Working Group on Schools policy -Early

School Leaving

January 2014 to November 2015

Working Group on School policy• - a new generation of Working Groups (WG)• - mandate endorsed by Member States• - January 2014 – October 2015 • - memberships: national representatives (EU,

candidate and EFTA countries)+ social partners• - focus on:

a) Reducing early school leavingb) Improving the quality of teaching by

improving teacher education

Early school leaving – mandate and outputs

Stimulate further Member State action to implement the 2011 Council Recommendation

•Focus: How to better support schools in preventing/ reducing ESL by developing collaborative practices (in and around school)

- Cooperation and teamwork among school staff with a view to creating supportive and conducive learning environments- The capacity of schools to interact and cooperate with all relevant stakeholders

A School toolkit, on how to introduce collaborative approches in different school conditions; with examples; steps, "dos and don'ts"; diversified according to level of school autonomy

with accompaning recommendations for policy-makers

Final outputs

Date: in 12 pts

Methodology• Combination of 1-2 day meetings in Brussels and

Peer Learning Activities (PLAs)

• 3 PLAs – Lisbon looking at school autonomy- Lyons looking at parental involvement in schools --- Dublin looking at whole school approach.

Lifelong learning programme

Date: in 12 pts

Methodology contd

• At Group 1st meeting presentation by Prof. Alan Dyson on whole school approaches to ESL.

• Whole School approach adopted as methodological template for the Group’s work

• Group divided into 5 sub sets

Lifelong learning programme

WG on Schools working programTo develop collaborative practices in and around schools we need to consider:

- School organisation and leadership- Support for teachers- Support for learners- Involvement of parents and extended families- Involvement of other stakeholders

Key Statements/Policy recommendations• * The school is a key actor to tackle early school leaving but it cannot

work in isolation, because external factors will influence a learner’s level of engagement and success. Therefore, a 'whole school approach' to early school leaving is needed.

• * Whole School approach: where the entire school community engages in a cohesive, collective and collaborative action, with strong cooperation with external stakeholders and the community at large.

• * This whole school approach enables schools to respond adequately to new and complex challenges schools are facing, linked to the increasing diversity in society.

Key Statements/Policy recommendations contd

• * Effective leadership and governance essential to promote a positive school culture, teamwork and collaborative practices within the school community.

• * Also need to bring school actors and stakeholders together to ensure educational success and prevent early school leaving.

• * School development and improvement processes to targets to address the underlying factors of early school leaving. They should also involve the entire school community, stakeholders, multi-professional teams, external local services, parents and families.

• .

Key Statements/Policy recommendations contd• * Commitment towards investment for continuous professional

development of school leaders, teachers and other school staff with a focus on awareness of early school leaving processes, and on the competences and skills needed to address educational disadvantage and student disengagement

• * Ensuring each child and young person has an equal chance to access, participate and benefit from high quality and inclusive education is a must.

• *Engaging and relevant curriculum together with inspiring and dedicated staff is the most effective way to prevent early school leaving and social exclusion.

Key Statements/Policy recommendations contd• * All learners and their diverse needs should be at the

centre of education. They should be actors of their own learning and be surrounded by appropriate support and services.

• *The school should offer a caring, stimulating and conducive learning environment and set high expectations for all learners to reach their full potential.

• *Education is a shared responsibility between parents and the school – it must be built on a relationship of mutual trust and cooperation between the two.

Purpose and target groups of the toolkit

• A diagnostic tool (to identify/assess needs and gaps in ESL prevention) and

• A resource (advice, ideas and examples to implement at school level)

Target groups:• School management (principals)• Teachers / school staff• Parents / extended family• NGOs/associations• Local authorities• Other professionals (social, health etc.)

Structure of the content• WHAT? Five mentioned areas split into more specific

proposed actions to introduce at school level – proposed actions/advice

• WHY? Explanation on why this action is important, including evidence from research, examples of positive results, overview of MSs implementing such measures

• HOW? • An example from practice / case study (story, video,

additional materials, possible contacts);

Date: in 12 pts

Free browsing of resources

- Browse by category- Free search by keyword

Personalised Report withList of selected resources

Data-Base of UsersLinked to eTwinning

General information and documents

on ESL, good practices and 5 areas of the toolkit

ESL Tool-KitSimplified version 19.06.2015

Users’ data stored for statistical analysis of profiles and needs

Suggest more resources

Self-assessmentquestionnaire

To identify needs

Subject to editorial approval

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Data-Base of ResourcesExamples of good practice; national,

regional and school level measures and projects

Phase 1

Phase 2

Date: in 12 pts

Area Sub-areas Description / topics/ examples

1. School governance Whole school approach. Learner at the centre. Collaboration within and beyond school

1.1. School Vision Strategic vision for the school. School culture and climate - well-being; relational collaborative practices

1.2. School planning and monitoring

Cooperative strategic planning. Development/ improvement plan. Monitoring mechanisms (overall) - School (self-) assessment.

1.3. School management Distribute leadership practices. Collaborative leadership - teaching teams. HR management (recruitment, rewarding). Teacher-pupils relations.

1.4. Cooperation within the education system

Cooperation, networking and clustering with other schools. Cooperation with national and local education departments.

2. Support to teachers

Crucial role of teachers in preventing ESL, early warning, motivation of learners, improvement of learning and school climate

2.1. Raising awareness and changing attitudes

Promoting caring relationships. Understanding of social disadvantage. Intercultural awareness. Cooperation with parents. Motivation and high expectations

2.2. CPD, skills and competences Collaborative teaching. Multi-disciplinary teams; cross-curricular teaching. Inclusive teaching methods.

2.3. Monitoring and support Teachers monitoring, mentoring and coaching. Reflection time for staff. Peer-support, observation and peer-to-peer learning.

Date: in 12 pts

Date: in 12 pts

4. Parental involvement

School welcoming to families and community. Respect and cooperation among school staff, teachers, parents and families. Parents as a resource, recipients and contributors.

4.1. Communication and information

Continuous communication. Observation of classes. Sessions to explain the curriculum. Bridging programmes. Outreach. Cultural mediators.

4.2. Parents involvement in school governance

Parents associations. Parents councils. Parents surveys and consultations. Involvement of ALL parents and representation of ALL their interests.

4.3. Spaces for parents and activities

Parents' days. Participation in classroom activities. Community lifelong learning centres. Parents' room.

4.4. Family learning Family literacy programmes. 5. Stakeholders involvement

Cooperation and networks around school. Collaboration with local community. Clarity of roles and responsibilities; trust. Agreements and MOU

5.1. Stakeholders networks Drop-out prevention network. Central coordination body (local level). Role of local authorities.

5.2. Partnerships - public sector Multidisciplinary teams (within and around school). Cooperation with police, justice.

5.3. Partnerships - employers and businesses

Employers and businesses supporting/ participating in teaching at school and at workplace. Support for extracurricular activities, extended learning.

5.4. Partnerships - community organisations and civic society

NGOs working with parents. Outreach and extracurricular activities.

5.5. Partnerships - complementary education services

Further information

EU work on ESL:http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/school/early-school-leavers_en.htm

Final Report of the TWG on ESL:http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/strategic-framework/doc/esl-group-report_en.pdf

Current Working Group on School Policy:http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/strategic-framework/expert-groups_en.htm