PDG-CLA intervention case studies and evidence of effective approaches for care experienced learners

Flintshire County Council: Plas Derwen, Pupil Referral Unit

Type of intervention

Package of support for an individual learner.

Brief outline of approach

The school and local authority arranged for a care-experienced learner to attend a hair and beauty course at a local salon.

How the needs of the care-experienced young people were identified

Through the PEP process and education planning meetings a Year 10 learner was identified as struggling with:

• family circumstances
• developing relationships with peers and adults
• regulating emotions

This dysregulation meant she was not successfully engaging with mainstream school. She had previously been excluded and was reluctant to attend school. 

The ALN process identified that the learner would benefit from a bespoke package of support with a focus on building self-esteem and engagement with education. As the learner had an interest in pursuing a career in hair and beauty a joint package was put in place between:

• the school
• the PRU 
• a salon offering qualifications and experience

How the local authority decided on the most appropriate evidence-informed intervention or approach

Person-centred planning meetings and the ALN assessment process identified appropriate ALP via an individual development plan (IDP).

How the intervention or approach was implemented

The learner was supported by school and local authority officers to access the intervention.

How the impact of the intervention was measured

The learner has:

• achieved a Level 1 ASDAN qualification in Hair and Beauty and is on track to achieve GCSEs
• excellent attendance
• formed relationships with trusted adults and has made positive friendships within the group
• nurtured and supported another vulnerable learner
• expressed an interest in continuing within this sector for post-16 plans
• aspirations and talks about a positive future for herself

Quotes from those involved in or benefitting from the funding

Quote from the hair and beauty teacher and business owner:

“She has been an absolute pleasure to work with. Getting to know her, gain her trust and watching her open up to myself has been rewarding. She has excelled on this course; her behaviour has always been perfect with no behavioural issues. I feel like over this year I have really gotten to know her, helped guide her in some of her thought processes and teach valuable lessons in life.”

Quote from young person.

“I felt that I wasn’t going to like it, but it was actually really good.”

How the local authority intend to build on the work they have done

Links with Careers Wales to ensure clear post-16 plans for a Hair and Beauty course at college. 

Continued joint working with all agencies to ensure successful outcomes in Year 11 and beyond.

Lessons learned 

Early identification of need is essential, as is the voice of the learner in ensuring positive interactions and success. Having high expectations of learners is vital, regardless of previous exclusion history. 

It would be useful to have access to more opportunities for alternative education in Years 3 to 9.

Flintshire County Council, Sandycroft CP School

Type of intervention

School-level intervention for a group of vulnerable and care-experienced learners.

Brief outline of approach

The school set up a room called ‘Barod’ that gives learners with anxiety a bridge between home and school. This allowed them to have a period of calm and decompression before entering lessons. 

Learners engage in teacher-framed, learner-influenced activities in a small group. The group benefits from a consistent and highly nurturing adult, who fosters a sense of family and support in the group.

How the needs of the care-experienced young people were identified

The school discussed the issue with learners. The school identified an increasing number of learners with anxiety, particularly older learners in the mornings. These included children looked after and adopted learners.

How the local authority decided on the most appropriate evidence-informed intervention or approach

The school discussed the issue with learners, parents, carers and staff. They looked at various strategies:

• using the EEF
• using Estyn effective practice case studies 
• through visiting other schools

The school identified a morning ‘Barod’ nurture group in a school in south Wales and used this as inspiration.

How the intervention or approach was implemented

The school discussed the approach with their ALN team, class teachers and learners. They modelled the intervention on what had been seen in a school in south Wales.

To support learners in the ‘Barod’ nurture group the PDG-CLA was used for trauma-informed whole school training. In addition, individual staff completed a diploma on trauma-informed practice. 

How the impact of the intervention was measured

The school has seen a notable reduction in learners displaying anxiety, particularly in the morning. Learners who previously had been upset coming in and struggled to engage in lessons, now come to school happily and enter lessons ready to learn.

Quotes from those involved in or benefitting from the funding

Teachers say: “Since attending morning nurture, learners are more confident and when they arrive in class they make good progress. It also ensures other learners’ learning is not disturbed.”

