• Read All About It tracks the progress of a group of disengaged boys at Pentrehafod High School re-engaging in their learning journey through authentic learning strategies.

• Providing meaningful and authentic learning experiences enables young people to connect cross-curricular knowledge and skills with real life activities relevant to the world of work and their future lives.

• This case study highlights how Physical Education can be used as a vehicle to deliver authentic and relevant learning experiences as an effective strategy to re-engage disengaged learners in their learning journey.

Sport WalesPLPS Case Study

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‘Raising literacy standards in boys through sports

journalism and pupil voice’

March 2016

‘Raising literacy standards in boys through sports

journalism and pupil voice’

Key Points

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ContextThe Physical Literacy Programme for Schools (PLPS) and Physical Literacy Framework (PLF) are funded by the Welsh Government, led by Sport Wales and delivered by PLPS regional consortia teams. The key aims of the PLPS are to improve the health and wellbeing of young people, contribute to whole school improvement, and encourage schools to use physical contexts for holistic learning. Through the Targeted Intervention Programme for Schools (TISPS), the PLPS also aims to support delivery of the Welsh Government’s strategic priorities for Closing the Gap and the Government’s commitment ‘to make physical literacy as important a developmental skill as reading and writing’. The PLPS has been linked with the Welsh Schools Challenge Cymru programme developed by the Welsh Government to support under-performing schools from the most deprived areas in Wales. PLPS teams are working with the 40 Pathways to Success Schools, their feeder Primaries, and an additional 15 schools to create bespoke interventions that address key priorities and support outcomes for young people.

The PLF is a tool for schools, staff, practitioners and parents to support the development of physical literacy. It identifies the skills that should be developed during a young person’s school life and illustrates the importance of developing confidence, motivation and knowledge within the physical domain. The PLF provides practitioners with clear expectations that help promote, inform and track the progress of every child along their physical literacy journey.

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SPEARThe Centre for Sport, Physical Education & Activity Research (SPEAR) was commissioned from October 2014 to March 2016 to conduct an independent evaluation of the PLPS and PLF. Part of this independent review involves the collation, review, selection, secondary analysis and presentation of case studies evidencing and sharing a range of good practice across PLPS and PLF initiatives. As such, the narrative and analysis of this case study has been conducted by SPEAR with resources provided by Sport Wales and the PLPS teams. Consent to identify children, adults and organisations within this case study has been granted.

SPEAR is a cross school and cross faculty research centre at Canterbury Christ Church University established to bring together expertise across and outside the university and to facilitate collaborative working. In particular, SPEAR brings together expertise in Sport and Exercise Science, Physical Education, Education, Health and Tourism and Leisure. SPEAR’s research has helped guide and inform public policy to increase physical activity and sport participation among young people by identifying the processes most successful in increasing participation. It has provided a rationale for government investment, contributed to the wider evidence base used by policy makers, and steered programme improvements that enhance physical activity opportunities and experiences.

More details on SPEAR and its work can be found at: www.canterbury.ac.uk/SPEAR

Profile

‘Raising literacy standards in boys through sports journalism

and pupil voice ’

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Authentic learning strategies have the potential to contextualise learning, enhance engagement and develop transferable and crosscutting life skills (Lombardi, 2007). This approach allows young people to explore and discuss meaningful concepts that relate to the world of work and life (Bielby et al, 2012). In particular authentic and meaningful learning approaches have been used to re-engage young people who are ‘at risk’ of disengaging from education (Kettlewell et al, 2012). Often ‘at risk’ learners do not perceive particular subjects as relevant to their current and future lives (Archer et al, 2010). Authentic learning strategies enable learners to make connections between their learning journey, and purposeful, ‘real world’ activities (Mantei and Kervin, 2009). Physical Education is often used as a vehicle to facilitate authentic learning through physical activity and Sport. Providing ‘real-world’ and cross-curricular experiences through PE has the capacity to improve academic attainment, develop personal and social skills, and re-engage young people in lifelong learning (Bielby et al, 2012).

Pentrehafod High School in Swansea is situated in an area of high socioeconomic deprivation. The school had been identified as facing a number of challenges and was placed on the Welsh Government Pathways to Success programme, increasing its focus on the Welsh Government priorities of improving literacy, numeracy and reducing the effects of poverty on children. PLPS provided the school with an opportunity to use Physical Education and Sports Journalism as a vehicle to deliver authentic literacy activities, with an aim of re-engaging a group of disengaged boys in their holistic development.

