From primary to secondary: out-of-school-hours learning and transition

From Primary to Secondary Moving on: out-of-school-hours-learning and transition extratime Cefnogi dysgu-allan-o-oriau-ysgol Supporting out-of-school-hours learning ContinYou and Extra Time ContinYou aims to: • ensure that high quality study support/ oshl activities are within the reach of every child and young person in the UK • provide a wide range of accessible learning opportunities that extend, enrich and enable learning outside the formal school day. Extra Time is the name of a range of services and resources, provided by ContinYou, that supports the strategic development of oshl in schools, local authorities and communities. Out-of-school-hours learning describes the wide variety of informal learning activities that young people voluntarily take part in outside normal school hours. There is growing evidence that participation in these activities leads to improvements in young people’s self-esteem, attitudes towards learning, achievement, classroom behaviour and attendance. Within oshl there is a clear link between informal learning and mainstream educational achievement – it is the effect on children’s attainment that adds value to traditional extra-curricular activities. ContinYou Extra Time resources will help you not only develop oshl activities, but also to embed them within your school development plan. The Extra Time network To receive all the latest news, developments and good practice about study support/oshl, join the Extra Time network. As a member of the network you will receive: • the magazine Extra Time, published termly this is packed with news, views, activities, opinion and examples of good practice • three Extra Time Special newsletters each term, providing practical advice and tips on specifi c study support topics and aspects of management • special offers on publications • discounted rates for the annual out-ofschool- hours-learning conference • a certifi cate of membership. If you are also interested in community learning, you could upgrade your subscription to include the Extra Community network. Membership includes all Extra Time subscription benefi ts, plus the Extra Community magazine, free entry to the School Community Awards, access to a membersonly section of the ContinYou website, and a range of other discounts and special offers. ContinYou publications ContinYou can offer a wide range of advice, information and research publications. For the full list of our resources, contact us on: Tel: 020 8709 9900/029 2047 8929 Fax: 020 8709 9933/029 2047 8930 Email: info.cardiff@continyou.org.uk Website: www.continyou.org.uk This booklet is one of a series produced by ContinYou on the following topics: Breakfast Club Plus Sum-it! – maths clubs Book-it! – reading clubs OwnZone – out-of-school and pastoral care and learning clubs. Copyright©ContinYou 2005 Extra Time describes ContinYou’s approach to out-of-school-hours learning (oshl)/study support. For more information contact Jason Barlow on 020 8709 9904. 1 Contents Introduction 2 About this resource What is an oshl transition programme? 4 What’s involved in oshl transition programmes? Initial planning 6 Considering aims and objectives Who’s going to run the activities? 10 Staffi ng the programme Involving young people 14 Finding out what they want Take your partner 16 Effective partnerships are important Marketing – in and outside school 18 Ideas for promoting your programme Show me the money! 20 Help with funding How are we doing? 24 Advice on monitoring and evaluation Embedding transition into LEA and school policies 26 What next? Appendices Appendix 1: Activity sheets 28 Appendix 2: Bibliography and further reading 33 Welcome to From Primary to Secondary, the Extra Time resource that helps schools set up out-of-school-hours (oshl) programmes that support the transition from primary to secondary school. This booklet is aimed at primary schools, secondary schools, LEAs and others involved in providing out-of-schoolhours programmes. Whatever your role is – headteacher, teacher, LEA offi cer, learning support assistant, tutor, parent, governor or community volunteer – you will fi nd lots of advice and help here that will help you establish an oshl transition programme. Each section of this booklet deals with a different issue that you will need to consider when you are planning your activities, and provides answers to the practical questions facing you. You will also fi nd mini case studies, examples and top tips. How do we know what works? ContinYou is a leading UK charity with a network of over 7,000 schools. ContinYou Cymru (previously Education Extra Cymru) is the Wales directorate of ContinYou. In June 2002, Jane Davidson, Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, announced funding for Education Extra Cymru to deliver an out-of-schoolhours- learning pilot project to support primary-to-secondary transition. Throughout the school year 2002–03, ten clusters of schools across Wales, with support from their LEAs, investigated how oshl might support transition from primary to secondary school. In each cluster, one secondary school was linked with a number of primary schools. Schools were also encouraged to involve other partners in developing and delivering their programmes. The Welsh Assembly commissioned Estyn to evaluate the project. Its report noted that the scheme had successfully: • allayed pupils’ and parents’ fears about transition • helped raise pupils’ self-confi dence • helped equip pupils to meet the demands of the KS3 curriculum • enriched pupils’ learning experiences due to contributions from community partners • helped pupils make the connection between learning and the world of work • provided a forum to help extend teachers’ repertoires of teaching skills by working with colleagues from other schools and practising professionals. Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005 Introduction 3 With the knowledge that we gained from this experience we are well placed to offer support and advice in this area. Have a look through this pack and see how we can help you to realise your vision of provision that will ease transition. Visit www.estyn.gov.uk for the full evaluation report, Evaluation of the Out of School Hours Learning (oshl) Community/ Transfer Project - Symud Ymlaen (Estyn 2004a). Also available on the same site, as part of the programme of support to help schools and LEAs to raise standards in KS3, are Moving on: Effective Transition from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 (Estyn 2004d), Moving on: Improving Learning: Effective Transition from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 (Estyn 2004e), and Bridging the Gap (Estyn/ACCAC/Welsh Assembly Government 2004). ‘In the last three years almost all schools and local education authorities have done a lot to help pupils do better when they move from primary to secondary school. The Symud Ymlaen project aimed to use oshl activities to boost pupils’ confi dence about the move from primary to secondary school... As a result of the project: • pupils were happier about the move from primary to secondary school • pupils improved their key skills and this helped them with the school work • pupils enjoyed a rich variety of activities offered by local community groups • teachers learnt new skills by working in both primary and secondary schools. We recommended that the Welsh Assembly Government should continue to support the project and local education authorities should work with schools to fi nd ways to pay for oshl’ (National Assembly for Wales 2004a) Moving on from primary to secondary school can be exciting, a time for new starts and new subjects. Some children relish the challenge and settle in well, but for many others, leaving primary school is a diffi cult period and can result in lack of progress, loss of confi dence and disengagement with the learning process. By using out-ofschool- hours-learning activities we can help improve the transition process for many children. In 2004 Estyn wrote: ‘There is a consensus in schools and LEAs that improving continuity and progression in teaching and learning between Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 is a priority to raise standards in Key Stage 3.’ (Estyn 2004e) This is why ensuring that pupils do better when they move to secondary school is one of the Welsh Assembly Government’s priorities. Its aim, stated in The Learning Country, is: ‘that all secondary and feeder primary schools form families or consortia, and plan in ways to make the best use of the last year of Key Stage 2 and the fi rst and second years of Key Stage 3, taking account of all children’s needs whatever their gifts and talents, and providing for a positive transition for pupils as they move from primary to secondary school.’ (National Assembly for Wales 2001) Many schools are already working to address these issues and have programmes in place to provide greater curricular and pastoral support to this age group. But out-of-school-hourslearning activities can also play a key part in helping to make transition a positive and exciting experience. Running transition programmes outside school hours offers a number of advantages and opportunities: • By arranging transition programmes in the out-of-school hours, it is possible to plan activities that cannot be accommodated during the constraints of the school hours. There is no school bell to interrupt proceedings! • The school’s facilities and resources can be used. • Teaching and non-teaching staff can be available. • The longer duration and informal nature of oshl gives the opportunity for staff and partners to generate an in-depth working partnership with the pupils, which should be refl ected in enhanced academic and pastoral outcomes. • There is more fl exibility when forming partnerships with local businesses and organisations. • A successful transition programme eases worries by familiarising primary school pupils: with other primary pupils who will be attending the same secondary school; with secondary school pupils; with the environment of the secondary school; and with secondary school teachers. The informal ‘fun learning’ oshl environment facilitates this process. • Workforce remodelling can offer opportunities for working in different ways and involving different people. Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005 What is an oshl transition programme? 