Evaluation Title

Summer Arts Colleges: Evaluation Report 2007

Type of evaluation

Data type Qualitative and Quantitative

Evaluation Focus Engagement, Literacy and numeracy, Progression Routes, Reducing offending

Key indicators Attendance, Completion rates, Engagement, Literacy skills, Offending rates, Progression Routes

Project output Arts Award

Methodologies Asset analysis, Attendance registers, Data analysis

Summary of evaluation

An independent report on the 2007 Summer Arts Colleges intitiative focusing on reducing re-offeding, increasing educational engagement, improving literacy and numeracy skills and ETE progression routes.

The findings show positive impacts for the young people in each of the key outcome areas of engagement in ETE, offending behaviour
and engagement in the arts.  Further analysis may be undertaken to identify predictive factors for these positive outcomes.

Project description

Summer Arts Colleges are a major initiative of the strategic partnership between the Youth Justice Board and Arts Council England. The Summer
Arts College is an intensive six-week programme intended for young people on Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programmes (ISSPs) and those recently released from custody on Detention and Training Orders (DTOs).

In 2007, 17 Summer Arts Colleges were run across England and Wales with a total of 156 young people participating.  The young people attended on average around 90 hours over the 6-week programme.  Of those who started, 69% completed the programme.

Key Quote

There was strong evidence of achievement and skill attainment among participants. Almost all young people who completed the Summer Arts College achieved the national Arts Award qualification and there was evidence to suggest the award was the first qualification achieved for the majority of those above school-leaving age.


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