EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Raising the standards in urban schools

Raising the standards in urban schools - UK

Introduction

The research report summarises the findings of the final evaluation of Excellence in Cities (EiC), a government policy designed to raise standards in urban schools in England.

Description

The report presents an evaluation covering the period up to the end of the 2002/2003 academic year carried out by a research consortium. It describes the approach adopted, summarises the methodology and discusses some of the challenges posed by the evaluation. It also looks at the impact of EiC on pupils' attainment, attitudes and behaviour. The report explores the overall impact of EiC on schools, teachers, and headteachers. It considers the role of EiC Partnerships and looks at the delivery, successes, challenges and sustainability of the seven main strands to EiC:

the Gifted and Talented Strand
Learning Mentor Strand
Learning Support Units
Specialist Schools
Beacon Schools
City Learning Centres
EiC Action Zones.

The report identifies implications for policy and practice.

Background information

EiC is a government policy launched in 1999, an outcome of the 1997 White Paper ‘Excellence in Schools’. It is designed to raise standards in urban schools, and aims to offer diversity of provision, so that the needs of all pupils are met within a framework of cooperation and partnership. EiC is organised through partnerships which include local education authorities and secondary schools.

EiC aims to

raise achievement
promote inclusion
reduce youth crime
improve quality of teaching and learning
promote innovations in teaching and learning through ICT
improve the quality and continuity of learning of pupils in transition from primary to secondary school

Methodology

The research involved collecting data relating to evidence of pupils achievement/attainment and inclusion; and evidence of improvement in schools, greater use of ICT, better transition, establishing a culture of professional development and more positive perceptions of the schools. Evidence was collected from surveys of pupils, surveys of tutors and headteachers, surveys in a comparison group of schools, interviews with partnership coordinators, telephone surveys of employers, and detailed studies of the seven policy strands. Technical appendices provide more details of specific aspects of the evaluation.

Conclusions

The findings include evidence of:

a ‘partnership dividend’ – pupil attainment at the end of Key Stage 3 was greater in those areas where there was evidence of schools demonstrating high levels of engagement with EiC;
EiC provided approx. 190 euros per pupil and was potentially cost effective at Key Stage 3;
EiC promoted an improvement in attendance and gifted and talented pupils’ attitudes and behaviour;
teachers’ perceived benefits of EiC, particularly support for additional study opportunities;
stakeholders’ saw EiC as widening diversity and extending opportunity, promoting inclusion and equality of opportunity, and creating a greater sense of partnership between schools and local education authorities.

Contact info

National Foundation for Education Research
Julia Rose (Central administrative contact for the research consortium), tel. +44 1753 574123

Publication date

01/01/2005

Researcher

Lesley Kendall et al.

Article info
ISBN: 184478567X

Links

National Foundation for Education Research Department for Education and Skills (DfES)

Excellence in Cities: the national evaluation of a policy to raise the standards in urban schools 2000-2003 (PDF, Eng, 799 KB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Education

Keywords

Secondary education