5 Out-of-school-hours-learning programmes generate opportunities for creative and imaginative activities that offer new approaches to the concerns associated with transition. There is no secret formula for a successful programme of activities that addresses transition. There are many diverse activities possible. The most common and successful way to ease transition is to have a good relationship between the secondary school and its associated primaries. This enables inclusive oshl activities that span all schools, with a wide range of programme timing options. Activities can be after school, at lunchtime, before school, at weekends or during holidays. Examples of activities that can help to ease transition One school hosts a weekly science club for Year 6 pupils from a nearby primary school. A school runs a ten-week mixed gender netball club for pupils from the cluster primary schools. ICT-related tasks are also built into the programme. In order to overcome the diffi culties of limited home/school transport in rural areas, a school ran a lunchtime music club for primary pupils from isolated communities. A school organised a programme of Saturday morning sports coaching sessions, and invited the parents who had provided the transport to stay on site and brush up on their ICT skills. One school organised and hosted a poetry workshop programme for twenty Year 6 pupils over the last six weeks of the academic year. This was then followed up with a week’s summer school and a further fourweek programme once the pupils had transferred to the high school. A school organised a performing arts summer school that culminated in a fi nal performance featuring a ‘Big Brother’ theme. Leading up to this, the pupils were given workshops in theatre skills, costume design, lighting, publicity and front of house duties and so on. Year 7 mentors played a supporting roles. A school was concerned that certain Year 7 pupils were not settled in their new school. After consulting their parents, targeted pupils attended a rolling programme of four-week modules of basic and key skills sessions. These were intended to boost the pupils’ self-esteem and levels of confi dence. Another school shared a similar concern and targeted the pupils to attend an ICT programme. Their parents/carers were also invited to attend and sit alongside their children to develop their own ICT skills. The pupils undoubtedly benefi ted from the enhanced individual attention that came from this programme. Having decided that you want to set up an oshl transition programme, how will you make sure that you are targeting the pupils who most need help? How will you decide how many pupils you can involve? How will you decide what activities to run? Target your schools It is important to agree on whether or not to have a ‘lead’ school, and if not, on how decisions will be taken. Teamwork within a cluster can be very effective and can promote partnership beyond the transition issue. Most clusters will have degrees of cooperation already in place that will be a starting point – anything new will complement/enhance current practice. Agree on the number and nature of schools to be targeted by the programme. Factors that should be considered, include: • the size and nature of the secondary school’s catchment area and number of cluster schools. Where the number of cluster schools is small, it may be possible to involve all of the schools. However, where there are a large number of schools in the cluster for instance, targeting decisions will need to be made • the level of resources available for the programme • where the greatest need is for such a programme • where the programme will be located – at the secondary school? Will it be an outreach programme in one or more of the cluster schools? Or will it be in another venue – maybe a community venue? • the amount of pupils that can be involved • what the staffi ng requirements might be • how the programme might be structured • transport needs and costs. Examples of rural targeted transition programmes One particular secondary school, having considered all of the issues, decided to target several outlying small rural primary schools, where, due to their numbers on roll, out-of-schoolhours learning opportunities were limited in number. Another secondary school was concerned for pupils whose homes were in a village where school transport arrangements precluded them from participating in any out-of-school-hours learning programmes. It was decided to organise an outreach programme, based in their village primary school, which they would attend on alighting from the school bus. In order to support the school’s transition programme, Year 5 and 6 pupils from the village school were also invited to attend. A secondary school with a heavy reliance on school transport, established a network of homework clubs with, and in, the village primary schools to be attended by their own pupils and those from the host school. Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005 Initial planning 7 Responding to needs Whilst there is considerable commonality of aims for transition programmes, there is also scope to respond to particular needs that individual schools might identify, for example: • encouraging pupils to feel confi dent outside their own small isolated community • introducing pupils to a range of musical instruments before providing them with the opportunity to specialise in their chosen favourite • promoting the arts through the medium of the Welsh language. Targeting specifi c transition worries Transition can lead to stress and academic under-performance for pupils for many different reasons. School audits and questionnaires can determine some of these and your oshl transition programme can be tailored to address them. Here are a few of the more common worries for children who are moving to secondary school, and suggested activities that could alleviate their concerns. Worry about schoolwork Some pupils fear that they will not be ready for the schoolwork in secondary school. It’s important that they are made aware that many others in their new class are at their level and that the class work will be targeted at their ability. Suggested activities: bring some of the Year 6’s and the Year 7’s together for a ‘practice secondary school’ lesson outof- school-hours. Base it in the secondary school premises so that they familiarise themselves with the classroom. If you have a homework club, borrow some of the Year 7 exercise books and show them to the Year 6 pupils. Make sure that what they see is easily understood so that they gain confi dence about the work that they’ll be doing. Encourage peer mentors and other older pupils from the secondary school to visit the primary school to talk to the younger children about class work to change their perceptions. Change of teachers Some pupils react negatively to the change in the teaching styles. Instead of one or two familiar teachers they are facing a wide range of new adults, which may put them outside their comfort zone. Suggested activities: invite/persuade each of the teachers in the secondary school to attend/supervise at least one of your oshl transition activities. Make sure that all teachers are aware of why they are there so that they make a concerted effort to be approachable to the shyer pupils. Even an hour, in an informal situation, will signifi cantly ease fears. Size and complexity of the building The only way to familiarise pupils with the new school building is for them to visit it as often as possible before starting there. Suggested activities: bring primary pupils to the secondary school for community events such as sports days, concerts and so on. Base as many as possible of your activities there, you could have an oshl science project in the secondary school laboratory or a cookery club in their home economics room. Coping with large numbers of pupils and fear of the ‘big kids’ Many pupils will be coming from primary schools with small rolls. They will not be used to crowds or being surrounded by strangers. Rumours and apocryphal stories of tortures and initiation rites infl icted by older children are rife in primary schools. (‘Will my head be fl ushed down the toilet?’) Suggested activities: Have a summer camp or summer day out/weekend where primary 6 pupils are invited to join secondary school pupils. Organise the children into groups corresponding to classes they’ll belong to in secondary. You could have outdoor pursuits, music, drama or art activities or barbecues. Encourage pupils (as many ‘big kids’ as possible) from secondary school to help with your activities and explain to them that they should allay these fears. Most cluster school oshl initiatives will also help here because children will make friends with other pupils who will be in their future classes. Transition does not end in September It is important to continue an element of the oshl transition programme into the new school year. This way those who formed fl edgling friendships will have time to strengthen them, and it is a good way to introduce the new students to the secondary school’s oshl programme. Maintaining links between the primary teachers and their ex-pupils will ensure that secondary teachers can be informed earlier if pupils are under-performing and it will also reap benefi ts when seeking mentors for later programmes in the primary school. Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005 9 10 Having decided on the aims, objectives and who to target, it is then necessary to bring representatives from all of the schools together to agree on the nature and duration of the programme – it is important to have the support of all the schools involved for any tentative proposals. Additionally, all schools need a sense of ownership of the programme. This can be achieved by establishing a ‘programme team’, comprising of a named contact from each school, and from any partner organisation that may be involved. The ‘lead’ school is usually the secondary school as this is the ‘receiving’ school with an interest in pupils from a number of primary schools. The overall programme co-ordinator is usually a staff member from this school. Agreement is required on a number of other issues such as: • the detailed aims, objectives and planned outcomes of the programme • when it will be delivered – the timings and duration of the programme • whether a partner organisation will be involved, and if so the extent of that involvement • where the funding will come from and how it will be allocated • who is to deliver the programme • where it will be delivered – in school(s), in a range of community venues, or a combination of both? • what the programme will consist of, including particular issues that it could address in addition to transition • any transport requirements. Establish clear lines of communication Having established the programme team and agreed on the nature of the programme, it is essential to maintain open and effective communication between all concerned. Diffi culties, especially regarding transport, can easily arise and these matters should be dealt with promptly, with all concerned being aware of the most convenient times to contact each other. This is crucial, especially for the external partners. Regular, well-planned and minuted meetings, backed up by frequent email communication will hold you in good stead. Running the activities Because the programme is about a wide range of learning, rather than teaching, you may not always need a teacher to organise the activities. Be creative about who you could involve instead. Consider the resources available within the school and the wider community. You could think about involving: • teaching assistants • lunchtime supervisors • older pupils/students • parents/other family members • youth workers • local employers • professional guest tutors (actors, dancers or athletes) • staff from other organisations, for example arts, sports, colleges, businesses • other members of the community. Top tip Don’t forget to spend time acknowledging the contribution of everyone involved. Who’s going to run the activities? Copyright©ContinYou Cymru 2005 11 By involving people from