Centre for Successful Schools

Pupils

The Pupil Survey

Since its foundation, CfSS has been supporting primary, secondary and middle schools with a range of attitudinal surveys. The pupil survey focuses on the views of pupils about the experiences they receive in schools; their perceptions of the quality of those experiences, their relationship with teachers and peers, their awareness of their parents/carers’ support for their education, and the degree to which they are prepared to commit themselves to the school’s purposes.  It examines the way in which pupil attitude varies according to the age and gender of the pupil. 

Methodology

The questionnaires are generally administered in schools (or groups of schools) to a minimum 25% (or 250 pupils) random and representative sample (but can be administered to all pupils in the school). The pupil survey is conducted either on-line or by means of a hard copy (paper) questionnaire.  Pupils’ responses and their free text comments are gathered by means of an optical mark reader (OMR) answer sheet.  This paper-based method allows schools to administer the questionnaires more easily in a supervised environment, whilst ensuring that pupil responses remain confidential. The materials for conducting the surveys and detailed instructions for the administration of the questionnaires are prepared and distributed by CfSS.  Responsibility for supervising the pupils undertaking the survey, and for returning the completed materials to Keele for analysis rests with the school. 

The Questionnaires

The secondary pupil questionnaire comprises either 65 or 80 questions which are completed in the school and then analysed at Keele both individually and in clusters.  The five broad areas of school life in which questions are grouped are as follows:

The level of satisfaction with the school experience (e.g. Are you usually happy at school?)

The quality of pupil/teacher relationships (e.g. Do the teachers really listen to what you have to say?)

The perceived extent of parental support for pupil learning (e.g. Do your parents help and advise you with your schoolwork?)

The influence of the peer group (e.g. Do other pupils make fun of people who work hard?)

The level of pupils’ commitment to learning (e.g. Do you work as hard as you can in school?)

Pupil well-being (on the 80 question version) (e.g. Do you agree that this school encourages pupils to adopt healthier lifestyles?)

Additional questions are included which relate to:

• ICT provision and usage, and the impact of ICT on teaching and learning
• the amount of homework children do
• study support and extra-curricular activities
• pupils’ perception of their own academic ability
• standards of behaviour
• levels of attendance

As a supplement to the 65 question pupil questionnaire, schools are also offered the opportunity to include an additional set of up to 15 questions.  These questions can either be bespoke questions created in collaboration with the school or chosen from existing sets.  For example, questions on pupils’ perceptions relating to:

• the teaching of a core curriculum subject (English, Mathematics, Science, MFL, ICT)
• the extent and nature of pupils’ patterns of behaviour (bullying)
• homework
• school buildings

The primary pupil questionnaire comprises fifty-eight questions. Forty-two of these are yes/no questions which are analysed both individually and in the same five broad areas of school life covered by the secondary questionnaire (the level of satisfaction with the school experience, the quality of pupil/teacher relationships, the perceived extent of parental support for pupil learning, the influence of the peer group, the level of pupils’ commitment to learning, and pupil well-being).

In addition, a number of important questions are put to the pupils relating to their perceptions of themselves.  Such questions include those which concern perceptions of pupils’ self image, and their perceptions of their own ability. These questions are also analysed individually and in clusters.

Outcomes

A report on the pupil survey is provided for each school (usually within one week of receipt of the completed questionnaires at Keele). This report provides information which enables schools to compare the attitudes of boys and girls, and the responses of different year groups, against a national database. The report also provides a tabulated summary of findings allowing schools to compare their own performance longitudinally.

Each report includes:

• a discussion of the analysis findings which compares a school’s findings to either Keele CfSS database averages or findings from a previous survey.  The report also relates the school's findings to OFSTED's guidance on developing an effective school self-evaluation summary
• the data analysis tabulated by year and gender groups
• comparative data in diagrammatic form
• a transcript of free text comments made by pupils. (All comments are included in this transcript although minor amendments are made to maintain confidentiality and protect individuals from identification
• summaries of the school's findings, where available, providing comparisons with previous CfSS surveys at the school.

Five types of standard surveys are available.  Please click on the tabs at the top of this page for further details of the other surveys that CfSS offers.

Parents

The Parent Survey

The parent survey is now available in two formats: 30 questions or 90 questions. Both versions focus on parents’ views about their child’s school and schooling. They examine parents’ experience of: access to and contact with the school, their perception of the teachers, the quality of communication between school and parents, the school’s curriculum and standards, and the way in which the school caters for pupils’ academic and pastoral needs. The CfSS parent databases, which contain more than 50,000 responses, enable primary and secondary schools to compare their findings with those of other schools nationally.

Methodology

CfSS provide all parent questionnaires and guidance notes to schools. The schools then distribute the questionnaires to a minimum sample of 250 parents.  Parents are asked to return the questionnaires to the school, who then send all completed questionnaires to Keele for analysis.  Alternatively the survey can be completed on-line.  In this instance, schools are provided with a bespoke link to distribute to parents.

The Questionnaire

Both versions (30 questions or 90 questions) of the parent questionnaire covers the following broad areas which impact upon the quality of the child’s experience:

The school and its standards (e.g. To what extent do you agree the school is achieving high academic standards?)

Communication between school and parents (e.g. Do you feel that you have enough information about the school?)

