Project update, May 2011

Personnel

The project assistant, Ellie Howard, has now started working on the pilot. Having become familiar with the requirements of the project, as well as having become acquainted with the schools, teachers involved and all of girls, Ellie will from now on be taking charge of the trips. (This follows a trip initiation, where Ellie observed how to lead the visits.)

Having a member of staff dedicated to the pilot, albeit for only one day per week during term-time, is already proving to be a great asset to the project. A staff member focused on the project enables a much closer emphasis on fine-tuning the details; it is also extremely valuable for me to be able to have someone to discuss the structure and details with. One particularly important specific aspect of the project which a dedicated member of staff enables progress on is fundraising. My aim is to run the pilot entirely on donations and grants raised specifically for the project. As such, we are looking at a broad range of ways to raise money, from informal dinner benefits to sponsorship for specific elements (e.g. the thank you card packs, see below).

Developments to the project

With St. Matthew's Primary School, the school in which the 'focus group' model is being trialled, mothers have now also been invited to join the workplace visits. In light of the fact that many of the girls' mothers have had limited opportunities themselves, their inclusion is very much an extension of the project's aims. An added benefit is that the girls will also be able to discuss the visits with their mothers. If mothers joining the workplace visits proves to be a success, we will introduce the concept to the other schools in the programme.

From September 2011 the pilot will continue working in the same schools with the same groups of girls. This will enable both the girls to continue with the visits and the pilot to test out the impact of working with slightly older girls.

Detail amendments and alterations

Describing the workplace

In relation to the details of visits, one aspect of Ellie's work is to identify areas to be tightened and simplified. An area which we think will make a difference is the introduction of a language 'guide' for the women being visited. Especially in the case of the MPs, the terminology used in describing daily activities and duties can be overly complex for children (although the introduction of new difficult words per se, is very much an asset to the girls). To this end, the letter outlining a suggested structure for the visit will now also include suggested descriptive phrases and terminology 'translations', where appropriate.

Responding to the experience: thank you cards and questionnaires

The quality of the thank you cards has in some instances been a concern. As such, a greater degree of guidance is being introduced, together with materials to facilitate the task. All girls have been re-briefed on the requirements and purposes of the thank you cards: to identify the highlights of the visit, in their view; to thank the participant visited; and to showcase excellent presentation and develop literacy skills. In addition, girls will be receiving a thank you card 'pack' to take home, in which they have the necessary pencils and card. The aim of the packs is both practical - some children have limited resources at home - and as a signpost - to emphasise the importance of the task and the high expectations to be fulfilled. The cards really are an important element of the programme, with high expectations instilled in the short- as well as long-term very much the theme.

We are fundraising for each pack, which consists of a pencil, a small set of coloured pencils and craft card in a plastic popper file. Having sourced the collection for £2, we are now implementing what we hope to be a straightforward and punchy fundraising strategy: donate just £2 to buy a girl a project pack. In the long-term we are hoping to find a stationer sponsor for the packs, for supply on a large scale.

Measurable outcomes: questionnaire

As part of the process of tracking the impact of the programme, girls will now complete a very simple questionnaire after each visit. The questionnaire identifies the aspects of each visit which have made an impression on them, the sophistication of their understanding of each occupation, as well as tracking any differences in their views on what they want to be when they grow up. The questionnaire is also useful as a reinforcement tool for what is learnt on the visits, as well as a reference point for maintaining focus.

Visit update

Since Ellie's arrival, she has participated on one visit, to Julie Elliott MP at the House of Commons.

Ellie's first visit was with one of the groups from Millbank Primary School. The visit was a great success, with a group with a wide range of abilities asking varied and thoughtful questions, from whether the MP 'enjoyed arguing with the Prime Minister', to whether she had 'felt shy' when starting out as an MP, to how often she 'gets to vote'. Interestingly, following the visit none of the girls wanted to become an MP: the main reason being that they didn't like the idea of having to spend so much time arguing!

Planned visits for May and June so far include three more visits to Parliament, to MPs Caroline Nokes, Teresa Pearce and Naomi Long, and to columnist Bryony Gordon at the Daily Telegraph.