Quality in Study Support (QiSS), Canterbury Christ Church University College

QiSS Case Study Series – Spring 2005-05-09

Parklands high School, Liverpool

An Example of an Embedded Study Support Programme

Number of Pupils on Roll:  800
Age Range: 11-18
Status: Urban
Free School Meals Entitlement: 54%
SEN Register: 437 pupils

What this case study is about:

Study Support is well established at Parklands and is embedded into activities across the school, offering a comprehensive programme. This case study outlines the types of provision the school offers and the impact on attitude, achievement and academic attainment. There is a companion case study on the website which outlines two specific programmes.

Description of the Centre:

Parklands High School is an 11-18 school that serves the Speke Estate.  Speke is the second most deprived ward in the country on the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2000 and the second lowest in educational attainment.

The school is part of the new Parklands Complex. This £25 million PFI complex comprises the school, library, nursery, One Stop Shop, community centre, adult learning facilities, a City Learning Centre and a refurbished leisure facility. A Sure Start operates in the area. A new supermarket is to be opened next to the school within the next 2-3 years.

The school's population of 800 includes 437 pupils on the Special Needs Register and 24 statemented pupils, with 54% of the school qualifying for free school meals. Pupil attainment and attendance are below the national average.

Socio-economic circumstances

Speke is home to approximately 10,000 people and is some 8 miles from Liverpool City Centre. The estate is isolated from surrounding areas by natural boundaries and there is virtually no 'through trade'. There is very little local economic activity, principally local shopping local shopping and services, and no local bank. The area suffers from many of the classic inner city problems of multiple deprivations, but with the added disadvantage of a lack of local services and a feeling of isolation. The teenage pregnancy rate in Speke is the highest in Europe.

The Speke Advice Service handled 8,812 enquiries between April 2001 – April 2002, with over half relating to benefits and debt. In August 2004 unemployment was 9.2% compared to the national average of 2.3% (Office of National Statistics 2004). 37.8% of people in Speke are classed as having poor literacy and 44% as having poor numeracy (Basic Skills Agency). 10.9% of properties in the Speke ward are classed as being empty. The Standard Mortality Rate (1997-99) for all causes was 165 compared to the Liverpool average of 143.

Study Support Programme

Parklands High School is proud of its Study Support Programme, knowing it is second-to none.  It has the evidence to prove it and its commitment to extra learning has deservedly won it an Advanced Level Award from QiSS.

The ethos of Study Support is embedded into activities across the school. Study Support features prominently in the School Improvement Plan and commitment to it influences management decision-making at all levels.

Statistically, the success of their programme is astonishing:  students spent 27,000 pupil hours on various Study Support activities in 2002, 35.053 in 2003 and over 41,000 hours in 2004. The programme has had an impact on the Key Stage Four curriculum. The school now offers GNVQ ICT, GCSE Dance, GCSE Textiles, GCSE Graphics, GCSE Statistics and GCSE PE, all of which began as Study Support activities.

Staff at the school hold a strong view that Study Support is a vital communication channel between themselves and their students. They have found that when actively managed by teachers as well as students, Study Support helps the students to form good learning relationships with teachers and helps identify individual learning needs.

Student participation

The students help to steer the programme. All out-of-school hours activity suggestions are put to the Pupil's Council, which means students have a real say in determining how their Study Support is managed and what it will provide.

Pupils can also drop notes into suggestion boxes that are located at various points around the school. Notice boards in the corridors and classrooms promote activities and new opportunities and the school's web site offers information on future events as well as an up-to-date timetable of activities. Newsletters, flyers and leaflets are frequently distributed.

Self-monitoring is essential in the programme and gives students strong ownership of their own progress at the school. To help reinforce how Study Support helps them develop and learn, we involve them in monitoring their own progress and evolving their clubs. In PSHE curriculum time, students complete target sheets and comment on the clubs that they have attended and they set themselves personal targets. Evaluation is on-going and gaining in sophistication. From September 2004, students have access to their estimated grades via the school Intranet. By clicking on individual subjects students can link to an updated timetable of Study Support activities available for that subject – the message being "If I’m doing poorly in this area, I need to get involved in something that can help".

