A briefing guide for PRU managers

A briefing guide for PRU managers Meeting your strategic goals through study support Contents Background 3 About study support? 4 Benefits of study support 4 Study support and pupil referral units 6 Working in partnership 8 Consultation and inclusion 9 Delivering activities 10 Achieving PRU targets through study support 12 What to do next? 14 Useful websites and resources 15 Background By 2010, the government expects all children and young people to have access to a variety of ‘extended services’ in or around schools. The ‘core offer’ of extended services includes: • a varied menu of study support activities • high quality childcare either on-site or through local providers • parenting support, including family learning sessions • swift and easy referral to a wide range of specialist support services • community use of facilities, including adult and family learning and ICT. The aim of this guide is to outline the potential ways that PRU Managers could help to improve the learning outcomes for young people by offering a varied menu of study support activities. Doing this brings numerous benefits to the learning environment. It can enrich the existing provision, enable access to new funding sources and offer new and exciting opportunities to young people. By developing study support activities in PRUs, personalised programmes aimed at improving self-esteem, confidence, attendance and behaviour can enhance achievement at all levels and in its widest sense. ‘Schools (including PRUs) will be expected to work in partnership with other agencies in the statutory and voluntary sector - to deliver the core offer: both on the school sites and in appropriate facilities across the local community.’ Extended schools prospectus, DfES, June 2005 About study support Study support is not a new concept and it is often given different names, such as out-of-school-hours learning (oshl), extended learning or enrichment activities. It is a broad term that incorporates a range of activities that can support a young person’s academic achievement, but could equally focus on developing their skills, confidence and well-being. It is defined by the DfES as ‘learning activity outside normal lessons which young people take part in voluntarily’. It could include: • sporting and physical activity • outdoor, adventurous and environmental activities • programmes which extend the curriculum • creative and performing arts • craft and technology, including ICT • homework clubs and open access to libraries and learning resource centres • booster and revision sessions linked to curriculum subjects and cross-curricular themes • hobby activities and games clubs • community service, volunteering • peer mentoring • summer schools • breakfast clubs, homework clubs, maths clubs • supplementary schools Study support activities can happen in a wide range of venues and locations, for example in libraries, museums, sports clubs or youth centres. Benefits of study support Study support has been proven to raise academic attainment and improve behaviour and attendance in young people. It has also been shown to improve motivation and self-esteem, and to give pupils the confidence to fulfil their potential and aspirations. It is especially helpful for those who are disengaged from learning. A recent report on study support for looked-after children, An asset account for looked-after children (Institute of Public Policy Research 2006), concluded that study support/out-of-school-hours learning opportunities are particularly important for vulnerable young people such as those in care. A key focus of study support is its ability to improve young people’s experience of, and access to, learning. Study support enhances the school curriculum and mainstream educational provision but also offers a ‘bridge’ to the informal learning and social opportunities that young people take part in voluntarily outside the school day. Young people can be involved at every level of study support, for example they can decide what activities take place, choose which ones to participate in, and have a say in running the activities or projects. It provides an ideal platform from which to launch active citizenship programmes. Physical activity is one of the more common forms of study support offered through schools and other providers. The PE, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) strategy was launched in England in October 2002. It is delivered by the DfES and DCMS, and encourages local partners, including local authorities, to come together to ensure its effective delivery. The overall objective is a joint DfES/DCMS Public Service Agreement (PSA) target. By 2008, it wants 85 per cent of 5-16 year olds to spend at least two hours each week on high quality physical education and sport (within and beyond the curriculum). Every school in England is now part of a school sport partnership which is part of the PESSCL strategy. There is much scope for linking both the provision of sporting activities and accreditation for involvement (such as leadership awards) across the service providers. Study support and pupil referral units The concept of extended services arose from the Every Child Matters (ECM) agenda and the government’s aim for every child, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have the support they need to: • be healthy • stay safe • enjoy and achieve • make a positive contribution • achieve economic well-being. Organisations involved in providing services to children are tasked up with teaming up in new ways, sharing information and working together to provide better outcomes. Pupil referral units (PRUs) have a remit to secure the best opportunities for young people in their locality, but