Parents say: “My child loves coming in to work with Mrs P. The fish have given her a positive focus in the mornings. This has helped my child but also my whole family have a positive start to the day at home.”

After being asked if he was okay a dysregulated child said: “I just need to go to Barod for 5 minutes and I will be ok.”

How the local authority intend to build on the work they have done

The school intends to analyse what has been successful and why, and for what types of need. They will then look to see if this practice can be implemented at class and department level. This provision has mainly been working with junior primary learners. The school will look at how an approach can be used for infant learners. However, there is already overlap with effective foundation learning provision.

Neath Port Talbot (NPT) Council

Type of intervention

School-level intervention for a group of care-experienced learners.

Brief outline of approach

One of NPT’s schools set up an after-school club known as ‘Thursday Club’. This enabled care-experienced learners to benefit from opportunities that after-school clubs can provide. 

The club’s purpose was to help young people by providing them with an accepting, non-judgmental space that:

• offered them a sense of belonging
• helped them develop self-esteem, social skills and safe relationships

How the needs of the care-experienced young people were identified

The school’s social worker and play therapist worked with many children looked after. In collaboration with the NPT Children’s Services Participation Officer, the therapist identified that learners looked after were often under-represented in local youth clubs.

Learner voice revealed that young people wanted to develop new skills other than in traditional sports clubs. They wanted a safe space to experience more arts and culture in a wider world.

To address this these opportunities were offered through an after-school youth club (‘Thursday club’).

How the local authority decided on the most appropriate evidence-informed intervention or approach

Following the pandemic, the school identified learner well-being and mental health as a clear priority for PDG-CLA.

Joint working with children’s services and through learner voice identified the need to increase the engagement of children looked after by offering a range of social opportunities. Children looked after who joined local youth clubs often dropped out as there was a lack of belonging. 

How the intervention or approach was implemented

The school collaborated with Circus Eruption (a not-for profit charity) who visited the club frequently. This gave learners opportunities to enjoy expressive arts through circus skills sessions. 

The learners took part in a range of activities including: 

• the Christmas parade and summer show in the local community
• ju-jitsu self-defence lessons provided by a member of school staff
• a trip to the Cardiff Millennium Centre
• forest school activities, which included making shelters, building a fire and cooking outdoors

How the impact of the intervention was measured

Learners’ self-esteem and confidence has grown. For example:

• learner A, who lacked confidence and had low self-esteem, became a compere in the summer show this year
• learner B, with selective mutism, is now leading games and performing publicly
• learner C, who lives with their gran (who has a life-limiting condition) now attends and enjoys the club activities and being part of a community of friends

All learners enjoy the ‘Thursday club’, encouraging each other to try new things and experiences.

Due to collaboration between the club, social services and other outside agencies, the learners now have access to an increased range of activities. 

Strengths included:

• a sense of community for nearly all learners
• ownership of what they do in their club 
• positive relationships with a wider group of friends in a safe, non-judgmental space 
• experiences that have increased their engagement in the local and wider community 
• experiences to boost their mental and physical well-being

How the local authority intend to build on the work they have done

The work of the ‘Thursday Club’ will be to continue to listen to the wishes and feelings of the young people who attend. The club will continue to be flexible in approach and adapt to the needs of the group who attend and provide an appropriate range of activities.

Lessons learned

These include the importance of: 

• engaging all learners, including the more physical boys from football to wider activities
• developing opportunities to increase awareness of healthy lifestyle choices 
• organising learners around activities and during transitions 

Neath Port Talbot (NPT) Council

Type of intervention

School-level intervention for an individual and group of care-experienced children.

Brief outline of approach

One member of the therapeutic fostering team was funded to do emotional literacy support assistant (ELSA) training to provide one-to-one support for a care-experienced learner. 

The school also developed a ‘nurture and sensory’ room.

How the needs of the care-experienced young people were identified

• Observation by the Local Authority Inclusion Service.
• Education psychology reports.
• Feedback from the Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Inclusion Panel.
• Support and advice from the Fostering Service’s in-house therapeutic team.

How the local authority decided on the most appropriate evidence-informed intervention or approach

A consultation was conducted with the ALN team, social worker and therapeutic fostering team.