Four of the 23 Year 9 boys involved in the Sports Journalism Programme

Sports Journalism Programme personalised learner blogs

The Challenge

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The Intervention

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Pentrehafod High School identified a group of 23 boys from year 9 who had disengaged from school life. Low levels of motivation had resulted in poor behaviour, which had been reported to have a detrimental effect on the learning experiences of the boys and their peers. The boys struggled to achieve their predicted grades across all subjects and their progress in English was of particular concern to the school. However, the boys were fully engaged in and enjoyed Physical Education sessions, and were highly motivated by physical activity and sport.

In order to re-engage the boys in the learning process the school developed a meaningful and authentic learning programme that combined English, ICT and Physical Education. The Sports Journalism Programme was designed to connect literacy skills with ‘real life’ activities that would be seen as purposeful by the boys, making literacy and learning relevant and personalised to them through physical activity and sport.

The boys’ leading, instructing and performing volleyball as part of the Sports Journalism Programme

The boys leading, instructing and performing volleyball as part of the Sports Journalism ProgrammeA volleyball team involved in the Sports

Journalism volleyball tournament

In January 2015 an accelerated learning group was created consisting of 23 Year 9 boys who had disengaged from school life in general and particularly with English. The school hoped to channel the boys’ enthusiasm for Physical Education by providing meaningful sporting opportunities to engage the group in developing life and literacy skills. The provision of authentic sporting experiences was designed to allow the boys to respond to and review their learning using literacy skills in a purposeful and meaningful way. Using ICT to capture and present learning was considered essential in connecting the relevant use of technology and literacy skills to ‘real world’ situations. The school worked closely with Aspire2Be (Digital competency specialists) to ensure both staff and pupils had the expertise to use the technology required to develop a Sports Journalism Programme. Pupil voice was an essential element of the programme allowing the boys to take ownership of their learning journey.

the necessary skills required to produce online blogs and upload relevant multimedia files. The boys then received two ICT sessions a week in which they were required to create and update personalised blogs, write newspaper articles, create video reports, develop presentations, and record their interview with an Athlete Mentor. The Athlete Mentor interview was undertaken during the Ospreys vs. Leinster game on 6th March 2015. The boys were invited to watch the game from the Ospreys Rugby Union Team’s hospitality suite, and at half time interview former Pentrehafod pupil and Welsh International rugby player Nicky Smith.

The group identified volleyball as the sport of choice for the programme and received extra practical sessions each week, culminating in a formal volleyball tournament. The volleyball sessions were delivered through a Sports Education Model allowing learners to experience a variety of roles such as captain, manager, referee, score keeper and player. The group were also given responsibility for organising and delivering a Dragon Multi Skills festival to Year 6 pupils from local cluster primary schools. In addition, towards the end of the programme, the boys had the opportunity to interview a local and national sporting hero through the Athlete Mentor Pro-gramme. It was hoped that the delivery of a range of sporting opportunities in a variety of settings would provide the boys with relevant and meaningful experiences, which they could record using literacy and ICT skills. As-pire2Be delivered eight ICT training sessions to teachers and learners. The sessions developed

Nicky Smith, Welsh International

Rugby Player

The boys engaging in a volleyball session

Aspire2Be ICT trainingDragon Multi Skills festival for the Year 6 pupils from local cluster primary schools

Impact: What changed for the boys?

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Impact: What changed for the boys?The Sports Journalism Programme was reported to provide meaningful and relevant sporting experiences that re-engaged the boys in their learning journey. The school hasobserved marked improvements in attendance rates in 13 boys, with 3 boys increasing their attendance by over 11%, 1 boy increasing his attendance by 17.9% and another by 32.8%. By the end of March 2015 97% of the group had improved and/or maintained attendance rates of over 91%. Improved attendance rates have been associated with the enhanced levels of commitment and motivation the boys exhibited for the programme. The collective enthusiasim for the programme has also had a positive impact on learner behaviour and the programme elicited a sharp decline in the number of detentions issued to the group.

Attendance

Learner Sept-Dec 2014 (%)

Jan-Mar 2015 (%)

Change(%)

1 87.5 99.32 11.822 95.45 100 4.553 92.05 100 7.954 81.82 93.24 11.425 86.36 94.59 8.236 97.73 100 2.277 75 87.84 12.848 87.5 93.24 5.749 92.05 97.3 5.25

10 59.09 91.89 32.811 95.45 100 4.5512 96.59 98.65 2.0613 80.68 98.65 17.97

Table 1: Pre and Post Sports Journalism Programme Attendance figures for 13 of the 23 boys

Behaviour: Number of Detentions

Learner Sept-Dec 2014

Jan-Mar 2015

Change

1 1 0 -12 7 2 -53 1 0 -14 4 2 -25 8 2 -66 7 0 -77 7 3 -48 4 0 -49 4 0 -4

10 5 3 -2

Table 2: Observed behaviour measured by number of detentions Pre and Post Sports

Journalism Programme for 10 of the 23 boys.