also to work with a range of agencies to deliver the five outcomes of ECM. The areas of the core offer with most potential for PRU managers are the ‘swift and easy referral’ and the ‘varied menu of study support activities’. This guide looks at how PRU managers can use study support to deliver the five outcomes of Every Child Matters and support curriculum delivery. Most PRUs already provide a significant number of study support activities each week. These may include sports, ICT, drama, dance and/or art clubs. In addition, the PRU might already offer more targeted support for young people with specific needs or might offer extra support in areas of the curriculum, such as literacy and numeracy. Providing a range of different activities to meet the varied needs of young people can be a challenge. Lack of resources is often cited as a major obstacle. However, the PRU does not need to offer everything on site; many other service providers, such as the youth service, supplementary schools, and voluntary and community organisations, will already be providing study support activities in the local area. Taking time to identify who else is delivering services that can complement your study support programme will not only enable sharing of resources, but contribute to the achievement of your targets. Approaching study support as an opportunity for partnership working opens up a range of potential benefits for the PRU itself, including: reaching and engaging with young people more effectively; accessing new funding sources; and offering new and exciting opportunities. The partners may also be able to support the PRU delivery by: • providing alternative ways to engage particular groups of young people • bringing new skills, activities and perspectives • offering a different educational approach to planning. They may also have experience of: • consulting effectively with young people in your area • engaging local young people in the delivery of activities • developing practical ways of measuring and demonstrating the impact of study support • using innovative ways of working with the most disaffected and disengaged young people. Case study: Pupil referral unit festivals Lack of communication was an issue between PRUs across the city of Wolverhampton. There was also a lack of opportunities for the young people to compete with each other in sporting or other activities. Debbie Woolf is a specialist link teacher in Westcroft School and Sports College. She says: ‘To change this, we organised half-termly festivals at our college that all the PRUs could attend. They used the festivals as a reward and brought children who had earned the right to attend through good behaviour. The festivals emphasise the importance of taking part in all activities and working as a team, and rewards are given for these, rather than points or goals. ‘Children are regularly able to compete. They also get an opportunity to try different activities that may not be available at their PRUs, such as gymnastics. ‘Behaviour at the events has always been excellent and we have had no incidents. The festivals also have a major impact on staff, who now talk to each other and feel much more confident at delivering activities other than football, and at taking the children out. ‘At our last festival we had a competitive match with no incidents. Children from different PRUs were split into different teams and they worked well with others. The staff were happy to allow the children the chance to do his, which would have been unheard of a year ago. Success factors included: • small team sizes – only five children from each PRU at a time • a circuit of activities is available – keeping children focused for short periods of time’ • there is always something they are meant to be doing • working in partnership with other coaches/schools and venues developed relationships across the local authority. Case study courtesy of Youth Sports Trust Working in partnership The most effective partnerships are those that deliver the objectives of all partners, and do not subordinate those of one partner to the other. There is plenty of evidence that school/PRU staff and youth/community workers can complement each other’s work. A growing number of PRUs are employing youth workers, or working more closely with youth services and community groups. As we have mentioned previously, it is not necessary for the PRU to deliver all the study support activities independently. The youth service, local schools and voluntary agencies have a vital and central part to play in developing partnerships with schools/PRUs and in the planning and co-delivery of extended services. A successful activity or project that is developed in partnership with another local service provider will bring significant benefits to the young people in the PRU, as well as attracting joint funding and making better use of limited resources. Many mainstream schools offer a broad range of activities for their young people; a successful partnership with these schools will encourage young people from neighbouring PRUs to participate the study support programme. Remember, PRUs can offer mainstream schools skills and expertise in engaging young people with challenging behaviour. Outreach and preventative study support activities could form the basis of a positive partnership. Most of the young people who attend a PRU have behavioural difficulties and multiple needs. If their needs are not met, they could get involved in antisocial behaviour. Study support can be a positive way of working in partnership with the police, or Youth Offending Service to prevent this. It can also play a part in preventing other challenging behaviour, such as groups of young people becoming bored and causing a