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Employability Skills in Studio Schools Investigating the use of the CREATE Framework

October 2018

Dr James Robson, Ashmita Randhawa and Professor Ewart KeepSKOPE Research Centre, University of Oxford

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TableofContentsACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................3

EXECUTIVESUMMARY.............................................................................................................4

1.INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................8

2.METHODOLOGY.................................................................................................................10

Phase1...............................................................................................................................10

DocumentAnalysis.........................................................................................................10

Semi-structuredInterviews............................................................................................12

Phase2...............................................................................................................................12

Phase3...............................................................................................................................13

EthicalConsiderations........................................................................................................15

3.FINDINGS............................................................................................................................16

Phase1...............................................................................................................................16

CREATE:OriginalConceptualisationsandVisionsforOperationalisation......................16

StaffingStructures..........................................................................................................18

ContinuingProfessionalDevelopment(CPD).................................................................20

WhoisCREATEfor?........................................................................................................21

Leadership......................................................................................................................22

Phase2:Questionnaire......................................................................................................24

Overviewofthedata......................................................................................................24

Phase3:InDepthCaseStudies..........................................................................................29

CaseStudy1:StudioSchoolZorya.........................................................................................30

CreatingandmaintainingtheethosofStudioSchoolZorya..............................................30

CREATE’splaceintheschool..............................................................................................32

HowdostudentsviewCREATE?.....................................................................................35

TrainingontheCREATEframework...............................................................................36

Schooltrajectory................................................................................................................36

CaseStudy2:StudioSchoolUna............................................................................................38

CREATEgonefullcircle.......................................................................................................39

TheinitiallifeofCREATE................................................................................................39

There-positioningoftheCREATEframework................................................................40

ThefutureofCREATE.....................................................................................................42

Training..............................................................................................................................43

CaseStudy3:StudioSchoolCoraline.....................................................................................44

CREATE:Anemployabilityframeworkintransition...........................................................44

TheinitiallifeofCREATE................................................................................................45

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Influenceofinternalforces............................................................................................45

Influenceofexternalforces...........................................................................................47

DidthestudentshaveanythingtosayaboutCREATE?......................................................48

So,wheredoesCREATEsittoday?.....................................................................................49

CaseStudy4:StudioSchoolTigris..........................................................................................50

InstitutionalIdentity:Thepulltowardsmainstream..........................................................51

RetainingaDistinctIdentity...............................................................................................52

Whatisemployment?Whatareskills?..............................................................................53

CREATE...............................................................................................................................54

CaseStudy5:StudioSchoolCrawfords..................................................................................57

IdentifyingasaStudioSchool............................................................................................58

TheIBCareersProgramme................................................................................................59

ADifficultJourney..............................................................................................................61

4.DISCUSSION:EMPLOYABILITYSKILLS,CREATE,ANDTHEWIDERSTUDIOSCHOOLMODEL................................................................................................................................................64

ExplicitvsImplicitImplementationofCREATE...................................................................65

ProjectBasedLearning...................................................................................................65

Coaching.........................................................................................................................67

Bestpracticeinamessyreality:explicitandimplicitimplementationofCREATE.........69

CREATEasamarketingtool...............................................................................................72

Leadership..........................................................................................................................72

Ownership..........................................................................................................................75

WhoactuallyownstheCREATEframework?.................................................................75

Training..............................................................................................................................79

LanguageofCREATE...........................................................................................................80

5.CONCLUSION......................................................................................................................83

PolicyImplications..............................................................................................................83

ImplicationsforSchoolManagement................................................................................84

ImplicationsforImplementationofInnovativeApproachestoEmployabilitySkills..........86

WiderImplicationsandanAgendaforFutureWork.........................................................87

6.REFERENCES.......................................................................................................................89

Figure1:Schools'EngagementWiththeCREATEFramework............................................................24Figure2:NumberOfSchoolsUsingAlternative/AdditionalSkillsFrameworks.................................26Figure3:StructureofPersonalCoachesandLearningCoaches.........................................................27Figure4:StudentandEmployersEnagementwiththeCREATEframework.......................................28Figure5:LessonslearnedfromtheCREATEframework......................................................................65

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWeareverygratefulfortheopennessandgenerositywithwhichtheStudioSchoolsandourintervieweesengagedwiththisprojectandsharedtheirknowledge,views,andexperience.TheStudioSchoolsTrustandtheStudioSchoolsNetworkhavebeenverysupportiveofthiswork and participation from members of both organisations have enriched this studyenormously.ThisprojectwasfundedbytheEdgeFoundationandweareverygratefulfortheirgeneroussupportandassistance.Tocitethisreport:Robson,J.,Randhawa,A.,andKeep,E.(2018)EmployabilitySkillsinStudioSchools:InvestigatingtheuseoftheCREATEFramework.London:TheEdgeFoundation

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EXECUTIVESUMMARYRemitThestudywasfundedbytheEdgeFoundationandtookplacebetweenOctober2017andOctober2018.ItisfocusedonthewaysinwhichStudioSchoolsengagewithandimplementtheCREATEFramework,anemployabilityskillsframeworkoriginallyconceptualisedasbeingoneofthedefiningaspectsoftheStudioSchoolsmodel.ThestudytookplaceatacriticalperiodinthehistoryofStudioSchoolsatatimewhentheStudioSchoolsTrustwasintheprocess of closing and the new principal-led Studio Schools Network was beginning toestablishitselfasanumbrellaorganisationforallStudioSchools.Theprojectsoughttoanswertheollowingresearchquestions:

1. HowistheCREATEFrameworkperceivedandinterpretedbythekeyarchitectsoftheStudioSchoolmodel,individualStudioSchools,seniorleaders,teachers,students,andemployers?

2. HowistheCREATEFrameworkimplementedinStudioSchoolsandusedtoshapethecurriculum and activities to develop young people’s employability and enterpriseskills?

3. InwhatwayscantheCREATEFrameworkfacilitatepartnershipsbetweenemployersandStudioSchoolsandhowdoesithelpenactandguidetheprovisionofexperiencesandactivities?

ApproachAthreephasedapproachwasadoptedtosystematicallyanswertheseresearchquestions.Phase 1 combined document analysis of foundational documents associated with StudioSchools and CREATE with interviews with the original architects of the model and theframework.ForPhase2,dataandanalysisfromPhase1wereusedtodesignaquestionnairesent to principals and SLT in all Studio Schools focused on how they engage with andimplement CREATE or alternative employability skills frameworks. Findings from both ofthese phases informed Phase 3, in-depth case studies of five Studio Schools. Case studyschoolswereselectedinordertorepresentdifferentlevelsofengagementwithCREATE,fromtheframeworkbeingfullyembeddedinthefabricandidentityoftheschooltoaschoolthathad adopted a different employability skills framework. In each case study, data werecollected throughdocumentanalysisof relevantmaterials and semi-structured interviewswithkeystakeholders(principal,SLT,teachers/learningcoaches,personalcoaches,students,andwherepossible,employers).FindingsThefindings fromourresearchhave implications fornotonly theCREATEframework,butemployability skills more generally, and the wider Studio School model. The CREATEframeworkhasbeendeployedfairlylooselyacrosstheStudioSchoolsnetwork,witheachofthe Studio Schools in our case studiesmanaging their own interpretation, and therefore

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deploymentamongststaff,studentsandemployers.ThemessyrealitiesofthedeploymentoftheCREATEframeworkindicatethatthereisapressingneedonbehalfofthenetworkofStudioSchoolstotakeastepback,andassessiftheCREATEframeworkandtheemployabilityskillsitinculcatesarestillfit-forpurpose.OurresearchhashighlightedthatStudioSchoolsattemptingtoplacetheCREATEFrameworkat the heart of their operations, as originally envisioned in the Studio Schoolmodel, hasprovedproblematicasthepressuresofaccountability,marketisation,funding,andagendasof schools’ Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) present a variety of challenges that must benavigated. These challenges often lead to incremental returns tomainstreamapproacheswiththeStudioSchoolsinourstudyfindingitincreasinglydifficulttodevelopandmaintainan integrated, whole school, skills-based approaches. This led to the gradual erosion ofdistinctive aspects of the Studio Schools model, project based learning, an integratedcoachingmodel, longerdays,richemployerpartnerships,andCREATE,asanemployabilityskills framework, sitting at the heart of the school. That said, having an employabilityframework,howeverimperfecthasprovenusefultoschoolsattemptingtocreateanameforthemselves in the education marketplace. The focus on employability skills is one thatresonateswithparentsandstudentsalike,makes foraneffectiverecruitment tool,and isindicative of awider desire for school curricula to focus onmore than just the academicsubjects.DespitethepressuresthatStudioSchools face inmaintainingtheirdistinctive identity,wewereabletofindexamplesofbestpracticeamongstthecasestudyStudioSchoolsofhowtheyhadimplementedtheCREATEemployabilityframework.TheseexampleswereusedtocreateamapofbestpracticeforStudioSchoolsandothernewschoolmodelsimplementinganemployabilityframework:

• LEADERSHIP:While it goeswithout saying that all schools have a need for strongleadership, schools attempting to implement either employability frameworks ofinnovative models of schooling require perhaps even stronger leadership and anunwavering belief in the strengths of themodel or framework. This ensures theymaintain their unique identities and ethos in the face of increasing accountabilitymeasuresandmarketisation.

• OWNERSHIP: the implementation of employability frameworks (such as CREATE)involvesmultiplestakeholders(students,parents,employers,staff).Allstakeholdersshouldhaveasenseofownershipoftheframeworkanditsusetoensuremeaningfulengagement.

• LANGUAGE:inordertoensureemployabilityframeworksdevelopedoradoptedbyaschool are fit for purpose, the language used must be relevant for all the keystakeholders,particularlythestudentswhomayinitiallybeunfamiliarwithtermsusedintheworkplace.

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• TRAINING: the successful implementation of employability frameworks requiresdedicated and consistent training for all members of staff. This ensures a sharedunderstanding of the goals and ethos of the framework and clear communicationbetweenstaff.

• INTEGRATION: employability frameworks are most successful when they areembedded and integrated into the culture of the school. This ensures that theframeworksitsattheheartofallschoolactivitiesallowingforadeepunderstandinganddevelopmentofemployabilityskillsforbothstudentsandstaff.

