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Susan Jane Matthews 'FRESH START' a model for success and sustainable change? Susan Jane Matthews A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Greenwich for the Degree of Doctorate in Education July 2005 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My appreciation is due to many who have contributed to the formulation of this thesis. I would like to thank the headteacher, teachers, support assistants, reception staff, pupils, parents, governors and all associated with the case study school, the Children Project, the LEA, the Fresh Start headteachers, Peter Clough from the DfES and Marylin Jones-Hill from SFA-UK for their participation in this study. My thanks also go to Patrick Ainley for his assistance and challenging debates during my supervision, Bill Goddard for his encouragement and interest during both my MA and doctorate studies, Neil Hall for his interest over the last four years, and in particular Francia Kinchington for her relentless energy and positive support throughout my supervision. Above all I owe special thanks to my children, Nicholas, Sarah and Lucy for their continuous support, and Bob for his good humour, encouragement and incredible patience. in ABSTRACT This thesis examines the rationale and debate of the 'Fresh Start' schools policy introduced by the New Labour government in 1997 as a vehicle for improvement in schools that historically had been classified as failing. Underpinning the policy is the assumption that Fresh Start can act as a catalytic agent of positive change to performance, school cultures and the school community. The literature review examines school improvement in schools with challenging circumstances (where many Fresh Start schools are based) and includes the theoretical framework underpinning school improvement. It examines the recent political context that has driven school improvement, the role of inspection in identifying failing schools, the development of Fresh Start policy and alternative routes available to schools failing their OFSTED inspection. The case study traces the transformation process and outlines the profile of the first Fresh Start Primary School in England with a population of 40% Travellers on the school roll. It includes an early evaluation of a number of initiatives associated with catalytic change and school improvement that have been employed in the case study school, in other Fresh Start Primary Schools in England and in socio-economically disadvantaged schools around the world. It looks particularly at the impact of breakfast clubs, a school-wide literacy scheme, 'Success for All', 1 and community education based in the school. The impact of these initiatives is considered within the context of the school, the school community and government policy. The research findings conclude that Fresh Start together with the initiatives have been effective strategies for improvement in the case study school, and may provide a good model for other schools in similar circumstances. 1 'Success for All' is a school-wide literacy programme based on early intervention and supported by cooperative learning. It was created in the USA in 1986 and introduced in the UK in 1997. IV CONTENTS PAGE Title Page i Declaration ii Acknowledgements iii Abstract iv Table of Contents v List of Tables ix Introduction 1 Chapter I. THE RESEARCH CONTEXT Introduction 8 An overview of school effectiveness and school improvement 8 Characteristics of schools in difficult and challenging circumstances 14 Theoretical Framework 16 Improving Schools in disadvantaged areas 18 The role of leadership and management in school improvement 18 The role of governing bodies in school improvement 22 Creating a positive school culture 25 Teaching and learning 26 Developing a learning community 28 Continuous professional development 30 Creating an information-rich environment 30 Parental involvement 31 External support 33 Resources 34 Sustaining improvement 35 Summary 37 Chapter H. THE POLITICAL CONTEXT 40 Introduction 40 Contextualising School Improvement within New Labour's policy 40 School Inspection as a means to improving schools 44 Historical Background 44 Office for Standards in Education 53 Schools in Special Measures 58 Failure at school and failing schools 62 Chapter HI. THE FRESH START CONTEXT Introduction 65 Reconstitution: the American model 65 Fresh Start: the British model 69 Funding 79 Fresh Start and Inspection 80 v The Current Picture 82 Fresh Start and areas for development 84 Chapter IV. METHODOLOGY Introduction 87 The quantitative, qualitative debate 87 Previous Fresh Start Research 90 Background 91 Research Design 91 Case Study 92 The Sample 94 Ethical Considerations 96 Data Collection 96 Data Analysis 102 Limitations 104 Chapter V. THE CASE STUDY Part One: The Transformation