PDG-CLA was used to fund:

• a member of staff trained to do ELSA training 
• purchasing of appropriate resources to develop a school-based Nurture and Sensory room

How the intervention or approach was implemented 

Person-centred planning allowed for:

• the necessary multi-agency collaborative working
• relevant referrals to local authority support services 
• the development of appropriate targets and outcomes for the child’s PEP and IDP

How the impact of the intervention was measured

Person-centred planning facilitated better multi-agency collaborative working, improved relevant referrals to local authority support services and supported the development of appropriate targets and outcomes for the child’s PEP and IDP.

How the local authority intend to build on the work they have done

The local authority will continue to evaluate learner PEPs, IDPs and pastoral support plans supporting greater engagement in learning, attendance and inclusion.

Lessons learned 

Recognising the importance of targeted resource for the nurture and sensory room is essential in order to support mental health and well-being appropriately.

Powys County Council 

Type of intervention

Local authority intervention for care-experienced children across the local authority.

Brief outline of approach

The local authority set up a VS to support care-experienced learners across the local authority.

How the needs of the care-experienced young people were identified

• Observations of a former looked after children coordinator in the local authority.
• Completion of PEPs and children looked after reviews.
• Collection of attendance and exclusions data.

How the local authority decided on the most appropriate evidence-informed intervention or approach 

Research into English and Welsh VS models and funding from Welsh Government to pilot VS model over 2-year period.

How the intervention or approach was implemented

The 2-year pilot was used to identify developments to improve the model.

How the impact of the intervention was measured

The outcomes achieved over the 2023 to 2024 academic year have been both meaningful and measurable. This reflects the effectiveness of targeted support and collaborative practice. The outcomes include:

• 100% completion of PEPs, ensuring consistent educational support for all children looked after
• enhanced quality of PEPs demonstrated by quality assurance monitoring:
• green ratings increased from 88% to 92% over 3 terms
• amber ratings decreased from 11% to 7%, indicating more purposeful plans and better school engagement
• no permanent exclusions recorded, and fixed-term exclusions remained minimal, reflecting inclusive approaches and early intervention.
• tracking based on well-being, attendance and attainment shows significant gains:
• 88% of children looked after improved or maintained their progress scores.
• attendance levels for children looked after were in line with or exceeded those of their peers, highlighting enhanced engagement
• integration of the online PEP system with the ALN platform has improved efficiency and cross-service collaboration
• 87% of social workers report improved outcomes for children looked after due to VS support
• 100% of designated teachers confirm VS has made a positive difference to children looked after outcomes
• 94% of designated teachers feel VS collaboration has deepened their understanding of trauma-informed approaches

Quotes from those involved in or benefitting from the funding

Foster carer feedback:

“Most proactive virtual school I have had the pleasure of working with. They take into consideration the particular needs of the child and adapt their expectations accordingly. Regular meetings are beneficial to monitor progress, address issues promptly and to discuss and implement interventions to support the young person. Every part is positive.”

Social worker feedback:

“I just wanted to email you to say how much I have appreciated the hard work and professional support that the virtual school head provided to myself and the young people who I support. The service is a real asset and staff a great example of a passionate, committed and child-focused representative of virtual school. Staff are reliable, professional, always willing to support and passionate about their role.”

Designated teacher feedback:

“The link between the VS is crucial in supporting children to engage with school. This can be anything from acting as a link to the social worker, supporting with behaviour and emotional issues, supporting staff with strategies in the classroom with a trauma-informed approach, holding meetings with staff to share good practice, supporting learner participation, supporting with staff INSET.”

How the local authority intend to build on the work they have done

The local authority will continue to gather learner voice in a variety of ways and support staff in schools.

Their latest project is an animated film so children looked after can express their views on what support they want and need.

Lessons learned

Recognising of the importance of targeted resource for the nurture and sensory room is essential in order to support mental health and well-being appropriately.

Ynys Mon Local Authority 

Type of intervention

Local authority intervention for care-experienced children across the local authority.

Brief outline of approach

Use of the Motional well-being assessment tool to support emotional development.

