The Government is committed to redressing the United Kingdom’s (UK) poor standing in international league tables of educational performance by learning from the best teachers and schools in the UK and from the highest performing school systems internationally. The administrations in England, Wales and Scotland have different emphases in their approach. In England, for example, the aim is to bring about greater autonomy and freedom for schools (to allocate resources, manage pupil behaviour, and deliver the curriculum), more choice for parents (between different types of local school), better results for children and young people (with reformed curricula and qualifications) and more targeting of services for the most vulnerable (e.g. a pupil premium for those who need extra support, and focused early years provision). In both Wales and Scotland, there is a strong emphasis on transforming education through changes in the curriculum. The phased introduction of the Foundation Phase (for children aged 3 to 7) is a significant element of the Welsh Government’s aim to develop a broad and stimulating curriculum (in early years and beyond) to help provide high quality and inspirational teaching and learning. Scotland’s ‘Curriculum for Excellence’ underpins its broad aim to ensure that all children and young people become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.
SQW helps clients tackle strategic and operational challenges inherent in the Government’s radical reform agenda as well as redressing some of the outcomes of child poverty. We work with policy makers, practitioners, families, children and young people at national, regional and local levels throughout the UK and in the Republic of Ireland, and across early years, schools and post-compulsory education and training.
Examples of SQW projects
Evaluation of Science Learning Centres
SQW is leading a consortium with GfK-NOP, Professor Jack Jackson and Dr Martin Hollins to undertake the stage 2 evaluation of the national network of Science Learning Centres (SLCs) for the Department for Education (DfE) and the Wellcome Trust. The purpose of the research is to provide a high-quality evidence base in order to assess the effectiveness of the Science Learning Centre network in supporting continuing professional development (CPD) for science educators. The evaluation is both formative and summative, and interim reports will feed back into the Network to assist iterative development. The research includes longitudinal surveys of SLC course participants and case studies of schools.
Evaluation of the Regional Support Centre for Languages
SQW was commissioned by the DfE to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of a network of nine Links into Languages regional centres, which were set up in April 2009 to deliver high quality support and CPD to languages teachers in primary and secondary schools and further education colleges in England. SQW worked in partnership with QA Research using a variety of qualitative (interviews, surveys and case studies involving stakeholders, centre managers, trainers, teachers and pupils) and quantitative (data analysis of uptake) research methods to address the aims of the evaluation.
Evaluation of the £300m Home Access Programme
The Home Access Programme is a £300m initiative to help achieve the government’s vision that every household in England with a 5-19 year old learner should have access to a computer and the internet at home. It is the UK’s largest single digital inclusion measure to date. We are leading a consortium with Ipsos MORI and London Knowledge Lab to evaluate the programme over three years. With both formative and summative aspects, our research includes the development of the evaluation framework, a comprehensive literature review to inform the research questions, stakeholder consultations, case studies, analysis of project and secondary data, a telephone survey of 400 households in the pilot areas, and two waves of a face-to-face national survey of 800 households.
Evaluation of the Overall Success and Impact of the First Five Years of Youngballymun’s Learning Years (Support) Service
SQW, in partnership with Dr Christine Stephen at the University of Stirling, was appointed to evaluate the success and impact of Youngballymun’s Learning Years (Support) Service, which is working with early childhood care and educational centres/practitioners in Ballymun to enhance the quality of service provision. We adopted a mixed method approach which included the mapping of early years’ provision in Ballymun, in-depth interviews with early years practitioners and community organisations, as well as discussions with parents.
Evaluation of SCHOLAR
SQW, in association with Walter Patterson, were commissioned by Learning and Teaching Scotland to undertake the 2010 evaluation of SCHOLAR. SCHOLAR provides individual access to online learning materials, assessment tools and support and was launched by Heriot-Watt University (HWU) in partnership with the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland. Through primary data collection (both qualitative and quantitative) and through the secondary analysis of monitoring data, the evaluation explored the impact of SCHOLAR on learning and teaching in Scotland’s secondary schools. It also explored the challenges and opportunities for delivering SCHOLAR via GLOW (Scotland’s national intranet for education).
