How well are we achieving our aims?

Evaluation

It is essential that all those involved in teaching and learning reflect regularly on the development of learning outside the classroom. This reflection will help you to recognise success and identify areas that are less effective and may need to be changed.

If you really want to know whether learning outside the classroom is having the desired impact on young people, you may need to establish a clear baseline and then carry out regular, planned evaluations to check progress.

This section is designed to encourage you to consider what evidence might be evaluated when undertaking self-review. It also provides opportunities for you to consider how you might involve young people, parents/carers and the wider community in evaluation activities. It will help you answer some key questions:

• What should schools, early years centres and youth projects, and others evaluate?
• How well does learning outside the classroom relate to achieving high standards and the outcomes of Every Child Matters?
• How well does it meet the wider aims of the curriculum?
• How well is our learning outside the curriculum working?
• Is learning outside the classroom helping more young people to achieve their aims?
• What are the strengths of our current work?
• What are areas for further development?'

Information gathered through evaluations will help keep your work exciting, relevant and up to date.

Practical advice and resources for this section will be uploaded shortly.