How the needs of the care-experienced young people were identified

The local authority wanted additional evidence to measure children’s needs and success in education. All children who come into care now have a Motional assessment within the first 6 weeks. The findings of the assessment can be fed into and linked with a child’s IDP and PEP. This identifies targeted provision, such as learning, teaching and embedding skills to manage and regulate difficult emotions. This helps learners develop an awareness of themselves and the emotional needs and perspective of others.

How the local authority decided on the most appropriate evidence-informed intervention or approach 

Due to the increase in the challenging and complex behaviour needs of some young people, the local authority decided as part of their ‘Trauma-informed island strategy’ to implement Motional as an evidence-based assessment to identify well-being needs.

The PDG-CLA has been used to buy a license for the VS for up to 250 learners.

How the intervention or approach was implemented 

The looked after children advisory teacher targeted those children:

• whose home placement was at risk of breakdown 
• who were at risk of exclusion from their education placement

The looked after children advisory teacher then carried out the assessments.

Now all children who come into the local authority’s care have a Motional assessment from a well-being officer that is undertaken with the school and looked after children advisory teacher. 

The information is shared in the IDP and PEP and reassessed after 6 months.

The impact of the intervention or approach on the young person or young people and how this was this measured

Following the assessment, interventions are put in place by the school and in the home to create a more coordinated package of support for the child’s successful engagement in school. 

Schools have put a more nurturing timetable in place and adapted the learning and teaching environment.

After the initial assessment the local authority reassess within 6 to 12 months to measure impact. 

Quotes from those involved in or benefitting from the funding

The local authority has had foster carers and teachers in tears after doing this assessment, when they realise what the child in their care is living with from day to day in school and home. This realisation has seen parents, carers and schools take a much more empathic and relational approach with the child or young person. 

One example saw a possible foster placement breakdown restabilise. An example from a school saw less ‘negative incidents’ involving a staff member, and the learner with no further fixed-term exclusions.

How the local authority intend to build on the work they have done

The next phase via the PDG-CLA is to buy the Motional Assessment License for all schools to use, both as a universal and targeted approach. 

Once this emotional health and well-being assessment is embedded within all schools, the local authority expect to see more staff supporting children and young people to have more optimal ‘CARE, SEEKING and PLAY’ systems and be learning, thriving and succeeding. 

Lessons learned 

Ensure there is sufficient staffing resources to carry out the Motional assessments.

Train and upskill more staff to meet demand.

Clear communication: ensure all adults who are involved with the child have contributed to the assessment and are clear of the actions.

Sources

Evaluation of the Implementation of the Pupil Development Grant for Looked After Children: Final report

The Welsh Government’s ‘Evaluation of the Implementation of the Pupil Development Grant for Looked After Children: Final report’ looked across studies. Intervention effectiveness was broadly assessed in terms of their positive impact on any of the following: 

• attainment of knowledge and skills
• educational achievement
• behaviour and attendance
• well-being
• family and community engagement
• aspirations and progression to further education
• vocational training or employment

The evidence reviewed was in relation to children currently in care. However, it is expected that these approaches would also benefit care-experienced children and young people.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 

NICE published a guideline on how organisations, practitioners and carers should work together to deliver high-quality care, stable placements and nurturing relationships for looked after children and young people. It includes reviews of the evidence on interventions to support learning needs and readiness for school as well as barriers and facilitators relating to the education of children looked after. 

Although the evaluation commissioned by Welsh Government on the implementation of the PDG-CLA and the review conducted by NICE identified a relatively small body of robust evidence, this was specific to the education of children looked after.

Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) Teaching and Learning Toolkit

The EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit is a summary of the evidence on various educational approaches and strategies to improving learning and teaching. The evidence reviewed by the EEF was in in relation to children from low-income households. However, some of these approaches may also benefit care-experienced children and young people. The Toolkit is underpinned by a review of the highest quality studies internationally. It summarises the evidence for each topic in terms of average impact on attainment, strength of the evidence and cost. The Toolkit does not make definitive claims as to what will work to improve outcomes in a given school. Rather, it provides high-quality information about what is likely to be beneficial based on existing evidence. 

Type of approach

Engagement with children looked after.

