Prisoners can now take more exams in-house
Prisoners at Les Nicolles are now able to take more exams in-house following the prison’s JCQ accreditation.
The prison is able to hold exam papers and exams on site after gaining accreditation from the Joint Council for Qualifications.
‘It’s been a journey over the last year, but I can now offer exams from different exam boards, such as AQA exams for some of our students doing maths this summer,’ said education manager Rachel Kaufman.
‘We’ve got to hope that the more available we make these qualifications and the more qualifications that a person has, hopefully the less likely they are to re-offend as it will give them motivation and a good feeling about their achievements, especially for those who missed out on qualifications in school.’
One prisoner studying for an A-level in business studies previously may not have been able to complete the exam due to being in prison, but now they can do the exam on site.
The prison offers GCSEs and A-levels in-house, and prisoners can also apply for a course through the Open University, where course fees will be means-tested.
This year, two teenagers in youth detention are using the scheme to complete their GCSEs, and last year four students in the prison who left education at a young age and did not continue into post-16 gained AS level maths qualifications.
Other vocational courses can be completed using the growing prison facilities.
Read more about education in the prison in Monday’s Press.