ImplicationsforSchoolManagement:Movingtosomeofthewiderimplicationsoftheproject,ourfindingshighlightedthatwhencreatinginnovativenewmodelsofschooling,theimportanceofhavingaparentorcentralorganisationthatprovidesananchorpointforschoolsinthenetwork.Suchanorganisationallows for the maintenance of branding and institutional identity, provides support andguidance formember schools, and has the ability and capacity to represent themodel’sinterestswithpolicymakers.PolicyImplications:The research has highlighted the importance of newmodels of schooling, such as StudioSchools,maintainingastrong institutional identityrooted inthedistinctiveand innovativeaspectsofthemodel.WefoundthiswasincreasinglyimportantfortheStudioSchoolsinourstudy, as they found themselves subject to strongmarket forces pulling them towards amainstreamschoolmodel.The14-19‘space’provideslimitedopportunityforinnovation,asatanygivenmoment,thereisonlyafinitepoolof14-19yearoldsinagivenlocality.Newinnovativeschoolmodels runtheriskof losingout in thiszerosumgamecompetition forstudentsandthemoneythatfollowsthemwhichmeansthatstudentnumbersneverreachthe minimum threshold required to maintain the institution’s viability. Without a strongbrandingandethos,whichacentralisedschoolmanagementcanhelpcreate,maintain,andadvocatefor,thereisadangerthatnewschoolmodelswillconsistentlysufferatthehandsofthemarket.WiderRecommendationsDrawingonthedatawehavegathered,werecommendthattherelevantstakeholdersfromtheStudioSchoolNetworkexplorethefollowingactions:

1. TheStudioSchoolsNetworkshouldbefundedappropriatelyinordertoensureithasthecapacityandadministrativesupporttofullyrepresentmemberschoolsinpolicyandpubliccontexts,supportmemberschoolsappropriatelytonavigatetherangeofchallengestheyarelikelytoface,developappropriatestrategicplansforthefutureofthemodel,andconveneregularmeetingswithmemberschools.

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2. TheStudioSchoolsNetworkshouldexaminethepossibilityofupdatingtheCREATEFrameworkinawaythatrepresentsthediverserangeofneedsandapproachestoemployabilityskillsthatexistsacrossthenetwork.

3. TheStudioSchoolsNetworkandindividualschoolsshouldinvestigatethepossibilityofadoptingalternativeemployabilityskillsframeworksthathavebeendevelopedbylargerorganisationsthathavethecapacitytodeliverytargeted,relevantanduptodatetrainingforallmembersofstaff.

4. Fundingbodiesshouldexplorethepossibilityofdevelopingafutureresearchagendathatexamines(a)thewayparentsandstudentsmakedecisionsaboutengagingwithvocational models of schools; (b) what broad lessons from different models ofvocational schooling canbe learned formainstream schools trying to engagewithissues around employability better and how will these lessons can be clearlycommunicated.

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1.INTRODUCTIONStudio Schools represent adisruption to the currentnormof secondaryeducation (Cook,Thorley & Clifton, 2016). The term ‘Studio School’ is derived from the concept of theRenaissanceStudiosuchthatstudentsintheseStudioslearnedbydoing,guidedalongbyanexperiencedmaster(Hendry&Sharpe,2013).StudioSchoolstrytoemulatethis‘Renaissancestyleoflearning’inthattheyprovidestudentswithanenvironmentthatsimulatesgenuineworkplaces,‘whichseekstoaddressthegrowinggapbetweentheskillsandknowledgethatyoung people require to succeed, and those that the current education systemprovides’(StudioSchoolsTrust,2014).Theyprovideatargeted14-19curriculum,andaimtoensurethatalllearningintheschoolisbasedonproject-basedlearningandrealworkexperience.Havingfirstopenedin2009,therearecertainessentialelementsthathavebeenhighlightedbytheStudioSchoolTrust itself thatmakeaschoolaStudioSchool: theyshouldbesmallschools(amaximumof300students),non-selectiveandstrivingforacademicexcellence,andincorporateanemployabilityandenterpriseskills (theCREATE framework),apersonalisedcurriculum,practicallearning,andrealworkexperiences(StudioSchoolTrust,2010).Foundedandoperatedlocally,however,StudioSchoolsdonotfollowanexplicitprescription(e.g.aspecificcurriculum,fixedsponsorshipmodels,etc.),thatspecifieshowschoolsshouldworkwith these essential elements. Given that these schools follow what is essentially acommunitycentredmodel(Wandersmanetal.,2003;VanUrk,2016)intheirimplementation,examining any element of them requires high contextual understanding and an in-depthapproach.In2017,theStudioSchoolTrustchangeditsstructuretoformanetworkofStudioSchoolsrepresentedbytheStudioSchoolheadsofcurrentlyopenschools.ThischangeinstructurehighlightsaneedtounderstandwhattheenvisagedgoalsandstructuresoftheStudioSchoolmodelwereinthedevelopmentofthedifferentelementsofthemodelandpromptedtheEdgeFoundationtofundthisresearchprojectviaabidtotheEdgeGrantFundin2016.TheCREATE framework ismeant to form the heart of the Studio Schoolmodel, having beendesigned specifically for the Studio School model; understanding if it still remains fit forpurposeandisbeingengagedwithinameaningfulwaybecomescrucialasitismeanttobeanintegratedpartoftheidentityofaschoolbeingrecognisableasaStudioSchool.This year-long research project involved a three phased approach; in the first phase,documentary analysisof key texts involving the CREATE framework and semi-structuredinterviewswere conductedwith those responsible for the setting up and deployment ofStudio School model. This phase provided us with key insights into how the model andparticularly the CREATE framework had been brought to life, and how its creators hadenvisageditsoperationalisation.Theconceptshighlightedfromthisphasewereusedtotheformthebasisofaquestionnairethatwasdeployedacrossalltheschools,formingthecoreofthesecondphaseofthisresearch.21schoolsrespondedtoourquestionnaire,highlighting

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the variety of ways that the CREATE framework had been interpreted, and the varyingdegrees to which the skills framework had in fact been implemented across the entirenetwork.UsingascaleoflevelstowhichschoolswereengagingwiththeCREATEframework,rangingfrom‘notatall’to‘itisinintegratedpartoftheschool’,fivedifferentschoolswerechosen to conduct in-depth research in. In this third phase involving the different cases,interviewswereconductedwithkeystakeholdersinvolvedwiththedevelopmentanduseofthe CREATE framework including but not limited to senior leadership to employers tostudents.Theanalysispresentedinthisreportisreflectiveoftheindividualanduniquejourneysthateachof the five Studio Schoolshave takennot just in the implementationof theCREATEframework,butalsooftheupsanddownsofestablishingthemselvesintheidentityoftheStudioSchoolmodel.Theschoolshavefoundthemselvesinthe(sometimes)trickypositionofnavigatingtheiridentitythroughtheneedsofnotonlytheStudioSchoolmodel,butalsothe needs of the community, those of MATS, and even national policies. Each of thesesometimes synergisticandsometimescompetingneedshave impacted theways inwhichStudioSchoolhavecometoviewnotonlytheCREATEframeworkbutalsoimpactedthewaysinwhichemployabilityskillsdevelopmentoccursattheschools.ThisreportalsopresentsafutureoutlookfortheCREATEframeworkasframedthroughthevoicesoftheStudioSchoolsthemselves;highlightingtheneedforaframeworkthattakesintoaccountthechangingneedsofnotjusttheschoolsastheynavigatethepolicylandscape,butalsothechangingneedsofthestudentswhoaretheultimaterecipientsoftheframework,astheynavigateeducationinthe21stcentury.

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2.METHODOLOGYTheprojecthasbeenguidedbythefollowingresearchquestions:

• HowistheCREATEFrameworkperceivedandinterpretedbythekeyarchitectsoftheStudioSchoolmodel,individualStudioSchools,seniorleaders,teachers,students,andemployers?HowistheCREATEFrameworkimplementedinStudioSchoolsandusedtoshapethecurriculumandactivitiestodevelopyoungpeople’semployabilityandenterpriseskills?

• InwhatwayscantheCREATEFrameworkfacilitatepartnershipsbetweenemployersandStudioSchoolsandhowdoesithelpenactandguidetheprovisionofexperiencesandactivities?

A three phased approach has been adopted to systematically answer these researchquestions.Phase1andPhase2werecompletedbetweenOctober2017andMarch2018.FindingsfromthesephasesinformedPhase3(in-depthcasestudiesoffiveStudioSchools),whichwereundertakenbetweenAprilandJuly2018.

Phase1Phase1focusedonunderstandingtheideas,aimsandobjectivesthatunderpintheCREATEFramework and the ways in which it was originally anticipated that it would beoperationalised within Studio Schools. In order to examine these issues, documentaryanalysis of key documents related to CREATE and the foundationof Studio Schoolsmorewidelywasundertakenandsemi-structuredinterviewswerecarriedoutwithsomeofthekeyindividualsinvolvedindevelopingtheStudioSchoolsmodel.

DocumentAnalysisAlargerangeofhistoricandcurrentdocumentsrelatingtotheCREATEFrameworkandtheaims and objectives of Studio Schoolswere stored in amembers-only area of the StudioSchoolsTrust’swebsite.ThesedocumentsareprovidedtoallStudioSchoolsasvitalguidanceonworkingasastudioschoolandusingtheCREATEFramework.AccesstothisareaofthewebsitewasprovidedbytheTrust,thedocumentswerediscussedindetailwiththedirectoroftheTrust,andtherelevantmaterialsthendownloadedforanalysis.Thisselectionprocesswasguidedbyaverybroadsetofcriteria.DocumentsrelatedtotheCREATEFrameworkinanyway (including itsaimsandobjectives,development, implementation, currentuses inindividual schoolsetc),anddocuments related to thewideraimsandobjectivesofStudioSchools,theirfoundation,development,andoperationswereincluded.