Purpose

Engaging children looked after in discussions about their experiences and opinions helps:

• encourage other children to reflect on their own learning
• develop effective relationships between learners and staff
• test the impact of approaches aimed to support the education of children looked after

Evidence of impact

Some literature highlighted the importance of engaging children looked after in the design and delivery of support, especially those with diverse experiences and views. 

Some of the literature also highlighted the need to take a broader view when considering educational support for children looked after. Improving the educational achievement of children in care is a complex issue. It is linked to many other aspects of the care and educational system.

The existing evidence base may be limited by:

• a lack of theoretically driven approaches 
• the inadequate involvement of children looked after in developing delivery mechanisms 

(Source: Evaluation of the Implementation of the Pupil Development Grant for Looked After Children: Final Report (gov.wales))

Type of approach

Strategic management through a VSH.

Purpose

The VSH plays a key role in ensuring that arrangements are in place to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of children looked after in their local authority. This also includes those placed out of county.

Evidence of impact

Based on an analysis of local authority inspection reports and data in England, Ofsted (2016) found that where practice is strong and can be linked to improving outcomes for children looked after, the VSH play an important role in:

• improving attendance
• preventing exclusions 
• monitoring PEPs

(Source: Evaluation of the Implementation of the Pupil Development Grant for Looked After Children: Final Report (gov.wales))

Type of approach

Monitoring and evaluation systems.

Purpose

Tracking the educational progress of children looked after leads to appropriate, bespoke intervention and support when managed well within local authorities

Evidence of impact

Local authority-level monitoring and evaluation systems are key to improving the educational outcomes of children looked after. 

Ofsted (2016) and Estyn (2016) found that the educational progress, attainment and aspiration of children looked after could be improved by: 

• closely tracking their educational progress to create appropriate, bespoke intervention and support
• robust tracking systems and regular evaluation incorporating feedback from children looked after, carers and schools 

(Source: Evaluation of the Implementation of the Pupil Development Grant for Looked After Children: Final Report (gov.wales))

Type of approach

Training for practitioners on attachment difficulties for children looked after.

Purpose

The intention of attachment awareness training is to ensure teachers and other staff have a good understanding of the impact of trauma and loss on learners and how this may affect behaviour learning and adjustment in school.

Evidence of impact

A small evaluation of the Attachment Aware Schools project in England found that for 46 targeted ‘vulnerable’ children from 6 primary schools, the numbers achieving expectations in reading, writing and mathematics were significantly improved from pre-intervention to post-intervention. There was no data available on the ‘vulnerable’ learners from the other 10 schools who participated in the programme.

An analysis of diaries and semi-structured interviews with 6 children looked after in the UK was undertaken. It found that to raise attainment levels, it might be important to:

• provide schools with training on raising awareness of learners’ needs
• offer schools an explanation of some relevant psychological theories, such as attachment theory 

These findings should be treated with caution given the small scale of the study.

Estyn (2016) found that: 

• local authorities that effectively raise the educational attainment and achievement of children looked after provide comprehensive training for school staff to help them understand and support the emotional and social needs of children looked after 
• successful schools are characterised by staff who know which children are looked after, possess a clear understanding of those children’s social and emotional needs and are clear about what strategies are available to support them

(Source: Evaluation of the Implementation of the Pupil Development Grant for Looked After Children: Final Report (gov.wales))

Type of approach

Inter-agency cooperation and coordination.

Purpose

Enabling a holistic view of child and family creates a better support system that identifies problems and guides children to appropriate services or interventions.

Evidence of impact

Small-scale studies have found the following. 

• Multi-agency working may be one factor supporting transition to secondary school for children looked after. 
• Information-sharing, inter-agency cooperation and coordination was credited with facilitating improved school attainment for care-experienced young people. 
• Ofsted (2012) found that effective virtual schools (VSs) maintained a focus on building capacity across the wider system. 
• Estyn (2016) found that schools that are effective in supporting children looked after have both:
  • a senior management team member responsible for delivering the strategy for children looked after
  • a committed designated governor who possesses a strong understanding of the needs of children looked after

(Source: Evaluation of the Implementation of the Pupil Development Grant for Looked After Children: Final Report (gov.wales))

Type of approach

Material resources.

