Study Support Survey June 2004

Questionnaire

In order to gain a better understanding of what study support activities were taking place across the city, how they were organised and in what ways we could support schools a questionnaire was sent to each city school during June 2004 (A full copy of the questionnaire is at the end of this report in appendix 1). Each school who returned their form was then entered in to a free prize draw with the winning school being offered £500 towards study support activities.

Below are the main findings of the report.

Returns:

In spite of the opportunity to win possibly £500 towards study support activities the returns from schools was disappointing.

38% of all schools returned the form.
42% of primary schools returned their forms.
31% of secondary schools returned their forms.
0% of special schools returned forms.

(A full list of all schools who returned their forms can be found in Appendix 2).

We suspect one of the main reasons for schools not returning forms is that they do not have a specified study support co-ordinator. Of the schools who did return their forms only 6% did not have specified Study Support Co-ordinators. All letters that were sent were addressed to the schools Study Support Co-ordinator, therefore if a school does not have a said person the letter was probably just filed away.

We intend to follow up those schools who did not respond to the questionnaire to try and ascertain why as we are aware of at least 27 schools who did not return their forms but do participate in study support activities provided through city organised programmes such as Playing for Success and Junior Engineers.

Study Support Activities

Of those who did return their forms all were involved in providing some form of study support activities for some of their pupils, add to this the further 27 schools that we are aware of who are also involved in study support activities but who did not return their forms means that at least 63% of all schools provide some form of study support.

From the returned forms we found:

90% of schools are involved in providing sports clubs.
61% of schools run booster classes.
59% of schools run drama clubs.
59% of schools run residential projects.
27% of schools run organised lunch time clubs.

26 different types of activities were identified as taking place and showed a real sense of variety, inventiveness and ingenuity amongst schools.

 

The Code of Practice

The Code of Practice offers guidance and support to those who wish to establish and develop their long term study support programmes. Whilst it has been in print since around 2000 and even though every school received a copy, it was clear from feed back that many study support co-ordinators did not have access to and of those who did, many felt it either to unwieldy to use or in need of support to make best use of it.

Evaluation of Study Support Programmes

All schools who returned their forms carried out some form of evaluation the most common form of which was through informal feedback and chat, 64%. 51% of schools used teacher observation, whilst to a considerably lesser degree. Pupil questionnaires and impact on SATs were used as measures.

74% of schools consulted their pupils with regards to what study support activities they would like to see run, of these over 60% use their school councils to gauge pupil opinion.

Peer mentoring was used by 27% of schools with the majority being used in secondary schools.

76% of schools ensured that all students were given the opportunity to join in study support activities.

42% of schools said they shared their resources with other schools of these over 50% were involved in an EAZ.

 

Conclusions and Recommendations

•  With less then 50% of schools returning their forms the picture we are able to draw is still less then clear unless we are to conclude that none of these other schools is either involved in providing study support activities or has anyone co-ordinating them centrally for the school. We therefore intend to follow up just these schools who failed to supply my returns in order to get a clear understanding of what is taking place.

•  The Code of Practice, which offers so much useful guidance and support is clearly not being used to it full potential we will therefore attempt to run a series of short training sessions for study support co-ordinators on how to make best practical use of the Code of Practice. At secondary level we have already begun to work with six secondary schools in introducing them to the Code of Practice and taking them through emerging status within the QiSS process.

•  Whilst all schools who returned their forms were evaluating the programmes in some form. Very few seemed to be tracking pupil progress matched against involvement in study support programme. National evaluating of study support continues to highlight the positive effect study support can have on pupil development and exam performance – therefore we wish to pilot a tracking system with a small number of schools to try and measure the impact of study support activities on pupil development over a long period of time.

•  Schools sharing equipment and resources.

Schools consulting pupils.

Peer mentoring.