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Thisproducedthefollowinglistofdocumentsforanalysis:CREATE

• TheCREATEFramework2011• TheCREATEFramework2012• TheCREATEGuideforStudioSchoolStaff2013• CREATESampleRubric2013• Exampleofacurriculumoverview:Knutsford• StudioSchoolsStaffingStructures2012

Employers

• Employers’GuidetoStudioSchools(dateunknown)• WorkingwithEmployers:aguideforschools2015

Governance:

• StudioSchools’KeyMessages• DFEGuidance–AcademyTrustsandLocalAuthorities• DfEGuidance–NodalPoints• DfEGuidance–Banding• ExampleAdmissionsPoliciesfrom:

o Parksideo Ryeo Stephensono Waverley

• ExampleApplicationformfromOckendon• GovernorsHandbook• OnlineGovernmentRecruitmentBrochure• Recruitmenttipsforparentgovernors• Volunteeringasaschoolgovernor• National Governors Association – Studio Schools Governance: the Role and

ResponsibilitiesThefivedocumentsrelatingspecificallytotheCREATEFrameworkwereanalysedlinebylineinordertogainarichunderstandingofhowtheframeworkwasoriginallyconceptualisedandhowitsoperationalisationwasformallyenvisagedwithinthesekeydocumentsandguidance.ThisanalysishighlightedtheimportanceoftheStudioSchools’innovativestaffingmodelforschools’ participation in and engagement with CREATE as well as the importance ofemployers’engagingdirectlywithCREATEtosupportstudents’skilldevelopment.Therefore,documents relating to the Studio Schools’ Staffing Structure and Employers were alsoincludedinthiscloseanalysis.OtherdocumentsrelatingtokeymessagingforStudioSchools

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andtoGovernance,althoughdeemedbroadlyrelevant,wereanalysedingeneraltermstoprovideinsightintotheoverallstructure,visionandguidanceforrunningaStudioSchool.

Semi-structuredInterviewsThisdocumentaryanalysiswassupportedbysemi-structuredinterviewswithkeyindividualsinvolved in the development of the CREATE Framework and the Studio Schools model.GainingaccesstomanyoftheindividualsinvolvedinestablishingtheStudioSchoolsmodelproved challenging and establishing who was directly involved in writing the CREATEFramework at an individual level was problematic given the passage of time and thecollaborativenatureofthewayinwhichitwasproduced.However,threeinterviewswereconductedwiththefollowingpeople:

• TwoTrusteesoftheStudioSchoolsTrustinvolvedintheTrustfromitsfoundation• ApolicymakerinvolvedinthefoundationoftheStudioSchoolsmodel

These interviews were recorded and analysed. They provided important backgroundinformationthatwasintegratedintothedocumentanalysis.

Phase2The data from Phase 1 were used to develop a questionnaire. This was focused oninvestigatingthedifferentwaysinwhichStudioSchoolsengagewiththeCREATEFrameworktodevelopyoungpeople’semployabilityandenterpriseskills,differentperceptionsoftheframeworkamongstschools,anditswiderplacewithindifferentschools’overallcurriculumapproachandoffering.BasedontheinterviewsinPhase1andourwiderexperienceswithStudioSchools,wewereawarethatanumberofschoolswereusingalternativeoradditionalskills frameworks instead of or alongside CREATE. Therefore, the questionnaire includedsectionstodeterminethenumberofschoolsusingalternative/additionalframeworks,andexamine the reasonswhy thesearebeingused,howtheyweredeveloped,andhowtheyrelatetoCREATE.Thequestionnairewasdesignedprimarilyforheadteachers/principalstocompleteandsocontainedarangeofquestionsrelatedtoschoolidentity,schoolaims,andstrategy.However,heads/principalswerealsoencouragedtosharethequestionnairewithothermembersof staffandsodifferentpathways through the surveyweredevelopedsoindividualsonlyneededtocompletethesectionsrelevanttothem.ThequestionnairewasputonlineusingBristolOnlineSurveysandwassenttoeveryStudioSchool in the Studio Schools Network, directly contacting the heads/ principals. Contactdetailswereprovidedby theStudioSchoolsTrustand theseweresupplementedbyhandsearchesontheStudioSchoolsTrust’swebsite,theDfEwebsiteandindividualStudioSchools’websites.Thesehandsearches,alongwithsubsequentphonecallsdirectlytotheschools,highlighted thatmany Studio Schools are going throughperiodsof change (in leadership,

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structure,andidentity)andthatmuchofthecentrallyheldonlineinformationaboutthemisoutofdate.Thequestionnairewassentindividuallytotheheads/principalsof33StudioSchoolson25thJanuary 2018. A follow up email was sent on 6th February 2018. Schools that had notcompletedthequestionnairewerefollowedupwithtelephonecallsintheweekcommencing13thFebruary2018andagainintheweekcommencing19thFebruary2018.Personalcontactswerealsousedtoencourageschoolstocompletethequestionnaire.Thisworkproduced21completedquestionnairesfrom14StudioSchools.Data were analysed both quantitively, in a descriptive manner, and qualitatively. Acombinationofinductiveanddeductiveapproachesweretakentothequalitativeanalysis,withthemesinformedbyanalysisundertakeninPhase1,butfirmlygroundedinthedata.Thisallowedkeyissuestoemergedirectlyfromtheinformationprovidedbytheschools.ThisanalysisprovidedakeyframeworkforselectingschoolsforindepthcasestudiesinPhase3.

Phase3Phase 3, in depth case studies,was undertakenbetweenApril and July 2018. These casestudies provided the opportunity for analysis in a way that took into account the localcontextsandvaryingaimsofthedifferentstakeholderswhileprovidingnarrativeaccountsofthe schools’ relationships with CREATE and alternative/ additional frameworks and theirfutureplansanddirectionoftravel.DatafromthequestionnairewasusedtoidentifyalistofpotentialStudioSchoolsforindepthstudy. These schools were selected in order to give an overview, as indicated in thequestionnairedata,ofthedifferenttrajectoriesschoolstakeandthedifferentrelationshipstheyhavewithCREATE.Assuch,severaloftheselectedschoolsarelikelytoberepresentativeofalargernumberofStudioSchoolswhohaveadoptedsimilarapproaches.Otherschoolsarehighly distinctive and so provide extreme and instrinsically interesting case studies: thedistinctivenatureoftheirapproachandengagementwithCREATEprovidesvitalinsightintothewidermodel.Thefollowingschoolswereidentifiedforcasestudywork(theirnameshavebeenchangedtoensureanonymity;theyaredescribedfullyinthefindingssectionwhereeachcaseiswrittenupindepth):

• StudioSchoolCrawfords–Thisprovidedanextremecaseoflimitedornon-existentengagementwiththeCREATEFramework.TheschoolanewStudioSchoolandhasdeveloped itsownskills frameworkrelatedtothe IBAC.DespitenotusingCREATE,data from the questionnaire suggested very high engagement with theimplementationofthealternativeskillsframeworkacrosstheschoolandthepotential

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forrichdataonthedecisiontomoveawayfromCREATEandworkwithanalternativeframework.

• StudioSchoolZorya–Basedonquestionnairedata,thisschoolwasselectedashavingthe potential to provide an extreme case of deep engagement with the CREATEFramework. According to the information provided by the principal and the viceprincipal,CREATEappearedtobeembeddedinallaspectsoftheschool’soperations.

• StudioSchoolUna–Asoneof the largestStudioSchools,Unaofferedanextremeexampleofsize.However,mostimportantly,theschoolappearedtositbetweenthetwo extremes of engagement and non-engagement with the CREATE Framework.CREATEistheonlyskillsframeworkusedintheschool,buttheprincipaldescribedafeelingthattheschoolwasnotusingitfullytomeasureprogress–thisis‘somethingwearewrestlingwith’.AssuchtheschoolmayberelativelyrepresentativeofmanyStudioSchools.

• StudioSchoolCoraline–Thisschoolwasselectedasanimportantcaseoftransition.TheCoralinehasexpandedsignificantlyinthelasttwoyearsand,importantly,isintheprocessofdevelopingandimplementinganadditionalskillsframework.AlthoughitisusingCREATE,itiscurrentlyworkingwithActivateLearningtodevelopthisadditionalframework.Theschoolprovidedanopportunitytoexplorethisjourneyindepthandthe decision making processes related to it, providing insight into the process ofmovingawayfromCREATEthatsomeschoolsareundertaking.

• StudioSchoolTigris–Basedonthedataprovidedinthequestionnaire,thisschoolwasselectedashavingthepotentialtoofferacasestudyoftransitionbacktowardsdeeperengagementwiththeCREATEFramework.Inthequestionnaire,respondentsdescribed a range of challenges the school had experienced with project-basedlearningandtheuseofCREATEsoonafterfoundation,butdescribedactivelyworkingtore-embedtheframeworkintheschool.Assuch,theschoolwasselectedtoprovideinsightintoajourneybacktowardsanembeddedapproachtoCREATE.However,aswillbedescribedbelow,onvisiting the school,wediscussed that itwas in factanimportantexampleofaschoolcomingtotheendofajourneyawayfromCREATE.

Following a reviewwith the Edge Foundation, the schoolswere contacted and invited toparticipate.Alltheschoolsagreedtoparticipateintheproject.Datawerecollectedthroughsemi-structuredinterviewswithkeystakeholders(principals,seniorleaders,teachingstaff,coachingstaff,students,andemployers)anddocumentanalysisofkeycurriculumandpolicydocumentsusedintheschools.ThisprovidedanindepthexaminationoftheperceptionsofCREATEby thedifferent stakeholders, the implementationofCREATEand itsplacewithineach school’s wider curriculum, the perceptions and place of alternative/ additionalframeworks,andthewaysinwhichemployersengagewithallskillsframeworksusedbytheschools,aswellaswiderinformationabouttheschools’institutionalidentitiesandjourneys.