The use of data to inform, monitor and assess

The school has an effective information management system that allows staff to monitor students' progress and helps teachers identify additional need for Study Support. The school is proactive about the learning issues that students face. A student may then be offered the chance to work with a Study Support mentor, for example, or they may be offered accelerated learning opportunities through the Gifted and Talented Programme.

Data collection and monitoring allows the school to measure the impact of its Study Support Programme. Two years ago it was found that during February none of the girls in a particular year group had attended any after-school ICT activities – only boys had. From that February to the next the school opened a weekly girls-only ICT club called "She's Got to Have IT". The club was run by female ICT tutors and female learning mentors. The attendance at this club has grown incredibly. Now more than half of that particular year group attends ICT activities. Funnily, a group of boys came along a year later asking for their own ICT called "Boys Own". There are still mixed clubs that run alongside the single gender ones.

Student attendance is collected and collated monthly. It is analysed by year group, gender, ethnic grouping, number of hours spent on every activity, students on free school meals and looked-after children. This analysis allows teachers to identify who needs what and to act quickly to help.

Monthly attendance statistics for each year group are broken down into three categories – academic, leisure visits and residentials. In years 7 and 8 students predominately choose the leisure activities. As SATs loom, however, year 9 veers towards the academic and study residentials. The data on students who receive free school meals showed that this group was not attending Study Support sessions as much as the school hoped. There was a review of what was being offered and soon a more varied timetable of activities was offered. Stained glass window clubs, glass blowing, Health and Beauty and different food clubs entice the students to attend.

Accreditation through Study Support

Study Support activities result in accreditation. The students can strive for the ASDAN Peer Mentoring Youth Award, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, GNVQ Project in ICT and GCSE. The school is working with Youth University to accredit a number of activities. This initiative encourages young people to take part in activities outside the normal school day. Youth University works in partnership with the Four Higher Education Institutions on Mersey side. Students who complete twelve-hour modules gain credits and work towards Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum awards. Some examples of modules Parklands have devised include Catering for Life, Chess, Peer Monitoring, Design and Manufacturing, Stained Glass, Dance and many more. At the end of the Summer Term the students and their families attend a Graduation Ceremony at the Liverpool University where they receive certificates and other commemorative gifts.

How has Study Support had an Impact and brought real, visible change?

"I think that the success of Parklands' Study Support Programme has been reflected in Katie's last report, which was excellent, all Grade As".

Mr and Mrs Thomas, Parents of Parklands' Student.

"Barbara has become much more positive and confident about school life and her studies since being involved with Study Support at Parklands High School".

Mr and Mrs Whittaker, Parents of Parklands' Student.

"Because I get involved in Study Support activities I have had the opportunity to take 3 extra GCSEs: Statistics, PE and Dance. Last year I got a grade C in Mathematics a year early because I went to extra lessons. The Study Support Programmes have helped me to make better relationships with teachers, I have become friendlier with them and I know that I can always ask for help".

Stephanie Lewin, Year 12 Student.

"Study Support has helped me improve in my subjects and has helped me to understand things that I never knew before.  I was involved in a Study Support activity that gave me the opportunity to visit another country. This was the first time I had ever left Britain. I now have a much better understanding of our cultures and I have become more confident to approach teachers and feel that I understand them much better".

Michael Bate, Year 11 Student.

What lessons have we learned that can inform others?

The impact of Study Support on attitude, achievement and attainment is so significant that it has become embedded into activities right across the school. Data collection has enabled us to measure the impact and to devise programmes which meet the needs of the students and wider community.

Future developments

Parklands has been chosen as Liverpool's first Full Service Extended School in recognition of its unique "campus" facilities and the close links already in existence between the school and local statutory and voluntary organisations.

In addition to the extensive after school Study Support Programme, activities are available to young people not just in school time but also the Youth Centre, City Learning Centre, Library and Sports Centre. They key is partnership working, and the Extended School offers a mechanism for people and organisations to communicate, make joint plans and share resources.

Case Study Reference:  Spring 2005 - 002

For more information on this case study contact:

Imelda Rooney Study Support Co-ordinator Parklands High School Ganworth Road Liverpool Merseyside L24 2RZ Tel:  0151 486 2612 www.parklands.liverpool.sch.uk

Quality in Study Support CELSI Salomons Southborough Tunbridge Wells Kent TN3 0TG Tel:  01892 507657 www.qiss.org.uk

QUALITY STUDY SUPPORT - QiSS