a variety of backgrounds to run the activities, you can add value to the experiences of both pupils and staff. • It provides a more varied mix of ideas, skills and talents. • Pupils gain a broader insight into life outside the school. • Staff have an opportunity to develop new skills and to try new teaching methods. • Pupils have the chance to work alongside adult role models from a variety of backgrounds in a nonthreatening environment. • Older pupils have the opportunity to develop mentoring and leadership skills. • It promotes stronger links between families, parents and other members of the community and the school. • It reduces the pressure on teaching staff. • Pupils gain a better understanding of cultural differences. • Pupils have the chance to see parents and staff working in different environments. Practical staffi ng issues Once you and your team have decided what you want your programme to achieve, and how you want to organise it, you will need to think about the logistics of running it. The programme co-ordinator must work with the primary school(s) to agree on the staffi ng requirements of the programme. Here are some of the things you will need to think about: • How many staff members/adults are needed? • What skills and knowledge will they require? • Do they need a teaching or other qualifi cation? • Do you need a ‘job description’ identifying the skills/expertise/ experience required? • What are the cost implications? • How will they be recruited? • What about CRB checks/references? • What about other health and safety requirements? • What contingency plans need to be put into place in the event of a staffi ng or resourcing problem? Using mentors Transition programmes should make use of pupil mentors/buddies from the secondary school. This has a threefold effect of providing ‘extra hands’ when running activities; facilitating friendships between younger pupils and secondary school pupils, which will ease anxieties about transition; and creating ‘ambassadors’ for future programmes. When considering mentors, think of the following issues: • What pupil/mentor ratio will be sought? • What sort of pupils do you want to recruit? • How will the mentors be recruited – do you need a ‘job description’? • Would it be helpful to use Year 7 pupils – or older pupils? • Could you recruit senior pupils? Do you already have a similar programme in place for other aspects of the school, for example reading buddies? • What will be expected of the mentors? • What training will the mentors require and who will provide it? • Will you need a mentor manager with specifi c responsibility for ensuring that the mentor support operates smoothly and successfully? • How will the mentors be rewarded for their involvement? 12 Will parent/carer/family volunteers be involved? Parents/carers and family members are often an invaluable source of assistance and can contribute to the overall success of a programme. • What roles and responsibilities can be expected of them? • How many will be required? • How will they be recruited? • What support and information will they require? Examples of involving mentors The Year 7 mentors recruited for one transition programme quickly identifi ed Year 6 pupils’ concerns as bullying, homework, making friends, responsibilities and punishments and rewards. These concerns were subsequently addressed through the programme. Another programme specifi cally selected ‘street-wise’ Year 7 mentors who had given cause for concern themselves at their time of transfer, but in the meantime had adjusted well to the expectations of the secondary school. Examples of involving parents One particular transition programme arranged a series of outdoor pursuits challenges over the summer holiday period. Fathers actively participated alongside their children. This involvement of fathers addressed another area of development for the school, as it was concerned that fathers needed to be more involved in their children’s education. Another secondary school wishing to introduce Latin to the primary pupils prior to their transfer to the secondary school, established a Family Latin programme. This ran for one session a week, over the school year, in the secondary school’s library. Another transition programme that involved science, gave pupils and parents/carers the challenge of using scrap materials found around the home to make an imaginary space probe to explore a planet. The pride in their achievements and the sheer size of the end product, ensured that many parents willingly accompanied their sons and daughters when bringing their model to school. This proved to be an invaluable way of developing a new working partnership with parents. Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005 13 14 Having successfully decided on your aims and objectives, the next challenge is to retain your pupils’ interest and participation. Establishing a new transition programme provides an excellent opportunity to consult pupils and involve them in the decision-making and running of your programme. A number of issues need to be considered, which will hopefully give young people not only a sense of ownership for the programme but also a sense of self-worth. • Do schools in your group already have means of consulting pupils about their ideas? • What are pupils already being consulted about? • How might class teachers be encouraged to discuss the proposed programme with their pupils? • How can you use pupils to promote the programme? • How can you reward or acknowledge pupil participation in developing the programme? • Can you encourage pupils to help in the administration and management of the programme? Examples of ways that pupils can be involved: Pupils can be involved in every aspect of the programme. They could: • decide the nature and content of the programme • choose a catchy name for their programme • design a logo for their programme • design a T-shirt for their programme • infl uence the direction of their learning programme by feeding back on their progress – for example selfreview time with the mentors might be provided at the end of each session • be involved in monitoring and evaluation, for example their views could be sought through questionnaires, focus groups and so on. Secondary pupils can play a key role as mentors; why not use it as a citizenship project. Why not give responsibility for generating media publicity to a working-group of pupils. Encourage them to think about ways to get stories into school newspapers, noticeboards and event pages of websites. Example of involving pupils One particular programme selected Year 6 and 7 representatives and spent two days with them planning the transition programme. They consulted with each other and others in their year groups and decided what activities they wanted. They also helped make decisions about venues, timing and structure of the activities. In addition to providing practical help in organising the programme, these meetings acted as social gatherings for the Year 7’s and Year 6’s. They grew to know each other and when the eventual programme was ready to run they were friendly with each other. Top tip There are lots of ways that you can make it fun for young people to give you their views. You could try: • focus groups • graffi ti walls • suggestion boxes • online surveys • playground questionnaires • school-gate questionnaires. Involving young people Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005 15 16 Wales has a long and rich history of pupils learning outside school hours, this learning has always benefi ted from strong partnerships between schools and diverse community groups. The Code of Practice for out-of-school-hours learning says: ‘the Chapels, the Urdd and Mudiad Ffermwyr Ifanc have contributed to the promotion of the arts, sporting and cultural activities and other diverse interests. In response to the value that is currently placed upon learning out-of-school-hours, the challenge is now to build upon these well-established partnership practices and extend the range of opportunities to involve all pupils of all ages in imaginative, appealing and well-balanced programmes’. (Welsh Assembly Government/Education Extra Cymru 2003) Effective partnerships are an important part of successful oshl transition activities. They add value by offering opportunities that might not otherwise be available. But good partnerships don’t just happen; they need to be managed and worked at. So, why bother? By working with partners, you will introduce a new dimension to your programme, widening the opportunities available to your pupils and staff and developing lasting relationships that stand in good stead in the future. Good partnerships will benefi t everyone involved. There could also be opportunities for some joint working of governing bodies/PTAs. Partnership working and involvement of others within the community fi ts well with community focused schools development. The benefi ts for pupils can include: • access to a wider variety of learning techniques and opportunities • the chance to work with role models from a variety of backgrounds • access to equipment or resources, such as ICT, that would not normally be available to them • opportunities to increase their knowledge and understanding of the community, and develop citizenship skills • availability of learning opportunities in a wide range of venues other than schools • an introduction to new skills and interests that might become lifelong passions • additional support from parents and carers who may be more involved in programmes that are based in a non-school setting. The benefi ts for schools can include: • the opportunity for staff to acquire new skills from other professionals • the chance to make the most of community resources • the opportunity to use new equipment or resources • the development of new and innovative networks of support • the school’s profi le being raised within the community • access to new funding opportunities • parents and carers becoming more involved in programmes that are based in a non-school setting • an opportunity to consider transition as a part of community focused schools development. The benefi ts for partners can include: • the opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge by working alongside school staff • the chance to tackle shared agendas • introducing a new audience to their services • gaining a higher profi le in the local community • a better take-up of their services • gaining a better understanding of the needs of young people • better links with a range of other agencies • a greater appreciation in the community of the services that they provide. When planning your activities, you should consider which partners would add value and variety to your activities. There are a huge number of individuals and organisations that can offer you advice and support, including: • parents/carers and other family members • community groups • local voluntary groups and charities Take your partner Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005 17 • local libraries, museums and galleries • sports and arts organisations • local businesses/education business partnerships • local authority agencies such as youth services, health services and emergency services • local FE/HE colleges/universities • local religious