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Foreachcasestudyschool,thefollowinginterviewswereundertaken:Zorya:Principal;viceprincipal;personalcoach;businesslinksdeveloper;twospecialismleads;threestudents.Una:Principal; head of sixth form; associate principal; director of learning; four teachers; twopersonalcoaches;anemployerpartner;fivestudents.Coraline:Principal;viceprincipal;employabilitylead;directorofassessmentandcurriculum;studentsupportmanager;fourstudents.Tigris:Principal; vice principal; assistant vice principal for behaviour; assistant vice principal foracademicprogress;assistantviceprincipalforSEND;twoteachersofacademicsubjects;theheadofoneofthespecialismsandpreviouscoach;sixstudents.Crawfords:Principal; vice principal; assistant principal; four teachers; a personal coach; the workexperiencecoordinator;sixstudentsAll interviews were recorded and transcribed. Data for each case was analysed bothdeductivelyandinductivelywitheffortbeingmadetoanalyseeachcaseonitsownterms.The analytical process focusedon creating rich, in depth narratives for each school, thencross-caseanalysiswasundertakentodeterminecriticalissuesacrossalltheschools.

EthicalConsiderationsThe research design has been approved by Oxford’s Central University Research EthicsCommitteeandtheapproachhasbeendevelopedinaccordancewithacceptedprinciplesofeducationalresearchethicsoutlinedbytheBritishEducationalResearchAssociation(BERA2011).Allparticipantshaveprovidedinformedconsent.TheirdatahasbeenstoredsecurelyonpasswordprotectedserversorinBristolOnlineSurveys’servers(UKbasedandapprovedby Oxford University’s Research Ethics Committee) in accordance with Oxford UniversityprovisionandGDPR.Individualsandinstitutionshavebeenanonymisedtoensurenoharmiscausedatanindividualorinstitutionallevel.

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3.FINDINGS

Phase1ThekeyaimofthisstudyistogainarichunderstandingofthedifferentwaysinwhichStudioSchoolsareengagingwithand implementingtheCREATEFramework. Inorderdothis it isimportanttounderstandexactlyhowtheCREATEFrameworkwasoriginallyconceptualised,howitsoperationalisationwasoriginallyenvisaged,andhowitwasseenasfittingintothewidermodel forStudioSchools.Documentanalysisand interviewsundertaken inPhase1werethereforefocusedontheseareas.Thisworkprovidedabroadnarrativeaccountoftheoriginalvision for theCREATEFrameworkthatwasembedded in theguidancedocumentsfromStudioSchoolsTrustandheldbysomekeyindividualsinvolvedinthedevelopmentoftheframeworkandtheeducationalmodel.However,perhapsmoreimportantly,thisworkalsohighlightedakeyrangeofissuesandtensionsassociatedwithwhatcanbedescribedasanidealisedformofimplementationthatarelikelytoprovechallenginginthemessyrealitiesofsmallschoolsinpractice.TheseissueswereusedtoshapethedesignofthequestionnaireandthecasestudiesinPhase3.

CREATE:OriginalConceptualisationsandVisionsforOperationalisationThe CREATE Frameworkwas formally published first in 2011 and amodified versionwaspublishedagain in2012.However,developmentof thedocumentbeganasearlyas2007(CREATE 2011; SST Trustee) andwas firmly rooted in the development of Studio Schoolsmodel from the outset. CREATE was always envisioned as the core vehicle for thedevelopmentofskillforattendeesofStudioSchoolsandisconsequentlylistedasoneoftheessentialcriteriaforaStudioSchool:theyshouldbesmall(amaximumof300students),non-selectiveandstriving foracademicexcellence, focusonemployabilityandenterpriseskillsthrough the CREATE Framework and project-based learning, provide a personalisedcurriculum,practicallearningandrealworkexperiences(StudioSchoolsTrust,2010).TheframeworkandtheStudioSchoolsmodelweredevelopedbytheYoungFoundationandtheEdgeFoundation.Asplanssolidified,theStudioSchoolsTrustwasfounded,buttherewasa significant overlap ofmembers of staff between the different organisations so that allgroupsplayedanessentialpartintheformationofCREATEandthewidervisionforStudioSchools(SSTTrustee).ItwasonlywhentheTrustmoveduptoManchester,bywhichtimemanyofthefoundationalmembershadleftthedifferentorganisations,thatfullseparationbetweentheYoungFoundation,theEdgeFoundation,andtheStudioSchoolsTrustoccurred.BythistimetheCREATEFrameworkhadbeenfinalisedanddidnotgothroughanyadditionaliterations.CREATE stands forCommunication,Relating toOthers, Enterprise,Applied Skills, ThinkingSkills,andEmotionalIntelligence,referringexplicitlytothesetsofskillsembeddedwithintheframework.Itwasbasedonotherexistingskillsframeworksand‘thebestbitswerecherry

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pickedandincludedinCREATE’(SSTTrustee).Theprocessofdevelopmentishardtounpackandtookplacein‘fitsandspurts’.AccordingtobothStudioSchoolsTrustTrustees,theYoungFoundationworkedwitha largenumberof internsanda lotofthedevelopmentworkforCREATEwasundertakenbythesemembersofstaff.ThehighturnoverofinternsmeantthattheprocessbehindthedevelopmentofCREATEwassomewhatopaqueandlargelyrootedintransientmembersofstaff.Asaresult,establishingthevisionsfortheframeworkfromtheoriginalarchitectsthroughposthocinterviewsisproblematic.However,the2011and2012versions of CREATE, alongside specific guidance documentation, provide very clearindicationsofwhattheseoriginalconceptualisations,aims,andvisionsforoperationalisationwere, while wider foundational and guidance documents from the Studio Schools Trustprovide a clear overview of how CREATE fits into the wider structural model for StudioSchools.ThroughtheCREATEFramework,StudioSchoolsaimtodevelopkeyemployabilityand lifeskillsforalltheirstudentsensuringthattheyoungpeoplewhoattendStudioSchoolsare:

• Enterprising self-managers with a sense of health and wellbeing who have thepotentialforleadershipinbusiness,enterpriseandtheirlocalcommunities

• Creativeandwillinglylookforsolutionstothechallengestheyface,oftencomingupwithnovelideasandapproaches

• Activelearnerswholearnbydoingandcanapplytheirknowledge• Collaborativeandabletofunctioneffectivelyinawiderangeofcontextsandgroups

withtheskillsneededforworkandlife• Involvedintheirlocalcommunitiesandhaveasenseofciviccorporateresponsibility

(The CREATEGuide for Studio School Staff; Studio Schools Trust2013)

AssuchtheCREATEFrameworksitsattheheartoftheStudioSchoolsmodelandispresentedas shaping andunderpinning every aspect of school life: ‘TheCREATE Skills Framework ismeanttoinformtheday-to-dayengagementsthattakeplaceinStudioSchoolsandshouldbeembeddedineverydayconversationsandactivitiesamonglearners,coachesandemployers’(StudioSchoolsTrust,2013).EmbeddedwithintheStudioSchoolsmodelisanaimtocaterparticularlyforstudentswhomightbenefitfrompracticalapproachestolearningandskillsdevelopment.Inotherwords,itcombinesaparticularmodelofcurriculumwith practically-orientedformsofpedagogy.Therefore,theschoolsaimtoachievethesegoalsbyconnectingacademic learningtorealworld contexts through multi-disciplinary project-based learning and placements withemployerpartners(AGuideforStudioSchoolsStaff).TheCREATEframeworksupportsthesekeypracticesbyprovidingadiagnostic andplanning tool toundertake theassessmentof

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whichskillsandsubskillsstudentsneedtoworkonthroughprojectworkandplacements,planningthiswork,andthenassessingprogress(CREATE2011,2012).Eachskillareaisdescribedindetailwithintheframeworkandcontainsthespecificsub-skillsthatdefinetherelatedpractices,aptitudesandskillsstudentswilldevelopacrossthreelevelsofprogression:Apprentice(studentperformancethatrequiressubstantialsupport,guidanceorpromptinginordertocompletetasksorassignments);Expert(studentperformancethatperforms tasks or assignments independently, with moderate prompting); and Coach(studentperformancethattakesinitiativebeyondexpectationsandsupportsotherlearnerstodevelopintheidentifiedarea).Acrossthesesitfourlevelsofperformance:

• Level1(performancedoesnotmeetsetstandard(s)ortarget(s));• Level2(performanceapproachessetstandard(s)ortarget(s));• Level3(performancemeetssetstandard(s)ortarget(s));• Level4(performanceexceedssetstandard(s)ortarget(s))

(CREATE2011&2012;StudioSchoolsTrust2013).

Throughtheseclearlydefinedskills,subskills,pathwaystoandmeasurementsofprogression,students,staffandemployerscanworktogethertohelpyoungpeopledevelopkeyskills.However,embeddedinthisbroadoutlineofthevisionforCREATEareanumberofdistinctiveconceptsandrelatedissuesthatwillbeunpackedbelow.

StaffingStructuresSittingattheheartoftheStudioSchoolmodelisavisionforaninnovativestaffingstructure.Thishassevenkeycharacteristics(StudioSchoolsStaffingStructure:1):

1. adistinctorganisationalstructurewithuniquenomenclature;2. adiversestaffingteam;3. amorecloselyintegratedstaffingstructure;4. adynamicandflexiblestaffingstructure;5. greateremphasisonpastoralsupportandcare;6. aleadershipmodelwhichreflectsthediversenatureofstaffbackgroundsanddistinct

ethos;7. andapublicfacingstructurethatismorecloselyintegratedintothecommunity.

