Tellus4 and beyond Alison Thompson Analysis and Rsearch Division

1. Tellus4 and beyond Alison Thompson Analysis and Rsearch Division

2. TheSurvey annual survey covers years 6, 8 and 10 includes all types of mainstream schools (primary, middle, secondary, academies, PRUs and special schools, and Services Children Education) inclusive of vulnerable and hard to reach groups such as children with SEN and disabilities seeks CYP perceptions of, and experiences and satisfaction with universal services available to them (but not specialist services)

3. Changes to the survey process and content • Change of timing – from Summer to Autumn • Opportunity to increase sample size – numbers of schools and children and young people • Optional additional questions for LAs and schools – up to 4 from a question bank • Amended questions while retaining consistency for National Indicators • Improved accessibility – versions for people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

4. Improved accessibility • Three versions developed • Audio • Symbol • Signed (British Sign Language) • Questions amended slightly when ‘translated’ • Completed by around 2% of the sample of children and young people as follows: • Audio – 2800 • Symbol – 1800 • Signed – 600

5. Survey response • Survey live for 7 weeks from October 5th 2009 • Administered through the Tellus4 portal • Response: • Around 254,000 children and young people in years 6, 8 and 10 • Around 3,700 schools • 151 LAs and Service Children’s Education

6. Analysis • Data weighted at LA level: gender, age group and deprivation • Design effects calculated • NI calculations follow agreed formula • LAs excluded from NI calculations where they have insufficient responses

7. National Indicator findings

8. Key findings Most children and young people feel happy about life, have good friends and are positive about their school in terms of giving them useful skills and knowledge, and giving them feedback on their progress. The majority plan to remain in learning and about six out of ten intend to go to university/higher education in future. Although some experience bullying, which is often at least weekly for those who do, most feel that their school deals well with bullying. Many are active both during and after school and at the weekends, particularly boys, and say that they eat some fruit and vegetables typically three to four pieces a day. The majority do not smoke or take drugs and the majority of those who have tried alcohol do not get drunk regularly. Around three out of five children and young people say that they participate in group activities led by an adult and around half are satisfied with parks and play areas.

9. Further details The Research Report will be available on the DCSF research website at the end of March: www.dcsf.gov.uk/research

10. Children’s Plan The 2007 Children’s Plan committed DCSF to developing wellbeing indicators, to ensure that schools would be measured and rewarded for their contribution to children’s overall wellbeing as well as standards achieved. DCSF and Ofsted subsequently launched a consultation on school-level wellbeing indicators in 2008.

11. Wellbeing indicators The joint DCSF/Ofsted consultation proposed 25 wellbeing indicators. These were: related to quantified outcomes (eg school attendance rate; take-up of school lunches); or related to pupils’ and parents’ perceptions (eg the extent to which the school promotes healthy eating; the extent to which pupils feel safe)

12. Be Healthy (the school) promotes healthy eating promotes exercise and a healthy lifestyle and (for younger children play) discourages smoking, consumption of alcohol and use of illegal drugs and other harmful substances gives good guidance on relationships and sexual health helps pupils to manage their feelings and be resilient

13. Stay safe (pupils) feel safe experiences of bullying know who to approach if they have a concern

14. Enjoy and achieve (school) provides a good range of additional activities offers the opportunity at 14 to access a range of curriculum choices (pupils) enjoy school are making good progress

15. Make a positive contribution (schools) promotes equality and counteracts discrimination gives pupils good opportunities to contribute to the local community helps people of different backgrounds to get on well, both in the school and in the wider community (pupils) feel listened to are able to influence decisions in the school.

16. Achieve economic wellbeing (schools) helps pupils gain the knowledge and skills they will need in the future supports pupils to make choices that will help them progress towards a chosen career/subject of further study

17. School ReportCard The 2009 Schools White Paper raised the bar further. It set out the goal that school-level wellbeing indicators should play a central part in the school accountability system, feeding into the inspection process and the School Report Card. It also set out the ambition that the Report Card would feature parents’ and pupils’ satisfaction with their school overall. The use of data in the Report Card means that the information must be extremely statistically robust. We have considered top-down and bottom-uproutes for capturing data.

18. Tellus Ministers have agreed that we should develop Tellus as the vehicle for collecting pupils’ views Plan to roll the survey out to all schools We intend to develop the questionnaire toto provide robust pupil level data to provide the wellbeing measure on the School Report Card as well as robust local area and national data to support National Indicators and PSAs