Learning: For All. For Life. A report from the Independent Review of Community Learning and Development (CLD) – Learners Summary

2. What did the Review do?

The Scottish Government asked Kate to look at CLD in Scotland and to provide advice on:

1) Whether we have the right information about how CLD is helping learners across the country and how we can improve CLD.

2) How much is CLD helping to improve life chances for learners and especially those who need help the most.

3) How to make sure we have good, qualified people working to deliver CLD learning.

These were the priority areas Kate looked at:

• How much learners know about CLD.
• Availability and how easy it is to take up learning in CLD.
• The learning and support provided in CLD.
• How easy it is to move onto new and other learning opportunities in CLD.

Learners and potential learners were asked some questions in an online survey. 717 separate replies were received.

Kate spoke to over 110 learners at focus groups from across Scotland. Most of these focus groups were in-person, although some were online.

The team took notes so we could record experiences to help us make recommendations.

Kate also asked questions to those working in CLD or those who might have an interest in it.

423 separate replies were received.

Kate had lots of meetings (more than 40) with people working in CLD or with an interest in it.

She travelled to different parts of Scotland to hear directly from people working to deliver CLD.

The team took notes of these meetings too.

The CLD Independent Review email inbox was open for anyone to send information which might be helpful to the review.

292 emails were received through the mailbox.

An independent group of researchers and consultants looked at the survey replies, the information sent to the mailbox and thenotes from meetings, then sorted them and made a summary report which is available on the Scottish Government website.