Summary of the impact

The research impacted on both public policy and professional practice. Specifically the research has enabled the development of an overarching framework for linking interventions in social structures, families and schools, particularly at area level. This in turn has impacted principally (a) on organisational strategy and professional practice at local level; but also (b) on national policymaker decisions and processes involved in the transformation of the `Extended Schools' agenda; and (c) on thinking and strategy by policymakers in Europe and other countries internationally. Crucial to the impact process have been partnership relationships using a development and research (D&R) methodology with a wide range of local initiatives, together with support for change in national and trans-national policy in this field.

Underpinning research

The impact is based on research that took place in Manchester between 2003 and the present, with the first major output from 2007. The key researchers (returned staff names in bold): Ainscow (1995-date); Dyson (2003-date); Duggan (2008-2013); Forbes (2013-date); Goldrick (2003-date); Kerr (2005-date); Raffo (1995-date); Rowley (2008-2013); West (2000-date). This case study is located in the within the Disadvantage and Poverty (DP) Thematic Programme of Research, and is co-ordinated through the Centre for Equity in Education.

The team have worked on 18 projects funded by: Research Councils (AHRC, ESRC); Charities (Joseph Rowntree, Save the Children UK); local agencies (New Charter Housing Trust) and local government (Calderdale); with significant evaluation studies for Government and its agencies (EPPI-Centre, NCSL, SSAT), not least the national evaluation of `Full Service Extended Schools', with the University of Newcastle, funded by DfES (£511K). The primary aim of the research is to explore how, and how far, research interventions at institutional, local and national levels can disturb the link between social and educational disadvantage. It does this through an iterative `development and research' (`D&R') process in which new intervention models, formulated on the basis of research evidence, are supported and evaluated in action, and in turn inform further developments. Specifically: (a) a series of research reviews [3.4, 3.5] and the report of an ESRC seminar series (Dyson and Kerr's, 2011, Taking Action Locally, Centre for Equity in Education) have synthesised existing research evidence; (b) existing D&R projects have been evaluated [3.2, 3.3]; (c) collaborative D&R projects have been undertaken with and alongside practitioners [3.1, 3.2]; and, (d) new models of intervention have been developed and trialled [3.2]. This research has demonstrated that D&R projects can disturb the disadvantage-outcomes link provided they tackle a range of disadvantaging factors in a coordinated way; shown what these must look like at different system levels; and formulated detailed models for implementation at area level [see especially 3.2, 3.5].

References to the research

(AOR- Available on request)

The quality of the research is evidenced by peer review of competitive grant applications and the role of the ESRC/JRF advisory groups. Subsequent outputs have been published in high status academic journals, and both 3.1 and 3.2 have received awards from the Society for Educational Studies.

Key outputs:

Other relevant outputs:

Details of the impact

Context: in the UK and other affluent countries efforts to interrupt and weaken the link between social disadvantage and educational outcomes have typically been short-term, fragmented and under-theorised. University of Manchester research has generated better theoretical frameworks, evidence syntheses and working models, which practitioners and policy-makers have used to guide their work.

Pathways to impact: following the approach outlined in REF3a this case study illustrates an instrumental change model based on the production and transmission of evidence, combined with a constructivist approach to partnerships with and between those who use and produce evidence. Specific pathways include: (a) a series of customised `development and research' programmes, in which researchers (including embedded doctoral students as `researchers in residence' in schools, local authorities and consortia, e.g. Duggan, Forbes, and Rowley) work alongside practitioners to develop and evaluate interventions in practice; (b) engagements with national and local policy makers, for instance by evaluating large-scale policy initiatives; lobbying policy makers (e.g. Prime Minister's public services advisor in 2009 and 2010); policy committee and seminar work (DfE policy seminars; evidence sessions for the Education Select Committee; serving on the Conservative Party public services improvement (education) group in 2006-7); (c) the Centre for Equity in Education was established to strengthen links between research, policy and practice, is led by a `think tank' of senior educationalists who advise on the research programme, and publishes a series of widely-distributed annual reports; (d) a planned programme of dissemination including presentations at multiple practitioner conferences and the publication of `accessible' research syntheses with research-mediating organisations (e.g. Kerr and West's commissioned BERA Insight on Schools and Social Inequality, 2010; Raffo et al's commissioned Lessons from the implementation of Area-Based Initiatives for policy and practice for NESET, 2013).

Engagement with the research by users in schools, local authorities/consortia, and governments has been enabled through (a) effective report writing and oral feedback in ways that have enabled local and national policy makers to have clear understandings of the situation and the options available, and, (b) the use of the reports in meetings with professionals/stakeholders set up specifically to examine the evidence and to use it to plan, monitor and evaluate. Importantly the accumulation of evidence through linked projects has enabled partnerships with users to build on knowledge in order to develop more sophisticated understandings of good practice in different contexts. So durable partnerships have been built, where project initiation has shifted from user requests for one-off projects to more embedded and collaborative enquiries. For example, the Chief Executive of a Housing Trust states that when the Academy opened in 2008: "we established a long-term development and research (D&R) partnership with the University of Manchester which continues to the present. This aims to inform development of the Academy by research evidence and by critical friendship provided by the University" [5.3]. On a national basis, a civil servant confirms that an internal report in 2010, the Science and Analysis Review, identified "that the Department was able to trace the development of extended services policy, supported by the evidence base provided by The School of Education, among other publications" [5.1].