Exemplary behaviour has also been reported outside of the school environment. Prior to the Ospreys Vs. Leinster match the group were taken to a restaurant of their choice. During the meal the restaurant manager and a customer within the restuarant congratulated the teacher on the behaviour of the boys; “It was refreshing to see a group of boys being well mannered”

The Sports Journalism Programme provided ‘real life’ experiences enabling the boys to contextualise anddevelop broad literacy skills. The school has found that when the boys were able to write and present through authentic experiences they have responded positively and engaged fully with the learning environment. Boys who were previously disengaged in English were enthusiastically updating their blogs with match reports, vide-os, commentary and other information. The group has also created a series of promotional presentations, which they delivered to their peers during assemblies to promote the lunch time club they have set up. By the end of Key Stage 3 all of the boys had achieved their core subject indicators in English and Maths.

Exerts from the personalised blogs authored by two boys involved in the programme.

The group were observed to develop a number of holistic and transferable life skills through the successful delivery of the Dragon Multi Skills festival to Year 6 pupils from surrounding cluster primary schools. The boys took complete ownership and responsibility for the event and, through a collaborative approach, developed team working, communication, organisational and leadership skills.

The boys attending the Osperys Vs. Leinster game.

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Impact: What changed for Pentrehafod High School

Raising Literacy Standards in Boys

through Sports Journalism and

Pupil Voice

Provide regular opportunities for learners

to make choices and reflect on their learning, both individually and as a team or community.

Provide learners with the opportunity to investigate multiple ideas, roles and

perspectives relevant to the authentic learning

activity.

Recommendations: Advice for schools and practitioners

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Create activities that draw on cross-curricular and

interdisciplinary knowledge and skills that are not confined to a

single domain or subject area.

Consider how you cancreate authentic activities

that match ‘real-world’ tasks as closely as

possible.

Ensure authentic activities promote

collaborative learning approaches that develop

strong team working skills.

The school has successfully used sport as a vehicle to provide contextualised learning experiences to re-engage a group of disengaged boys in school life. By the end of the programme the boys fully understood the need for good literacy and ICT skills and their practical implications for the world of work. The programme has increased the boys’ enjoyment and motivation, enhancing their engagement in the learning process. This has not only resulted in improved academic attainment, but has also enabled the boys to develop a broad range of transfer-able life skills. Embedding pupil voice into the programme has empowered the boys and created happier learners who feel valued and are prepared to take responsibility for their learning journey. Through authentic and relevant Sports Journalism activities the school has developed confident young people who are available to learn and strive to reach their full potential.

Exert from a peronalised blog authored by a learner involved in the programme.

Exerts from a personalised blog authored by a teacher involved in the programme.

Moving forward the school hopes to build on the success of the Sports Journalism Programme by engaging other young people from Years 7, 8 and 9 in authentic and relevant learning experiences through sport. To support this the boys will deliver a lunchtime sports journalism club for new Year 7 pupils and a volleyball club. This will provide the boys with an opportunity to share their knowledge and skills with other young people who struggle to connect learning experiences with their future lives. The boys have become excellent role models and mentors and will support other learners within the school. In addition the teachers involved in the programme will share the knowledge and training acquired through Aspire2Be and the wider programme with the whole school through a series of INSET training days.

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Referenced Material

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1Lombardi, M. (2007). Authentic Learning for the 21st Century: An Overview. Educause Learning Initiative: advancing learning through IT innovation. Available at: https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eli3009.pdf (accessed October 2015)

2Bielby, G., Judkins, M., O’Donnell, L. and McCrone, T. (2012). Review of the Curriculum and Qualification Needs of Young People who are at Risk of Disengagement (NFER Research Programme: From Education to Employment). Slough: NFER. Available at: https://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/RCAQ01/RCAQ01.pdf (accessed October 2015)

3Kettlewell, K., Southcott, C., Stevens, E. and McCrone, T. (2012). Engaging the Disengaged (NFER Research Programme: From Education to Employment). Slough: NFER. Available at: https://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/RCAQ01/RCAQ01.pdf (accessed October 2015)

4Archer, L., Hollingworth, S. and Mendick, H. (2010). Urban Youth and Schooling: the Experiences and Identities of Educating 'At Risk' Young People. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

5Mantei, J and Kervin L. (2009). "Authentic" learning experiences: what does this mean and where is the literacy learning? National Conference for Teachers of English and Literacy. Available at: http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1346&context=edupapers (accessed October 2015)