However,atthecentreofthisvisionforanovelstaffingapproachliethetworolesofLearningCoachandPersonalCoach.AcrossalltheCREATEguidancedocumentsandthewiderStudioSchooldocumentation,theseseparateroles,workingtogetherinacomplementaryway,areportrayed as essential to the implementation of the CREATE Framework. The LearningCoachestakeonwhatwouldtraditionallybeseenastheteacherrole,planninganddeliveringlessonsand,developingprogrammesofproject-basedlearningfortheirstudents.Asargued

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byTrusteesfromtheStudioSchoolsTrust,they‘shouldalwaysbequalifiedteachers’ensuringthattheyhavetheexpertiserequiredtosupportstudentlearning.ThePersonal Coaches, seenas generally coming from industry (SST Trustee),wouldworkalongsidetheLearningCoaches,focusingspecificallyonsupportingthedevelopmentofskills.Inthedocumentation,PersonalCoaches:

• Overseethedeliveryofprojects,tailoringthemmeetstudentgoals• Planandcoordinatepersonalisedlearningplansforstudents• Workwithstudentstosetpersonaltargetsandreflectonprogress• Liaise with the Studio School staff and business partners to monitor student

placementsandprogress• WorkwithLearningCoachestoensurecorecontentisdelivered• Makestudentsawareofprogressionroutesavailabletothemandhowtheirlearning

relatestothesepathways.(StudioSchoolsTrust,2013:8)

Therefore, in thisoriginalconceptualisationof themodel,whenastudent joinedaStudioSchool,heorshewouldworkwithaPersonalCoachtodevelopaskillsprofile,highlightingstrengthsandareasfordevelopment.WorkingwithboththeyoungpeopleandtheLearningCoaches,thePersonalCoacheswouldthenconstantlyreviewprogressinthedevelopmentofskillsandsubskillsandlookforpersonalisedopportunitieswithintheproject-basedworkforfurtherdevelopmentforeachstudent(CREATE2012;StudioSchoolsTrust,2013).TheCREATEFramework forms the basis of this work and is used to shape conversations between allstakeholders.Assuch,andasarticulatedbyoneoftheTrusteesfromtheStudioSchoolsTrust,‘ThePersonalCoachesaretheownersofCREATE’.WithinthisoriginalconceptualisationoftheStudioSchools’staffingstructure,asindicatedinthe organisational chartsmade available to Studio Schoolswhen they are set up (StudioSchoolsStaffingStructure),theimplementationofCREATErequiresLearningCoachesandthePersonalCoachestoworktogetherasequals,supportingboth‘knowledgeacquisition’acrossthewidercurriculumandthedevelopmentofCREATEskillsthroughproject-basedlearning.As oneof the Trustees from the Studio Schools Trust argued, ‘The Personal Coaches andLearningCoachesshouldhaveparity’.TheybringdifferentexperiencestogetherinaholisticwaytoimplementtheCREATEFrameworkandtheStudioSchoolsmodel.However,datafromtheinterviewssuggestthatthisidealisedmodelhasbeenrelativelyrarelyimplemented inpracticeacross themajorityofStudioSchools.Akey issuecentresontheequality between Learning Coaches and Personal Coaches. One of the Trustees from theStudioSchoolTrustsuggestedthatdueto limitedfinances,PersonalCoachesarepaid lessthanLearningCoaches,‘attimessignificantlyless’.Thismeansthatalthoughthetworolesshouldbeorganisationallyequal,‘intherealworld,westartedtalkingaboutparityofesteem’.

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Insomecontexts,thepracticalimplicationsofthismeanthat‘PersonalCoachesareseenassecondclasscitizens…theteachersknowthey’repaidmoreandfindithardtobelieveanyoneshouldhaveparitywiththem’(SSTTrustee).Attheextremeend,theinterviewdataandtheresearchers’widerexperiencewithinStudioSchools, suggest that some schools have combined the two roles,with Learning CoachesincorporatingthetasksofPersonalCoachesintotheirnormalwork.Insomecases,itwouldappearthatthelanguageofLearningandPersonalCoacheshavebeendroppedaltogetherandmembersofstaffresponsibleforbothlearningandthedevelopmentofskillsaresimplyreferredtobythetraditionaltitleof‘teacher’.The full implicationsof this apparentmoveaway from theoriginal visionof LearningandPersonal coaches working together as equals is unclear. Our interviewees and otherinformantsinvolvedinStudioSchoolsacrossthesectorwerehighlycriticalofthismove.Forexample,oneoftheTrusteesfromtheStudioSchoolstrustemphasisedthat‘Idon’tthinkyoucan implementCREATEatallwithoutPersonalCoaches!’Thisargumentwasrooted intheviewthatPersonalCoaches,comingfromnon-educational,industryrelatedbackgrounds,arebestplacedtoexamineandsupportthedevelopmentofskillsinprojectworkandindustryplacement. Teachers, it was argued, particularly if they have taken a traditional careerpathway(fromschool,touniversity,toaPGCE),maynothavedevelopedthefullrangeofskillsembeddedintheCREATEFrameworkinthewaythatthestudentsarerequiredto.AssuchtheirabilitytolinkanddeliverCREATEskillsthroughindustrybasedprojectworkmaybecompromised.GiventhecentralityofstaffingstructurestotheimplementationofCREATEwithintheStudioSchoolmodelandtheclearcomplexityassociatedwithadoptingthemodelinpractice,thereisaclearneedtoexplore these issues inmoredepth throughthequestionnaireandcasestudies.

ContinuingProfessionalDevelopment(CPD)The Studio School model is consistently portrayed as innovative throughout thedocumentation.Subsequently,manymembersofstaffcoming fromteachingbackgroundsareunlikely tohave significant experienceofworkingwith skills frameworks likeCREATE,workingalongsidePersonalCoaches,orpartneringwithEmployers.Similarly,thosemembersofstaffemployedasPersonalCoaches,comingfromoutsideeducation,areunlikelytohaveexperience of working within school environments or supporting young people’s skillsdevelopmentthroughtheCREATEframework.Therefore,appropriatetrainingandCPDfordifferent members of staff is likely to be essential to the successful implementation ofCREATE.

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However, acrossall thedocuments selected foranalysis, ‘CPD’wasonlymentioned threetimesandinasuperficialmanner(forexample,suggestingtherewouldbeopportunitiesforCPDwithinStudioSchools).‘Professionaldevelopment’wasonlymentionedtwiceandthiswasinrelationtogovernorsandadministrativestaff.Although,someinitialtrainingcourses,fundedbytheEdgeFoundation,wereavailablethroughtheStudioSchoolsTrustduringtheearlyyearsofitsexistence,thisabsenceofaclearstrategicapproachtoongoingprofessionaldevelopmentinrelationtoCREATEorthewiderstudioschoolmodelwashighlightedintheinterviews. For example, the Trustees from the Studio Schools Trust both suggested thatformalCPDprovided to staffwasvery limitedandgeneralised.Whilematerialsexisted inAmericaonproject-basedlearningandtheTrustdidsomeinitialworkwithanorganisationinSanDiego,limitedtrainingwasprovidedoncoachingoronCREATE.Itwassuggestedintheinterviews that although there was support from the Edge Foundation to develop sometraining,supportfromtheDfEtodevelopCPDprogrammesthatweretailoredtotheStudioSchoolmodelwas limited.Thiswasexacerbatedbythenatureofsmallschools: ‘it’sreallydifficulttogetstaffoutfortraininginasmallschool,soithasalwaysbeenprettypatchy’.Given the importanceplacedonstaffunderstandingboth theCREATE frameworkand thewiderStudioSchoolmodel,theapparentlylimitedopportunitiesforrelevantCPDavailabletomembersofstaff,highlightcriticalissuesaroundhowstaffacquireprofessionalknowledgerelated toCREATEand skillsdevelopmentandhowschoolsensure staff areappropriatelytrained.TheseissueswereraisedinthequestionnaireandwillrequirefurtherinvestigationthroughthecasestudiesinPhase3.

WhoisCREATEfor?As described above, CREATE is portrayed in much of the documentation around StudioSchoolsandintheinterviewsas‘ownedbypersonalcoaches’.However,itisalsoclearthattheframeworkismeanttounderpinallworkundertakenbyLearningCoaches.Atthesametime,employersareadvisedtoengagewiththeCREATEFramework,workingwithPersonalCoachestosupportstudentsdevelopingCREATEskillsthroughplacementsandpartnershipworking (Employers Guide to Studio Schools). Perhaps most importantly, within thedocumentation,CREATEisseenasbeingusedactivelybystudentsthemselvesonadailybasis,underpinning everything they do (AGuide for Studio Schools Staff). This ismost stronglyemphasised in the CREATE Framework itself, which directly addresses the students: forexample, ‘you will use your skills in lots of different environments, such as school, theworkplace,withyourfriendsandfamilyandinthelocalcommunityandwiderworld’(CREATE2011).EmbeddedintheCREATEFramework,therefore,isamodelofskillsdevelopmentthatplacesindividualstudentagencyatitsheart.Itrequiresstudentstoengagewiththeframeworkinan in-depth and ongoingmanner, supported by Personal Coaches, Learning Coaches andEmployers, all of whommust have a detailed understanding of it. Given the importance

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placedonthiskindofrich,in-depthengagementwithCREATEfromallthekeystakeholders,thereisaneedtoexaminehowthisaspirationisbeingimplementedinpractice,thedifferentwaysinwhichthestakeholdersactuallyengagewiththeframework,andwhatdifferentkindsofengagementmaymeanforskillsdevelopment.Aspectsofthiswereincludedinthesurveyand, as will be described inmore depth below, issues around student agency, the waysstudents are introduced toandengagewithCREATE, and thedepthofwider stakeholderengagementwereseentobecriticalissuesinthecasestudies.

LeadershipAlthoughthemajorityofthedocumentationaroundCREATEdidnotdealexplicitlywiththeissue of leadership, the wider documents around governance and our wider experiencehighlightedtheimportanceofhavingastrongleadershipforimplementingtheStudioSchoolmodel.Thisissuewasemphasisedinalltheinterviewsandinallinformalconversationswehad with individuals working in the sector. They emphasised that the successfulimplementation of CREATEwas fundamentally determined by the approach taken by thePrincipal. Strong direction from leaders was seen as leading to buy in from staff andemployers, andwas described as being linkedwith the degree of engagement that staff,studentsandemployershadwithCREATE.However,oneofour interviewees suggested thatanumberofprincipalswere simplynotinterestedintheStudioSchoolmodel.Rather,theywereusingtheirleadershippositionsassteppingstonestofurthertheircareersandmovetoheadinguplargerschools1.ThenatureofthefundingarrangementwiththeDfEmeantthatthedefiningcharacteristicsofaStudioSchool, including the use of the CREATE framework, were not included in the fundingdocuments.ThismeansthatprincipalshavetheflexibilitytodeterminetheextenttowhichtheyoperatewithintheformalparametersoftheStudioSchoolsmodelandengagewiththeCREATEFramework.Assuch,principalsthatmaynothaveastronginterestinCREATEortheStudio Schoolsmodel are unlikely to develop a culture that is conducive to its successfulimplementation.Ourintervieweessuggestedthatthisissuecouldbeexacerbatedbytwocriticalfactors.Firstly,thespeedwithwhichalargenumberofStudioSchoolswerefoundedandopenedmeantthatmany struggled to recruit staff. According to our interviewees, this led to some LearningCoaches not only having limited experience with project-based learning or skills-basedapproaches, but actively opposing them.Without strong leadership, these attitudeswentunchallenged and the innovative aspects of the Studio Schools model and the CREATEFrameworkinevitablywereerodedorinsomecasedropped.Secondly,theintervieweesandparticularlythepolicymaker,stressedthattheeducationsystemisinherentlyconservative

1Toacertainextentthisperspectivewaspotentiallyevidencedthroughtheprocessofsendingoutthequestionnaire,whichhighlightedasurprisingamountofstaffingchangeacrosstheStudioSchoolsNetworkatprincipallevel.

