HOST Policy Research: Projects and Consultations

Current Projects

 

Review of research and evaluation into the impact of competitions on development of excellence in vocational learning and Apprenticeships

The HOST team for this project is being led by Dorothy Berry-Lound (Managing Director of HOST), with Valerie Rowe (HOST Senior Associate) Deputy Project Director. Other team members are Dick Willis (Senior Associate) and Bob Windmill (Associate).

The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) has commissioned HOST Policy Research to conduct a review of current and recent research in particular to establish how competitions can be used to inform and support vocational education and training developments and Apprenticeships specifically. Central to this commission is the need to establish the impact on the four main groups involved – individuals, employers, training organisations and the State – and how any key features of successful impact might be integrated into mainstream Apprenticeships and mainstream education in the UK.

The National Apprenticeship Service is particularly interested to establish how competitions activity can be better used to inform and support the development of excellence in wider vocational education and training and in particular in Apprenticeships. This includes a greater understanding of how the key features that contribute to success might be built into mainstream education and apprenticeship training. Prior to commissioning any specific research activity NAS wishes to establish what work has been undertaken in this area to date.

Reporting will be in three stages.  An interim report, due at the end of November 2011, a second interim report, due at the end of January 2012 and a final report which is due at the end of February 2012.

 

Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) Research Study led by Dr David Parsons with Stefan Burkey and Sue Tate

HOST has been asked by the National College for School Leadership to carry out an important research study designed to understand what key features need to be in place within the evolving Teaching School model to ensure the successful development of the ‘Specialist Leader of Education’ (SLE) role. SLEs are seen as a lynchpin in the new policy focus on schools and co-operative self improvement, and this timely study aims to provide robust and evidence based guidance to schools on mobilising and making best use of the role.  It will also examine how SLEs are and will engage in research and share effective practice both amongst themselves and as part of a national network for teaching schools and their partners.

The SLE designation was announced in the 2010 Schools White Paper (The Importance of Teaching) and is designed to denote professionals in positions below the headteacher who are leaders in a particular area such as a subject specialism, inclusion, performance management, early years or school business management and who also have the skills and capacity to support others in similar positions beyond their own school.

The study has recently commenced and will involve a review of existing and emerging intelligence from the Teaching Schools and SLE pilots, emerging evidence from roll-out, focus groups with stakeholders and a series of in-depth case studies to profile better practice and lessons to be learned.  It will conclude in early Spring 2012 with a research report and also practical advice, evidence and tools that will support and enable the successful development of SLEs and their role in the Teaching Schools model.  The audience for the outcomes of this research will be teaching schools and individual or networks of SLEs.

 

Benefits of open access to scholarly research outputs to private sector business

HOST has recently started an intensive and pioneering study for JISC on the benefits to UK industry and commerce from Open Access to higher education research outputs. The UK study has been commissioned by JISC on behalf of the UK and home nation stakeholders to the UKs Open Access Implementation Group (OAIG).

Knowledge transfer from university research has been a long standing issue for public policy, and with current debate on how UK businesses and others can secure ‘open access’ to leading edge research outcomes. ‘Green’ Open access uses publicly accessible on-line repositories for such research, ‘Gold’ open access makes research publications freely accessible, but both open-up business and other access to research findings that may previously have been restricted or limited to publication in, for example, subscription journals. JISC and OAIG are looking for robust evidence of how businesses benefit from open access arrangements already in place. The project focuses on UK- based businesses - small and large, and open access use of published and systematically disseminated research-based outputs from university and public sector research bodies.

The research is being conducted over four-months and will involve a systematic literature review, together with direct evidence from selected stakeholders. This will be followed by the case study stage - involving up to 30 enterprises. A parallel e- consultation is also being run and which can be accessed through the HOST or JISC web-sites. The study is led by Dr David Parsons (Senior Associate) working closely with Dick Willis and Dr Jane Holland, supported by the JISC innovation group, and JISC specialists appointed to support OAIG’s research initiative. The final report of the review is expected to be available from late summer 2011.

 

Evaluation of School Business Managers (development) Programme

HOST is undertaking a three year evaluation of the National College of Schools and Childrens Services Leadership of the School Business Managers (SBM) programme. The evaluation aims to provide for the National College’s early and continuing information needs to help steer, shape and further improve the programme, and its support to the sector. It will also look at how the evolving programme meets emerging public policy needs.

The evaluation has commenced with preliminary assessment of the scope and reach of the programme, and with a particular focus on its newest element - the School Business Director (SBD) pilot programme. Over the following three years it will provide the necessary staged intelligence and analysis for the College to:

  • Assess how the programme is meeting its stated aims and the needs of participants and schools in building effective school business support capacities and capabilities.
  • Review and understand the evolving contribution of the programme and in particular the difference it is making both to schools, pupils and performance.
  • Establish the wider impact of the programme, and in particular the direct and indirect outcomes for participants, as well as for head teachers and other staff.
  • Provide staged analysis of programme reach and coverage, emerging development issues and themes and formative and summative recommendations for the responsiveness and continuous improvement of the programme.

The methodology will draw extensively on the College’s and providers’ extensive monitoring evidence and participant feedback, together with small-scale fieldwork - which will aim to capture wider evidence of benefits to participants and their schools. It will provide for progressive reporting with rapid feedback (and review) for the National College. The evaluation is led by a five person team at HOST led by David Parsons, with Alan Bloomfield, Jane Holland, Stefan Burkey and Neville Adams. The final report is due in November 2013.

HOST Latest News

 

HOST consortium research and workshop programme

“I gained more knowledge about how best to gather information for research purposes and the limitations.”