nuisance to others or putting themselves at risk. As a PRU manager, you can develop and sustain study support activities that will help achieve your targets. For example, activities can be organised to cater for particular groups of young people, and can be linked to personal growth or social skills development. Study support can offer a platform to engage with young people who might not be open to engaging in learning within school hours. PRUs involving partners in the delivery of study support will want to demonstrate the impact their programme is having on raising achievement and other priorities within their PRU Improvement Plans. The SEF is an ideal tool for demonstrating the impact of your study support programme and showing how the activities are linked to raising achievement. You may also wish to review your PRU Improvement Plan to identify both the contribution that study support is making towards the achievement of the ECM outcomes, and the potential of study support as an agent for future improvement. Consultation and inclusion PRU managers can make a significant contribution to a school’s work in terms of both consultation and inclusion, as shown in the following table: Consultation • helping to identify the needs of young people without the use of hard statistical data (which would be contributed from elsewhere) • instigating and facilitating participatory work, to ensure that the young people’s voice is heard • providing a varied menu of activities, especially those which will contribute to personalised learning and enrichment. Inclusion • identifying individuals and groups of young people whose needs are not being met • instigating and facilitating positive relationships with those young people whose needs are not being met • providing access to varied activities by removing the barriers which can cause exclusion, such as venue, or timings. Delivering activities When the activities are delivered by partners and in locations other than the PRU itself, experience has shown that there is a clear need to do more than simply relying on signposting. Taking simple steps such as using a location that the young people feel comfortable in, and one that they are able to find easily, can really help to settle your study support club/activity. Providing transport between your PRU and the activity may seem like an unnecessary extra expense at first, but it’s one that will help to ensure levels of participation remain high. If possible, identify a member of staff who already knows the young people to attend with them for the first few weeks. This will really help to build positive relationships and trust between the young people and the partner organisation running the activity. Once the young people become familiar with the location and structure of the club they may be more inclined to assume responsibility for getting there themselves. Although young people who attend PRUs are sometimes assumed to be confident and outspoken, often this is not the case. Taking the time to nurture their sense of confidence and self-esteem, by using study support to broaden their horizons and expand their experiences, will enable them to better develop positive relationships with other people. Case study: PRU Carlisle In Carlisle, a newly appointed cluster co-ordinator for the PRUs has been setting up a study support programme. He says: ‘Things are going well here. The children at the PRU in Carlisle now enjoy football on Wednesday, gym on Thursday and boxing training on Monday. I’ll learn soon whether my bids for funding for an after-school cookery club, gym equipment and clothing and funding to make the football sessions sustainable are successful or not. ‘The children here are really responding to me now and coming to me with ideas. I’ve taken a lot of time and effort to get to know them all and it’s paid off well. We have a newsletter that I’ve done in partnership with the family support group and the school council. I’m getting good feedback, but I have to spend a lot of time in contact with the children. ‘You can’t run extended services in a PRU just like you can in a mainstream school. What I’ve found is that you cannot just signpost services, as the children simply will not turn up. Someone has to travel with the children so that the clubs are successful. They won’t go unless you ‘hold their hands’ to get there. A lot of the kids suffer from a severe lack of confidence - even if they come over initially as aggressive.’ Delivering the ECM outcomes PRUs are well-placed to deliver a range of study support activities within the context of the five ECM outcomes. Partnership working will facilitate the offer of a wide and varied programme, but its planning and delivery will need to be tailored to the needs of the young people attending the PRU. Being healthy: PRU managers can contribute a great deal to study support provision linked to health and wellbeing, especially through the use of non-formal methods of raising young people’s awareness. For example, existing links with other agencies with expertise on sexual health and substance misuse can make a major contribution to study support activities. PRUs are likely to be working closely with the youth service, PCT and CAMHS; the PRU approach and its access to specialist programmes will probably prove vital to creating effective study support activities. PRU managers may also be in a position to facilitate more practical help in providing contraception advice (for example) and offering drop-in sessions to young people. In other health-related work, managers may be able to develop a close working relationship with sports professionals, such as those associated with the Playing with Success programmes. The whole area of personal advice and