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Call for proposals:
Learning and community in New Earswick: a hundred years of innovation
| Deadline: | 2pm on Thursday 7 June 2007 |
|---|---|
| JRF Committee: | Practice and Research Committee (PARC) |
| Timescale: | Approximately 3 years (in two phases) |
| Budget: | up to £20,000 for each of two phases |
| Key contacts: | Philippa Hare (Principal Research Manager) Jo Allsop (Research Administrator) |
Supporting documents:
Project summary
Proposals are sought for a study of the story of learning and community in the ‘garden village’ of New Earswick, York. Starting with the founding of the two village schools in the first half of the twentieth century, the study will go on to describe key developments since then until the present day. However, the main focus of the study will be to track current developments around the rebuilding of the Joseph Rowntree (secondary) school, and the establishment of a Children’s Centre at the New Earswick (primary) school, in particular setting these in the context of community activities and relationships with the village as a whole.
Background/Context
When Joseph Rowntree started building the village of New Earswick in the early years of the twentieth century, he planned it not just as a place for his factory workers and others to live in, but as a self-governing community, with its own Folk Hall and Village Council and, in time, its own schools.
Through this community and its schools, Joseph both anticipated and influenced national policy and practice. From the start, both schools fostered relationships with the wider community - and they still do so. They also maximised the potential of innovative design and teaching methods to enhance the educational experience of the children. The village is perhaps unique in the way it seeks to nurture and sustain the relationships between citizens and community, the physical environment and learning in its broadest sense.
Today, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation continues its founder’s commitment, both through its ongoing support to the two schools, and through a wide range of practical projects which seek to strengthen links between formal and informal settings for learning. Such projects encompass early years, parenting, youth activity, inter-generational links, school mentoring, community arts and drama, community philosophy, and youth reward schemes.
Over the years, JRF has also funded numerous academic studies exploring the relationships between education, poverty, inclusion, regeneration and community. Studies commissioned in the late 1990s (citations) indicated that further development of links between school, family and community can be a good investment for schools and education authorities - provided there is adequate leadership and resources. JRF continues its commitment to educational issues in its current programme of research around poverty and education, which focuses on relationships between students and adults in out-of-school activities: school exclusion; literacy; the impact of poverty on school experience; children’s views of social difference and the causes of low attainment. Two major projects exploring the attitudes, expectations and aspirations of children, and the influence of parents, place and poverty on these, have recently been commissioned.
The £25-million rebuild of the Joseph Rowntree secondary school offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reaffirm the vision of its founder by designing a place of learning which is grounded in, and nurtured by, the wider community it serves. Building will start in January 2008, with a target completion date of September 2009. JRF is supporting this process by commissioning the architect Ian Atkinson to draw up the design brief and the outline business case. Already a Technology Specialist School, the school has recently been awarded ‘Project Faraday status’ to inspire students and encourage the take-up of science subjects. It is also aiming for ‘access and inclusion’ status, to reflect both the plans for a new autism unit and also its relationships with the wider community. The school has recognised that these developments offer a major opportunity to develop a new vision for the school based on best practice and innovation in teaching and learning, and, with expert external support, will be drawing up a long-term plan for leading and managing change.
At the same time, New Earswick primary school is to become one of eight Children’s Centres in the City of York – with the aim of offering seamless, holistic services to local families. This development has important implications for both the school and the community.
Finally, the current review of the village Folk Hall, and audit of all community resources and activities in the village, are also timed to make the most of these unique opportunities.
There is a real feeling among those involved that, together, these developments have the potential to strengthen the links between all the generations living in New Earswick – by combining new approaches to engagement, inclusion and partnership working with cutting-edge architectural design. The concurrence of these developments has highlighted the need to tell their story and to capture the processes of decision-making, consensus building and change.
Description of Project
It is within this context that we wish to commission a study which will record relevant events from the founding of the schools right through to the completion of the Children’s Centre, the new secondary school buildings and beyond. The study should…
- Summarise major developments from the founding of the schools up to the present day, highlighting particularly significant changes in teaching style/curriculum, buildings, governance, and ethos; and links with the JRF agenda on poverty and education. The primary focus will be on links between schools and community
- Describe the development of the Children’s Centre, from early planning in 2006 - focusing on major decisions and challenges; links with the Sure Start and Communities that Care programmes; and its context within New Earswick, York and the wider UK
- Describe the rebuild of the secondary school, from early planning in 2006 - focusing on major decisions and challenges, with particular reference to design, the school’s aspiration for access and inclusion status, and community involvement and consultation
The study should set these developments within the wider context of national policy and, in particular, highlight developments which are ‘cutting-edge’ and evidence-based.
