Whether you’re evaluating the impact of the Opening School Facilities Fund or another project aimed at increasing physical activity levels, the principles of impact measurement are the same.
Our guide gives you practical steps that can be applied to a wide range of projects, meaning you can effectively assess and demonstrate the success of your efforts. (If you would prefer to watch a video of this information, please scroll to the bottom of the page)
The Opening School Facilities Fund, provided by the Department for Education, is designed to help schools deliver extra-curricular activities and open their facilities outside of the school day during evenings, weekends and school holidays. However, understanding and measuring the impact of initiatives like this is crucial to ensure they are effective and sustainable. Here’s how you can measure the impact and why it’s so important:
Why is Impact and Evaluation Important?
How to Capture OSF Impact?
Understanding the impact is not just beneficial but often a requirement from the Department for Education (DfE) or any external funder. It helps to justify spending and secure future funding. The method of capturing impact will depend on the type of impact you’re hoping to see and who you are trying to affect, whether it be individuals, groups, society, or the economy.
Quantitative data, such as numbers and data on sessions, individuals, and demographics, can be collected through surveys for young people and schools. Qualitative data, including case studies, personal reflections, and observations, offer a deeper understanding of the impact.
Reflective Questions
To effectively measure impact, consider reflective questions such as: What’s been going well? Who has made progress? What hasn’t gone so well, and why? What are you finding hard? Who are you finding it hardest to attract to the sessions? What could be done to tackle these challenges? What could be done differently in the future? What actions are you planning to take?
Types of Impact You Might Observe
You might observe various types of impact, including changes in confidence and self-esteem, improvements in skill and ability, levels of engagement from disengagement to autonomy, teamwork, communication, problem-solving and decision-making, mental health and wellbeing, and attitudes towards PE, school life, and academic work
Tailoring your case studies to your audience is important. Infographics, with their visual representation using icons, charts, and minimal text, are ideal for social media. Images with text overlay can tell a story effectively on social media, websites, and presentations. Videos, with their narrative format including interviews, animations, and visual data, are best for storytelling and engaging a broad audience. Blog posts, with their narrative format including images, quotes, and embedded media, are perfect for online sharing and SEO. Soundbites, in an audio format with discussions, interviews, and storytelling, are suitable for audiences who prefer listening.
Top Tips for Measuring Impact
- It doesn’t have to be a professional production.
- Get students involved in the creation process and have a system for collecting impact built in. Use open questioning before, during, and after activities.
- Video works best, so think about where you want to use the video as to how you should shoot it.
- Explore new perspectives when gathering impact and consider diversity and inclusion
- Ensure you have the necessary permissions.
Sharing Impact on Social Media
- Choose the right platforms by identifying where your target audience is most active, whether it be LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
- Tailor your content to fit the platform’s format and audience preferences.
- Build a content plan to share updates and highlights consistently using a content calendar and scheduling tools.
- Showcase your impact by relating it to trending topics and national campaigns.
- Use visuals like photos, videos, and infographics to capture attention.
- Share success stories, student testimonials, impactful data, and behind-the-scenes content.
By following these steps, you can effectively measure and showcase the impact of opening school facilities for community use, ensuring the initiative’s success and sustainability.
Contact rhsmith@leapwithus.org.uk if you wish to link with the schools involved with Opening Schools Facilities or would like to know more about best practice when opening your school facilities.