and cultural groups. However, in order to make the most of these partnerships there is a need for schools to share and agree appropriate information on: • ability levels of the pupils and their capabilities, particular interests and aptitudes • policies and procedures for trips, excursions and residentials • special medical and dietary needs and any other relevant health and safety issues • appropriate behaviour. A recent evaluation of oshl partnerships between schools and the community found that the most successful partnerships were characterised by: • well-led multi-agency teams • joint planning • shared objectives, with sustainability in mind • a clear rationale of why each partner was involved • clear communication between all parties • regular review and reporting • sensitivity to staffi ng and management demands • awareness of the welfare of young people and the concerns of parents. Other sources of information on partnerships can be found in the following documents: Partners for study support grant programme: Good practice guide (DfES 2004b) The study support toolkit: Making it work in schools (DfES 2000) Building the future of learning. (Big Lottery Fund 2004) (visit www.biglotteryfund.org.uk) Training and resource pack for out-of school-hours learning (ContinYou 2004) Keeping it going Send your partners letters from participants and copies of any newsletters you produce. Invite them to attend events and give out certifi cates or plan shared celebration events. These simple steps celebrate their involvement in the club and will remind them that you exist. Your invitation might be reciprocated with the chance to attend a large networking event and you never know who you might meet there. Top tips Make a clear decision on what you want the outcome to be. When approaching partners, emphasise the added value that their involvement will bring to the club and the benefi ts that pupils will accrue from it. When asking for support, don’t forget to link what you want to achieve with a benefi t for the partner – stress how it links with their own objectives. Examples of partnership • The Welsh National Opera worked with a number of secondary pupils and 45 pupils from seven primary cluster schools. The pupils practised and trained to be the chorus on a specially commissioned opera for children. • Business in the Community targeted 180 pupils from fi ve primary cluster schools. In addition to addressing transition to the secondary school, the issue of entering the world of work was focused on through a series of visits to local businesses. • Year 6 pupils were offered theatre and related skills workshops by a professional theatre-in-education group. These were held initially in the separate schools and then later at the secondary school. This work with the pupils culminated in a collective public performance in a local theatre. 18 You need to make sure that your programme is attractive to all pupils. Confi dent and more able learners have traditionally been the main participants in out-of-school-hours learning programmes. However, in recent years increasing emphasis has been placed on encouraging the ‘reluctant’ learners to benefi t from extended learning opportunities. Targeting pupils Innovative and imaginative out-ofschool- hours learning programmes have been particularly effective in catching the interest of the pupils listed below, many of whom might be particularly vulnerable at the transition period. It could benefi t: • those with low self-esteem, low motivation or a pattern of underachievement • those from less-advantaged backgrounds • those at risk of exclusion • those from particular ethnic/cultural backgrounds • those with a range of disabilities and emotional/behavioural diffi culties • those who are more gifted and talented • those who are more able • boys or girls – depending on previous lower uptake. However, rather than obviously targeting any particular groups, schools should keep the club open to everyone, but strongly encourage those who they think it may benefi t most to attend. Your marketing plan Once the programming issues have been agreed, along with the schools and pupils to be targeted, there is a need to devise a promotional or marketing strategy within and beyond the schools. This could include: • promoting the programme in class assemblies at all schools • sending lively and personalised invitations to the pupils • teachers quietly encouraging specifi c pupils who would benefi t to attend • sending letters to parents/carers, followed up, where necessary, by discreet telephone conversations or even home visits • promoting the programme at parents’ evenings, as part of established secondary/primary events • having clear information about the programme (the amount of time commitment needed and so on) • circulating good quality promotional materials to both pupils and parents/ carers • promoting the scheme with a catchy title and logo • producing fl yers and posters for distribution/display in classes and school communal areas • publicising the programme in the local media, such as newspapers, radio, libraries, youth clubs and so on. Example of targeting An unusual example of targeting was the headteacher who wanted to target the children of parents who were disappointed by the school allocated for their children. His aim was to implement a creative and challenging transition programme that would demonstrate that parents’ fears concerning the school were misplaced. Marketing – in and outside school Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005 19 Promoting the programme to the outside world Don’t be shy about what you have achieved. Shout it from the roof tops! The most common mistake when marketing oshl activities is that people play down their everyday routine. What you are doing is remarkable, even if you do it fi ve times a week. Promoting your programme effectively outside the schools will help to attract volunteers, funding, resources and partners. By publicising achievements, you can also help to raise the profi le of the schools involved within the community, and to establish confi dence with funders, your senior management team, governors and LEA. Send press releases regularly and place posters in community locations. This will aid your sustainability in the future, as people will already be aware of the good work you have done. Remember, you don’t always need to have a big ‘news’ story to get a mention in the local paper. A photo opportunity such as an end of term party, a special visitor or a trip can be all you need to attract interest. Before deciding how you will promote your activities, ask yourself the following questions to help you decide on the most effective way of reaching the right people: • Why do you want to tell people about the programme? • Who needs to know? • What do they need to know? • What are the best ways of publicising the programme? Celebrating your achievements An increasing number of programmes celebrate the pupils’ achievements by involving parents and carers, family and friends. Some celebration events take the form of a public performance of the pupils’ work; others are presentation evenings simply to acknowledge success. In certain cases, well-known sporting heroes add their support to these events. The attendance at these events is frequently heartening. It also provides yet another opportunity for media publicity and positive messages to be shared with parents/partners. Don’t forget the funders The benefi t that you can give back to your funders is potentially immense. Offer to promote them to parents, to make posters about them, to mention them in press releases and to have their logo on display. All this saves the company money from its promotional budget and therefore releases more to pass on to you! Top tips • Your most effective marketing tools are the pupil participants. Their enthusiasm and experiences will be the most convincing way of telling others what is being achieved and of persuading them to support what you are doing. Pupil ambassadors can visit primary schools and talk about the programme and their experience of it. • Companies could jump at this opportunity to raise their profi le within the community. If fi nancial support is unlikely, consider asking for donations for items such as Tshirts, caps and badges. • Get to know the school correspondent at your local paper. Example of promoting the programme In a 2002 transition programme two Welsh international rugby stars agreed to attend the fi nal celebration event to present the pupils with their participation certifi cates and mini-rugby balls. 20 It’s all very well knowing what you want from your programme but how are you going to pay for it and sustain it? You may be able to fund your programme from school or LEA sources – or a partnership arrangement with other organisations. However, there may be times when fi nding extra cash would be helpful. Fundraising can seem daunting – but it doesn’t have to be. This section provides hints on writing a successful funding application, ideas about who to approach for support and top tips on managing funds once you’ve got them. One of the biggest challenges to fi nding money for this sort of provision is agreeing priorities and applications with every school involved. However, working in partnership with other schools can also be a positive thing as it widens the net of local sources that can be approached. Many funders welcome applications from partnerships so there is potential to gain funding for programmes that, as a single school, you might not have access to. Where do I start? If this is your fi rst attempt at applying for funding remember the golden rule: keep your proposal as simple as possible. You can always add to a successful base in the future. When looking for funding, you need to match the needs of your scheme with the aims of the donors. Try to fi nd out what the motivation and priorities of the donor you are approaching might be. If it is in-house/statutory funding, you will need to identify current school or local authority initiatives and show how the club will contribute to these. Other donors, such as local businesses, may want to have opportunities for good PR, or may be keen to build links with schools or to offer their employees opportunities for volunteering. A good bid will tell the donor how what you are doing will help them to meet their aims. Once you’ve found out more about the donor, prepare answers to the questions listed below. They will provide you with the basis for any funding application form, letter or interview. The more thoroughly an idea is thought through, the more likely it is to be successful and the more confi dent you will feel when approaching funders. Who… • Who wants the club? • Who is it for? (Is there a specifi c target group? Will there be open access? Can families attend?) • Who is responsible for planning, staffi ng, running and updating of the club? • Who else can help? (Other organisations? Local university? Businesses?) Why… • Why are you doing it? To ease transition? To increase self-esteem and motivation? To increase skills, subject knowledge and attainment? To increase family understanding of/support for transition? To provide activities during the summer holidays? • Why will it feel different from ‘normal’ lessons? Where… • Where