Purpose

Providing children looked after with books is intended to get children enjoying reading and engaging with numeracy.

Evidence of impact

Three quantitative studies suggest that solely providing reading books to children looked after does not improve educational outcomes such as:

• reading skills
• educational attainment 
• attitudes to reading

Providing support to use these resources in a constructive way may be important to realise benefits seen in other studies.

A review used a randomised control study (RCT) of the Letterbox Club. The Letterbox Club involved children receiving 6 parcels of books over a 6-month period. The review found that owning books had no effect on any of the outcomes measured for children looked after, including:

• reading skills 
• attitudes to reading

Evidence from carers and children looked after suggested this was because of the lack of support provided for the packs received. The study recommended that for book-gifting programmes to be effective they need to include a focus on encouraging the direct involvement of foster carers in shared literacy activities with the children. 

(Sources: Evaluation of the Implementation of the Pupil Development Grant for Looked After Children: Final Report (gov.wales)

NICE Looked-After Children and Young People: Interventions to support learning needs for school-aged looked-after children and young people)

Type of approach

Tutoring programmes.

Purpose

Tutoring is intended to:

• help strengthen subject comprehension
• boost confidence
• build important learning skills 

One-to-one tuition involves a teacher, teaching assistant or other adult giving a learner intensive individual support. It may happen:

• outside of normal lessons as additional teaching (for example as part of extending school time or a summer school) 
• as a replacement for other lessons

Evidence of impact

A literature review found that the existing evidence base shows mixed, but largely positive, results regarding the effects of additional tutoring on children looked after.

Small-scale RCT studies in Canada found that group-based tutoring interventions produced positive educational outcomes among children aged 6 to 13 in foster care.

A study in the USA of a home-based tutoring intervention delivered to 14 to 15-year-olds found that it had no significant impact on 

• academic ability 
• educational outcomes

The intervention group was older than in the other RCTs described above. The intervention itself was delivered by undergraduate and graduate students who received one day of training.

A small-scale study of a ‘paired literacy’ intervention in England found that, on average, the reading age of participating children improved by 12 months in the 16-week period of the project.

A study was carried out of the ‘Reading Rich’ intervention, which included book gifts and work with residential care homes. The study found that of 22 children included in the study, 17 increased their reading frequency following the intervention.

(Source: Evaluation of the Implementation of the Pupil Development Grant for Looked After Children: Final Report (gov.wales))

Although the evidence is not specific to children looked after the evidence summarised in the EEF toolkit finds that on average, one-to-one tuition is very effective at improving learner outcomes. One-to-one tuition might be an effective strategy for providing targeted support for learners who are:

• identified as having low prior attainment 
• struggling in particular areas

Tuition is more likely to make an impact if it is additional to and explicitly linked with normal lessons.

One-to-one tuition can be effective but expensive to deliver, particularly when delivered by teachers. Approaches that instead deliver instruction through teaching assistants or in small groups have smaller positive effects, on average. However, they may be a cost-effective solution to providing targeted support.

For one-to-one tuition led by teaching assistants, interventions are likely to be particularly beneficial when the teaching assistants are:

• experienced
• well-trained 
• supported 

For example, this might be when delivering a structured intervention.

(Source: EEF Toolkit)

Type of approach

School transition support.

Purpose

The ‘Kids in Transition to School’ is a classroom-based programme delivered 2 months prior to pre-school entry and during the first 2 months of primary school. It is intended to help children be ready to learn.

Evidence of impact

An RCT was undertaken in the USA of ‘Kids in Transition to School’. Children attended 24 sessions that addressed:

• early literacy skills
• prosocial skills 
• self-regulatory activities

Meanwhile carers attended 8 parallel meetings intended to develop their capacity to support the child in practising new skills, routines and behaviour. For the study, 192 children in foster care were assigned to either an intervention or services as usual for comparison. The authors found the programme had significant, positive effects on early literacy and self-regulatory skills.

The review has only provided evidence for the ‘Kids in Transition to School’ intervention. It is not clear whether other ‘school transition support’ would have the same positive impact as observed in this case. 

Source: Evaluation of the Implementation of the Pupil Development Grant for Looked After Children: Final Report (gov.wales)

Type of approach

Personalised planning.

