• Research

• YOT Education Practitioners

• Key Agencies

• YJB Working Partnerships

• Vocational Training

• PLUS

• Exclusions from School

• Custodial Education

• Resettlement and PRISE

• Special Educational Needs

• Prevention Initiatives

• Grants for ETE

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Education, Training and Employment

PLUS

The PLUS strategy aims to raise significantly the literacy and numeracy levels of children and young people in order to prevent crime. It is an integral part of the DCSF Skills for Life strategy and is a partnership between the YJB, DCSF and Arts Council England. It delivers:

• Resources
  As part of the PLUS Strategy, a comprehensive resource bank of materials has been developed that enables young people to develop the essential skills that they need to manage the transition to adult life. These materials - the PLUS Enrichment programmes - are designed to provide engaging projects for young people, aged 12-18, who have low levels of literacy and numeracy attainment. All programmes contain embedded literacy and numeracy activities and offer an opportunity for learners to demonstrate their understanding and application of the skills they are developing, while also providing a creative experience.
• Training
  Comprehensive training is provided for all aspects of PLUS delivery, focusing upon giving practitioners the skills and knowledge they need to implement the different aspects of the strategy. In particular, practitioners will be shown how to use the materials effectively. Training events are delivered regionally and to a range of practitioners from different backgrounds.
• Projects
  Over the last three years, PLUS has developed a number of project models for the delivery of PLUS Enrichment programmes. These are Reading Matters, Summer Arts Colleges and Arts Champions.

Having originated within the secure estate, PLUS is now used in both custody and community. A team of PLUS development advisers support the use of PLUS across England and Wales.

All establishments in the secure estate for children and young people now have the PLUS resources available to them. PLUS provides support to establishments in developing their education plans and offers resources and training to help embed literacy and numeracy across the whole curriculum, a requirement emphasised in the National Specification for Learning and Skills, now called the OLJ.

By assisting youth justice practitioners in their work with strategic partners – Connexions, LEA, Arts Council England, Learning and Skills Council, training providers – PLUS can help to improve their capacity to support young people at risk of offending or reoffending. As a result, PLUS will help contribute to improved quality assurance and inspection outcomes for providers, and greater achievement and progression for young people.

PLUS has also developed enrichment programmes, embedding literacy and numeracy within primarily the arts, such as ‘Sounds Good’ (building a virtual band) as well as additional enrichment programmes centred on the environment and parenting.

For further information on any aspect of PLUS, please contact the PLUS team on 0845 22 33 102 or email plusinformation@ecotec.co.uk.

Reading Matters programmes

The PLUS Reading Matters programme aims to:

• engage young people in reading
• increase their enjoyment of reading
• improve their reading skills.

Click for more information on the Reading Matters programme.

Summer Arts Colleges

Summer Arts Colleges are arts-focused projects that provide a structured, 25 hours per week of arts-based activity over the six-week summer holiday, using the PLUS Arts enrichment materials.

Click for more information on Summer Arts Colleges.