How engaged are schools in the Every Child Matters programme? In its recent report on children's trusts, the Audit Commission found that schools are represented on 80 per cent of children's trust boards - a positive sign of their engagement at strategic level. However, the same report also questioned whether schools "see co-operation for children's wellbeing as a priority in the wider sense". It argued that they focus on pupil intake and school business, so don't necessarily have an eye to their place and role in the community.
But aren't schools supposed to promote wellbeing under the Every Child Matters agenda? Yes, in section 38 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 - but that's also very school-based. Although the duty came into force in 2007, the government has only recently closed its consultation on draft guidance on the school's role in promoting wellbeing. The Department for Children, Schools and Families and Ofsted are still consulting on wellbeing indicators for schools. The government has also announced that it plans to add schools, further education colleges, future academies and pupil referral units to the list of partners named under the Children Act 2004 duty to co-operate.
Guidance and indicators - why? The government's draft non-statutory guidance provides the context for schools' role in promoting pupils' wellbeing; the idea of measuring it appears in the section on self-evaluation and review. The inspectorate's draft indicators are more about the "how to measure" and are intended to do two things: help schools assess the wellbeing issues that their pupils may face and to equip them to weigh up how they can contribute to their pupils' wellbeing. I'd add a third - to prepare them for their next inspection, since the final indicators will be part of the school inspection framework from September 2009.
Are we talking healthier school meals and fewer teenage pregnancies? The consultation paper proposes two kinds of school-level indicator. The ones that relate to quantified outcomes - those over which a school can have a significant influence - would include attainment, attendance rates and how many pupils take up school lunches. The second set of indicators would be based on pupil and parent perceptions, relating these to the Every Child Matters outcomes. These are indicators to which school activities can contribute, but over which schools have limited control. For example, they wouldn't be held to account if three of their pupils become pregnant, but they would be encouraged to consider the quality of their sex education as well as whether pupils can access sexual health services through the school.
Will the surveys ask if pupils feel they're listened to? Yes, and whether they feel safe, have things to do outside the classroom and are being prepared for further study and adult life. The consultation recommends that Ofsted develops a common framework and accreditation scheme for the agencies that are already commissioned by schools to undertake these kinds of surveys. Ofsted is still considering how this opinion-gathering process will avoid duplication with other relevant surveys like Tellus.
- Lisa Payne, policy unit, National Children's Bureau.
FACT FILE
- The consultation paper proposes two kinds of school-level indicators: quantified outcomes, such as pupil attainment, and indicators based on pupil and parent perceptions
- Indicators of a School's Contribution to Wellbeing is available here
- Responses are due by 16 January 2009.
