DOCUMENT RESUME ED 462 601 CE 083 053 AUTHOR Hodgson, Ann, Ed.; Spours, Ken, Ed. TITLE Finding a Balance: Fifteen Institutional Case Studies on the Relationship between Part-Time Work and Advanced Level Study. Report. INSTITUTION London Univ. (England). Inst. of Education. REPORT NO IoE-R-2 ISBN ISBN-0-85473-632-8 PUB DATE 2000-10-00 NOTE 130p.; Project between Essex County Council Learning Services (Essex Local Education Authority [LEA]) and Lifelong Learning Group. PUB TYPE Collected Works General (020)-- Numerical/Quantitative Data (110)-- Reports Research (143) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC06 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Academic Achievement; Case Studies; Catholic Schools; Curriculum; *Education Work Relationship; Educational Attitudes; Employer Attitudes; *Employment Patterns; Foreign Countries; High Schools; Parent Attitudes; *Part Time Employment; *Postsecondary Education; Public Schools; Sex Differences; Student Attitudes; *Student Employment; Teacher Attitudes; Two Year Colleges; Work Attitudes IDENTIFIERS Christian Schools; *England ABSTRACT This document presents and discusses case studies that examined the relationship between part-time employment and advanced level study at 15 schools in Essex, England. "Foreword" (David Jones) provides a brief overview of the project. "Finding a Balance--Fifteen Institutional Case Studies on the Relationship between Part-time Work and Advanced Level Study" (Ann Hodgson and Key Spours) explains how the studies were carried out and discusses the following themes raised in the individual case studies: patterns of part-time work; teacher, student, parent, and employer attitudes toward students' part-time work; effects of part-time work on achievement; patterns of study and part-time work; gender differences among A level students; the balance between paid work, study, and other aspects of sixth form life; and Curriculum 2000 and larger programs of study. The remainder of the document consists of the case studies, which are titled as follows: "The Billericay School, Billericay" (Brian Balchin); "The John Bramston School, Witham" (Phil Newbury); "Chelmer Valley High School, Broomfield" (Jim Aylen-Smith); "Clacton County High School, Clacton-on-Sea" (Peter Wakeford); "Colbayns High School, Clacton-on-Sea" (John Raynor); "Davenant Foundation School, Loughton" (Elizabeth Moore); "The Harwich School, Harwich" (Suzanne =Lynch)=;---"Hyl'ands-School-,---Chelmsford"(-lan-Rawst-One-)-;--"Mayf-lower-High-School, Billericay" (Richard Maples); "Philip Morant School, Colchester" (Peter Johnson); "Rickstones Sixth Form College, Witham" (Maria Burton); "St. Mark's West Essex Catholic School, Harlow)(Ann Lawler); "St. Peter's High School, Burnham-on-Crouch" (Glen Michael); "Saffron Walden County High School, Saffron Walden" (Stephen Munday); and "The Sandon School, Sandon" Richard Chandler). (MN) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can bemade from the original document. FindingaBalance Fifteen Institutional Case Studies on the Relationship between Part-time Work and Advanced Level Study U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND Office of Educational Research and Improvement DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION BEEN GRANTEI1BY CENTER (ERIC) is document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. /1_773tiod 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Points of view or opinions stated in this INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Edited by Ann Hodgson & Ken Spours October-2000 A°10* INSTITUTE OF Allo* EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF LONDON EssexCountyCouncil Learning Services Pursuing Excellence in Education BEST COPY AVAILABLE FindingaBalance Fifteen Institutional Case Studies on the Relationship between Part-time Work and Advanced Level Study Edited by Ann Hodgson & Ken Spours October 2000 ISBN: 0 85473 632 8 @ Lifelong Learning Group, Report No 2 Institute of Education, University of London 3 Contents Foreword David Jones 3 Section One Finding a Balance - Fifteen Institutional Case Studies on the Relationship Between Part-time Work and Advanced Level Study Ann Hodgson and Ken Spours II Section Two Case Studies 11 The Billericay School, Billericay Brian Balchin 17 The John Bramston School, Witham Phil Newbury 25 Chelmer Valley High School, Broomfield Jim Ay len-Smith 33 Clacton County High School, Clacton-on-Sea Peter Wakeford 43 Colbayns High School, Clacton-on-Sea John Raynor 47 Davenant Foundation School, Loughton Elizabeth Moore 53 The Harwich School, Harwich Suzanne Lynch 59 Hy lands School, Chelmsford Ian Rawstorne 63 Mayflower High School, Billericay Richard Maples 69 Philip Morant School, Colchester PeterJohnson 