Process Introduction 108 Historical context 108 Special Measures 111 Consultation and transformation process 114 Leadership and Management 117 The headteacher 117 Staff 125 The role of the Governing Body 131 Former Governing Body 131 New Governing Body 132 Role of the Chair 136 LEA and DfES support and contribution 138 HMI'srole 139 Funding 140 Environment 143 Premises 143 Behaviour 145 Special Educational Needs 148 School roll 149 Attendance 150 Inclusive policy 151 Nursery 152 Other Partnerships 154 Summary 155 Chapter VI. THE CASE STUDY Part Two: The role of'Breakfast Clubs' in Fresh Start Schools VI Introduction 156 Key improvement issues 157 The School Breakfast Programme in the USA 158 The School Breakfast Programme in the UK 161 The Breakfast club at the case study school 168 Survey 169 Breakfast Club Visit at the Case Study School 171 Leadership and management of the breakfast club 173 Governing Body 175 External Support 176 Resources 177 Attendance and punctuality impacting on teaching and learning 179 Nutrition impacting on teaching and learning 183 Creating a Positive School Culture 185 Developing a learning community 190 Creating an information-rich environment 191 Parental involvement 191 Continuous Professional development 192 Working parents 193 Impact 193 Summary and Recommendations 194 Chapter VII. THE CASE STUDY Part Two: The Role of Literacy in Fresh Start schools: 'Success for All' Introduction 197 Illiteracy in the developed world 198 The Government's strategy in the UK 199 Origins of Success For All 200 The Programme components 203 Research findings in the USA 204 Research findings in the UK 206 Success for All and Fresh Start Schools 209 Stated objectives of SFA in the Case Study School 210 An observation of an SFA class at the case study school 211 Interpretation 215 SFA in the case study school 216 Leadership and Management 216 The Headteacher 216 The Governing Body 219 Resources 220 External Support 220 Teaching and Learning 220 Creating a Positive School Culture 224 vn Developing a learning community 227 Creating an information-rich environment 229 Parental involvement 230 Continuous professional development 232 Policy Implications and Further Research 234 Recommendations 237 Conclusion 239 Chapter VIII. THE CASE STUDY Part Two: Lifelong Learning, Community and Fresh Start Schools Introduction 242 Government's policy on lifelong learning 243 Community 247 The Community School 247 Lifelong learning in community schools 249 The re-emergence of the 'community school' concept 250 Social exclusion and adult learning 252 Travellers and social exclusion 256 Community Education in Fresh Start Schools 257 The case study's schools contribution to Lifelong Learning 259 Introduction 259 Leadership and management of the community wing 263 Governing Body 267 Teaching and Learning 268 External Support 272 Resources 273 Creating a Positive School Culture 274 Developing a learning community 277 Parental Involvement 279 Continuous Professional development 284 Creating an information-rich environment 285 Summary 285 Recommendations 287 Implications for policy and practice 288 The Fresh Start Community School Model 289 Chapter IX. CONCLUSION 292 REFERENCES 300 APPENDICES 324 vm TABLES Page Table 1 59 Table 2 82 Table 3 83 Table 4 95 Tables 219 Table 6 220 IX INTRODUCTION The central debate of this thesis is whether a range of specific initiatives can have an impact on school improvement within the context of Fresh Start. An analysis of literature includes current research and policy documents of issues relating to: school improvement, the political context, inspection, failing schools, Fresh Start, breakfast clubs, a school-wide literacy scheme ('Success for All '), community education and lifelong learning. The case study outlines the process of change and investigates key initiatives that have been implemented to date and are considered by the staff, governors and OFSTED to have contributed to the school's improved performance while increasing its long-term viability. Three initiatives are examined in the light of school improvement research both in England and internationally. They comprise the setting up of: a breakfast club, a literacy programme and a Community Wing within the school. This thesis builds on research carried out for a mini-project and a preliminary investigation reported at the London and South-East LSRN conference at City University, London, 8 July 2003 and the JVET conference at the University of Greenwich, London, 16-18 July 2003. The analysis in these papers included initial findings of contributory factors involved in the improvement of the first Fresh Start primary school in England. My involvement with the case study Primary School began when I became a governor four months after the school
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