Co-curricular Activities
(formerly a Varied Menu of Study Support Activities)
The Principle Behind Co-curricular Activities
The 5As
- If you can raise a young person's Aspirations;
- It will improve their Attitude to learning;
- Which will enhance their Attendance;
- Thus improving their Attainment and
- Life-long Achievement.
Co-curricular activities are complimentary to the curriculum taught within the school day
Co-curricular activities were previous known as Study Support
"Study Support is learning activity outside normal lessons which young people take part in voluntarily.
Study Support is, accordingly, an inclusive term, embracing activities with many names and many guises. It's purpose is to improve young people's motivation, build their self-esteem and help them to become more effective learners.
Above all it aims to raise attainment."
(The Study Support Framework, DFES, 2006)
The menu of activities which is offered should be based on the needs and demands of their pupils and local communities. Young people will only attend activities they value so the activities offered should reflect their interests and be delivered in a way that engages them.
Most schools already provide a varied programme of activites.
The precise menu of activites will vary from school to school and may include:
- Homework clubs, catch-up and booster activities;
- Music tuition;
- Dance and drama;
- Arts and crafts;
- Special interest clubs such as chess, ICT and first aid;
- Visits to museums and galleries;
- Volunteering;
- Business and enterprise activities;
- Sport – a least two hours a week beyond the school day for those who want it.
These activities might be delivered directly by the school or through schools working collaboratively with each other and other relevant agencies and organisations. Young people and parents will be expected to pay for some activites and schools can also signpost them to existing opportunities which are being provided by other providers in the area. Safe transport to activities should be provided if consultation shows that there is sufficient need, this can be arranged by the school or provider and can be charged for.
For Primary Schools these activities should be combined with access to childcare in accordance with community need.
For Secondary Schools these activities will contribute to the childcare offer providing there is no demand for formal childcare. The school should offer access to a safe place to be from 8am - 6pm; this could be a combination of study support activities and access to a supervised area within the school or might be provided in the local area with appropriate transport arrangements.
Co-curricular activities make a difference
The range, quality and impact of Co-curricular programmes have improved greatly over the past decade. The longitudinal research study by MacBeath, Kirwan, Myers et al (The Impact of Study Support, DfES, 2001) showed that secondary school students who participated in Co- activities achieved significantly better GCSE results, and demonstrated improved attitudes and higher school attendance than similar students who did not participate.
Elliott and others (Lessons for Study Support for Compulsory Learning, DfES 2004) showed that the voluntary ethos of Learning Plus activities enabled teachers to experiment with content and learning approaches and to confidently introduce innovations into the classroom.
The table below offers a model of growth and change in schools and their partner organisations over time. The three paradigms show increasing levels of sophistication in understanding the significance of the learning that children and young people engage in voluntarily. In the
Project Paradigm Co-curricular activities is a potentially useful adjunct for some pupils in support of the curriculum. In the Programme Paradigm it is a central part of the life and work of the school. When Co-curricular opportunities are seen as a Strategy then voluntary and independent learning for all is part of the vision and the culture with a notion of entitlement to extensive learning opportunities.
| Paradigms of Co-curricular activities | A Project | A Programme | A Strategy |
| What is offered? | · Optional ‘extra-curricular’ activities; · Short-term projects. | · A wide and varied menu of learning activities. | · An entitlement to learning and development opportunities. |
| Who is learning? | · Willing pupils; · Targeted under-achievers. | · Most students – a lot of the time. | · All of the students – most of the time; · Parents, staff and community. |
| What is the purpose? | · Enjoyment and enrichment; · To stretch the more able; · To help under-achievers. | · To raise attainment across the school; · To broaden the options for achievement. | · Continually to improve the learning and teaching across the school; · To enhance the value given to education. |
| How is this linked to the curriculum? | | | |
From: Extending Learning Opportunities : a national framework for study support, DCSF, 2006 p31
Useful Documents
The following documents may help in your understanding, delivery and moderation of the Study Support activities within your setting:
- Study Support Powerpoint presentation - This can be downloaded, ammended and used for Inset or staff training around Study Support;
-
Extended Learning Opportunities: A Framework For Self-Evaluation in Study Support - The Extending Learning Opportunities (ELO) framework for self-evaluation in Study Support is a tool for quality assurance of the learning opportunities for children and young people outside of normal lesson time. It is a revised and updated version of the Study Support Code of Practice first published in 1998 and revised in 2004. It provides a framework for schools, clusters of schools, Playing for Success (PfS) centres, Higher Education Institutions* (HEIs) and organisations such as libraries, museums and galleries, theatres and youth and community projects that offer structured learning programmes to young people, to extend and enhance their provision and so to improve their outcomes;
- National Study Support Framework: a national framework for extending learning opportunities - The new Framework sets out clearly the place of study support in the wider education agenda. It also includes practical advice and guidance on setting up and sustaining study support programmes;
-
Study Support Strategy for Kent - This document sets out the strategy for the future development of Study Support in Kent. This Strategy builds on national guidance set out in ‘Study Support: a national framework for extending learning opportunities’ (DfES 2006) and clearly highlights the role of study support within the government’s strategies to raise pupil achievement and to develop Extended Services in and around schools;
- Service Level Agreement - for use with External Providers of Study Support activities;
- Themed Weeks calendar (January to August 2012) - This calendar shows the national and international themed days, weeks and months which schools might like to partake in.
