Action Research Period 2

Case Study

The ‘Eagles’ Outdoors

Aylsham High School, UK

(Sep – Dec 2015)www.acewild.eu

Disclaimer

This project has been funded with support from the

European Commission (Erasmus+). The document

reflects the views only of the ACEWild team and the

Commission cannot be held responsible for any use

which may be made of the information contained therein.

The Eagles Outdoor

Learning at Aylsham High

School, Norfolk, UK

Background

“The Eagles” are the Year 7 (11 & 12 yrs) Nurture

students at Aylsham High School (AHS)

These students are identified as needing extra support

in order to reach their potential - by the Head of

Nurture in discussion with their Primary School

Needs; low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence,

autism, cerebral palsy (+ early ID of becoming NEET)

Following our Period 1 Action Research (ARP1), the

Aylsham SLT felt that, given the outcomes for yr. 9

students, it was imperative that similar opportunities

were offered to yr. 7’s. This would mean that needs

could be identified and supported much earlier.

In Action Research Period 2 (ARP2), a 10 week yr. 7

programme ran alongside a 1 year yr. 9 programme

Action Research (Period 2)

at Aylsham High School

The Action Research (Period 2)

To test new evaluation tools designed to measure effectiveness/impact of the yr. 7 outdoor learning programme at AHS

To pilot newly-improved evaluation tools used previously, but adapted for this Action Research Period

To use outcomes to inform future outdoor learning practice at the school and beyond (through sharing practice)

To contribute tot the further development of a transferable ‘framework’ of school-based alternative provision that enhances learning and improves future employability outcomes for targeted young people

Objectives

Every Thursday morning, for 10 weeks between Sept. and Dec.

2015, the Eagles participated in a range of outdoor activities

lead by specialist practitioners (ACEWild) and observed by

their class teacher, who utilised the evaluation techniques.

The Eagles Outdoors

Head of Nurture – to organise, manage and observe the group; to test evaluation methodologies

Twelve Yr.7 Eagles - to participate in the programme

Three dedicated learning support assistants - to support key individuals (who would normally have their support)

Goldcrest Outdoor Education practitioner/s, alternating with Holt Hall Outdoor & Environmental Learning practitioner/s – to provide expertise and experience (ACEWild partners)

Member of Senior Leadership Team – to support the programme and act as advocate

The place

mainly within the new Nurture garden; developing the

space, also using other areas of the wider school grounds

combined with two off-site visits to NCC’s Holt Hall Outdoor

& Environmental Learning Centre

The people

The 10 week programme – a variety of opportunity

3 hours each week each Thursday morning Sept – Dec ‘15

Mix of Team-building activities, Fire-lighting & Camp-fire cooking

Horticulture - planting herbs, vegetables and flowers

Wildlife gardening - planting native wildflowers, shrubs and trees to encourage biodiversity

Bushcraft – shelter building (Bush-telegraph), whittling, knots & lashings

Outdoor Sport – archery and orienteering

Wildlife surveys – pond dipping, invertebrate studies, bird watching

Construction – bird-boxes, raised pond, raised beds, bug homes

Natural art, craft & literacy

Culminating in an outdoor cooking fest and joint activities with the

older (Year 9 & 10) Outdoor Learning students … and a Family Outdoor

Learning morning

Evaluation Tools Tested

Evaluation Tools

Strengths & Difficulties

Questionnaire (SDQ)

PEMS+

(student and

teacher)

Bush Telegraph

SWEMWBS*

(Well-Being)

Life Satisfaction

Ladder

Tool Type Who When

Well-Being

(SWEMWBS)

Qual &

Quan

Self Start

End

SDQ Qual &

Quan

Teacher,

parent,

self

Start

End

PEMS+ Qual &

Quan

Teacher

Self

Weekly

Life

satisfaction

ladder

Qual &

Quan

Self Start

End

Bush Telegraph Qual Self As wanted

Pupils also designed their own “colour-

spread” presenting their views of

a favourite moments from the

outdoor learning project.

* Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well Being Scale

Outcomes for Action

Research Period 2

(Sept-Dec ‘15)

Outdoor Learning

Project & Pupils

Outcomes for pupils – PEMS+ How the skills and behaviours of The Eagles changed during 10 weeks of

outdoor learning (Sep – Dec 2015) Based on the teacher’s PEMS+ scores

All pupils improved

their environmental and

motivational skills

92% improved their

personal and

enterprise/initiative

skills

Outcomes for pupils – SWEMWBS*

• Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well Being Scale

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/research/pla

tform/wemwbs/

20.0

21.0

22.0

23.0

24.0

25.0

26.0

27.0

Mean before Mean after National average 2011

Average total mental well-being scores (SWEMWBS) for Eagles group before and after the 12 week outdoor learning programme

(Sep - Dec 2015)Maximum score possible = 35

18% change

The average well-

being score for The

Eagles group

increased by 18%

during the outdoor

learning project

Outcomes for pupils – SWEMWBS

greatest

change

25%

Outcomes for pupils – Life Satisfaction

The average Life Satisfaction

score for The Eagles group

increased by 50% during the

outdoor learning project

50% change

Outcomes for pupils – SDQ

Before - Very High level of difficulties

compared to national average

After - Close to averagelevel of difficulties

compared to national average

75% change

The average total difficulties

(as measured by SDQ) for The

Eagles group decreased by 75%

during the outdoor learning

project

I have improved…

My interactive skills because I

have been cooking with other people

In confidence because I was

working with older students

My self-confidence, by

doing something different

My teamwork skills because I was in a

team in a fire session

In bravery – I did not think I would gut a fish at all

My confidence because I have

started talking to people

I have become… more independent

Outcomes for pupils – own “colour-spreads”

“I have the guts to gut a fish”

Outcomes for pupils

“Outdoor

Learning

Rocks”Marshall, aged 11

Analysis of Evaluation

Tools

Tool Analysis - Strengths & Difficulties

Questionnaire (SDQ)

Evaluation Tool Advantages Disadvantages

Strengths & Difficulties

Questionnaire (SDQ)

• flexible user group (parent,

teacher and pupil version)

• used internationally

• robust

• free (just need permission to

use)

• automatic scoring system and

analysis once uploaded to

website

• Generates a score which can

be compared to a national

average

• needs explaining as easy to

complete wrong way round

• lots of questions (25)

• reasonable literacy level

required

• Data needs interrogating if

want more than “risk”

value/clinical diagnosis

Assesses: emotional, conduct, hyperactivity and peer problems, plus prosocial difficulties/strengths

Tool Analysis - PEMS+Evaluation Tool Advantages Disadvantages

PEMS+

(Personal,

Environmental,

Motivational,

Social +

Enterprise)

• Very flexible - on-going

assessment tool to

measure change over

time, or evaluate

behaviours and attitudes

during certain activities

• Focuses your attention on

the individual

• provides degree of

reflection, allowing you

to identify trends or

behaviours that may

otherwise go unnoticed

• easy to use following

induction

• skills element can be

designed to match own

qualification/theme

• Rubric can be developed

to meet programme needs

• Includes a new

‘enterprise’ rubric

• extra time needed

each week to input

and interpret scores

• not validated

elsewhere

Assesses on a 1- 5 scale:

Personal skills

Environmental skills

Motivation

Social skills

+ Enterprise

Modified from a tool developed by Jon Cree,

Bishops Wood, Worcestershire

Tool Analysis - SWEMWBS*Evaluation Tool Advantages Disadvantages

SWEMWBS • Clear, unambiguous statements

• Less statements than WEMWBS

so good for students who

struggle with long

questionnaires

• The scores can be transformed

so that the scale can be used as

an interval scale, ie a score of

10 is twice as good as a score of

5

• Robustly tested and high

correlation with other well-

being measures (reliable)

• Free to use once permission

granted

• Available in some other

languages

• Can’t “extract “the determinants of

well-being, eg. resilience ,

relationship skills, social

acceptance, (cf NPC Well-Being

Measure)

• More about the “functioning “aspect

of well-being rather than “feelings”