is it going to take place? • Where will you recruit staff, emergency cover and volunteers? • Where will you fi nd out about recruitment, police checks, health and safety and other requirements? • Where can you get resources from at low cost or at no cost at all? (Gifts in kind – volunteers for example.) When… • When are you going to start and end the activities? (Times and dates!) • When do you need to approach funders? (They may have application deadlines.) • When will you tell people about the club? Show me the money! Copyright©ContinYou Cymru 2005 21 What… • What activities are you going to run to achieve your aims? • What paperwork do you need to get copies of, or to complete? (Think of health and safety/insurance/ questionnaires/photo consent/code of conduct, and so on.) • What are you going to do if too many, or too few, children want to attend? • What is your club going to be called? How… • How will you know whether the club has been a success? • How you will report your progress to funders? • How much is it going to cost? (Research this fully and break down your costs in all paperwork.) • How are you going to establish the rules for the club? • How are you going to promote and reward good attendance and recognise achievement? (By using certifi cates, badges or stickers? How do you budget for these?) Once you have the answers to all these questions you can decide on the best way to gain fi nancial and material support for your club. Broadly speaking there are four main types of funding available: • statutory funding streams • grants from charitable trusts • corporate sponsorship/donations • donated resources/funding in kind. Oshl provision to support transition can be funded from school budgets. This may well be your fi rst consideration when looking at how it will be funded. However, you may need to look for additional funding, support in kind and resources to provide the range of activities that you have identifi ed. Some things to think about General funding • Who do school governors and members of the parent- teacher association (PTA) work for? Can they obtain donations or resources to support the club? • Is the PTA a registered charity? Use this charitable status to access funding that a school would not otherwise be eligible for. • Speak to your local authority advisors to link your plans with other local authority or school initiatives. • Visit www.continyou.org.uk/oshlresources for a free downloadable guide to funding your out-of-school-hours clubs. • Download free information sheets on many aspects of fundraising from the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) website (www.wcva.org.uk). You can also fi nd contact details for your local County Voluntary Council here, who can provide advice if you are interested in charitable status. • The Charity Commission is the regulator for charities in England and Wales. Visit its website for a host of information and guidance. www.charity-commission.gov.uk • If you need computer hardware visit www.donateapc.org.uk • Consider approaching your local Round Table, Rotary Club, Women’s Institute or Townswomen’s Guild. Their community focus enables them to support local initiatives. • Clubs supporting transition have the potential to reduce truancy, bullying and other antisocial behaviour. If you are setting up a club in an area where crime or antisocial behaviour is a problem, petty or otherwise it would be worth talking to your local Community Police Offi cer or town centre manager who may be able to add support to your funding application or have access to funds that the club may be eligible for. 22 Corporate sponsorship • Approach local businesses or local branches of bigger organisations before you approach the ‘parent’ company – they are more likely to appreciate the local benefi t of supporting your club. • Consider what advertising benefi ts your club could offer to local sponsoring organisations, for example posters, press coverage, events etc. • Address your letters to a particular person, not just ‘Dear Sir’, or ‘To whom it may concern’. In your letter you could offer to meet the person to discuss the project and its potential impact. • Business in the Community Cymru has links with companies throughout the country and can put schools in contact with local businesses. Further details can be obtained from their website: www.bitc.org.uk • For large organisations, get copies of annual reports and investigate their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy. It will tell you how much money they donate to charities and community groups every year. Charitable trusts • It can often take up to three months for trust fund applications to be approved – think ahead and build in enough time for this in your planning. • Read the guidance. If it says call before application, do so; if it says written requests only, then don’t call them! • The remits and aims of trust funds are usually quite specifi c, so make sure that you read all accompanying literature before you complete a bid. • Be creative! If a funder only funds new projects, don’t think you have to start again from scratch. Changing one aspect of the programme, such as target group or theme may be enough for it to qualify. Who’s got the money? There are many organisations where money can be accessed if you have the time to devote to fundraising. Listed below are some of the main sources that may help. • Better Schools Fund: Formerly GEST. Run by The Welsh Assembly Government. Visit www.wales.gov.uk • Community focused schools: The Welsh Assembly is providing funding for CFS in 2005 – 2006. LEAs will be agreeing how this funding will be allocated. The provision of oshl activities is one of the key elements of becoming a community focused school. • Awards for All: This body funds projects that enable people to take part in art, sport, heritage and community activities, as well as projects that promote education, the environment and health in the local community. Visit: www.awardsforall. org.uk or call 084 5600 2040 for a grant application pack. • The Big Lottery Fund: Their Young People’s Fund is giving out grants worth £13.2 million between 2005 and 2009 in Wales. The programme is focusing on young people between 10 and 19 years old. It has three strands: Make it happen - small grants for projects developed and run by young people; Bridging the gap - outreach and support services for the most disengaged and disaffected young people; and Reaching out - development projects that meet a clear gap in local services for young people. Visit www.biglotteryfund.org. uk or call 084 5410 2030. • If your programme of activities has a community element, it might be eligible for small grants from the UK Villages Community Kitty Awards, which gives grants of £50- £500 to a wide variety of community projects in rural areas. The website address is: www.ukvillages.co.uk/ articles.nsf/content/ukvkitty • B&Q Better Neighbour Grant Scheme (UK) allows schools and community groups to apply to their local B&Q store for funding to support a local community project. The B&Q Better Neighbour grants are available to help get a community project up and running, especially if decoration or DIY is involved. For more information, look at their website: www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/templates/ contentlookup.jsp?content=/ aboutbandq/2004/social_ responsibility/better_neighbour.jsp Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005 23 • The Community Foundation Network: In addition to administering £70m of the Children’s Fund, community foundations administer a wide range of regionspecifi c charitable funds across the UK. Many of these funds will support out-of-school-hours learning activities. www.communityfoundations.org.uk • If your programme of activities has a sports element don’t forget Dragon Sports. They provide free training and equipment for the seven sports that they promote – rugby, athletics, cricket, football, hockey, netball and tennis. Some useful funding resources The following publications are available by mail order from Directory of Social Change: 020 7209 5151, www.dsc.org.uk • The Welsh Funding Guide provides comprehensive coverage of charitable giving in Wales. It includes detailed information on funders willing to support Welsh causes. Price £16.95. • Guide to UK Company Giving A reference guide profi ling more than 500 companies’ community support, including cash donations and gifts in kind, to voluntary and community organisations. Price £25.00. • Directory of Grant-making Trusts Charities Aid Foundation/Directory of Social Change. This comprehensive reference covers 2,500 grant-making trusts. Price £80.00. • The Youth Funding Guide offers practical advice on fundraising for youth-related causes, and details sources of funding for this area. This guide is for anyone working for youth services, youth clubs and other projects involving young people. Price £16.95. Taking care of the pennies Wherever your funding comes from, you will need to account for how it is spent. If school funds are used then structures will already be in place. However, where other funds are involved this means keeping detailed records of income and expenditure. Keeping fi nancial records up-to-date will allow you to monitor the progress of your programme and means that you can ensure resources for upcoming activities are available when they are needed. Activities will adapt and change as the club develops. Being in control of your fi nancial records will mean that your budget and fi nancial management processes can support this. Keeping it going… • Keep your current funders informed and invite them to any events you hold, so that they will see they are getting a return on their investment. They will be be more likely to continue funding you in the future. • Start looking for alternative funding streams four months before you need it – even if your current funder thinks that they will be able to maintain your grant. Sadly, these things are not guaranteed. Top tips • Make friends with your bursar/ fi nancial manager who will be able to help you to plan your budget and set up simple systems for recording income and expenditure. • Agree who will be the lead for funding – and how the records will be kept and information shared. • Think of everything you may need when you plan your budget and make sure your costings are realistic. • Consider what the funder needs when you set up fi nancial systems – this will make it easier to submit monitoring and fi nancial information on time and avoids delays in funding being released. • Keep expenditure ‘headings’ as simple as possible as this will give you most fl exibility. • Keep a cash book to record cash expenditure and keep copies of all receipts and invoices. They may be needed to validate spending. • Review planned and actual expenditure against budget on a regular basis. • Make sure you involve the right people at the right time if you are making changes to your budget. 