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andcautiousofchange.Withoutastrongprincipaltodrivechange,thereisalwaysatendencyto revert back to the status quo andperceived safeways of operating. According to oneinterviewee,thistendencytorevertbacktopreviouswasofoperatingwasforsomeschoolsemphasisedbytheEducationAdvisors,actingasliaisonbetweentheschoolandtheDfE,whofrequently advised principals to reduce project-based learning and focus on the corecurriculum.The issueof leadershiphighlights a rangeof important issues relating school culture, keystakeholders’attitudestoeducationalinnovation,thecoretenetsofStudioSchools,andtheCREATEFramework.Questionsrelatingtothesewereincludedinthequestionnaire,andareunpackedinmoredetailbelowthroughtherealworldexamplesofthecasestudies.

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Phase2:QuestionnaireAsindicatedinthemethodologysection,thequestionnairewassenttoall33StudioSchoolsintheStudioSchoolsNetwork.Thisproduced21responsesfrom14schools.Ineachofthe14schools,thequestionnairewascompletedbytheprincipalapartfrominoneinstancewhereit was only completed by the vice principal. Four schools providedmultiple submissions.Theseadditionalresponsescamefromdifferentmembersofstaff,themajorityofwhomhadsomeroleinthesenior leadershipteam–headofsixthform,forexample.Theprocessofproducing these21 responseswasvery labour intensiveand involvedmultipleemailsandphonecallstotheschoolsanddirectconversationswiththeprincipals.However,thisworkhighlighted an apparent fluidity of staff at the senior level,withmany records across theStudioSchoolTrustandindividualschools’websitesprovingtobeoutofdate.Thisrelativelyhigh turnoverof staff is likely tobe indicativeof the complicatedposition Studio SchoolsoccupywithinthewidereducationalstructureintheUKandalsothepressuresthatsomeofthemareunder.AnalysisofthequestionnaireresponseswasundertakenwiththeSchoolsthemselvesastheunitofanalysis.Therefore,multipleresponsesfromspecificschoolswereanalysedtogethertobuildupamoreholisticpictureofeachschool.

Overviewofthedata

EngagementwithCREATEFrom those schools that responded to the questionnaire, as indicated in Chart 1,representativesfromfiveschoolsreportedusingCREATE‘allthetime’,nineschoolsreportedusingit‘someofthetime’,andthreeschoolsreportedusingit‘never’.It’simportanttonotethatthreeschoolsarerepresentedtwicewithinthesedataas, intheseinstances,multiplerespondentsdivergedintheirdescriptionsofhowtheyengagedwithCREATE.

Figure1:Schools'EngagementWiththeCREATEFramework

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Whereschools indicatedthattheyuseCREATE‘allthetime’,theydescribetheframeworkbeing used in very similar ways to the original conceptualisation embedded in thedocumentation,asunderpinningallschoolactivityandbeingactivelyusedtoengagewithemployers andmonitorprogress in skills development. Inone instance, thehead teacherdescribes such rich engagement with CREATE that the framework is even representedphysically through the decoration of the school buildings: ‘The CREATE Framework isrepresentedphysicallyinthebuilding,roomsarepaintedtoreflectthenatureofthesubjectandtheCREATEskillwithwhichtheyrelate,thereisaborderonthewallsthatexemplifiestheCREATEstrandsandstudentsareaskedtoreflectontheirCREATEskills’.Perhaps unsurprisingly, the largest proportion of schools reported using the CREATEFramework‘someofthetime’.However,thekindsofengagementdescribedinrelationtothisresponserangedwidelyfromdescriptionsofdeeplyembeddeduse(‘weusetheCREATEframeworkinallsubjectsmakingexplicitlinksbetweenwhatthestudentsarelearningandthe skills needed in the wider world of work’) to more superficial engagement with theframework(‘Generalawarenessaroundtheschool.[Itisusedfor]conferencesandpersonaldevelopment’). One school described using CREATE as a planning tool to underpin theselection of work to use with an alternative skills framework, PiXL Edge. Another schooldescribed using the tool to support young people’s preparation for sporting events, asopposedtolinkingitwithproject-basedworkorplacementswithemployers.Thisrangeofengagementandtypesofuse,oftenquitedifferenttotheoriginalconceptualisationoftheStudioSchoolmodel,withCREATEunderpinningallschoolactivityandlinkingproject-basedlearningwithemploymentplacements,illustratestheinherentflexibilityinboththemodelandframework.TwoofthethreeschoolsthatindicatedtheyneveruseCREATEsuggestedthathavingworkedwith it originally, found the framework too limiting, preferring to develop somethingthemselves. Although limited in depth of description, the responses suggested that thereasonsbehind thesedecisionsmayhavebeen related to the requirementsof associatedMATsortheinstitutionalagencyassociatedwithtailoringaframeworktotheschools’specificcontextsasmuchastheywererelatedtotheCREATEFrameworkitself.Thethirdschoolthatstated it never used the CREATE Framework, was a newer Studio School. RespondentssuggestedthattheschoolhadreceivedinsufficientsupportfromtheStudioSchoolsTrusttoengagewithCREATEandsohadmadethedecisiontodevelopitsownframeworkbasedonitsspecificcontextualandcurriculumneeds.

Alternative/AdditionalFrameworksFiveschoolsindicatedthattheyonlyusedtheCREATEframework;nineschoolsindicatedthatthey used alternative/ additional frameworks.Of the five schools that indicated they useCREATE ‘all the time’, four used additional frameworks to support their work. The threeschoolsthatneverusedCREATEwereusingalternativeframeworks.Thissuggeststhateven

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those schools that were most engaged with the CREATE Framework felt the need tosupplementthisprovision.

Figure2:NumberOfSchoolsUsingAlternative/AdditionalSkillsFrameworks

Avarietyofskillsframeworksweredescribedintheresponsesofthequestionnaire.Severalschools had explicitly developed their own frameworks based on their curriculum needs,using the International Baccalaureate for example, or in partnershipwith theirMAT (theAspirationsEmployabilityPortfolio, forexample).Otherschoolsusedexternallydevelopedframeworks:e.g.CityandGuildsEmployabilitySkills,PiXLEdge,and‘OfstedFrameworkforPersonalDevelopment,BehaviourandWelfare’.Thereasonsgivenforusingtheseexternallydevelopedframeworksvaried,butwereoftenrelatedtothelargerbodiesofcurriculumandprofessionalsupportthatwereassociatedwiththemandthelargerschoolnetworks(atbothinstitutionalandindividualteacherlevels)thatcouldbeturnedtoforsupport.

StaffingStructuresOneofthekeyissueshighlightedinPhase1wastheimportanceofplacedupontheinnovativestaffing structure of the Studio Schools model for the successful implementation of theCREATEFramework.ThisemphasisedtheneedforLearningCoachesandPersonalCoachestobeseparateroles,workingtogethertosupportCREATEthroughproject-basedlearningandemploymentplacements.OurinitialworkhadsuggestedthatinmanyschoolstheroleswerecombinedandLearningCoachesweredoingtheworkofPersonalCoachesalongsidetheirownteachingwork.Thequestionnaire,therefore,includedasectiononthisissue.AsindicatedinChart3,sixschoolsmaintainedseparateLearningandPersonalCoachroles,whilefiveschoolscombinedtheroles.Threeschoolsdidn’trespondtothisquestion,whichmaysuggestthattheydidn’tunderstanditoraresimplynotprovidinganyformofpersonalcoaching(anoptionthathadn’tbeenincludedinthequestionnaire).Broadlyspeaking,the

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schoolsthathadseparatePersonalCoachesandLearningCoachescorrespondedwiththosethatweremorefullyengagingwiththeCREATEFramework.Thisisunsurprising,buthighlightstheconnectionbetweenthewaysinwhichschoolsengagewiththeCREATEFrameworkandthe degree to which they have bought into the original conceptualisation of the StudioSchoolsmodel. Inmanyways this emphasises the holistic nature of the original vision ofStudio Schools in which all distinctive aspects (CREATE, staffing structure, project-basedlearningetc)acttogethertoprovideadistinctivemodelofeducation.Assuch,anyanalysisoftheCREATEFrameworkmusttakeintoaccountawideranalysisoftheStudioSchoolsmodelasawhole.

Figure3:StructureofPersonalCoachesandLearningCoaches

WhoEngageswithCREATEOneofthekeyvisionsfortheuseofCREATEoutlinedinPhase1wasthewayinwhichdifferentstakeholders engaged with the framework. The importance of employers working withCREATEwasemphasised,butmoreimportantwasstudentstakinganactiveandagenticroleinusingCREATEbothtodevelopandmeasuretheiremploymentskills.AsshowninChart4,employer engagement with the CREATE Framework was limited with the employmentpartners in the majority of the responding schools having no or little engagement withCREATE.Althoughsixschoolsstatedthat theirstudents ‘somewhat’engagedwithCREATEandoneschoolreportedthatitsstudentsengagedto‘agreatextent’,noneoftheschoolsappeared to describe the active and agentic student ownership of the framework thatappearedtobeembeddedwithinthedocuments.

