|
Resources
This section contains information for those involved in running summer schools. It includes a summer school handbook, case studies, evaluation forms, risk assesments, information on specialist summer schools, relevant statistics and recent and future seminars that focus on summer schools.
Best Practice for Managing Residential Summer Schools
Although this document written by Ian Blenkham is specific to the University of Bristol, it could easily be adapted by other institutions. This paper is designed to act as guidance for any members of staff who are planning to run a residential summer school at the University of Bristol. It outlines the best practice currently employed by the Widening Participation and Undergraduate Recruitment Office in running their programme of summer schools.
Best Practice  for managing Residential Summer Schools
Appendix 1 UoB Child Protection - Appendix 2 Sample timetable - Appendix 3 - Correspondence with Students - Appendix 4 - Recruiting Mentors - Appendix 6 - Risk Assessment - Appendix 7 - CIMR
Research on the Impact of Summer schools
The Sutton Trust introduced summer schools to the UK over ten years ago, and since that time over 6,000 students have attended Sutton Trust summer schools. The Ten Year Review examines the impact of the summer schools. The review draws on both quantitative and qualitative evidence. Lesley Kendall, a statistical adviser to the Trust, compiled all available data on the schools that could be gathered from the last ten years. This included information produced from annual monitoring exercises and findings of a number of studies on the schools. Other figures were generated by the five host universities and a survey of past students. Liz Thomas and Rob Jones, undertook a survey of past students to gauge the views first hand of those who had experienced the summer schools in the first few years of their operation. Over 500 past students were surveyed and 20 in-depth interviews were undertaken. The survey results and interviews offer insights into both the types of outcomes the summer schools have, and how these have been played out in individuals' lives. These narratives create insightful 'back stories' to the statistical summary.
The picture that emerges from both the figures and the words is that summer schools are an extremely positive experience for those taking part, providing a range of benefits - academic, aspirational and social. The review highlights some issues for consideration for future schools – for example the extent to which they should all offer financial advice for prospective university students. In purely academic terms the success of the Trust's summer schools is demonstrated by the high proportion gaining top class degrees at leading universities. A recent economic analysis meanwhile has revealed startlingly financial returns in terms of extra earnings generated for participants compared with the cost of running schools. Yet one of the most powerful points that comes across in this review is the recurring theme of students telling the researchers how for the first time they found like-minded people during their university stay - after feeling isolated in their own local schools.
"Of the people that were in my class from age 11 I'd say that about 30% of them went on to VI Form, and I'm guessing when I say about 60% of all the people at college went to university...so what the Summer School did was, well, it was the whole experience of meeting with other people – really intelligent people, and having interesting...well, fascinating conversations with them about anything and everything in the world. I thought gosh I love this place and I'm going to apply."
Such experiences, unrecognised by the statistics, show just how life transforming the summer schools can be. Further details of the Summer School review are available from Lee Elliot Major, e.elliotmajor@suttontrust.com
Case Studies
In 2005 Action on Access produced a series of case study booklets on a range of Aimhigher widening participation activity. PDF  or word
Evaluation
In the 2006 review of widening participation undertaken by HEFCE, twelve out of the 90 institutions that responded to the questionnaire (13.3%) rated summer schools as
the most important widening participation activity. A greater number put them in their top 5 widening participation interventions. The review can be found on the HEFCE website.
All HEFCE funded summer schools provide monitoring reports and are required to submit beneficiary data through a secure extranet function. Summary information on key findings for 2009 submissions should be available by the end of 2009.
The first national analysis of the Aimhigher summer school programme is entitled, '
Aimhigher summer schools: Analysis of provision and participation 2004 to 2008' (HEFCE 2009/11). Summer schools are also being evaluated as part of the Aimhigher national evidence programme. The findings of the provider and area surveys which found that summer schools were believed to be one of the most effective widening participation interventions. See the Aimhigher website for further information. Current strands of the evidence programme will also be reviewed for findings specifically related to the impact of summer schools on aspirations, attainment and progression.
The local evaluation of summer schools should also inform part of the wider Aimhigher evaluation plan, or any institutional evaluation plan of WP.
For further information regarding evaluation planning for summer schools and other widening participation interventions generally, please see ‘Further guidance on evaluation planning’ and the evaluation toolkit provided by the Centre for the Study of Education and Training (CSET), Department of Educational Research at Lancaster University. Further guidance on evaluation planning and the CSET evaluation toolkit are both available from the Aimhigher Practitioner website.
Evaluation Forms
Risk Assessment
For a guide to risk assessment visit the summer school Health and Safety web page.
Statistics
Analysis of Specialist Summer Schools Provision in 2004
Action on Access Summer School Seminars 2006 to 2008
Summer Schools: 2009 Seminar
Summer Schools: 2008 Seminar
Summer Schools: 2007 Seminar
Summer Schools: 2006 Seminar
|
