Transcript Slide 1

The Tellus Survey - an overview
Alison Thompson: Analysis and Research Division
DCSF Conference: The Use of Evidence in Policy Development and
Delivery, 9 February 2010
Tellus is …
 a quantitative self-completion survey
designed to gather CYP views on their life,
their school and their local area
 The source of data to inform five DCSF led
indicators in the national indicator set and
three DCSF leds PSAs
The Survey
 annual survey
 covers years 6, 8 and 10
 includes all types of mainstream schools (primary,
middle, secondary, academies, PRUs and special
schools, and Services Children Education)
 inclusive of vulnerable and hard to reach groups such as
children with SEN and disabilities
 seeks CYP perceptions of, and experiences and
satisfaction with universal services available to them (but
not specialist services)
Benefits to us from gathering the
views of children and young people
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better outcomes
customer focus
identify gaps or problems
CYP involvement in decision making
Key aims for Tellus4 - first survey
delivered by DCSF and NFER
 to produce robust data everyone has confidence in using
 improve support to schools and local authorities – our key
delivery partners
 improve the accessibility of the survey, to all children but
especially those with disabilities and SEN
Tellus4 Portal
www.tellussurvey.org.uk
The Survey
‘can I firstly say how easy it is to use
(the portal) and well-designed ‘
‘We had a very good response from our
schools for both TellUs 2 and 3 but this
year it is exceptional…our admin
officer…is doing an admiral job ([and)
tells me the helpline is indeed very
helpful’.
‘Our level of buy-in far exceeds what
there was last year so I think your new
approach is working well so far’.
Feedback received from
LAs and schools
The Survey
A parent accessing the portal said: ‘I
have been on the site and looked up the
relevant items. I feel I can talk about the
up and coming survey, with confidence,
with my child’.
Feedback received from a
parent
The Survey
‘One pupil involved in piloting the SEND
versions said ‘It’s like they’re talking to
you like a normal human being, like a
one on one. You could say things that
you wouldn’t want to say to family and
friends’ while another commented ‘It
was easy to understand, the symbols
give you more information about the
answers’. Teaching staff also found that
‘the kids enjoyed it’ and praised the
SEND versions because the Tellus team
had ‘thought really carefully about lots of
different needs’ and, as a result, it was
‘good that [pupils] can share their views
in the way they can communicate’.
Children and young people
and their teachers
To contribute towards improving outcomes for
all children and young people by providing
robust information to measure children’s
perceptions of their lives in each of the five
every child matters outcomes.
Tellus the way forward
Tellus4
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Small strategic independent qualitative evaluation looking specifically at delivery in
schools and the SEND improvements. Will be used to inform the development of Tellus5 in
conjunction with feedback received via Tellus portal.
Tellus5
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Not expecting any significant changes to be made to Tellus5 questionnaires or delivery
model. Subject to the evaluation findings and Portal feedback - more a question of fine
tuning.
2011 onwards
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Currently exploring feasibility of developing the Tellus Survey into a national pupil
perception survey that can inform school level pupil well being indicators, national
indicators and PSAs. Working with School Report Card pilots to inform way forward.