Booktime Research and Evaluation 2010
SQW was commissioned in 2010 to evaluate Booktime, one of four book gifting schemes run by the independent charity, Booktrust. The study, which took place in ten schools across five local authorities, used qualitative and quantitative methods to identify the impact of providing free books and guidance materials to parents and carers of children entering reception or primary 1 classes. In particular it looked at the impact on family engagement with reading, children reading for pleasure in schools and home-school links.
Integrated Family Support Service (IFSS) Benchmark and Evaluation
SQW was commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government Directorate for Children’s Health and Social Services to lead the Evaluation of the Integrated Services Model (IFSS). The IFSS model is being delivered by three Pioneer teams in Wales and seeks to provide more integrated and goal orientated support services to families in need and in particular families dealing with substance misuse. Working alongside Ipsos MORI the team delivered an experimental approach to assess the process and delivery of the model and the outcomes and impacts achieved for beneficiary families.
Evaluation of the Impact of Write-Minded: Youngballymun’s Literacy and Oral Language Support Service
SQW, in partnership with NFER, was commissioned by Youngballymun to evaluate the effectiveness of Write Minded, a service designed to enhance the oral language, comprehension and literacy outcomes of children and young people in the Ballymun area of Dublin. The research included a scoping study and consultation with stakeholders, case studies in all participating primary and secondary schools , assessments of pupils’ literacy and comprehension and consultations with representatives of a range of community and statutory organisations.
Evaluation of the £235m Play Pathfinders and Play Builders Programmes
SQW is leading a consortium including Ipsos MORI to evaluate the impact of these national programmes to improve free outdoor play facilities for children aged 8-13 (announced in the Children’s Plan and Play Strategy) for the Department for Children and Families. We are investigating how this investment in play spaces impacts upon children and young people and their wider community, in order to inform policy formation, practice improvement and future investment. The evaluation comprises large-scale surveys, observations and audits of play spaces, literature reviews, implementation case studies, secondary analysis of local monitoring and national indicator data, and an assessment of value for money.
Evaluation of the £235m Cymorth and £135m Flying Start Programmes
SQW is leading a consortium, comprising Ipsos MORI, CRG Consulting and academic partners, undertaking the largest evaluation ever commissioned by the Welsh Government, examining the implementation and impact of these two programmes providing early interventions for children and young people in deprived communities. The methodology incorporates longitudinal surveys of ‘intention to treat’ and ‘control’ families, investigating outcomes in relation to parenting skills and confidence and also child cognitive, social and language development.
Evaluation of the Empowered Learner Project
NESTA funded a two-year programme for schools in London and Manchester that aimed to: stimulate innovation skills amongst secondary school aged young people; stimulate demand for these skills amongst young people and their parents; and support providers to respond to the increased demand. These aims were achieved through providing young people with information, and then vouchers with which they could purchase experiences from approved suppliers, through a dedicated website. SQW was commissioned to evaluate the programme, with a strong emphasis on learning and sharing lessons as they emerged, to inform programme development. Young people were actively involved in the evaluation through a process mediated by SQW and our partner QA Research.
Evaluation of the Childcare Affordability Programme
SQW led a consortium, including and GfK NOP and academic partners, undertaking a three-year evaluation of the Childcare Affordability Programme. The aim of this London-based pilot funded by the London Development Agency and the Greater London Authority was to pioneer a range of different approaches to make childcare more affordable for lower-income families, in order to increase their participation in paid employment. The programme targeted lower-income families in receipt of higher-rate Child Tax Credit. It is envisaged that by giving parents greater access, choice, flexibility and quality of childcare provision they will be able to remain in, or return to, full-time, part-time or flexi-work. The evaluation tested this hypothesis throughout the programme’s three-year delivery period.