Extended Schools Programme Annual Report 2012/13 1 CONTENTS PAGE Page number Extended Schools’ background 3 1 Purpose and context 4 2 Methodology 6 3 Summary of main findings from 2012-13 8 4 Partnership working 12 5 Indicators of effective practice in Extended Schools 15 6 Evaluation and key recommendations 22 Appendices (i) Evidence of positive outcomes of the Extended 28 Schools Programme – Case Study Examples (ii) ELB Clusters 47 (iii) Extended Schools External Providers 62 2 EXTENDED SCHOOLS’ BACKGROUND The Extended Schools’ Programme in Northern Ireland has been an integral component of the Department of Education’s vision to ensure that every learner fulfils his or her full potential since 2006. The programme enables schools to target school improvement strategies which influence the families and communities that surround them so that a more holistic approach can be taken to improved achievement and attainment for children and young people at every stage of their development. The origins of the Extended Schools’ programme can be traced to the ‘Every Child Matters’ (ECM) agenda, which in Northern Ireland became the ‘Our Children, Our Young People, Our Pledge’ strategy which was co-ordinated by the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister, (OFMDFM). The aim of the strategy as launched by the Secretary of State in March 2006 was: To reduce underachievement and improve the life chances of children and young people by enhancing their educational development and fostering health, well-being and social inclusion through the integrated delivery of the support and services necessary to ensure every child has the best start in life. The Extended Schools’ programme is one of the most prominent strategies contributing to this aim and over the past 7 years has seen over £80million of investment in activities and services for children and young people in identified schools. The Department of Education allocated £11.754million to the regional Extended Schools programme for 2012-2013 A core aim of the Extended Schools’ programme is to provide schools with the flexibility to design creative responses to barriers to learning, in order to raise standards of achievement. The Extended Schools programme provides a unique opportunity to enhance collaboration between school, home and community so that the school can extend its ability to positively influence the children and young people in its care. 3 1. PURPOSE AND CONTEXT 1.1 The Purpose of this report is to: Provide an overview, analysis and evaluation of the Extended Schools’ Programme across Northern Ireland (NI) for the year 2012-2013. Identify indicators of effective practice in Extended Schools Demonstrate robust accountability systems and procedures for the delivery of the extended schools programme in line with agreed Department of Education for Northern Ireland (DENI) requirements Provide DENI with recommendations for the future operation of the programme. 1.2 Programme for Government (PfG) The key commitments of the Programme for Government (PfG) are: to increase the overall proportion of young people who achieve at least 5 GCSEs at A*-C or equivalent including GCSEs in Maths and English by the time they leave school to 66% by 2015 to increase the proportion of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who achieve at least 5 GCSs at A*-C or equivalent including GCSEs in Maths and English to 49% by 2015. 1.3 Every School a Good School (ESaGS) The DENI policy ‘Every School a Good School’ (2009) outlines the Department’s core strategy to bring about school improvement. It is premised upon four ‘key characteristics’ against which schools can self-evaluate in terms of their performance, namely; 1. Child Centred Provision 2. High Quality Teaching and Learning 3. Effective Leadership 4. A School Connected to its Community Within the PfG, DENI has placed an increasing emphasis on raising pupil outcomes and in accordance with that aim; the intention has been to align Extended Schools’ practice as closely as possible with the expectations which the policy espouses. 4 1.4 Count, Read, Succeed (CRS) The Count Read Succeed policy focuses specifically on the aforementioned pupil outcomes in Literacy and Numeracy. In recognition of the relevance for young people in terms of life chances and opportunities, there has been an increasing emphasis on Extended Schools’ provision, to ensure that Literacy and Numeracy outcomes are included as part of the core rationale when schools are deciding on priorities and undertaking the action planning process. This report, and indeed the report of subsequent years, will therefore seek to identify how increased attainment in Literacy and Numeracy can be further enhanced through the contribution of the Extended Schools’ Programme. 1.5 School Development Planning (SDP) Schools have a statutory requirement to draw up a School Development Plan which sets out the embodiment of school ethos and practice, while at the same time clearly defining school priorities and identification of the needs of the young people. It is therefore of key importance that a significant initiative such as Extended Schools is aligned with the school’s philosophy and planning. While each school will have their own targets and objectives, Extended Schools serves as a key contributory means of bringing these about. The report will therefore increasingly seek to emphasise the importance of ensuring that Extended Schools is central to School Development planning, and indeed highlight were this is being achieved in best practice. 1.6 Targeting Social Need (TSN) There is an increasing recognition that it is necessary for schools to positively engage with their local communities in order to maximise pupil outcomes and to address other societal issues. Extended Schools provides a significant opportunity for schools to work with a variety of external agencies, notably from the voluntary and community sectors to progress work and bring about mutually beneficial outcomes, primarily for school aged children in a given area of disadvantage. 5 2. METHODOLOGY 2.1 The report draws together information gathered from the annual reports submitted by Extended Schools and their clusters across the five Education and Library Boards. These reports are submitted by each school and cluster in April. The annual report comprises school context data, activity monitoring reports and summative self-evaluation of the programme in each school and cluster. 2.2 Schools complete three monitoring reports for each activity per year. The reports cover the periods April-August, September-December and January- March. The monitoring report requires schools and clusters to record the status of each activity as, planned, delayed or completed. Participation numbers and perceived impact are also recorded. Schools must also reflect and comment on what has been achieved to date and to outline what adjustments may be made moving forward. Finally, they indicate how they will monitor the outcomes of the activity as they progress. 2.3 Once all monitoring reports are completed at the end of March, the schools have a further six weeks in which to complete an annual report. The Northern Ireland Extended Schools Information System (NIESIS) provides schools with an online self-evaluation template through which to reflect, review and report on the impact and outcomes from their Extended Schools’ programme for the past year. 2.4 Following the submission of all annual reports the Extended Schools’ Co- ordinators in each board review the reports and analyse the data provided. The outcome of this review and analysis forms the basis for this Extended Schools’ Regional Annual Report. 2.5 Throughout the year each Education and Library Board (ELB) provides a range of support to the Extended Schools in their area. In 2012/2013 all 473 Extended Schools received a monitoring visit which involved an ELB officer working with the school to review the progress and impact of their programme. In addition new schools and schools with new Principals or co-ordinators received additional support to ensure that they were able to deliver programmes. In- service training was provided by the ELB co-ordinators at the RTU Summer School through a two day course entitled “Developing a School Connected to its Community”. ELB Co-ordinators also regularly attended cluster school meetings to support collaborative planning, monitoring and evaluating of cluster programmes. 2.6 Regionally there are four Project Management Boards (PMB’s) which oversee the operation of the programme in each ELB. The Southern and Western ELB’s operate a joint PMB to oversee activity across their areas. The PMB’s are comprised of ELB officers, representatives of other employing authorities, Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS), Northern Ireland Council for 6 Integrated Education (NICIE) and Comhairle na Gaelscolaiochta (CnaG), representatives from the Department for Social Development, the Department of Employment and Learning and representatives from the voluntary and community sector. The PMBs assess and ratify the action plans submitted by schools and clusters. Each PMB will meet at least four times per year. 7 3. SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS FROM 2012-2013 3.1 High Level Outcomes (HLO) Schools are required to map their activities against the five high level outcomes identified in the OFMDFM policy document “Our Children, Our Young People – Our Pledge” (2006). Most activities will target more than one High Level Outcome. Over one third of activities (35% - 3445