24 Agreeing on your intended outcome is an essential part of planning. Monitoring and evaluation are also essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of your activities. Here are some good reasons to monitor what’s going on: • You can tell whether you are making progress towards achieving your aims. • You can tell whether you are reaching your target group. • You can identify whether you need to make any changes. • You can tell whether you are meeting members’ expectations. • You can identify individual members’ achievements and celebrate them. • You will have evidence to support future funding applications. • It is usually a funding requirement. Key questions 3 and 4 from Estyn’s guidance on the inspection of schools will also be of help here. ‘How well do learning experiences meet the needs and interests of learners and the wider community?’ and ‘How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?’ Guidance on the Inspection of Secondary Schools (Estyn 2004c) and Guidance on the Inspection of Primary and Nursery Schools (Estyn 2004b) What do I need to know? You may feel unsure about what information you will be able to collect and what it tells you, but don’t be. Know what it is that you want to achieve and you are half way there! What you measure should match your aims and objectives, but look out for other benefi ts as well. Things you can measure include: • how well pupils settle into Year 7, for example by comparing the attitude of those taking part in oshl activities to a control group • levels of anxiety about transition • increase in the level of pupils’ social skills (have they made more friends from other schools?) • parents’ levels of anxiety about their son/daughter’s transition • increases in pupils’ self-esteem and confi dence • pupils’ enjoyment of the programme • changes in pupils’ behaviour in the classroom, school or playground • attendance rates at activities • increased level of participation in the classroom • whether they have learnt a new skill (if the programme is based on arts subjects, for example, have they learnt a new musical instrument?). You may want to ‘track’ these children through their school career – alongside a group who did not take part in this programme. You might also want to look at, for example, relationships with partner organisations and school staff – improved skills and improved relationships with families. Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005 How are we doing? 25 Collecting information does not have to be diffi cult. There are lots of tools that you can use and many that you are already using. The most important thing is to keep it relevant, as brief as possible and easy for your group to complete. Monitoring practices might include: • pre- and post-testing of academic capabilities/achievement • pre- and post-questionnaires of attitudes to transition and school generally • seeking feedback from the pupils on the programme by making use of short feedback discussions with mentors at the end of each session • seeking feedback from partners who have had contact with the pupils • providing self-review time at the end of each day • asking those who run the activities to fi ll in forms at the end of each session that monitors behaviour and attitudes of each pupil • seeking feedback from parents/carers at the end of the programme with simple questionnaires • keeping a visual record (photographs and video) of the programme. Finally, here are a few pointers for making your monitoring and evaluation meaningful: • Know what you want to measure, why you want to measure it and what you are going to do with the information. • Decide on how you are going to collect the information before you start. • Make sure that what you ask is relevant and don’t ask too many questions! • Make the way you collect the information clear, quick and simple – it can even be fun! • Collect ‘baseline’ information when you start the club, and as new members join – this gives you something to measure progress against. • Think about who will have an opinion: seek the views of a range of people such as mentors, teaching staff, partners and parents. • Think about how and when you will obtain the information – use a variety of methods to suit the group you are asking. • Be consistent – use the same measurement ‘tool’ (such as a survey) each time you ask the same group for information, so that you can compare like with like. • Seek information regularly but not too often – people will soon get bored with responding if they don’t see anything happening as a result of their participation. • Be aware that other factors may have also affected progress towards your target – this means that, although you cannot say that participation caused a particular change, it may have contributed to that change. Don’t forget to involve the pupils themselves in different ways! Top tip Qualitative data is ‘soft’ information that is diffi cult to count or measure, such as anecdotal evidence of improved behaviour or increased confi dence. Quantitative data is ‘hard’ information that can be measured with numbers, such as improvements in school achievements. Examples of monitoring and evaluation • One particular school that ran an oshl drama club gave all of the Year 6 participants baseline questionnaires to explore their experiences of drama and their feelings about moving to the secondary school. This data was then compared with a similar survey completed at the end of the programme. • Another programme explored the effectiveness of their interventionist strategy by putting an evaluation procedure into place to monitor measurable data in core subjects, whilst also examining behavioural and attitudinal factors over the duration of the transition period. 26 For oshl transition programmes to really make a difference you will need to embed them within LEA and whole school policy. The programme team will need to look at priorities and strategies and identify where the planned activities help meet your aims and objectives. Oshl activities to support transition can also support areas of curriculum delivery. Here are a few examples of how the curriculum can be boosted with oshl transition activities: • maths – through enjoyable maths clubs (see Sum-it, ContinYou 2005c) • reading and literacy – through reading clubs and activities (see Book-it!, ContinYou 2005a) • science – through environment/ ‘green’ clubs • painting, collage, pottery or jewellerymaking • culture and the Welsh language • PE, sports, outdoor activities • drama, dance and music • languages • technology and ICT • homework clubs • citizenship and volunteering (see Active Citizens in Schools, Primary Democracy project, Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Award). Activities could also be part of the broader pastoral care within the school, for example: • counselling • drop-in centre • personal and social development. The Welsh Assembly Government has recently consulted on proposals for transition that will require the governing bodies of secondary/feeder primary schools, jointly, to draw up plans to facilitate the transition of pupils from primary to secondary school at the end of Year 6. Overall the response has been positive and, subject to agreement by the National Assembly, it is anticipated that regulations under Section 198 of the Education Act 2002 should come into force in September 2006 and transition plans should be in place by September 2007 (in preparation for those pupils due to transfer to Year 7 in September 2008). Transition will also be a key area for LEAs and schools to consider within the planning and development of community focused schools. It is anticipated that many schools will come together to work in clusters to develop the range of extended activities and services that will make up a community focused school. Existing connections and partnerships from any transition oshl activities could serve as a springboard for planning these community activities. In addition there will be opportunities for involving families and the wider community including local and national organisations in developing your range of transition oshl activities. Other transitions It is also worth recognising that in this guide we are only focusing on one of the transition points that the majority of young people will face – that from primary to secondary school. There are many more: • from home to nursery • from nursery to school • across key stages • from school to college/university • from school/college to training/work • because of moving house • because of sickness or disabilities • because of homelessness, moving from and to temporary accommodation • because of exclusion from school • because they are refugees/asylum seekers • because they are looked-after children/children in public care – see Taking part – making out-of-schoolhours learning happen for children in care (ContinYou 2005d). Some of these can be extremely challenging and will require a range of support structures and programmes to be put in place. Oshl activities can be one part of a greater programme. Embedding transition into LEA and school policies Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005 27 28 Activity sheet 1: Producing your own school transition toolkit What happens? The project is based around getting the Year 6 and 7 pupils from your cluster to produce a toolkit around the issues of moving from primary to secondary school. The toolkit could answer the questions that young people ask about moving to secondary school. It could include any information that pupils may be shy about asking, such as: a ‘meet the new teachers’ section, information on school social life, how to deal with bullying, advice on doing homework, the school’s behaviour codes, how to travel to school, and the after-school clubs timetable. The format of your resource could include a video or photograph diary, a printed booklet/leafl et for children/parents, a newsletter, a website, and/or an email forum. Different children can take responsibility for different aspects of the project, but pupils from different schools should be mixed up. Some of the sessions can be held in primary schools and others in the secondary school. Who is it for? Current pupils in Years 6 and 7 can initially produce the resource, and it could then be an ongoing project, used and updated by future Year 6 pupils coming to transition. This means that as groups go through they will be available as mentors and helpers for future groups. What skills does it develop? Media education Teamwork Communication skills Citizenship Literacy skills IT skills. What do I need? Support and expertise in developing your chosen format (video, photography for example). Suitable equipment (IT software for dtp, video and photograph editing software). Partner organisations that can bring specifi c skills, for example artists or the local newspaper offi ce. Timing This could run over a whole year with weekly sessions; it could be a shorter programme with more frequent sessions; or it could be done during summer holidays. Case study The Cardiff M4 Project started in 2003. It involved Llanedeyrn High School, and its four primary partner schools. Forty Year 6 children and ten Year 7 pupils met every week after school, to produce a transition resource for their cluster. They drew up questions, storyboards and editing boards and took part in drama activities. They also led circle time back in their own classrooms, bringing together every Year 6 pupil in the cluster. It was a multimedia project. The pupils produced: an information booklet for pupils and parents; a video for transition pupils, parents and teachers; a transition