Class One Computer Systems Limited

2, Staceys Mount, Crays Hill, Billericay, Essex. CM11 2XH    Tele/Fax:01268-284171

Independent Evaluation of the Campus System 

to Support Primary Schools

Introduction

This report is a brief evaluation of the Campus System; a computer based system developed by Class One Computer Systems to support primary school. This system has been introduced in three pilot schools with a grant from the East Basildon EAZ. to support attendance and achievement.

This evaluation looked at the views of the three schools as to its use and usefulness to support a range of functions within the school. It is not a comparative evaluation to other systems (e.g. SIMS)

  

The Campus System

The developers John Beavis and Steve Henderson from Class One were interviewed as part of the evaluation. They also demonstrated and provided written information on the system.

The Campus System is described as an electronic registration system to monitor and improve attendance. It is also described as having additional benefits to primary schools. The developers detail 21 points of how Campus can be of benefit to the Primary School. These include using the system in a number ways for example:

•      Electronic attendance registration, which can be undertaken by a teacher or teaching assistant

•      The collection of dinner money and listing dietary requirements.

•      Injury/Warnings reports availability

•      Pupil history /SEN information

•      Letter and label production.

•      Reports for the Education Welfare Officer.

•      Library/Catalogue! Asset System recording

•      Producing Annual reports.

•      The evaluation/collation of information.

 

In the meeting with John Beavis, he outlined a number of advantages to schools.

•      The system is easy to use.

•      It can connect ‘dumb’ terminals to the system

•      Switching terminals off accidentally does not corrupt data

•      It cannot transfer computer virus.

•      It is cheaper than other systems; costs can be recouped within 18 months.

•      The cost savings are in direct relationship to the effort put in.

•      EWO time can be saved, by the production of monitoring reports by schools.

 

Introduction of the Campus System

In 1997, Kevin Furlong, Headteacher of Ryedene Community Primary School met with John Beavis from Class One to discuss the potential benefits of electronic registration in monitoring and improving attendance. He initially trialed Campus at the school from September 1997.

The Willows School, at that time separate infant and junior schools, started the following year and Gyllgrove Primary School is now in its second year. These are the three schools, which have been used for the pilot although clearly there are different stages currently in the use of the system. Ryedene School has consistently used and developed the system in the school since 1997. The Willows has only been an amalgamated school since September 2000, which would make some comparisons difficult, although the views are no less valid. At Gyllgrove School, the Headteacher was on sick leave for the first year of the pilot, so comments are only available from an administrative viewpoint for this evaluation.

The views of the schools

A range of staff from the schools were asked the following questions:

Did the Campus improve attendance?

Is it cost effective?

How its use offer sustainable benefits and help good practice ?

Can it help reduce bureaucracy in primary schools?

The consultant had discussion with the following school staff

Kevin Furlong - Headteacher Ryedene School

Sam Offord - Acting Head, Ryedene School

Sue Heslop - Secretary Ryedene School

June Amran - Headteacher, The Willows School

Sue Brooks - Admin Assistant, The Willows School

Jackie Westbook - Admin Officer, Gyllgrove School.

The schools said they currently used the system in the following ways

Rvedene School

• Registration

• Lateness

• Production of letters to parents

• First day calling information

• Collection of dinner money, print out for meal supervisors.

• Annual reports for one class.

• Information for EWO

• Information sharing with Social services (e.g. child protection)

• Analysing data.  

The Willows School

• Registration

• Lateness

• First day calling information

• Production of letters to parents

• Collection of dinner money, print out for meal supervisors.

• Trip/Milk money

• Information for EWO

• Library

• ‘Birthday lists’

• ‘Confidential information’ on children (Restricted access)

Gyllgrove School

• Registration

• Lateness

• Printing out ‘lates.’

• First day calling information

• Production of letters to parents

• Collection of dinner money, print out for meal supervisors.

• Trip money

                  • EWO reports

 

Did the Campus improve attendance?

Kevin Furlong, Ryedene School, said that there had been an overall slight improvement in attendance from 98/99 - 90.8% to 99/00 - 91.8%. He also said that there had been a reduction in unauthorised attendance from 1.4% to .8% over the same period.

Gyllgrove School said there had been no noticeable improvement in attendance, which was over 93%.

Comparisons at The Willows school would be difficult due to amalgamation of the schools during the period. June Amran felt it had improved attendance

However, all school commented on the heightened awareness of attendance issues since introducing the system in their respective schools.

Ryedene School commented on being more aware of attendance issues in different classes and year groups.

Gyllgrove School said it was very useful to look at why children were absent, and highlighted the issue of children who do not return after the summer holidays. The Willows commented it was much easier to track unauthorised attendance.