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Figure4:StudentandEmployersEnagementwiththeCREATEframework

Thismaysuggest that theaspirations for the frameworkwereoverlyambitiousand,oncefacedwiththemessyrealitiesofreallifeschools,directlyinvolvingemployersandstudentsintheimplementationofCREATEprovedtoocomplex.AsoneoftheTrusteesfromtheStudioSchoolsTruststated,‘nobattleplaniscompleteuntilit’smettheenemy!’ThedatafromthequestionnairesuggestasignificantdiversityofapproachestotheStudioSchool model and ways in which the CREATE framework is conceptualised andoperationalisedacrosstheStudioSchoolsNetwork.Underpinningthisareawiderangeofissuesandchallengeswhicharefurtherdiscussedinthecasestudies.

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Phase3:InDepthCaseStudiesUsing theanalysisof thequestionnairedata, five schoolswere selected for in-depth casestudies. As indicated above in the Methodology section, these case studies focused onunderstandingthedifferentwaysinwhichschoolsandkeystakeholderswithinthemengagedwiththeCREATEFrameworkandthedifferentwaystheydrewuponadditionaloralternativeskillsframeworks.Thesecasestudiesmapthejourneystheschoolshaveundertakentodateandcharttheirfuturedirectionoftravel.Eachofthecasestudyschoolswasuniquewithadifferentstructure,ethos,andapproachesto the Studio Schools model and CREATE. Therefore, rather than attempt to apply anoverarching and limiting framework to the presentation of the data, we have taken themethodologicalchoicetowriteeachcaseupinawaythatreflectsthedistinctivenatureoftheschoolsandthedata.Thishasenabledustohighlightcriticalpointsineachcase,allofwhichwill be dealt holistically through the cross-case analysis in the discussion section –‘WhatwehavelearnedaboutandfromCREATE’.

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CaseStudy1:StudioSchoolZoryaStudioSchoolZoryaisarelativelyestablishedStudioSchool,havingopeneditsdoorsin2014.Theschool is located ina smallmarket town in theMidlandsandshares itsgroundswithanotheracademytogetherwithwhichitformstheMAT.Despitehavingbeenopenforalmostfouryearsnow,theschoolisundersubscribed,withonly74studentsonrollin2017/18.Theschool’sspecialismsincludeengineering,business,andsport.Theschoolwhenitfirstopenedspecialised only in engineering business in response to the needs set out by the skillsshortagesidentifiedbytheLocalEnterprisePartnership.TheschoolhadconsideredopeningathirdspecialismofhospitalityandleisureasthatiswhatmadesenseforthelocalareabutbasedonfeedbackfromtheLEPandrecognisingthedemandfromstudents,theychosetofocusonsportasthethirdspecialism.Schoolleadershiprecognisedearlyonthattheschool‘wasn’t going to be everything for all people’ (Zorya SLT1), and worked to maintain acurriculum focus that suited the employability outcomes they wanted. The school has arobustworkplacementprogram inplace for its students,withadedicatedBusiness LinksManagerwhohasworkedwithleadershiptobring170companiesonboardtoofferstudentsone-offormoresustainedworkplacements.Workexperienceisheavilyintegratedintothecurriculum,andteachingisstructuredaroundthisemphasis(ZoryaTeacher2).Inrecognitionof theirworkon this, Studio School Zorya is theonly school in the country tohavebeenawarded a Fair Train Gold accreditation, which is an Ofsted and DfE standard for workplacements.TheStudioSchoolalsohasacoachingmodelinplacethat‘formsthecoreoftheir[our]ethos’(ZoryaSLT2),withcoachesworkingnotjustwithstudents,butalsowithparentsandindustrialpartners.

CreatingandmaintainingtheethosofStudioSchoolZoryaAlargepartofourconversationwithleadershipatStudioSchoolZoryawasabouthowtheyhaddeliberatelyworkedtobuildtheethosofaStudioSchoolanditselementsfrom‘theverypointofapplication’(ZoryaSLT1)throughitstemporaryhomestowhereit istoday.StudioSchoolZoryahasbeendesignedto‘feellikeaprimaryschool’inthatleadershipwantsparentsandstudentstofeelliketheyarepartofalargefamily.Theyalsoaimto‘beatruepartofthecommunity’inthatwhicheverprojectsareundertakenbytheschool,theyneedtogivebacktothecommunityinsomeform.Anothercorepartoftheschool’sethosisthatofcreatinga‘trueparityofesteem’(ZoryaSLT1)whichhasbeenarticulatedintwoways:

1. schoolleadershipwantedtocreateanenvironmentwherestudentsfeltcomfortabletalking and working with one another irrespective of their age or backgrounds,creatingparityamongstyeargroups,and

2. school leadership wanted there to be no difference in employment or highereducation outcomes based on whether students took A-Levels or technicalqualification. This meant that school leadership has invested time andmoney onensuring that the technical qualifications and associated teaching and workplacementsofferforstudentsontheappliedrouteareoftopquality.

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TwomembersoftheSLThavebeeninstrumentalinco-creatingandenactingthevisionforStudioSchoolZorya.Intheirpreviousemployment,bothmembershadbeenactivelyinvolvedasspecialistteachersinthedevelopmentofthe14-19Diplomasfortheregion,workinghardto developmeaningful connectionswith the companies in the area to co-deliver courses(ZoryaSLT2) inengineeringandbusiness.Beingpartof the leadcollege indeveloping theconsortium for Diplomas had given both members of the SLT an appreciation for theintegratedmodelthattheDiplomasespoused,wherehigherqualificationscouldbeofferedtostudentseitheratschoolsorcolleges,allowingtheconsortiumtoharnessitsexpertisetothefullextent.

Itreallywasanintegratedmodel.Andagain,lotsofmythinkingwhenwewerethinkingaboutthestudioschoolwasdevelopedfromwhatwedidwiththe

diplomas.Butagain,somethingthatworkedreally,reallywellforus,thekidsweregettingfantasticqualifications.(ZoryaSLT1)

ThisintegratedmodeloflearningissomethingthatSeniorLeadershipfelttheStudioSchoolmodeltriedtodoaswell,andcombinedwiththeethosoftheCREATEframework,thetwofeltthatthismodelwouldbethewayforwardforanewschoolintheregion(afterplansforthe 14-19 Diplomas fell through). The CREATE framework, for them, echoed the PLTS(PersonalLearningandThinkingSkills)thathadbeenacorepartoftheDiplomas;anelementthatbothleadersknewhadcrucialemployerbuy-in.Bothwerealsoawarethattherewasanappetite amongst employers in the area for a substitute for the ill-fated BirminghamBaccalaureate (a certificate awarded to students in recognition of employability skillsdevelopedonprojectsandqualificationsdesignedbyemployers),whichhadalsosufferedduetofundingcuts.TheyrecognisedthattheCREATEframeworkwouldhelpbuildthatethosofembeddedemployabilityskillsthatemployers intheareaweresearchingfor,andso ‘itbecameoneoftheunderpinningforces’fortheethosoftheschool(ZoryaSLT2).

thattheCREATEframework,ifstudentsleftuswithevidenceof,perhapsnotmastery,butcertainlyexposureandsomeconfidenceineachofthoseskills,thenthatwouldstandthemingoodsteadintermsoftheiremployability.(ZoryaSLT2)

Bothmembersofseniorleadershipweresteadfastintheirbeliefthatthiswasaschoolthatwasn’tgoingtobeforeveryone,andsoactivelychosetonotmakeanycurriculardecisionsthat were driven by accountability measures such as the EBacc. They knew that theirindustrial partners hadbought into the ideaof the Studio Schools basedon the strategicdecisionsaroundspecialismsandneverwantedtodilutethattrust.Having listenedtotheneedsoftheirindustrialpartners,forexample,theSLTembracedtheflexibilityofcurriculumprovidedtoStudioSchools,andconvincedtheschoolgovernorsthatallstudentsinKS4wouldtake the BTEC Award in Business , irrespective of whether they were a business studiesstudentornot;thiswasdonesothatallstudentswouldhave‘atleastanunderstandingofbusiness’(ZoryaSLT1)whentheywenttowork.Thisfurtherbuiltontheethosoftheschool

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ofcreatingparityofesteemfortheappliedqualificationsasseniorleadershipwantedto(andstillcontinueto)challengethenotionthat ‘peoplethinkemployability, that’s, like, for thelowerability,thinkingthatotherpeopleneverevergotowork,butemployabilityisforeverysingleperson,itseemstome,andyouhavetomakethemmoreemployable’(ZoryaSLT2).Seniorleadershipalsorecognisedthatinvestinginthecoachingmodelandintensivepastoralsupportisimportant,andsomethingtheywere(andcurrentlyare)unwillingtocompromiseon.Theyunderstoodthattherewasalargeappetiteintheirtownforasmallschoolandthepastoral environment that comeswith it, and that parentswanted to send their children‘irrespectiveofthespecialisms,it’sasmallschool,Idon’treallycarewhatyouteach,it’sasmallschool,theygo‘’yes,yes,theygotowork,yes,yes,ofcoursetheydoalongday’’.So,they’refixated,Ithink,onsmallschoolandthepastoralsupport’(ZoryaSLT2).Thereareonly4fulltimeteachingstaffattheschool,alongside2coaches,andabusinesslinksdeveloper.Thishasbeendrivenbytwofactors:

1. SeniorLeadershiphadwantedtoensurethatthestafftheyhiredtrulyboughtintotheethosoftheschool,andwouldbewillingtointegrateinthecurriculum,and

2. Theschool ispartofaverysmallMAT,andsostaffingresourcesforsomesubjectsthatarenotthespecialistsubjectsaresharedacrossthetwoschools.Thestaffandstudents allmingle and eat with one another over lunch breaks, creating amoreinformalatmospherethanatotherschools–reinforcingtheideaofcreatinga‘familyfeel’ intheschool.AllthestaffemployedfirmlybelievedineithertheconceptofasmallschoolorthattheStudioSchoolprovidedthemwiththeopportunityto‘doworkandeducationandtieitalltogether’(ZoryaTeacher2).