Purpose

The purpose of personalised planning is to use assessment of need to identify the specific areas where intervention and support will improve the children looked after’s educational progress.

Evidence of impact

In a Swedish study, personal development plans were developed for 25 foster children aged 7 to 11. Children were assessed by a psychologist and a special education teacher to ascertain their baseline cognitive ability. Following that a range of tests were administered to assess:

• reading
• spelling
• numeracy
• psychological well-being and behaviour
• child-teacher relations

Based on the results of these tests, tailored individualised educational and psychological support plans were developed and implemented for each child over a period of 24 months. At the end of the 24-month period, children were tested again using the same measures. After 2 years, the children’s average scores on IQ tests, reading and spelling tests had improved significantly. These findings were replicated with a further 24 children.

Source: Evaluation of the Implementation of the Pupil Development Grant for Looked After Children: Final Report (gov.wales)

Type of approach

Additional support and advice.

Purpose

Career support and healthy relationships education

Evidence of impact

The literature suggests the importance of career support and healthy relationships education in supporting children looked after in education. However, no evidence was identified to support the effectiveness of supportive interventions in these areas. 

(Source: Evaluation of the Implementation of the Pupil Development Grant for Looked After Children: Final Report (gov.wales))

CLASS Cymru has helpful resources to support access to further education.

Type of approach

Feedback.

Purpose

Information is given to the learner about the learner’s performance relative to learning goals or outcomes. It should aim to (and be capable of producing) improvement in students’ learning.

Evidence of impact

The evidence summarised in the EEF Toolkit finds that providing feedback has a high impact on learning outcomes. Effective feedback:

• tends to focus on the task, subject and self-regulation strategies
• provides specific information on how to improve

Source: EEF Toolkit

Type of approach

Mentoring.

Purpose

Mentoring in education involves pairing young people with an older peer or adult volunteer, who acts as a positive role model. In general, rather than develop specific academic skills or knowledge, mentoring aims to:

• build confidence and relationships
• develop resilience and character
• raise aspirations

Mentoring has increasingly been offered to young people who are deemed to be hard to reach or at risk of educational failure or exclusion.

Evidence of impact

Evidence summarised in the EEF Toolkit finds that while the impact of mentoring varies, on average it is likely to have a small positive impact on attainment.

The impacts of individual programmes vary. Some studies have found more positive impacts for:

• learners from disadvantaged backgrounds
• non-academic outcomes such as attitudes to school, attendance and behaviour

Positive effects on attainment tend not to be sustained once the mentoring stops, so care must be taken to ensure that benefits are not lost. It is important to consider how you can support learners who have benefitted from mentoring to retain positive changes in their confidence and behaviour.

Both community-based and school-based approaches can be successful.

Mentor drop-out can have detrimental effects on mentees. It is important to consider how to support mentors.

(Source: EEF Toolkit)

Type of approach

Metacognition and self-regulation approaches.

Purpose

Metacognition and self-regulation approaches to teaching can support learners to think about their own learning, for example through strategies for:

• planning it
• monitoring
• evaluating it 

Interventions are usually designed to give learners:

• a repertoire of strategies to choose from 
• the skills to select the most suitable strategy for a given learning task

Evidence of impact

The evidence summarised in the EEF Toolkit finds the potential impact of metacognition and self-regulation approaches is high (7 months’ additional progress). However, it can be difficult to realise this impact in practice as such methods require learners to:

• take greater responsibility for their learning 
• develop their understanding of what is required to succeed.

The evidence indicates that teaching strategies to help plan, monitor and evaluate specific aspects of their learning can be effective.

These approaches are more effective when they are applied to challenging tasks rooted in the usual curriculum content.

Teachers can demonstrate effective use of metacognitive and self-regulatory strategies by modelling their own thought processes.

(Source: EEF Toolkit)

Type of approach

Oral language interventions.

Purpose

Oral language interventions (also known as oracy or speaking and listening interventions) refer to approaches that emphasise the importance of spoken language and verbal interaction in the classroom. 

