This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Report on Integrated Community Schools
29/08/2003
Integrated Community Schools have increased support for
vulnerable children, encouraged more active pupil and
parental involvement, and increased the range of activities
during and after school, according to a new study published
today.
Education Minister Peter Peacock said the Executive
would look carefully at the study to ensure that the best
practice highlighted in the evaluation becomes the norm as
the Integrated Community Schools approach is rolled out
across Scotland, and to further assist the development of
existing projects.
Today's report by London University into phase one of
the pilot for Integrated Community Schools (formerly New
Community Schools), which ran from April 1999 to March 2002
and involved 170 schools and 30 local authorities,
found:
- Increased provision and support for vulnerable
children and families helping them to remain within
mainstream schools
- Perceptions of improved pupil attitudes towards
school and an increasing use of ways to take account of
young people's views, particularly through pupil
councils
- Increased community and/or parental involvement in
schools including the provision of adult learning
opportunities, social and sporting events and use of
innovative youth work initiatives aimed at reducing
crime and drugs
- Provision of a wide range of new activities,
including out-of-school care and curricular
developments, including personal and social
development, alternatives to exclusion, and healthy
eating
- Much greater emphasis on joint working by
organisations and professionals working in the fields
of education, health, social work and youth work, and
implementation of an increasing range of education,
health and social policy initiatives, for example early
intervention, local drugs projects, study support and
promotions of citizenship
- Implementation of an increasing range of education,
health and social work initiatives, for example early
intervention, local drugs projects, study support and
promotion of citizenship
In some projects there were indications of a significant
rise in attainment, improved attendance, 'dramatically
reduced' exclusion rates, and significant differences in
outcomes for school leavers.
Overall however, there was no significant difference
between national trends and phase one projects, with the
study concluding that three years was insufficient to
demonstrate a significant impact on attainment.
The Minister said:
"The Scottish Executive wants to ensure that children
get as much as possible out of their time at school and
that schools play an important part in our efforts to give
every child the best possible start in life.
"I also believe that schools can play an increasingly
important part in the provision of an integrated range of
support for children. The development of the Integrated
Community Schools approach is central to that work and we
are already providing nearly £78 million to support the
roll out of the concept to every school in Scotland by
2007.
"Today's report highlights a number of successes for
Integrated Community Schools throughout the country -
closer and better joint working among education, health and
social work agencies and professionals, greater pupil and
parental involvement in schools, and improved support and
service provision for our most vulnerable children and
young people.
"It also shows that where the scheme has been most
successful, there has been a clear commitment to the
concept, active support from other agencies and strong team
working. Staff development and joint learning
opportunities, and clear management structures and
responsibilities have also been shown to be vitally
important in ensuring a project's success.
"The Executive will now look carefully at the details of
the evaluation and ensure that it is used to inform the
development of existing and new projects throughout
Scotland. Lessons learned from the evaluation will also
help us ensure that as the Integrated Community Schools
approach becomes the 'norm' in all our schools, we build on
and spread good practice as quickly and widely as
possible.
"And that Integrated Community Schools contribute
towards better educational attainment, the provision of
strengthened, integrated support packages for our most
vulnerable children, the promotion of social inclusion and
greater opportunities during school and after school for
generations to come."
The pilot programme was launched by the Scottish Office
in 1998 with the aim of promoting social inclusion and
raising education standards.
Phase one of the pilot programme started in April 1999
and involved 37 projects (170 schools/institutions in 30
local authorities) concentrated in disadvantaged areas.
Each project received funding of £200,000 a year for three
years under the Excellence Fund. Further projects were
funded under phases two (10 projects) and three (15
projects).
In 2002 the approach began to be rolled out to all
schools. The Executive is committed to completing this roll
out by 2007.
More than £37 million has been committed by the
Executive to support the pilot programme over its five year
lifetime (1999 - 2004). Nearly £78 million has so far been
committed to rolling out the approach to all schools.
The national evaluation was commissioned in 2000 from
Institute of Education, University of London. Its aims were
to inform the development of the phase one pilots; to
provide data and analysis on school-based outcomes,
allowing national overview; to judge effectiveness of
Integrated Community Schools; and to inform policy
making.
Researchers surveyed all 37 pilot projects, with
questionnaires for secondary, primary and nursery schools -
providing indicators of activity in 1998-99 (Baseline),
1999-2000 (year one), 2000-2001 (year two) and 2001-02
(year three). It also included six case studies, and a
survey focusing on vulnerable children.