Haywood Librarys Homework Club

1
Haywood Librarys Homework Club

• Presentation by Sharon Corbally,
• Library/School Liaison Officer at Haywood
  Library.
• Post acts as link between staff and students of
  Haywood High School Engineering College in
  Stoke-on-Trent and staff and customers of the
  dual use school and public library within the
  school grounds and links both to the wider
  community that we are a part of.

2
Haywood Librarys Homework Club

• The dual-use library is sited within Haywood City
  Learning Centre, which also houses four sets of
  PCs LearnDirect support a new CAD/CAM suite and
  the office of the media so the influence of IT
  is high.
• A change in staffing at Homework Club has left
  City Learning Centre and Library staff wondering
  how we can improve our study support.

3
Stoke-on-Trent LibrariesBrainwaves

• Began in October 2005 in four libraries across
  Stoke-on-Trent.
• Designed as study support clubs aimed at Key
  Stage 2 children.
• Planned, delivered and coordinated by Lynne
  Evans, with support from Community Librarians and
  the staff at the host library.
• Homework and other, linked activities are
  undertaken and measured against the 5 MLA Generic
  Learning Outcomes

4
Stoke-on-Trent LibrariesBrainwaves

• Increase in Knowledge Understanding Evidence
  Learning about new subjects, successful
  completion of homework topics, encouraging
  curiosity.
• Increase in Skills Improved research skills,
  keyboard skills, design skills, life skills
  accessing help turn-taking learning to be
  patient interaction with young people of
  different ages, from different backgrounds and
  schools.

5
Stoke-on-Trent LibrariesBrainwaves

• Changes in attitudes/values Changes in
  perception, learning to set own targets, why is
  homework set why should I complete it?
• Increased enjoyment, inspiration, creativity
  Children (and parents) report benefiting from a
  more informal learning environment
• Progress / Achievement Evidence of improvement
  in standards

6
Stoke-on-Trent LibrariesBrainwaves

• Each child completes Achievement Record,
  highlighting progress and indicating outcomes.
• Each child receives certificate, completion
  letter and (with permission) a picture is
  forwarded to parents and school, to celebrate
  their good work, commitment and continuous
  attendance.
• School receives a letter and copy of the
  Achievement Record, and are invited to feed back.
  
• Anecdotal evidence is also carefully recorded to
  inform evaluations.

7
Stoke-on-Trent LibrariesBrainwaves

• First evaluation undertaken after 6 months of the
  scheme.
• Students from 12 schools across the city had
  enrolled into Brainwaves sessions.
• 40 students enrolled in total - 9 boys and 31
  girls. 5 students were older originally intended
  target group.
• Formal and anecdotal evidence showed that
  children, parents and carers and schools are
  reporting very positive outcomes from attendance
  at Brainwaves clubs.

8
Haywood High Schools Homework Club

• Attendance measured in numbers of students from
  each year group gender and homework subject.
• Figures are submitted to the school and City
  Learning Centre staff on a monthly basis.
• Attendance has steadily increased since the
  schools Learning Mentor Team moved the small
  homework club from the school building into the
  City Learning Centre in 2001.

9
Haywood High Schools Homework Club 2005-06

• Attendance averages at 42 students per day.
• This varies greatly across weeks and terms, with
  two days of one week in October seeing 107 53
  attendants.
• Attended most heavily during autumn term.
• Prior to Easter break, consistently more girls
  using the facility than boys. This changed after
  Easter, and the new trend has continued into
  autumn 2006.

10
Haywood High Schools Homework Club to 2006

• Homework club 2.35/3.10 until 4 p.m.
• The Learning Mentor Teams assist Year 7-9
  students on mezzanine level PCs. Year 10 11
  students work unsupervised on the ground floor
  PCs.
• The work of Year 10 11 is prioritised, with the
  aim of achieving good GCSE grades.
• Unlike the less formal Brainwaves session,
  students have been encouraged to see Homework
  Club as an extension of school and school rules
  apply.

11
Haywood High Schools Homework Club

• Relatively recent integration of the school
  library into the City Learning Centre has left
  the library in a supporting role.
• The Library currently offers rolling programme of
  inductions into library use information
  retrieval skills sessions reading assistance and
  Book Club and is heavily used by students during
  the day.
• However, during Homework Club, the same library
  is seen as a place to wait until a PC to becomes
  available!

12
Haywood High Schools Homework Club the future

• Library and City Learning Centre staff currently
  organise Homework Club on an informal basis, as
  Learning Mentors have withdrawn.
• Practical considerations of small numbers of
  staff running a large club can impact upon the
  clubs effectiveness.
• As data and experience suggests that the club
  is heavily used, staff would like it to continue
  on a more formal footing.

13
Haywood High Schools Homework Club to consider

• School staff to provide formal evidence of
  changes in attendants academic social skills
• Students / parents / carers to provide similar
  evidence in anecdotal form.
• Links between teaching staff and homework club to
  be fostered, to increase accuracy the meeting
  of deadlines.
• Any suggestions?