Oral language approaches might include:

• targeted reading aloud and book discussion with young children
• explicitly extending learners’ spoken vocabulary
• the use of structured questioning to develop reading comprehension
• the use of purposeful, curriculum-focused, dialogue and interaction

Evidence of impact

The evidence summarised in the EEF Toolkit finds that on average, oral language approaches have a high impact on learner outcomes of 6 months’ additional progress.

It is important that spoken language activities are matched to learners’ current stage of development and so extend their learning and connect with the curriculum.

Training can support adults to ensure they model and develop learners’ oral language skills and vocabulary development.

Some learners may struggle specifically with spoken language. Schools should consider how they will identify learners that need additional support around oral language and articulation. It may be helpful to focus on speaking and listening activities separately where needed to meet particular needs.

(Source: EEF toolkit)

Type of approach

Parental engagement.

Purpose

Parental engagement refers to teachers and schools involving parents and carers in supporting their children’s academic learning.

It includes:

• approaches and programmes that aim to develop parental skills such as literacy or IT skills
• general approaches that encourage parents and carers to support their children with, for example, reading or homework
• the involvement of parents and carers in their children’s learning activities
• more intensive programmes for families in crisis

Evidence of impact

The evidence summarised in the EEF Toolkit finds that parental engagement has a positive impact on average of 4 months’ additional progress. It highlighted that it is crucial to consider how to engage with all parents and carers to avoid widening attainment gaps.

EEF advised considering how to tailor school communications to encourage positive dialogue about learning. There is some evidence that personalised messages linked to learning can promote positive interactions.

Parental engagement strategies are typically more effective with parents of very young children. It is important to consider how you will maintain parental engagement as children get older.

(Source: EEF Toolkit)

Type of approach

Physical activity.

Purpose

Physical activity refers to approaches that engage learners in sports, dance or any kind of physical exercise.

Evidence of impact

The evidence summarised in the EEF Toolkit finds that there is a small positive impact of physical activity on academic attainment (1 month of additional progress). While this evidence summary focuses on the link between physical activity and academic performance, it is crucial to ensure learners’ access to high-quality physical activity for the other benefits and opportunities it provides.

Impact on attainment varies considerably between different interventions. Participation in sports does not straightforwardly transfer to academic learning. It is likely that the quality of the programme and the emphasis on or connection with academic learning may make more difference than the specific type of approach or activities involved.

(Source: EEF toolkit)

For helpful advice and resources please also refer to the Welsh Network of Health Promoting Schools (WNHPS).

Type of approach

Reading comprehension strategies.

Purpose

Reading comprehension strategies focus on learners’ understanding of written text. They learn a range of techniques that enable them to comprehend the meaning of what they read. Strategies are often taught to a class and then practiced in pairs or small groups.

Evidence of impact

The EEF concluded that reading comprehension strategies are high-impact on average (6 months of additional progress). Alongside phonics it is a crucial component of early reading instruction.

It is important to identify the appropriate level of text difficulty in order to:

• provide appropriate context to practice the skills
• encourage engagement with the text
• provide enough challenge to improve reading comprehension

Effective diagnosis of reading difficulties is important in identifying possible solutions. This is particularly the case for older, struggling readers. Learners can struggle with:

• decoding words
• understanding the structure of the language used
• understanding particular vocabulary, which may be subject-specific

A wide range of strategies and approaches can be successful, but for many learners they need to be taught explicitly and consistently.

It is crucial to support learners to apply the comprehension strategies independently to other:

• reading tasks
• contexts 
• subjects

(Source: EEF Toolkit)

Type of approach

Small group tuition.

Purpose

Small group tuition is defined as one teacher, trained teaching assistant or tutor working with 2 to 5 learners together in a group. This arrangement enables the teaching to focus on a small number of learners, usually in a separate classroom or working area.

Evidence of impact

The evidence summarised in the EEF Toolkit finds that small-group tuition has an average impact of 4 months’ additional progress over the course of a year.

Small group tuition is most likely to be effective if it is targeted at learners’ specific needs. Diagnostic assessment can be used to assess the best way to target support.

One-to-one tuition and small group tuition are both effective interventions. However, teaching in small groups may be more worthwhile given its cost-effectiveness.

(Source: EEF Toolkit)