83 Rickstones Sixth Form College, Witham Maria Burton 95 St Mark's West Essex Catholic School, Harlow Ann Lawler 113St Peter's High School, Burnham-on-Crouch Glen Michael 119 Saffron Walden County High School, Saffron Walden Stephen Munday 125The Sandon School, Sandon Richard Chandler I 29 References 4 Foreword This publication is the fifth in a series of collaborative ventures between Essex LEA and the Lifelong Learning Group at the Institute of Education. Previous reports have considered formative value-added developments, the response of institutions to the proposed reforms in the 1996 Dearing Report on 16-19 Qualifications and issues for schools preparing for 16-19 Curriculum 2000. The present document is the culmination of work undertaken by fifteen senior and middle managers drawn from eighteen Essex 11-18 Secondary schools. The project, supported by Standards Fund 16 (Qualifications), has once again been ably led by Ken Spours and Ann Hodgson of the Institute. Both project meeting days featured high quality briefings and offered scope for energetic debate, whilst participants were also able to undertake in-school research on the issue of part-time work commitments, and their impact upon the motivation and achievements of sixth form students. I have had the pleasure of undertaking local facilitation of the Project within Essex, in my capacity of Senior Advisor, with a particular responsibility for the 14-19 curriculum. I am confident that readers will find much to interest them in individual school perspectives, together with the analytical overview provided by Ken and Ann. I am grateful for their expertise and insight and to my colleagues in Essex schools who have offered practical institutional perspectives on the developments covered within the Project. The fact that over one third of Essex 11-18 schools were eager to participate is testimony to both the quality of the Project leaders and the interest there is in this issue as Curriculum 2000 gets underway this year. May I commend the publication to you. David Jones Senior Advisor Curriculum Development Section One Finding a Balance-Fifteen Institutional Case Studieson the Relationship Between Part-time Work and Advanced Level Study Ann Hodgson and Ken Spours Introduction The Labour Force Survey indicates that there has been a steady increase in the number of 16-19 year olds in full-time education working part-time during the 1990s (DfEE, 1998). Local studies, however, suggest that the numbers of young people both studying full-time and working are significantly bigger than those recognised by official national studies (Hodgson & Spours, 2000; FEDA, 1999). So far, surveys in this area have focused largely on patterns of part-time work and have been of interest to researchers, policy makers and practitioners involved with education and training from 16+ who are keen to detect changes in the youth labour market and to consider their significance. Many now recognise that major shifts are taking place in a casualised youth labour market and wish to investigate the impact this might be having on participation, achievement and progression to further study. An earlier study we undertook in South Gloucestershire (Hodgson & Spours, 2000) used more qualitative data as a way of exploring the increasingly important role that part-time work plays in the lives of 16-19 year olds as they stay on in education in greater numbers and also participate in the labour market. This study cast some light on student and staff attitudes to part-time paid work and speculated about the potentially positive and negative effects part-time work has on advanced level study. This research by 15 Essex schools, supported by Essex LEA and the Institute of Education, represents a concerted local response to investigate this issue further. It was born out of real staff interest in and concern with the emerging issue of part-time work among full-time sixth form students. Teachers' concerns were related mainly to the effects of this type of work on A Level and GNVQ attainment and on sixth form students' commitment to advanced level study. In most cases their research is focused on these two issues. 3 6 On the whole, the findings of this research tend to support earlier work in this area and to add considerable texture to it. However, there is also significant new data here, particularly in relation to the views of parents and employers; the different attitudes and responses of young women and young men to advanced level study; the reasons why some young people do not work; and sixth form students' thoughts on the potential impact of Curriculum 2000 on part-time employment. How the studies were carried out This new local research comprises 15 case studies with just under 1600 sixth