Study Support Mission Statement

What is Study Support?

The Need for Study Support

The Value of Study Support

What is Study Support?

Study Support is learning outside normal lessons, which young people take part in voluntarily. It is accordingly an inclusive term, embracing many activities ? with many names and guises. Its purpose is to improve pupil?s motivation, build their self-esteem and help them
become more effective learners. Above all, it aims to raise achievement?. (DfES, 1998)

Activities can therefore be extremely varied and may include:
∙ Homework clubs (facilities and support to do homework)
∙ Help with key skills, including literacy, numeracy and ICT
∙ Study clubs (linked to or extending curriculum subjects)
∙ Sports, games, and adventurous outdoor activities
∙ Creative ventures (music, drama, dance, film and the full range of arts)
∙ Residential events ? study weeks or weekends
∙ Opportunities for volunteering activities in the school or community
∙ Opportunities to pursue particular interests - science, ICT, etc
∙ Learning about learning (thinking skills, accelerated learning)
∙ Community service (crime prevention initiatives, environmental clubs).

Study Support activities can be divided into three key categories according to purpose:

Extending: these are activities that extend and develop classroom experience.
For example, an ICT club.

Enabling: these activities develop basic and key skills.
For example, sporting activities

Enriching: these activities offer a range of different opportunities for learning.
For example, Art summer school


At Green Lane Primary we are committee to Study Support and believe it is an important part of our provision for the following reasons: Back to top

The Need for Study Support

Research shows that those who are going to do well in life are marked out by their self-esteem, their motivation and their ability to take responsibility for their own learning. We know too that good learning habits begin to develop at an early age. All young people can benefit from activities that build their confidence, increase their motivation and help them to acquire the good learning habits which lead to independent, lifelong learning.
For youngsters who have wide access to support from adults, books and equipment
at home, and the chance of interesting and stimulating outings in their spare time,
study support is a bonus, an extra opportunity to enjoy learning.

For others - especially those who are in danger of becoming disaffected or who have ceased to believe in themselves - study support can provide a more critical part of their
education. It can even make the difference between success or failure at school and
in later life. Back to top

The Value of Study Support

Pupils enjoy taking part in study support. They can choose what activities to do
or what clubs to attend, and appreciate the relaxed atmosphere which often helps
them to relate to their peers and adults (often teachers) in a new way. There can also be significant benefits in terms of attainment

Teachers enjoy the opportunity to get to know pupils better in informal surroundings, and the freedom to experiment with new ways of teaching away from the confines of the classroom.

Research shows that pupils who participate in study support activities do better than would have been expected from baseline measures in academic attainment. In addition, study support participants often show an improvement in their behaviour and attendance at school.
The benefits of study support Study support is central to a number of government
priorities relating to education, including - Every Child Matters

Every Child Matters (DfES, March 2004) reiterates the importance of personalisation within the context of allowing every child to have the opportunity to fulfil his or her potential. Study support is central to the achievement of this aim.
Excellence and Enjoyment: a strategy for primary schools (DfES 2003) similarly reaffirms
the central role played by study support in raising achievement at primary level.

Personalised Learning - Study Support plays a crucial role in underpinning the Beyond the Classroom element of the Personalised Learning agenda.

Extended Schools - Extended schools are required to include study support as part of the offer to young people and parents. Back to top