A mix of methods will be required, including:
- Examination of key documents (archive documents, films and photographs, minutes, reviews, plans etc). There will be access to the JRF library, which contains a number of relevant archives. The project holder will also be able to link with a local photographer who has been commissioned to record developments in the schools and village over the next couple of years.
- Interviews with key individuals (e.g. current and possibly former teachers, education officers, governors, parents and children, members of the community, architects etc)
- Occasional attendance at key meetings or events (e.g. official openings) during the course of the project.
Skills
The proposal may be submitted by an individual or by a small team. A background in journalism/feature-writing, education, local history or community development may be as important as more traditional academic research skills.
A Project Advisory Group will support the project, meeting every few months throughout its lifetime, and providing guidance and contacts.
Expected Outputs
At the end of Phase 1 (July 2008) we expect: a) a progress report b) a first draft of initial chapters of the book.
We also expect a progress report in June 2009.
At the end of Phase 2 (July 2010) the final output will be a manuscript of approximately 50,000 words, to be published by JRF as a paperback book. It should include plans, photographs, and diagrams as appropriate to illuminate key points. The style used in the report should be clear, accessible and engaging, and of interest both to the lay person and to professionals in design, education, and community development.
A short summary 'Findings' document will also be required.
The author will be expected to be involved in defining which messages are for which audiences, and, with the PAG, in developing ideas on the dissemination of the study.
How to Apply
It is essential that you read the How to apply for funding section of our web-site before submitting your proposal, together with the Application guidelines which contain the necessary forms for completing your application.
In addition, applicants are asked to submit relevant examples of their work (maximum two) to demonstrate their writing style, research skills and experience, and approach to subject matter.
Three unbound, hard copies of all documents are required. Please also e-mail a Word version of the complete proposal, summary and budget forms to Jo Allsop by the deadline below.
Proposals should be submitted to:
Jo Allsop
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
The Homestead
40 Water End
YORK YO30 6WP
Email: Jo.allsop@jrf.org.uk
Budget
Phase1: up to £20,000
Phase 2: up to £20,000
Timescales
The project will be carried out in two phases – see below. Phase 2 will be commissioned subject to satisfactory performance in Phase 1.
Phase1: September 2007 – July 2008
This phase will focus on:
- summarising major developments from the founding of the schools up to the present day, highlighting significant changes in teaching style/curriculum, buildings, governance, and ethos; links between schools and community; and links with the JRF agenda on poverty and education
- describing the early phases of the planning of the new secondary school, and the planning and establishment of the Children’s Centre
- describing and analysing the impact of these developments on the local community
- where appropriate, setting developments within a broader national context.
- Progress report – due July 2008
- First draft of initial sections of book, based on work done to date - due July 2008.
Phase 2: August 2008 – July 2010
This phase will focus on:
- describing the ongoing building and the opening of the secondary school, up to one academic year after its opening
- describing the settling in and development of the Children’s Centre
- describing any other relevant developments
- describing and analysing the impact of these developments on the local community
- where appropriate, setting developments within a broader national context.
- Progress report – due June 2009
- Final manuscript - due July 2010.
The deadline for applications is 2 p.m. on Thursday 7 June 2007.
Late submissions cannot be accepted. Following internal review, a shortlist of proposals will be presented to our PARC Committee at the end of June 2007 for their consideration. The Trustees of the Foundation will meet to give final approval for funding in September. In the event that Trustees do not approve the work, preliminary costs of up to £2000 will be reimbursed.
Criteria
Judgements about proposals will be made on the basis of the written material received. The following criteria will be applied:
- the relevance of the proposal to this brief
- the appropriateness of the methods proposed to the aims of the project
- demonstration of appropriate knowledge and experience of the subject areas, including key literature and the policy and practice context
- demonstration of appropriate skills e.g. in document research, interviewing, descriptive writing, analysis, project planning etc
- the ability to make links with local groups and individuals, a commitment to equal opportunities, and an understanding of diversity and appropriate supported involvement of people with direct experience
- the ability and capacity of the proposer to carry out the work efficiently and effectively, and to complete on time
- an appropriate approach to any ethical considerations, or possible areas of sensitivity
- value for money
Contacts
For queries about the research and project, please contact:
Philippa Hare
Principal Research Manager
(01904 615948; philippa.hare@jrf.org.uk)
For queries about the applications process, deadlines, etc. please contact:
Jo Allsop
Research Administrator
(01904 615948; jo.allsop@jrf.org.uk)
Citations
- Dyson, Alan and Robson, Elaine (1999) School, family, community: Mapping school inclusion in the UK JRF: National Youth Agency
- Ball, Mog (1998) School inclusion: the school, the family and the community JRF
