Schools urged to appoint NCS leads

Guidance published by the Department for Education calls on schools to do more to promote the "life-changing experience" the flagship initiative offers young people.

This includes encouraging all schools and colleges to appoint a teacher to promote the NCS to students and be the main point of contact for local providers. Their work should include arranging NCS events within the school and answer students' questions about the initiative.

The guidance, which is non-statutory, suggests that year 11 heads and personal, social and health education (PSHE) or citizenship leads are best placed for the role in schools.

Among those to already take on this role is Gareth Wicks, sixth form programme director at Tendring Technology Academy, in Essex.

"When the head of sixth form asked me to take on promoting NCS in our school, I was worried about the amount of work - thinking I would need to accompany the students, do risk assessments and so on," he said.

"But when I met with my NCS provider I realised that the provider handles everything - they made it so easy for me. That has been a big part of the success."

The guidance also lists six other actions schools and colleges should take to promote NCS, including arranging visits by NCS providers to meet parents and pupils.

It also suggests that NCS should be embedded into PSHE lessons as a practical way of encouraging citizenship and schools should designate a time and place, such as after assembly, for pupils to sign up to the initiative.

"NCS is something that every young person should have the chance to do, regardless of circumstances or any additional needs they may have," the guidance states.

"That is why the government is asking schools and colleges across the country to help more young people sign up for this life-changing experience.

"NCS providers will be available to work with you to deliver the activities and materials that will best suit your cohort."

The new guidance represents the latest move to encourage take up of NCS, which has struggled to meet participation targets in recent years. In February the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) downgraded its aim of involving 360,000 young people by 2020/21 to 247,000.

Last month guidance was issued to councils encouraging them to also take a more active role in promote NCS.

Also last month it emerged that the NCS programme may be shortened from four to three weeks to save money.