Extended Services Audit
Building on the audit carried in 2005/06 and the lessons learnt during that process, the Learning Plus team has been developing an easy to use on-line tool. This tool will allow schools to update the information about their progress at any time, and to be able to produce a report on demand that provides an analysis of the information about their school. There will also be a facility for cluster staff to produce analysis reports at a cluster level. The tool will also help to ensure that accurate information about your school’s progress in the extended services agenda can be given to the Department for Education (DfE).
The Learning Plus team has produced notes to help people complete the Varied Menu of Activities section of the audit and is applicable to primary, secondary and special schools as well as PRUs:
Kent Primary Schools Children's Council
The Kent Primary Schools Children's Council (KPSCC) was organised to engage with children in the same way that the Kent Youth County Council (KYCC) engages with young people. The principle aims were to give children a forum for active participation, open discussion, sharing ideas, making decisions and learning about democracy in action.
The current KPSCC is made up of 69 Year 5 pupils from across Kent (three from each LCSP) and the meetings have focused upon items suggested by the children:
- March 2009 - How to spend £10m KCC money (hypothetical);
- November 2009 - Children's Rights (celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child); E-safety; PHSE education in Kent Schools and bullying (Press Release / News article);
- March 2010 - Environmental Issues; climate change; sustainable schools; Say No To Phonebooks with 192.com and recycling (Press Release);
- October 2010 - Learning how to debate; "If I were Prime Minister for a day, I would..."; "When I grow up, I want to be... because..."; consultation for the new Kent Children and Young People's Plan;
- March 2011 - Learning how to form an argument; Keeping children safe from abuse, road and water safety (News article);
- October 2011 - Learning how to debate; The impact happiness has on young people growing up, their attainment, health and well being (News article);
The children received letters from the Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo, Baroness Delyth Morgan, Sarah Teather MP and Tim Loughton MP supporting the importance of young children having a voice.
Back in March 2010, children representing Maidstone, Tonbridge and Malling also spent five days with Animate and Create to produce a stop-motion animated film called Voices Grow Louder which explores the importance of pupil voice.
At every event, News for Schools works with a group of children to train them how to be journalists. At the end of each event, a child-produced newspaper is shared with the KPSCC members. The March 2010 edition was called The Children's Reporter.
All members of the KPSCC are using SuperClubs Plus as a way to keep in touch and discuss issues relevant to their school and district.
For more information about the KPSCC, please go to the Communities of Practice site.
Partners
The Study Support Team work together to deliver the agenda. This team is made up of Kent Children's University and Playing for Success.
We also support other providers of extra curricular activities through our External Provider Training sessions. You can find out more information and book your place here.
The details for all the External Providers who have worked with Extended Services and Kent Youth, can be found on the Children and Families Information Service (CFiS) but you can read the current synopsis here.
Useful Links
- Study Support: A National Framework for Extending Learning Opportunities (DCSF 2006)
- This document outlines the policies behind study support and sets out the role of the local authority and schools/other providers;
- Extended Schools: Building On Experience - This document updates the vision (set out in Extended Schools: Access to Opportunities and Services - published in 2005) with some of the huge amount of learning that has been developed by schools, Local Authorities and their partners;
- QiSS (Quality in Study Support) aims to support schools, Local Authorities and other educational organisations in raising students' achievement, motivation and self-esteem. QiSS delivers the only Quality Assurance Framework based on the DCSF Extended Learning Opportunities document (see "Useful Documents" above). These frameworks are used by schools/clusters and other providers in reviewing and planning the development of their Study Support provision;
- ContinYou (Changing Lives Through Learning) offers opportunities to people who have gained the least from formal education and training. They work with a range of professional people, organisations and agencies to enhance what they do to change their lives through learning.
For more information, contact the Emma Jenkins (01622) 626780
Learning Plus Co-curricular Advisor
Oakwood House
Oakwood Park
Maidstone
Kent
ME16 8AE