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Independent Evaluation of the Discover Children’s Story Centre Summer Writing Programme

The York Trials Unit (YTU) has been appointed as an independent evaluator by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). In collaboration with Durham University, the YTU has been funded by the EEF to independently evaluate 3 interventions aimed to improve the writing skills of pupils during the transition from Primary School (Year 6) to Secondary School (Year 7), especially the writing skills of pupils who are currently working below nationally expected levels. The funding began in January 2013 for 12 months.

This project will evaluate the use of a four week summer workshop being delivered and supported by the Discover Children’s Story Centre in 2013.

In this pragmatic randomised controlled trial, 250 consenting Year 6 pupils will be randomised to either an intervention or control group. The intervention will include a variety of workshops including poetry sessions, functional literacy sessions, reading sessions, and trips to performances, festivals, and libraries. Pupils in the control group will not receive the summer school but will receive a school-based reading and writing intervention delivered in the school autumn term of Year 7.

At the beginning of the school autumn term 2013, participating Year 7 pupils in participating secondary schools will complete the GL Assessment Progress in English (PiE) 11 (Long Form). The Progress in English results of pupils who have taken part in the intervention will then be compared with the results of pupils in the control group, in order to estimate the effect the intervention has had on pupils’ writing skills.