website for the cluster (www.m4project.co.uk); an email and chatroom facility to enable communication between Year 6 pupils and pupils already in the high school, as well as parents; and a transition social education pack for teachers. The project was hugely successful and the schools were determined to sustain it, despite the fact that the funding was only available for the fi rst year. Money was made available from the Cardiff Schools Services and from the individual schools themselves. The resources were re-issued and two new projects were initiated. Pupils received training in making their own video and applied it in a series of individual ‘digital storytelling’ clips which were added to the website. Which of the recommendations from Estyn’s Moving On transition report does this project meet? It develops policies to manage transition effectively. It enables primary and secondary teachers to observe teaching in each other’s schools and to agree the standards of work expected of pupils. It helps pupils make better progress by sharing expertise. It develops strategies to ensure continuity between primary and secondary phases in the ways pupils develop language, number, thinking and learning skills. Taken from Moving On… Effective transition from key stage 2 to key stage 3 (Estyn 2004d) Appendix 1– Activity sheets Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005 29 Activity sheet 2: Extending the core curriculum through a ‘circus’ of workshops What happens? One of the common Year 6 worries is that the class work in secondary school will be much harder than the work they are currently doing. Programmes of activities can be developed that introduce them to some of their new subjects, and that reinforce and extend the core curriculum with oshl activities that focus on one or more subject areas, for example science, maths, or literacy. This type of programme can be offered as a menu or a ‘circus’ of workshops. Different subjects can be offered on different days, in blocks of days, weeks, half terms or terms. All the activities need to be planned carefully to enhance curriculum subjects but also offer something that is enjoyable and clearly different to class work. Teachers from the primary and the secondary schools, with support from learning mentors or teaching assistants, could deliver this type of programme. Other adults can be brought in from outside to lead specifi c activities. Who’s it for? This could be an inclusive programme available for all Year 6 pupils – or it could be targeted at specifi c individuals/groups. You could have a programme that offers different strands of activities to different children, who then come together for specifi c event, or you may want to have an open programme with some places ’reserved’ for those who would benefi t most. By basing programmes on subject areas there is an obvious link to what happens during the school day. However, you need to take care not to ‘turn off’ those you want to attract. You don’t want them to decide that it’s too hard or too boring for them. There are excellent opportunities for involving older pupils as peer tutors, mentors and buddies who can help with understanding the new curriculum – after all, they’ve ‘been there and done that!’ The programme, once organised, can be repeated each year with the previous year’s transition pupils brought back to act as the ‘expert advisors’. What skills does it develop? Skills and knowledge will be developed across all subject areas offered. There may be potential to extend the learning in certain areas to meet the needs of the more able pupils and give them a chance to try new things. There are particularly good opportunities for primary and secondary staff to work together in developing teaching and learning across age ranges and subject areas. It is also an opportunity for primary teachers to familiarise secondary teachers with the learning development of particular pupils. What do I need? Skills and expertise in the right subject areas. Suitable resources and equipment. Timing This could run over a whole year with weekly sessions; it could be a shorter programme with more frequent sessions; or it could be done during summer holidays. Case study Holyhead in Anglesey is an area of high unemployment with some of the most deprived wards in Wales. Holyhead High School and its partner primaries display high levels of need in terms of student economic background and special educational needs. Project Extra was the transition cluster’s oshl response to these needs. It was based on extending the core curriculum throughout the transition period with out-of-school-hours-learning activities in science, mathematics and literacy. Each week, thirty Year 6 youngsters went to the secondary school for workshops in these three curriculum areas. A day of problem-solving activities was then arranged for the Year 6 group, to build on the workshop experiences and to celebrate achievements. A ‘Mathematics Roadshow’ visited the four primary schools based on the earlier workshops and the new Year 6s were given practical and exciting Maths sessions covering common topics for the transition period. A reading club was also established, with the older students acting as paired readers. Which of the recommendations from Estyn’s Moving On transition report does this project meet? It develops policies to manage transition effectively. It enables primary and secondary teachers to observe teaching in each other’s schools and to agree the standards of work expected of pupils. It helps pupils make better progress by sharing expertise. It develops strategies to ensure continuity between primary and secondary phases in the ways pupils develop language, number, thinking and learning skills development. It provides training opportunities for teachers appropriate to their respective roles and responsibilities. Taken from Moving On… Effective transition from key stage 2 to key stage 3 (Estyn 2004d) Activity sheet 3: Moving on to music What happens? Music can be a universal and inclusive way of bringing young people together from different schools and different ages. It lends itself well to an activity programme for supporting transition. Primary schools often have limited opportunities and resources for music, and it is benefi cial for them to be made aware of the opportunities they will have in the secondary school before they start. A range of activities can be provided, for example: children from the partner primary schools could visit the secondary school during lunchtime or after school. They could work with Year 7 pupils ‘making music’ – this could include using different instruments, singing, composing and writing, trying different instruments, DJ-ing and performing. Bringing in adults other than teachers to support these programmes can provide extra opportunities. Local musicians, older students, family and community members often have a huge range of talents. Developing relationships with other adults can help motivate young people to see music as something they can be interested in for life. Working in partnership with outside organisations such as Welsh National Opera and local music groups can bring in resources for learning and offer new approaches to music-making in the schools. Young people who do not take to performing can be encouraged to take on other roles in organising performances, designing programmes, etc. There could also be opportunities around recording and making videos, organising publicity materials, building sets and managing lighting and sound. Who is it for? This can be an inclusive programme for Year 6 and 7 children. Different strands can target specifi c individuals/groups. For example a pupil who needs literacy support can be encouraged to write or read a poem or learn a song. A shy pupil could be encouraged to gain confi dence to sing/play onstage– alone or with others. What skills does it develop? Playing instruments Singing Composing Performance skills Teamwork Organisational skills Communication skills Citizenship. What do I need? Music skills and expertise Suitable instruments and equipment Partner individuals/organisations that can bring specifi c skills and resources, for example musicians, DJs, singers and music groups. Timing This could run over a whole year with weekly sessions; it could be a shorter programme with more frequent sessions; or it could be done during summer holidays. If it runs during the term, there could be follow-on activities in the summer holidays. An ongoing oshl music club could be developed from the programme, that would take in the older school pupils and develop ‘junior tutors’ for future programmes. A performance should be arranged at the end that brings together all the schools, parents and community. Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005 31 Case study Let’s Make Music was a project designed by John Summers High School and its cluster primary schools from Flintshire. The aim was to bring seventy Year 6 pupils to John Summers once a week during the spring and summer terms to give them a taster of a range of musical instruments before providing them with an opportunity to specialise in one chosen favourite. Year 6 youngsters, alongside Year 7 peers, were given an opportunity to work with: percussion, wind instruments, brass instruments, strings, guitars and keyboards. This programme culminated in a celebration musical concert and a chance for the participants to take part in the High School Summer Concert. Year 6 pupils, encouraged by their new older friends, grew in musical competence and enthusiasm, and teachers in all schools were impressed with the results. They spoke of the pupils’ enjoyment, their application and growing confi dence, as well as the feeling that Let’s Make Music benefi ted the group in terms of behaviour and ability to cope with transition. Crucially, many of the group of Year 6 pupils expressed confi dence afterwards in joining John Summers the upcoming September. For the fi nal performance each pupil was given a specially designed T-shirt with the Let’s Make Music logo. Which of the recommendations from Estyn’s Moving On transition report does this project meet? It develops policies to manage transition effectively. It enables primary and secondary teachers to observe teaching in each other’s schools and to agree the standards of work expected of pupils. It helps pupils make better progress by sharing expertise. It develops strategies to ensure continuity between primary and secondary phases in the ways pupils develop language, number, thinking and learning skills. It provides opportunities for teachertraining appropriate to their respective roles and responsibilities. Taken from Moving On… Effective transition from key stage 2 to key stage 3 (Estyn 2004d) 32 Activity sheet 4: Transition outside term time What happens? Many schools are offering oshl activities that happen before and after school and at lunchtime. Another great way of supporting young people in transition, however, is by developing programmes that run across from Year 6 to Year 7 and include summer activities, or by offering a stand-alone summer programme or a summer programme that extends into Year 7. There are also opportunities for making use of other holiday times and weekends. Almost any activity can lend itself to such