The relationships between parents and teachers (e.g. Do you feel that you are treated like a partner in your child's education?)

The quality of children’s experience in school (e.g. How happy do you feel your child is at school?)

The effectiveness of the teachers (e.g. Are standards of teaching high in most cases?)

The well-being of their child (e.g. Are healthy food and drink made available in school?)

The 90 questions parent survey also includes other questions which relate to the parents’ socio-economic background, ethnicity and educational experience. These questions are optional but help to build up a picture of the extent to which school provision meets the needs and aspirations of some groups more than others.  They also make it possible for observations about the schools’ achievement to be made within a social context.

Outcomes

Schools are provided with a written report, and an analysis of questions (tabulated by the child’s school year group).  Schools are also provided with data in diagrammatic form and (where possible) longitudinal data in tabulated form, and with a written transcript of comments made by parents in the “free expression” section of the questionnaire.   Finally, the report contains summaries of the school's findings, providing comparisons (where available) with previous CfSS surveys at the school.

The 90 questions parent survey also includes further analysis by categories in both tabulated and diagrammatic form.

Teachers

The Teacher Survey

This survey focuses on teachers’ attitudes to their professional experience. It examines teachers’ perceptions of aspects of school life which influence the quality of their experiences, including their views on the behaviour and attitude of pupils, their relationship with pupils, the range and style of their teaching, their perception of the professional support they receive and their level of job satisfaction.

 Methodology

All members of the teaching staff are invited to contribute confidentially to the teacher survey.  The questionnaire covers five aspects of school life which influence the quality of teachers’ experience as follows:

The quality of the school

• The school’s reputation in the community
• Mission and ethos
• Quality of schooling
• Staff morale
• Quality of physical environment and resources
• Relationship with parents/carers

The pupils

• Pupil behaviour
• Pupil/pupil relationships
• Pupils’ commitment to learning

General classroom practice

• Classroom control
• Praise and encouragement
• Expectations and target setting
• Feedback and support

Professional development and support

• Opportunities for continuing professional development
• Quality of CPD activities
• Support and feedback from senior colleagues

Leadership and management

• Quality of leadership exercised by the Senior Management/Leadership Team
• Quality of relationships between SMT/SLT and staff

Outcomes

Participant schools are provided with a feedback report containing:

• a discussion of the analysis findings which compares a school's findings to either the Keele CfSS database averages or the school's own previous findings
• an analysis of individual questions
• comparative data in diagrammatic form
• an edited transcript of free text comments made by teaching staff. (All comments are included in this transcript although amendments are made to maintain confidentiality and protect individuals from identification.)
• a summary of findings tabulated (where available) with findings of previous CfSS surveys at the school.

Conducting additional follow-up surveys, thereby allowing for further comparative analysis of a school’s data, can enable longitudinal studies to be carried out, highlighting changes in attitude over time. 

Support Staff

The Support Staff Survey

This survey is designed to explore the views of a wide range of support staff (including administrative, technical, domestic, and classroom support staff). The survey looks at what support staff have to say about their working environment, the school organisation and their relationships with pupils and teachers. They are asked about the extent to which their work is valued, their professional development and support and their level of job satisfaction.

Methodology

All members of the support staff are invited to contribute confidentially to the support staff survey.   The questionnaire covers the following aspects of school life which influence the quality of support staff’s work experience:

School quality

• Level of job satisfaction
• The school’s reputation in the community
• Staff morale

School environment, resources and ethos

• Physical environment of the school
• Safety and security
• Resources

The work and working arrangements of the support staff

• Line management
• Induction process

The teachers and working relationships between teaching and non-teaching staff

• Teaching standards
• Teaching colleagues’ attitudes to support staff
• Status of support staff

The pupils

• Pupil behaviour
• Pupils’ attitudes to support staff
• Pupil/pupil relationships

Professional development and support

• Support for career development
• Access to training and skills acquisition
• Appraisal of job performance

Leadership and management

• Quality of leadership exercised by Senior Management/Leadership Team
• Information dissemination and communication in the school
• Support staff involvement in school development

Outcomes

Participant schools are provided with a feedback report containing:

• a discussion of the analysis findings which compares a school's findings to either the Keele CfSS database averages or a school's previous findings
• an analysis of individual questions
• comparative data in diagrammatic form
• an edited transcript of free text comments made by support staff. (All comments are included in this transcript although amendments are made to maintain confidentiality and protect individuals from identification.)
• a summary of findings tabulated (where available) with findings of previous CfSS surveys at the school.

 As with all stakeholders, follow-up surveys conducted with support staff can yield longitudinal data, highlighting changes over time.

The School Community Survey

Also available from the Centre is the School Community Survey, which provides both an overview and a comparison of the views of the whole school community. This survey consists of a core of 30 questions, addressing whole school issues, which are answered by pupils, parents, teachers, support staff and governors.  Up to 20 additional questions are then introduced to each group, addressing issues particular to them.  The survey can be conducted on-line or in paper format (one double-sided A4 sheet with tick boxes for each group).  The SCS survey report includes an extensive written report, a tabulated analysis of responses to all questions, a diagrammatic analysis of every question, a transcript of any comments, and comparisons with previous SCS surveys carried out at the school.