counselling is likely to be one that is prioritised in a PRU; managers will actively seek to employ staff with appropriate expertise and experience. Staying safe: Enabling young people to stay safe is dependent on providing a safe environment and providing young people with the know-how to recognise, and deal with, potential abuse. After-school study support clubs provide a safe place to go, and professionals can assist young people in developing the skills and understanding to manage risk. A PRU manager is in an advantageous position to work with other agencies in the community to promote community cohesion and to support young people at risk of becoming victims. Enjoying and achieving: A PRU manager will be well versed in the national framework of awards available to young people (such as ASDAN, the Duke of Edinburgh’s, and Youth Achievement Awards) and can help young people to gain accreditation for their achievements by designing a programme that meets the needs of the young people. The ability to offer informal learning, or formal learning in non-formal situations, is a particular asset in meeting the personalised learning agenda. Making a positive contribution: The National Youth Agency Hear by Right publication sets standards for the active involvement of young people in study support and out-of-school hours activities. Study support programmes can be organised to actively involve young people and develop their skills in decision-making, planning and delivery and teamwork. Personalised learning lends itself to encouraging active participation in learning, individually as well as with the community. PRU managers are in key position to foster the development of partnerships and the building of new communities. It is possible, through building new links and networks, to develop a greater sense of cohesion and belonging, encourage empathy and understanding not only between young people themselves, but also across generations. Economic wellbeing: PRU managers have experience in running projects that: • involve participants in team-building, problem-solving and taking the initiative • focus on developing financial skills through management of project finances They also facilitate access to advice on benefits and welfare rights. Achieving PRU targets through study support The following grid shows how study support can help achieve the key elements of PRU managers’ targets: Key elements of Ofsted inspection criteria, and key targets for PRU managers How study support can help achieve these elements Enabling students to achieve negotiated individual targets for the acquisition of knowledge, skills and understanding. Provision which is not constrained by curriculum requirements enables students to experience more flexible approaches to learning and a wider variety of activities. Facilitating students’ personal development, including attitudes, values and self-confidence; and enabling them to function both as individuals and as responsible community members Sessions can be directly tailored to develop personal and social skills and may include environmental projects, working with younger children or the elderly, outdoor activities, community related projects, and activities provided by other service providers, such as the fire brigade, youth service, Youth Offending Service and police. Making curriculum provision for students, appropriately differentiated according to age, gender, ethnic origin, interests, abilities, social circumstances and sexual orientation; using varied approaches matched to students’ different needs, abilities and interests A varied curriculum with a variety of approaches will help to address the differing learning styles of the students. Study support can help tackle underachievement by offering activities that enhance learning directly or indirectly. DJ classes, for example, can improve literacy skills through the writing of lyrics, and numeracy skills could be improved by purchasing plants and equipment for a community garden. Working in partnership with others, such as parents, community groups and other professionals will increase the diversity of approach. Helping students to achieve appropriate forms of accreditation, including publicly-recognised qualifications or certification Study support can directly increase the range of accreditation available to students, Programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Youth Leadership qualifications, Coaching qualifications and First Aid all offer accreditation. Establishing limits for acceptable behaviour by agreement; establishing and maintaining positive relationships with students, and providing them with enjoyable, stimulating and challenging experiences Study support activities are voluntary and therefore, participation is by choice and attitudes are usually positive. This enables acceptable behaviours to be agreed by all involved and teamwork is often a priority to facilitate the continuation of the activity. Establishing an acceptable code of conduct is one of the usual first steps when setting up a study support club. Giving students appropriate advice and personal support, and referring them to specialist help when required Study support that is tailored to meet individual and group needs encourages the development of positive relationships based on mutual respect. Within this framework, personal support can flourish and ‘swift and easy referral’ can be activated if appropriate systems are in place. Offering opportunities for students to engage actively in local, regional and national democratic structures A student council/student forum, or circle time will encourage students to engage in democratic structures. Study support activities can facilitate active engagement in local, national