the future.
Highlands is by no means alone in facing these challenges. Around the world, education experts and employers are consistently telling governments that examination-heavy models of learning fail to provide learners with the relevant skills for an unpredictable and complex future.
Prompted by an ambition to widen our current curriculum and qualification framework, and to better prepare our students for the 21st century, Highlands therefore commissioned a literature review from the Edge Foundation, the UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, and Dr Lynne Rogers from the Institute of Education.
The report, 'Redesigning the Curriculum', collates international best practice on key areas underpinning curriculum design. This includes enrichment and global citizenship, future and digital skills, health and wellbeing, mentoring and coaching, and next steps into employment, further and higher education. It relies on key case studies from around the world, including from Scotland, Finland, the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Our curriculum redesign is a multi-year project and I’m delighted to say that the literature review’s recommendations are already shaping our forward progress.
Introducing a new qualification framework
Following conversations with employer groups, internal stakeholders and the Jersey government, Highlands has now developed a brand new course framework, targeting future skills. Specifically designed to equip students with the knowledge, attitudes and values they need to thrive and shape their future, the framework has been developed in partnership with Edge and City and Guilds. It will be piloted at Highlands College from this September.
The new qualification reflects the recommendations outlined in the review and includes four modules, to be run as an integrated addition to students’ vocational learning. It will feature a blend of instruction, coaching and personal reflection, encouraging students to expand their competencies and engage with a range of external stakeholders, including local businesses and industry leaders.
Reflecting the topics outlined in the report, the course’s content will range from health and wellbeing to leadership in sustainability and global citizenship. The latter, for instance, outlines 17 sustainability goals that students must prove they have learned and can apply. This module will also incorporate themes ranging from diversity and inclusion, to climate and the environment, and the global economy.
While each module provides a deep dive into different skills, what really sets the qualification apart is its constructivist approach. Relying on mentoring and facilitation, rather than direct teaching in the traditional sense, the course is student-led, with learners having to gather evidence of their competencies throughout the programme in order to gain their qualification.
New future skills lecturers
To support the rollout of the new course, Highlands has recently appointed two new lecturers in future skills, Mike Nield and Paul Bisson. They will design and deliver the pilot course in collaboration with curriculum teams across Health and Social Care, IT, Business Studies and Art. For the pilot, this means about 80 students. In future, however, we plan to roll the course out to the full sixth form, alongside their professional and technical study programmes.
A key aspect of Mike and Paul’s roles will be their approach to coaching and mentoring. There to support, advise, guide, coach and facilitate, they will lead each student on a journey of self-exploration throughout the learning and teaching process. This is a new and exciting model for us at Highlands and I look forward to seeing the wider impact it has on student outcomes.
A progressive approach to assessment
Being heavily student-led, the new future skills course also relies less on formal, examination-driven assessment. While examinations can still play an important role, the future skills qualification requires students to demonstrate their skills in practice. This ties closely to the Rethinking Assessment movement’s belief in a broader basket of measures and a move away from exams and rote learning. As students demonstrate their future skills, cutting edge credentials will be awarded by City and Guilds. For each module, students will receive a digital credential to be used on LinkedIn or included in a digital portfolio of evidence to carry with them into their future careers.
Over the next two years of our curriculum redesign, Highlands is undergoing some major changes. As a keystone of the redesign project, I believe our new future skills programme is a world first. Thanks to Edge and our other partners, it has been developed based on sound international research, as well as OECD 2030 competencies. While Highlands is proud of our existing reputation, we’re also excited to see a future where students leave our institution with an enhanced global outlook, and the skills, knowledge and experiences they need for life beyond college. Jersey may be ‘just’ a small island, but Highlands looks forward to showing the world the cutting edge of what further education can provide.
Lee Johnson is Vice Principal Curriculum and Quality at Highlands College in Jersey.
