Advice for 14-19 strategy managers in local authorities

Strategy guide Meeting strategic education goals in England through study support Advice for 14–19 strategy managers in local authorities Local authorities are under increasing pressure to deliver the five outcomes of Every Child Matters, extended services in and around schools, and other initiatives designed to raise standards, such as healthy schools and personalised learning. Study support (also known as out-of-school-hours learning – oshl) can help to address many of these initiatives simultaneously. Study support offers children the opportunity to take part in a range of informal and imaginative activities and projects outside normal lesson time, and has been shown to offer a range of benefits – for example, improving pupils’ attendance and levels of achievement. The government recognises the important contribution study support can make to a range of educational strategies. It is, therefore, working with key partners to embed study support within strategy documents and planning at both local authority and school level. This strategy guide highlights how: • study support can assist the delivery of the 14–19 strategy • study support can be built into the support you, as a strategy manager, already offer to schools • schools can use study support to benefit pupils, schools and communities. About study support What is study support? ‘Study support is learning activity outside normal lessons which young people take part in voluntarily. Study support is, accordingly, an inclusive term, embracing many activities – with many names and guises. Its purpose is to improve young people’s motivation, build their self-esteem and help them become more effective learners. Above all it aims to raise achievement.’ (DfES, 1998; quoted in Study support: a national framework for extending learning opportunities, DfES, 2006) ‘Study support’ is a broad term that includes almost all activities that happen outside normal lesson time, including: • breakfast clubs • creative/performing arts and crafts • design technology and ICT • special interest groups or clubs • homework, revision and drop-in sessions • activities linked to the curriculum • peer mentoring and peer tutoring schemes • summer schools • residential experiences • visits to museums, galleries and heritage sites • modern foreign languages • environmental projects • volunteering. This is not an exhaustive list, and a key factor should be what engages and interests children and young people. There should be scope for the members to suggest, run or lead particular activities. The Study Support ETC pages of the ContinYou website provide more information on how to develop and sustain study support activities (www. continyou.org.uk/studysupportetc). The benefits of study support Study support is recognised as a key contributor to school improvement and the development of the whole child/young person. The greatest impact is seen when study support is strategically rooted, valued, planned and evaluated at both school and local authority level. For more information about study support and evidence of its impact, visit www.continyou.org.uk/studysupportetc and www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/studysupport. Study support has been shown to help to: • raise standards • improve behaviour and attendance • encourage parental and community involvement • ease transition • improve motivation, and attitudes towards, and engagement in, learning • increase self-esteem and confidence • tackle social exclusion. The grid on the next page, showing the key elements of the 14–19 strategy, gives more information on how study support links to its delivery and implementation. Funding study support programmes Although there is not one ring-fenced source of funding for study support, money can be used from a number of sources to support the delivery of activities. These include the core budget, the school standards grant (SSG), and money attributed to personalised learning. Schools that apply for designation as specialist schools are now required, as part of their strategic planning, to show how their activities contribute to the achievement of Every Child Matters and the core offer of extended services – thereby enabling the money associated with this designation to be used to support extended learning opportunities. How study support can help 14–19 strategy managers As a 14–19 strategy manager, you can help develop and sustain study support activities that will contribute towards achieving your targets. You might support activities aimed at particular groups of children, or you may find ways to incorporate study support into your mainstream strategy. How does study support help the 14–19 strategy? Key elements of the 14–19 strategy How study support fits with these elements or complements them Develop core learning and wider activities Study support is such an effective vehicle for delivering core learning that ‘wider activities’ are now an integral part of the government’s 14–19 strategy. Study support can provide opportunities for innovative and exploratory learning, develop independent learning skills, and increase students’ motivation and participation. It also helps individuals become aware of how best they learn – as individuals, within groups, and in wider society. Encourage more young people to stay in education beyond the age of 16 Study support has the flexibility to offer personalised learning, which, among other things, can help young people feel they are listened to. This helps to increase participation and retention rates, and to create a lifelong learning culture. It can also introduce young people to role models outside their own communities, which further boosts