a programme, for example: Outdoor activities Drama Subject area support Art and design Sports and games Cookery To make holiday provision work, the activities offered must be fun and exciting. Young people must really want to attend. Bringing in other professionals and working in partnership with a range of organisations will help in providing different activities in different places that might not normally be available through schools. Enlisting the support of parents is important – you will need to have them on side to encourage young people to turn up during a holiday period. Who is it for? You will need to decide on whether to target specifi c pupils or whether you are offering a ‘fi rst come, fi rst served’ policy – or a bit of both. What skills does it develop? This will depend on the focus of the programme – it could take in elements of: Literacy Numeracy Science Welsh language Modern foreign languages PE and sport Opportunities can be built in for mentoring – and training pupil mentors who can then support other young people. There are also good opportunities for primary and secondary staff to work together, with other professionals to develop and deliver programmes and share expertise. What do I need? • The right skills and expertise for the planned programme. This can be a mixture of teachers, teachers’ assistants and adults from other professions. • Suitable resources and equipment. • Partner organisations and individuals who can bring specifi c skills and venues, for example outdoor education tutors, sports coaches. Timing It could be a summer holiday programme that runs for one or more weeks. It could run as a number of full or half-day sessions. It could run as one or more ‘one off’ taster sessions of activities that are available in the secondary school, with emphasis on mixing pupils from the different schools and familiarising them with the school building. It could be a programme that runs on into summer from term time transition. It could be a programme that starts with summer holiday activities and continues with oshl clubs in Year 7. It could be a programme that goes through from Year 6, into the holidays and then into Year 7. Case study Symud Ymlaen was one of the transition pilots supported by Education Extra Cymru and the Welsh Assembly Government. It has received considerable interest throughout England and Wales. The cluster includes one comprehensive, and three primary schools. The project targets pupils who risk becoming disengaged from learning in the fi rst term of their new school. The programme ran from summer term in Year 6 to the end of the autumn term in Year 7 and included: • outdoor and residential activities such as rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, walking • peer group mentor training and support from Childline and LEA staff • additional induction days in the school during the summer holidays prior to commencement of Year 7 where pupils take part in social activities, art, craft, model car racing, music and video • increased cross-phase participation by teachers from all three schools. Parental and community volunteer involvement was encouraged and Year 7 into Year 8 mentors supported all activities. Which of the recommendations from Estyn’s Moving On transition report does this project meet? It enabled primary and secondary teachers to observe teaching in each other’s schools and to agree the standards of work expected of pupils. It helped pupils make better progress by sharing expertise. It developed strategies to ensure continuity between primary and secondary phases in the ways pupils develop language, number, thinking and learning skills. It provided training opportunities for teachers appropriate to their respective roles and responsibilities. Taken from Moving On… Effective transition from key stage 2 to key stage 3 (Estyn 2004d) Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005 33 Now you know what you have to do to set up an out-of-school-hours-learning programme to support transition, but you might want answers to some detailed practical questions that you need more help with. Big Lottery Fund (2004) Building the future of learning: a guide to sustaining out-of-school-hours learning, London, Big Lottery Fund Available online from: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk ContinYou (2005a) Book-it: How to set up your own reading club and keep it going ContinYou (2005b) Breakfast Club Plus: How to set up your own breakfast club and keep it going ContinYou (2005) Cook-it!: A guide to setting up and running a cookery club ContinYou (2005c) Sum-it!: How to set up your own maths club and keep it going. ContinYou (2005d) Taking part – making out-of-school-hours learning happen for children in care ContinYou (2004) Training and resource pack for out-of-schoolhours learning. All ContinYou resources are available online from: www.continyou.org.uk/ oshlresources Department for Education and Skills (DfES) (2002) Education Act. Available online from: www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/ acts2002/20020032.htm Department for Education and Skills (DfES) (2004a) Every child matters, London, HMSO. Available online from: www.everychildmatters.co.uk Department for Education and Skills (DfES) (2004b) Partners for study support grant programme: Good practice guide Available online from: www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/ studysupport/docs/pfssbooklet Department for Education and Skills (DfES) (2005) Tomlinson Report. Available online from: www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/14- 19educationandskills/ Department for Education and Skills (DfES) (2004c) The Children Act Available online from: www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/ acts2004/20040031.htm Department for Education and Skills (DfES) (2000) The study support toolkit: Making it work in schools Available online from: www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/ studysupport/docs/toolkitschls Estyn (2002) Aiming for Excellence in Key Stage 3 Available online from: www.wales.gov.uk/ subieducationtraining/content/keystage3/ aimingexcellence/ Estyn (2003–04) Annual report. Available online from: www.estyn.gov.uk/press_releases/Press_ release_Annual_report_English.pdf Estyn (2004a) Evaluation of the out-of-school-hourslearning community/transfer project – Symud Ymlaen Available online from: www.estyn.gov.uk/publications/Remit_16.pdf Estyn (2004b) Guidance on the Inspection of Primary and Nursery Schools Available online from: www.estyn.gov.uk/publications/ PrimNursGuidanceE.pdf Estyn (2004c) Guidance on the Inspection of Secondary Schools Available online from: www.estyn.gov.uk/publications/ GuidanceHandbook_Sec_2004.pdf Estyn (2004d) Moving on: Effective transition from key stage 2 to key stage 3 Available online from: www.estyn.gov.uk/publications/Moving_ On_Effective_Transition_prim.pdf Estyn (2004e) Moving on…Improving learning: effective transition from key stage 2 to key stage 3 Available online from www.estyn.gov.uk/publications/ MovingOn_ImprovingLearning.pdf Estyn/ACCAC/Welsh Assembly Government (2004) Bridging the Gap: Developing and using bridging units to support effective transition from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 Available online from: www.accac.org.uk/uploads/ documents/1515.pdf National Assembly for Wales (2004a) The Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales 2003 – 04 Available online from: www.estyn.gov.uk/publications/Estyn_ Full_Annual_Report_English.pdf National Assembly for Wales (2000a) Children and young people: a framework for partnership. Available online from: www.wales.gov.uk/subichildren/content/ partnership/ Appendix 2 – Bibliography and further reading 34 National Assembly for Wales (2003a) Community focused schools. Available online from: www.learning.wales.gov.uk/pdfs/c3403- community-focused-schools-e.pdf National Assembly for Wales (2004b) Extending entitlement: creating visions of effective practice for young people in Wales. Available online from: www.learning.wales.gov.uk/pdfs/ extending-entitlement-visions-e.pdf National Assembly for Wales (2002a) Early entitlement: supporting children and families in Wales. Available online from: www.wales.gov.uk/subichildren/content/ partnership/item%20d%20english.pdf National Assembly for Wales (2002b) Extending entitlement: support for 11 to 25 year olds. Available online from: www.wales.gov.uk/organicabinet/ SubCmteeMeetings/children/papers/ cyp(03-04)27a-annex.pdf National Assembly for Wales (2000b) Extending entitlement: supporting young people in Wales. Available online from: www.wales.gov.uk/subichildren/pdf/ youngpeople_e.pdf National Assembly for Wales (2002c) Narrowing the gap in the performance of schools. Available online from: www.wales.gov.uk/subieducationtraining/ content/PDF/narrowing-text-e.pdf National Assembly for Wales (2001) The learning country: a paving document Available online from: www.wales.gov.uk/subieducationtraining/ content/learningcountry/tlc-contents-e.htm Welsh Assembly Government/Education Extra Cymru (2003) A Code of practice for out-of-school-hourslearning, Wales (Updated 2005/6) Available online from: www.continyou.org.uk Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005 35 Useful organisations The Arts Council of Wales The Arts Council of Wales (ACW) is responsible for funding and developing the arts in Wales. ACW is also the distributor of lottery money for the arts in Wales. www.artswales.org Children’s University Cymru The aims of the Children’s University are to embrace the principle of learning as a lifelong process and to extend and enrich learning beyond the normal school hours and curriculum. Out-of-school achievements are rewarded under a structured framework of gold, silver and bronze awards presented at graduation ceremonies. www.childrensuniversitywales.org Clybiau Plant Cymru Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs helps communities in Wales by promoting, developing and supporting quality, affordable, accessible out-of-school childcare clubs. www.equipe.org.uk/wales.htm ContinYou Cymru ContinYou Cymru offers support, advice, networking opportunities, conferences, publications and resources in the fi elds of out-of-school-hours and community learning. It also offers the Extra Time and Extra Community networks (see inside cover). www.continyou.org.uk Dragon Sport Dragon Sport encourages children to become involved in a variety of organised sporting activities. A portfolio of seven modifi ed sports is used in the scheme: rugby, athletics, cricket, football, hockey, netball and tennis. www.dragon-sport.co.uk Sports Council for Wales The Sports Council for Wales is the national organisation responsible for developing and promoting sport and recreation. www.sports-council-wales.co.uk 36 ContinYou Cymru is grateful for the support of the Welsh Assembly Government in producing this resource. Writing: Alwyn Morgan and Pam Boyd Editing: Deirdre de Barra Design: The Design Stage · www.designstage.co.uk First published in 2005 by ContinYou Cymru ContinYou Cymru First Floor Anchor Court Keen Road Cardiff CF24 5JW Tel: 029 2047 8929 Fax: 029 2047 8930 Email: info.cardiff@continyou.org.uk Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005 Acknowledgements Copyright ©ContinYou Cymru 2005