and regional issues through a range of community projects, such as development of a community garden, or linking with a third world country through the ICT club. Ensuring that students are involved at operational level in the planning, management and evaluation of provision Study support is voluntary and to ensure participation in the activities, students must be involved choosing activities. The activities require monitoring and evaluation and it is good practice to involve the students in this process. Developing effective partnerships with other agencies and institutions in order to facilitate all of the above A study support programme set only in the PRU may be limited due to limited resources, but working in partnership with other agencies, such as mainstream schools, local colleges and other service providers will broaden the offer to help meet need. A youth work approach can compliment the approach of the teacher in a number of ways, such as formal and informal approaches to a behavioural issue, or the different styles of relationships established. The differing style and approach of a variety of professionals will help to meet the variety of needs and the various learning styles of the students. What to do next? • Audit and evaluate the study support provision taking place in your PRU and identify what other activities are being accessed by young people, either locally, or near where they live. Are there further areas where activities could be offered, for example in after-school settings, at weekends, during holidays? • Consult with your young people and involve them in the planning and delivery of an appropriate and meaningful programme of study support activities. Activities should be interest-based, as well as meeting need and therefore, the changing composition of the young people in your PRU will require frequent consultation. • Contact your local authority study support or oshl co-ordinator or extended schools remodelling adviser (ESRA) to find out what is taking place in schools/clusters and what potential there is to be involved in planning, developing or delivering further activities or projects. • Engage in positive partnerships to broaden the scope and delivery of the study support programme, remembering that the PRU and its staff have much to offer other organisations, as well as benefiting from the skills, knowledge and expertise of other organisations and service providers. • Ensure that your study support programme is regularly monitored and evaluated and that its role in raising achievement is clearly identified in your self evaluation form and the PRU Improvement Plan. Useful websites and resources Websites ContinYou: ContinYou’s study support team and website supports the strategic development of study support activities in schools, local authorities and their communities. Log on to www.continyou.org.uk and visit: • the Study Support ETC online resources • the Schools ETC (Extending to Communities) subscription network, which supports all those working in the field of extended services • Seeing is believing, an advocacy programme targeted at senior staff in local authorities and local strategic bodies, comprising of a one-day session of visits to schools to see and discuss the impact of study support/out-of-school-hours learning. You can also call 020 8709 9900 to find out which member of the ContinYou extended services team supports your local authority. Department for Education and Skills study support team: www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/studysupport/ Hear by Right: www.nya.org.uk/hearbyright National Youth Agency: www.nya.org.uk School Sport Partnership Programme: www.youthsporttrust.org.uk/subpage/specialist-sport/index.html TeacherNet: For a good overview on extended schools visit www.teachernet.gov.uk/extendedschools University of the First Age (UFA): The UFA is a national educational charity, that works in partnership to develop the confidence, achievement and potential of young people through extended learning opportunities: www.ufa.org.uk Quality in Study Support (QISS): www.qiss.org.uk Publications A study of children and young people who present challenging behaviour - literature review (Ofsted March 2005) Code of practice for out-of-school-hours learning (QiSS 2006) Commissioning alternative provision: the role of the LEA (DfES 2004) Designing a personalised curriculum for alternative provision (QCA 2004) Extended schools: access to opportunities and services for all (DfES 2005) Guidance for LEAs - PRUs and Alternative Provision (DfES July 2004) Handbook for Inspecting Special Schools and PRUs (Ofsted 2003) Improving behaviour and attendance: guidance on exclusion from schools and pupil referral units (DFES September 2006) Inclusion: does it matter where pupils are taught? (Ofted July 2006) Local authority youth services: A framework for inspection (OfSTED 2004) National special educational needs specialist standards (TTA December 1999) PE and Sport: out-of-school-hours learning guide (ContinYou 2005) Pupil Referral Units: HMI Briefing Paper (Ofsted September 2005) Recording young people’s progress and accreditation in youth work (DfES 2005) Self-Evaluation Form for pupil referral units (Ofsted May 2006) Serious play: evaluation of arts activities in pupil referral units and learning support units (NFER 2005) Study support: a national framework for extending learning opportunities (DfES 2006) The education of pupils with medical needs (Ofsted 2003) Acknowledgements This guide was written by Vivien Janes Published by ContinYou 17 Old Ford Road London E2 9PJ Tel: 020 8709 9900 Fax: 020 8709 9933 Email: info@continyou.org.uk Website: www.continyou.org.uk Copyright © ContinYou 2007 Registered charity no: 1097596