Regardless of the Benefits, Are Workshops and Courses Run for Schools by External Providers Affordable in this Climate?
They can boost both morale and marks, but can your school really afford them? Anna Blewett investigates…
- by Anna Blewett
When Bob Pinner dons his team’s signature neon pink tie and strides into a classroom of ‘difficult’ kids, he does so safe in the knowledge that he, unlike any other secondary teacher, will not be receiving a paper aeroplane to the temple.
Walking in step with his three fellow trainers, Bob is part of a magical breed of Adults Your Pupils Will Listen To. These near-mythical humans have the power to reach the unreachable, engage the apathetic and essentially put a rocket under those students whose attention checked out somewhere near the beginning of term.
As national education strategy manager for PET-Xi, provider of intensive results-based courses for GCSEs and beyond, Bob promises to deliver ‘explosive inspiration’ to any pupil failing to reach their potential.
“When we walk into the classroom all dressed the same with our special materials, which look amazing, we treat the pupils to an experience that’s really exceptional,” he says. “And we milk that impact for everything it’s worth; wring it out to get the best result for those students. That’s a profound effect.”
This may sound like a quick blitz to bring failing pupils up to scratch, but not necessarily so. “We work with very bright and able youngsters at schools where there are high numbers qualifying for pupil premium,” Bob points out.
“So, for example, where disadvantaged students are perhaps not getting the same level of support at home as other high achievers. They’re very keen and enthusiastic but just need that something else.”
Feeling the squeeze
The high-octane short courses or “shots of adrenalin” that Bob and his colleagues bring to classes in English, maths, science and languages come with a copper-bottomed promise of measurable improvement. Grades will rise. But are even such quantifiable benefits affordable to schools facing budget cuts?
“We’ve certainly seen a world of change,” admits Bob. “I’ve been doing this job for ten years and these days schools are being very careful about what they spend. They’re rightly forensic about making sure their spending is completely focused.”
Interestingly, achieving the best value for money doesn’t always mean reducing spending. Despite the hard times many schools find themselves in, the work keeps coming.
“When you’re talking about an RI school that desperately needs to make a difference – has reducing numbers on roll and a budget deficit as a result; a head who’s in fear of their job; and a staff desperate to make a difference to the lives and chances and expectations of their pupils – those are the circumstances in which we get a lot of work from a school,” states Bob.
“They really need something else, that little bit extra, and we can help with that.”
Building the person
And it’s more than just a numbers game. For Andrew Richardson, executive head teacher in Sheringham High School in North Norfolk, buying in extra educational firepower is a win-win.
“Of course, we’re keenly aware of the impact such interventions might have on overall data and in specific ‘bins’,” he points out, “but we’ve employed Bob and his team strategically, rather than for whole cohorts. We choose to enter specific students for specific interventions in which they have an interest and/or aptitude and which link to their post-16 intentions.”
Of course, many schools find that exploring the further education ambitions of pupils is becoming less viable, particularly in some areas of the curriculum.
“The arts have been pushed to the side,” suggests Leighton Nugent, “they’re at the bottom of the list.”
A teacher and sociology graduate, Leighton created Nugent Education in 2004 to bring artists and performers from a broad range of genres including beat boxing, traditional African drumming and graffiti art, into schools.
“Teachers understand the value of it in terms of creativity. For example we teach literacy through rapping. The kids definitely relate to a young, cool-looking rapper who’s living a positive life; these role models really have an impact. The feedback we get from schools and the pupils is great; there’s just no money for it.”
Leighton’s hoping a turnaround in funding trends will put courses that build creative skills back in the picture. “Our experience is that it’s getting harder; we survive because providers doing similar things are folding.”
Growing soft skills
Elsewhere, there is still an appetite for workshops that coax a little extra confidence, independence and resilience from students who are struggling to excel, or even engage, in day-to-day lessons.
London filmmaker Rachel Wang has worked with schools for 16 years, extending the skills of her production company, Chocolate Films, into the local community.
“We’re really passionate about our outreach programme,” she explains. “We provide students with a comprehensive, skills-based understanding of how to make a film from beginning to end; from scriptwriting and creating a storyboard template to camera skills, and post production: editing, and adding a soundtrack using professional software.”
Academic links to Key Stage 3 and 4 curriculum go beyond the predictable drama, art and media. “People forget how much maths is involved in editing,” points out Rachel, who also sees pupils engage with ICT and D&T-related challenges whilst planning and realising their films.
The key exercise, however, is in communication. “The students work very closely as a team; each individual role links together so they get an important lesson in constructive teamwork. That can be challenging, but we support them to get over hurdles so they can get to the end of the process and feel very proud of their film they’ve made.”
The shock of the new
If such novel experiences are memorable, and aid the recovery of information in exam conditions, they’re also motivating.
“The freshness of an outside team has a positive impact on students’ attitudes close to the exams,” says Andrew Richardson.
“We find that for most students there is a palpable positive impact on attitude immediately. We also hear from them that such interventions have impacts on their revision and growth mindsets in the lead up to exams, as well as an impact on what they recall in the exams themselves.”
The vigour and bounce required to make such an impact may elude you or your colleagues as the terms pass, but hey, the trainers and subject experts who lead workshops and short courses marvel at your sticking power.
“Years ago, when I’d speak to large groups of students at enterprise days, I always thought working in schools would be the easiest job in the world,” concludes Bob.
“The pupils would all sit listening intently, and would ask really engaging questions. Later I realised that was because I was the stranger walking in with this different way of talking about things and looking at things.” And just as well. That dazzling pink tie? Your Year 9s wouldn’t let you live it down.