their aspirations, skills and confidence within learning and workplace situations. Reduce the number of young people who are disengaged or excluded from learning by the age of 16 Young people can become disengaged or develop behavioural problems if they are insufficiently stretched, lack confidence or are not attracted by what’s on offer. Learning beyond the classroom, including activities for gifted and talented young people, summer schools and initiatives run with other agencies, can increase learning and, for example, reduce crime. Increase flexibility and broaden choice for 14–19s Study support offers schools the flexibility to adapt to young people’s needs, enabling them to focus on particular individuals or groups. It enables young people to develop common knowledge, skills and attributes not covered in the curriculum, and to try out a range of different experiences that can make learning more enjoyable. It can also help them develop a positive attitude towards learning. Provide more and good-quality vocational and work-related learning As well as boosting the functional skills of maths, literacy and communication, and ICT, study support can offer young people volunteering opportunities that will foster skills relevant to the workplace, such as developing the ‘right attitude’ for employers. Offering learning in a work context increases student motivation. By encouraging collaboration between schools, colleges, employers, training providers and the wider community, it also strengthens vocational pathways. Case studies Lifelong learning Macmillan College, Middlesbrough Students are spoilt for choice at Macmillan College. More than 100 study support activities are offered each week, ranging from Japanese to animation technology. Study support is truly embedded in school life, explains enrichment co-ordinator and director of PE, Oscar Stanton: ‘Every subject that is taught in the curriculum will have a corresponding enriching activity to extend the pupils’ understanding or add interest. We also offer subject support, to improve their actual course work and help with revision.’ The scheme cultivates an enthusiasm and curiosity among the students that encourages lifelong learning. In addition to the after-school clubs, sixth formers are given opportunities in work-related learning and vocational experience, and many carry out voluntary work in local primary schools, care homes and hospitals to boost their CVs and improve their employment opportunities. The programme is run without external funding, with each member of staff running at least one activity as part of their employment contract. ‘You really see the benefits,’ explains Oscar. ‘The pupils learn about the hobbies and interests of all 150 teachers. It’s a very rich learning environment.’ Macmillan College is tackling these 14–19 strategic objectives: • develop core learning and wider activities • encourage more young people to stay in education • increase flexibility and broaden choice. The effect The impact on the school’s learning culture is massive, says Oscar. An impressive 70 to 80 per cent of pupils return for the sixth form – not least because they’ve had such a good experience in the school. ‘The programme helps develop positive relationships between students and teachers, and makes college a good place to go. The students get a good deal and plenty of choice, so attendance and behaviour around the school are good. The managers are well aware of the power of the enrichments. You can use them to changes things in your department – to fill a gap or support staff members.’ Study support and government policy on children and young people Study support plays a key role in a range of national policies and initiatives, including: • extended schools – study support contributes extensively to the delivery of the ‘core offer’ of extended services in and around schools to which every community should have access by 2010. The ‘varied menu of study support activities’ can also contribute to the delivery of the other four areas: childcare; community access, including adult learning; parenting support, including family learning; swift and easy referral; and shared use of facilities (www.teachernet.gov.uk/extended schools) • Every Child Matters (www.everychildmatters.gov.uk) • Personalised Learning (www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/personalisedlearning) • Department for Culture, Media and Sport strategies (www.culture.gov.uk) • DfES Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners (www.dfes.gov.uk/publications) • Healthy Schools (www.healthyschools.gov.uk) • Learning Outside the Classroom (www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/resourcematerials/museums/outsideclassroom) • Ofsted (www.ofsted.gov.uk) • PESSCL (www.youthsporttrust.org/page/pesscl/index.html) • Youth Matters (www.dfes.giv.uk/publications/youth) • 14–19 Strategy (www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/14to19) • Playing for Success (www.dfes.gov.uk/playingforsuccess). More information on how study support meets the challenges and targets presented by other initiatives can be found at www.continyou.org.uk/studysupportetc. Powering up kids with power tools Northamptonshire Study Support Team ‘Catching them off guard’ – that’s how study support strategic co-ordinator Danielle Stone describes the key to the success of Northamptonshire’s ‘design and build’ scheme, aimed at older boys who are at the point of exclusion. Two women with adventure playground backgrounds run the scheme, which is managed by the local authority. ‘They’re not like teachers – they’re a bit “punky”,’ says Danielle. ‘Though they’re very strict – but in a different way. It’s about being a bit counter-culture, but also observant about health and safety and good practice, and focusing on good learning practice.’ The providers work with a small group of boys to design something that will be part of the school, such as a sculpture or bench. The group then builds it using power tools. As part of the rigorous preparatory stage, the women visit the boys and negotiate terms with them. Using the power tools is a reward for good behaviour. ‘It’s about saying “We can see you’re not happy, and we’d like to offer you something different”,’ says Danielle. ‘The kids start feeling an attachment to the teacher who invited them, and to the school. It’s very empowering for them.’ The scheme is tackling these 14–19 strategic objectives: • reduce the number of excluded or disengaged pupils • increase flexibility and broaden choice. The effect The evidence that it works is that the children choose to turn up – even those who aren’t attending school. ‘This shows that the kids affect not wanting to learn, but really they do want to,’ says Danielle. ‘This approach changes their attitudes and challenges their perception of school as punitive to seeing it as being concerned about the individual.’ Heinz 57 revision Kirkby College, Kirkby-in-Ashfield When it comes to revision, pupils at Kirkby College have a mind-boggling range of support, including techniques for motivation, goal-setting, memory improvement, learning styles, mind-mapping, note-taking, stress management, and exam preparation. This broad range of activities is offered through Heinz 57, an after-school club aimed at Year 11 pupils who are underachieving in any of their GCSE subjects. ‘From our grade-tracking system we can pinpoint those who are underachieving straight away,’ says Janine McKenzie, assistant headteacher, and head of Key Stage 4 and whole-school study support. Because the school is in a deprived ex-mining community, the club received funding from a local community regeneration scheme. ‘Our study support programme is so well embedded that it fits into our strategic aims, and our development and faculty plans. Our vision for the school is to achieve a learning and achievement culture – one big package to help them learn, achieve, and develop their talents.’ Nottinghamshire local authority study support co-ordinators have been very supportive. They have helped build up a local network of schools and encouraged them to aim for Quality in Study Support (QiSS) accreditation. The school runs half-day sessions over half-term, as well as a four-day event over the Easter holidays for all Year 11s, offering revision-related activities they can dip into. Last year, out of 156 pupils in the year, 135 turned up to one or more Easter sessions. Kirkby College is tackling these 14–19 strategic objectives: • • develop core learning and wider activities • • encourage more young people to stay in education beyond the age of 16. The effect The school has achieved ‘established’ QiSS status and Janine is more than satisfied that the scheme is working. ‘We offer a really big enterprising curriculum for 14 to 16s, and there’s a steady increase in sixth form numbers.’ Where to now... What you can do next • Contact your study support (out-of-school-hours learning) and/or extended services co-ordinator. • Include study support activities in your 14–19 strategy plans. • Find out what study support activities schools in your area provide now and how these could contribute to your 14–19 agenda. • Consider how community partners could add value to study support provision to help improve engagement and future opportunities for your target group(s). • Support schools/colleges/learning centres in embedding study support by including it in your INSET provision. • Host a workshop for headteachers/community activity leaders to share ideas, goals and targets in order to map study support provision and ensure it is recognised and delivered in the future as a key contributor to a number of key strategies across the local authority. Useful resources Websites 14–19 Reform www.14–19reform.gov.uk 4 Nations Child Policy Network www.childpolicy.org.uk Children’s University www.childrensuniversity.org DfES Study Support Team www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/studysupport Progress on England’s Children’s Rights Commissioner www.unicef.org.uk/youthvoice Quality in Study Support (QiSS) www.canterbury.ac.uk/education/departments/professional-development/ centres/quality-in-study-support/ teachernet www.teachernet.gov.uk Training and Development Agency for Schools www.tda.gov.uk University of the First Age (UFA) www.ufa.org.uk Publications 14–19 curriculum and qualifications reform, DfES, 2004 Building the future of learning, Big Lottery Fund, 2004 Learning outside the classroom manifesto, DfES, 2006 Study support: a national framework for extending learning opportunities, DfES, 2006 The study support code of practice (England), DfES, 2004 For information about useful resources for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, see www.continyou.org.uk/strategyguides. Acknowledgements Extra Time Strategy Guides are published by ContinYou, 17 Old Ford Road, London E2 9PJ. Tel: 020 8709 9900 Fax: 020 8709 9933 Email: info.london@continyou.org.uk Website: www.continyou.org.uk Copyright © ContinYou 2007 Edition 2. First published 2006. Revised 2007. ContinYou uses learning to tackle inequality and build social inclusion. ContinYou is one of the UK’s leading community learning organisations. Registered charity 1097596 ContinYou supports the strategic development of study support activities in schools, local authorities and their communities. There is a wide range of information and advice available at www.continyou.org.uk/extratime – or phone 020 8709 9900.