• More complicated scoring cf

WEMWBS—need to transform the raw

scores if you want to compare with

other studies

• Not much national SWEMWBS data to

compare against

• Less translated versions cf WEMWBS

* Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well Being Scale

Tool Analysis - Bush Telegraph

Evaluation

Tool

Advantages Disadvantages

Bush

Telegraph

• Allows ‘unlimited’

time to reflect

• No writing or

structure required

although you can ask

students to answer

specific questions

• Promotes

independence – no

prompting

• Needs prior confidence to speak

• May struggle with no structure

• Unable to rectify mistakes as

being recorded

Tool Analysis - Life Satisfaction Ladder

Evaluation

Tool

Advantages Disadvantages

Bush Telegraph • Suitable for all ages

capable of

understanding the

concept

• Quick & easy to

complete

• Provides quick visual

comparison as a

“before” and “after”

tool

• Only provides a “snapshot” in time

• Requires professional judgement

and knowledge of the individual

students to decide how to

introduce the ladder and when

and where students complete it.

• For full interpretation, would need

students to qualify their answers,

verbally or as written comments

Pupil Case Study

Action Research Period 2

Pupil B (Pre-project)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Pro-Socialstrengths

Hyperactivitydifficulties

Emotionaldifficulties

Conductdifficulties

Peer difficulties TOTALdifficulties (excl

PS) max 40

Sep-15 Dec-15

SDQ analysis

High level of difficulties

at start of outdoor learning

course, with high risk of

emotional disorder (eg.

anxiety, depression)

Difficulty levels reduced to

close to average for his age

group after 12 weeks, with

resultant low risk of

emotional disorder

Pro-social strengths

nearly doubled

Total difficulties

reduced by 56%

Pro-social

strengths

improved by

44%

Pupil B SDQ (Strength and Difficulties)

Pupil B Mental well-being*

After the 12 week outdoor learning programme, Pupil B:

Felt more ‘useful’, relaxed and optimistic about the future

Felt able to think more clearly

Could make up his own mind better

Evaluation tool: *Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well Being Scale

Pupil B PEMS+

During the 12 week outdoor learning

programme, Pupil B’s:

Personal, Environmental, Social and

Enterprise/initiative skills and

Motivation all greatly improved

Evaluation tool: PEMS+ teacher

assessment

Pupil B Life Satisfaction – pupil self perception (Ladder taken from the NPC Wellbeing measure)

After outdoor learning

Before outdoor learning

www.well-beingmeasure.com

Pupil B - Post Project Reflections

“I have improved my confidence because I would never talk to some of the Year 9’s or Year

11’s”

Pupil B

“The morning was well organised and really helped us

share in something that we would not otherwise have had

an opportunity to do.”

Mother (about a family day organised by AHS and the

Students)

Diligent young man. Has become a very popular

member of group. Very kind and considerate, supports many students voluntarily.

Now attends part time mainstream education.

Teacher

Confidence and Community; link on photo for the short video footage taken during

a brief break at Holt Hall!

A word from Danny Sweatman, Aylsham High Head of

Nurture; Confidence is Contagious. Catch it. Spread it. Staff empowered. Families working together. Happy students.

“A simply inspirational project that has created stunning memories and had a

hugely positive impact on our most vulnerable students in KS3. An alternative

curriculum that focuses on interpersonal skills, improving both confidence and

self esteem provides our students with every opportunity to go on to be

successful. Working with local providers and experts has created a range of

different post 16 pathways that students didn’t know existed and re-engages

students at an earlier age. Welcome families into these sessions and you have

and can change lives forever.”

'Never be within doors if you can rightly be without' Mason

Project Partners and further information;

Erasmus+ is the European Union’s (EU) programme for education, training, youth and

sport, with the EU committing £12 billion to the programme between 2014 and 2020.

www.erasmusplus.org.uk

For much more information and resources relating to the ACEWild (Alternative

Curriculum Education out of the Wild) Project, including resources, case studies,

further support and full list of project contacts please see; www.acewild.eu

ACEWild Project Coordinator; Sue Falch-Lovesey, Norfolk County Council 07983616191

Aylsham High School Link Yr.7; Danny Sweatman, Head of Nurture 01263 733270

Aylsham High School Link Yr.9;Liz Goodliffe, Outdoor Learning Lead 01263 733270

Outdoor Learning Practitioner; Emily Chittenden, Goldcrest Outdoor Education 07528079665