Reach and Significance of Impacts
We identify impact on practitioners and professional services, and on public policy and decision- making in three major sites post 2008:

Local policy and practice: The research reaches practitioners (for instance, the DfE evidence review for heads is heavily downloaded, e.g. 472 in October 2011) [5.7], and schools and LAs have developed new interventions as a result of engaging with it [5.3, 5.4, 5.6]. Groups of schools have worked with the Centre for Equity in Education on disadvantage-focused D&R projects from 2006 onwards, with professional corroboration regarding the direct benefits for children [5.6]. 14 schools in one LA reviewed and changed their practices, e.g. by developing better induction programmes for newly-arrived students, and shifting from a behaviour-management to a literacy-support approach to promoting appropriate student behaviour [3.1]. Two other schools have engaged from 2008 and 2012 respectively in ongoing D&R projects (including the sponsorship PhD students - Rowley and Forbes) to shape their development of substantial community programmes [5.3, 5.6]. Four LAs have been engaged in D&R projects, one of which supported a LA-wide `cultural change' initiative across children's services and included an ESRC CASE studentship (Duggan) [5.4]. Research has impacted an range of ways:

"...we were able to draw on Dr Rowley's input supported by Professor Dyson's insights to help and inform our emerging broader social and community agenda. The work enabled us to ensure our inevitable focus on the school and academic agenda was tempered by helping us to adhere to our broader commitment to the wider community" [5.3].

"...as an illustration of how pervasive the impact is I can refer to the decision being made by the secondary heads association in (LA name) supported by the LA to instigate a Borough wide programme of continuing professional development... In 2010 (LA name) developed a similar challenge and this was supported by Professor Dyson and his team. Significant improvements across all indicators have been achieved and Professor Dyson's critical contribution was a key factor" [5.4].

Stemming from the commissioned report, Developing Children's Zones for England (2012), the Centre for Equity in Education has worked with Save the Children UK to develop and research coordinated area interventions to improve disadvantaged children's outcomes. Witness statements confirm the impact of this research strategy, whereby a Chief Executive from a Housing Trust states that involvement in Children's Zones means that: "the specific research, supported by distillation of knowledge and experience from elsewhere, has helped to develop a well-rounded and potentially unique opportunity to have a sustainable and relevant impact on the lives of children, their families and the wider economy" [5.3]. The Zones began in three areas recruited in 2012 and are being rolled out nationally, with proposed `spin-off' developments in Wales, Scotland and the English `core cities' [5.5]. The UK Head of Policy at Save the Children UK, confirms the impact of research on policy and the decision to launch a national initiative to develop the zones, and stresses "the research undertaken by Professor Dyson's team has clearly shown that efforts to tackle the link between poverty and poor outcomes for children must work across family, school and community contexts and be sustained over time" [5.5]. This initiative is supported by a coalition of national organisations [5.5], has attracted attention from Ofsted [5.12] and is expected to be a major source of continuing impact.

National policy making: The research reaches policy makers whereby unsolicited witness statements have been forwarded to us from BERA regarding Kerr and West's 2010 Insight Report (see above). This corroboration confirms the relevance for professionals, particularly in supporting discussions [5.8]. The findings of the DfES-funded national evaluation of Full Service Extended Schools (FSES) (2003-7) were reported direct to policy makers and provided an evidence base for the transformation between 2005 and 2010 of the extended schools agenda to a policy for all schools and children's services [5.1, 5.9]. A civil servant outlines the impact of this research on national policymaking post 2008: (a) with a shift "from having one extended school in each local authority area to focusing attention on the availability of extended services in every school and locality"; (b) the link between FSES and attainment meant that "funding was made available to schools from 2010 onwards (a subsidy pathfinder) to help them provide a wide range of activities for children and young people who were disadvantaged by economic circumstances, and children in care"; (c) reports were accessible to the profession "...who were developing extended services, particularly head teachers, following the devolution of funding to head teachers in 2011", and (d) there were wider impacts, "the evidence collected as part of the research undertaken by The School of Education provided key pieces of evidence to inform spending reviews and policy development and more recently to inform the recent publication of More Affordable Childcare" [5.1].

Trans-national policymaking: because the Centre for Equity in Education focuses on researching the social determinants of educational disadvantage, Dyson was invited to chair the early years and education task groups for the `Marmot Review' of the (similar) social determinants of health in England (2010) and in Europe (2011-13) (commissioned by the Department of Health and World Health Organisation Europe respectively) [5.2]. Confirmation has been given that Dyson's role was based on his research track record, and: "as a further concrete illustration of the benefits I have derived from Professor Dyson's research, three quarters of local authorities in England have implementation plans based on my Review's recommendations, an important part of which is based on Professor Dyson's Task Group report" [5.2]. This work has been translated directly into recommendations for policy makers, adopted, for instance, in the EU Health 2020 policy [5.10]. Dyson has also advised the European Commission on its Communication on Inequalities and Education (2010-11), and co-wrote the WHO sectoral briefing for policy makers on the relationship between health and education (2011) [5.11].

Sources to corroborate the impact

All claims referenced in text

[5.1] Letter from a civil servant and research manager at the DfE.

[5.2] Letter from the chair of the European and English reviews of health inequalities.

[5.3] Letter from the Chief Executive of a Housing Trust Group and academy sponsor.

[5.4] Letter from a Director/Lead of Children and Young People's Services in two LAs.

[5.5] Letter from the UK Head of Policy, Save the Children UK.

[5.6] Corroboration from professionals.

[5.7] DfE report of research publication downloads.

[5.8] Corroboration from senior educationalists.

[5.9] Cited by DfE and predecessors in, for instance, Extended schools: Building on experience (2007) and Extended Services: Evidence of Impact and Good Practice.

[5.10] http://ec.europa.eu/health/europe_2020_en.htm

[5.11] http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789241502498_eng.pdf

[5.12] Access and achievement in urban education, Ofsted, 2013. http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/access-and-achievement-urban-education