A benefit commented by all school was the print out that could be produced for the Education Welfare Officers. This electronically undertook the ‘register check’ which previously had been undertaken manually by the EWO. Also information could be analysed and selectively produced. Ryedene and The Willows schools both commented that there was some, quite surprisingly, some resistance to this from the EWO’ s, but that they now found it useful. The schools felt that this should then increase the time the EWOs had to follow up absences.

All schools commented on its ease in use both in registration and in producing letters and information for parents. Ryedene School sends half-termly letters to all parents outlining the pupil’s attendance. All schools send standard letters requesting explanation of absence.

Is it cost effective?  

It was difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of costs for the system in these three schools. Ryedene obtained the system at a cost of £4000 as a trial and there was a contribution to all schools form the EAZ for the pilot. No school said they felt that the cost of £6000 would be excessive.  

Both Ryedene and Gyllgrove commented on the £595 annual cost for support. Ryedene School felt it was good value as it gave them peace of mind and there was good response to any problems or request to install new components. Gyllgrove School was less sure if this was good value, as they had needed little support. However, this was not a comment from the Headteacher. The Willows School was not aware that they had paid an annual fee! However, they said they had had good telephone support from the developers.  

All schools commented that it had reduced administrative time considerably for all areas, particularly for monies collection. This was estimated at a couple of hours a week at least. It was said to cut down time for teachers for registration and also the EWO on register checks and discussion. It saved on the production of letters of all types. Also information was readily available for other agencies (E.g. Social services)

The system would currently cost £6000 to install and there is an annual charge of £595 for support. It would be reasonable to support the developer’s claim that costs could be recouped in 18 months in saved time. There may be a real cost saving in reduced admin staffing.  

Overall, it would appear that it could be cost effective to schools. However, no comparative costing was made and comparisons may need to be made with other systems.

How its use offers sustainable benefits and help good practice?

The schools use the Campus in a variety of ways. They all commented on additional ways that they hope to extend its use, particularly in producing Annual Reports, cataloguing and data analysis.

One benefit mentioned by both Ryedene and The Willows was that it increased the skills of teachers and teaching assistants to use computers. They become more computer aware and less anxious about using them. It was commented that it was good for children to see computers used in a different way and as part of the school day.

It is recognised as developing good practice in registration and follow up. Absence and lateness lists are produced daily and acted on quickly. Factual information can be produced for parents and others and comparative analysis can be undertaken which would have taken a great deal of time and effort.  

There appears to be considerable benefit to the task of collecting dinner money and providing accessible information for school meal supervisors (e.g. identifying pupils who have dinners/sandwiches and dietary requirements). Other money for trips and milk can be collected and easily recorded.  

The Willows said they use the system for cataloguing library books, they said that they were able to locate suitable books for children with only limited information and track them. Ryedene were looking into doing the same.  

The Willows example of producing a Birthday list for each class is a nice use of technology for an everyday purpose! Birthdays can be listed by month and celebrated accordingly.  

Can it help reduce bureaucracy in primary schools?

Ryedene said the system ‘produced quality data at the flick of a switch’. All information is sent to a central computer for collation.

All schools said the system does tasks quicker. There is an initial training issue for undertaking registration. It is estimated that it probably needs 2 hours training to use the system for registration. The issue of supply teachers was raised. Regular supply teachers can use the systems. However, schools have trained up teaching assistants to use the system as a back up. This is seen as effective.  

Gyllgrove school felt it produced more paper, but the others felt it could reduce paper as it only produces paper when you want the data. Attendance registration information does have to be printed after morning registration again in the afternoon (the AM paper then destroyed) but this is a requirement of the DfEE to keep paper copies on a daily basis.

Overall, it was seen as reducing bureaucracy, saving time and producing accurate quality data.  

Conclusions and comments from schools.  

All three schools said they liked it and would recommend it to other Primary Schools for a range of uses, including attendance registration. It is seen as easy to use, very reliable, low maintenance, timesaving, primary orientated and a good data analysing tool. Two of the three schools commented that it was good value for money.  

Comments were made such as: ‘Teachers are happy with it they wouldn’t want to go back  to the old way,  ‘worth every single penny’, ‘brilliant’, ‘excellent system, very versatile’ and ‘would not be without it’. This was from administrative and management staff alike.  

The only problem raised was that due to cabling it may be difficult to install if the school site is fragmented (e.g. portacabins), although The Willows does use it across several buildings.  

There is no conclusive evidence that the system has improved attendance significantly, although Ryedene School provided information to indicate they had an improvement in that school. However, it does appear to have assisted the registration process, follow up and increased awareness.  

The pilot shows that  “Campus” is a system that is useful to support primary schools not only in attendance registration, but also in a range of other uses. Class One Computers were seen as providing good support and service. On the evidence from the three pilot schools, this appears to be a system that could be seriously considered by other Primary Schools.