CREATE’splaceintheschoolStudioSchoolZoryaisanexampleofaStudioSchoolwheretheCREATEframeworkunderpinstheethosandactivitiesoftheschoolandhasdonesofromtheveryinceptionoftheschool.TheschoolhasmadedeliberatechoicestomakeCREATE‘liveinthebuilding’(ZoryaSLT1)tothelargestextentaspossible.CREATEisrepresentedphysicallythroughnotonlyPowerPointsandposters,butalsofromthebuilding’swallsthemselves.EachroomthatstudentsareinhasonewallthatisdedicatedtotheCREATEframeworkskills,almostmakingthestudentsliveandbreatheCREATE.Leadershipareofthebeliefthatitwasexplicitmeasuressuchasthesethathasallowedstudents,teachers,parentsandemployersalike,tonotonlybeawareoftheframeworkatalltimes,butalsomakeitpartoftheeverydaylanguageoftheschool.

itisoneofthosethingsthatgets...therearesomeexplicitreferencestoit.Veryoften,becauseIthinkthestaffhavebeenherefromthestart,theinvestment,theworkthatweputintomakingcreatepartoftheirthinking,isimplicitnow.Itjust

happensbecausethatiswhatpeoplearedoing.(ZoryaSLT1)

The two biggestways inwhich Studio School Zorya attempts to develop the skills in the CREATE

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frameworkisthroughaninvestmentinarobustcoachingmodel,andthroughthecreationoftheirbespokeCREATEPassport.Leadershiphasbeenkeentoensurethatthedevelopmentoftheseskillsissoembedded ineverythingthat theydid, thatstudentswouldn’tevenrealise itwashappening,ratherthanitbeingan‘artificial,teacher-ledframework’(ZoryaSLT1).

Whatwedeveloped,andthisiswhatZoryaCoach1willhopefullytalkyouthrough,isthisthingcalledCreatePassport.Theideabeingwhenyougraduatefromus,it’syourpassporttoemploymentoryourpassporttouniversity.Inthere

youhavearecordofwhatyouachievedwhileyou’vebeenwithus.So,forcommunicating,itmightbethatyouwereinvolvedinsomemeetingsintheworkplacement.YoutakeyourCREATEPassportalongwithyou,andyourindustrial

partnersignsthatoff.Itisnotus,whatdoweknow.(ZoryaSLT1)

StudentsareintroducedtotheCREATEframeworkthroughtheircoachingsessions,whichlastfor15-20minutesperweekperstudent.ThisiswheretheyworkontheirCREATEPassportsaswell.CreatedbythePersonalCoachesandbasedondocumentationobtainedfrommilitarytrainingcourses,theCREATEPassportisavisualrepresentationoftheskillsoftheCREATEframeworkand isawrittenrecordof thegoals thatstudentsset themselvesonaweekly,termlyandyearlybasis.Italsoincludesinformationonbuildingastudent’sresume,andhasspaceforstudents’reflectionsfromtheirworkexperiences.ThegoalsstudentsagreewiththecoachesalwayslinkbacktotheCREATEframework,forexample,ifastudentsetsthemselfas small a goal of getting in touch with a potential employer about a work experienceopportunity,thenthatwouldbelinkedbacktotheCommunicationskillindiscussionswithcoaches(ZoryaCoach).Thecoaches’objectiveistoultimatelytomovestudentstoapointwherethesesmallgoalswouldbuilduptorepresenttheiraspirationsforwhattheywantedtobeinadultlife.TherewasarecognitionamongstthePersonalCoachesthatwhenstudentsfirstcomeinthere’salotmorementoringandpastoralcarethatisgivenbythem,butsoonit turns into a ‘fairly robust coachingmodel’ (Zorya SLT2). The coachesworkweeklywithstudents to move them from a coach-directed goal setting to student self-directed goalsettingtomaketheimprovementsthattheyfeeltheymightneed-makingthestudentsthetrueownersoftheCREATEframework.

It’sallaboutbabysteps,andsoeverysingletargetthatthestudentssetthemselves,it’scodedagainstCREATE,sothat’sgoingtobeCtargetandnotour

target,wenevergetthemtomakemorethantwo,they’rejustnotgoingtoremember.(ZoryaCoach2)

TheCREATEPassportisnotjustaboutcapturinggoals,butalsoaboutunderstandingthevalueoftheworkexperiencesthatthestudentswereinvolvedin.ThePassportallowsacapturingoftherecordoftheworkthattheyhavedonewithemployers,butalsoallowsforareflectionoftheskillsthattheyhavedevelopedasapartofthatwork.Employersareinvolvedinthisprocesssuchthattheyarerequiredtosignoffonnotonlytheworkbutalsoonthereflectionoftheskillsdeveloped,givingthestudentarealsenseofownershipofthePassportandan

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understandingof theskills theydevelopatworkcouldandcanrelatebacktotheCREATEframework.As studentsmove through their school years, all their activities and skills arecapturedinthismanner,andwhentheygraduatefromschooltheyarehandedalaminatedversionofthePassporttotakewithtoemploymentorontohighereducation.ThePersonalCoachesandseniorleadershipallsharethethinkingthatinusingtheCREATEPassportinthismanner,studentswerenotonlybecomingthetrueownersoftheirownskillsdevelopmentbutwerealsogaininganawarenessthatoneneedsmorethanjustqualificationstosucceedintheworldofwork;

SomeskillsIdon’tthinkyoucanteach,soitisjustlearningaboutthemasapersonwhichiswhywewantedtoidentify,orfromanemployer’sperspective,wantstobeabletosay,“ohright,thisiswhoyouare,thisiswhatyouaregood

at.(ZoryaCoach1)

PersonalCoachesspendtimewithstudentsinKS4deliveringoccasionallessonsonCREATE,whereasforthestudentsinKS5,itismorelooselyintroducedthroughthePSHEsyllabus,toencouragestudentstothinkandrelatetheideasoftheframeworktotheireverdayactivities;

theyhavePSHElessonsinwhichlooselycoverssomeofthese,soyoutalkaboutsubjectsthatarethroughthePSHEsyllabus,butyou’dhavetogetthemthinkingaboutstuffforemotionalintelligence,becauseyougetthemtorelateandthink.Sothereareconnectionstothis,butit’snotexplicitly‘thisisnowCREATE,thisis

thisfromCREATE’.It’sverymuchembedded.(ZoryaTeacher2)

ThisemphasisontheCoachingmodelhasbeenreflectedinOfsted’sinspectionoftheschoolin2017.Thepersonaldevelopmentofpupilswashighlightedasoutstanding,withinspectorsemphasizingtheculturethattheschoolleadershadestablishedattheschooloneofthemainreasons.As can be seen from the discussion above, CREATE at Studio School Zorya lives verymuch in thedomainofthePersonalCoaches.Thecoachingstaffunderstandthisroleisverymuchaboutguidingstudentsonajourneyofskillsdevelopmentbutfindthemselvesbeingpulledtowardsissuesrelatedtomentalhealthandsafeguarding.Coachingstaffarecognizantofthisandworktore-allocatetimebetweenthem.Thisensuresthatonememberofthecoachingteamisalwaysfocusedoncoachingonlytoprotectthatdevelopmentaltimewiththestudents.

Wehavefoundtherearelotofmentalhealthissuesandsafeguardingissuesthisyear.PersonalCoach1hasbeenbusyandalmosttakenonapastoralmanagerkindofpositionwithwhatwehavefound,andithasbeendifficult.Therefore,I

havetotakeallofthecoachingon,becausesomeonehastogothat.(PersonalCoach2)

Theteachingstaffthatweinterviewed,whilstawareoftheCREATEframeworkdidnotengagewithitinthesamemannerasthePersonalCoaches.Thatsaid,duringourinterviews,theteachersindicatedthatbeingapartofthisresearchstudyhadencouragedthemtoreflectontheirworkandhowittiedto the CREATE framework. They realised that even though they rarely mentioned the CREATEframeworkexplicitly, thewaytheirqualificationswerestructuredmeantthattherewassignificant

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overlapbetweenthebehavioursthattheirstudentshadtodemonstrateinclasswiththeskillsoutlinedinCREATE.

everythingwedo,it’sthere,butwedon’tactivelygooutandsaywe’vegottohitthat,butIcantellyouhereandnow,wecanfilleveryoneofthoselittlepockets

insomeformat.It’sembeddedinwhatwedo.So,asIsay,Icanpulltoanyparticularpieceofwork,butIcanpulloutonvariousbits,unitsandthingslike

that,andvariousbitsofworkthatIwoulddothatwouldslotintotheseelementsoftheCREATEframework.(ZoryaTeacher1)

ThetimesthattheywouldengagewiththeCREATEframeworkwasduringstudent inductiondays,wheretheywouldsetstudentslittleprojectstogivethemtheopportunitytoimmersethemselvesintheschool.TheseprojectsaredesignedtobringstudentsfromthethreespecialismstogetherandarebuiltontheelementsoftheCREATEframework.Afterthesedaysthough,theirengagementwithanyexplicitreferencetoCREATEdiminishes,withanincreasedrelianceonthePersonalCoachestoworkontheseskillswithstudents.ThedegreeofuseoftheCREATEframeworkwithemployersismixedanddependentontheinternalethosoftheemployersthemselves.Insomeinstances,thelanguageoftheCREATEframeworkisonethathashelpedtheschoolengagewiththeemployers,particularlywiththedevelopmentofworkexperiences for students; inother instances theentireCREATE frameworkhasbeenembracedbyemployersandisevenusedaspartoftheirowntrainingforthoseemployeesinvolvedintheworkexperienceoffer.TheassessmentofskillsdevelopedintheworkplaceinvolvesnoengagementwiththeemployersintermsoftheCREATElanguage–thatverymuchremainsinthedomainofstudents,whoreflectontheirworkandtrytolinkbacktoCREATEaspartoftheCREATEPassport.

ButwedefinitelylookattheCREATEframeworkandtheskills,becausethisisalllinkedtohowyouneedtobeintheworkplace,sothereisthatlinkthere,yes.Sowedotalkabouttheskillstheyneedtobedevelopingwhilethey’reoutatwork

experience(ZoryaBusinessLinksDeveloper)

HowdostudentsviewCREATE?Duringourinterviewswithstudents,itbecameclearthattheirinteractionwiththeCREATEframeworkhadbeenboththroughthecoachingsessionsandfromtheirworkexperiences.Boththestudentsinterviewedhadbeenattheschoolsinceitsbeginningandhadhadmultipleworkexperiencesatarangeofsmallandlargecompanies.BothhadimmersedthemselvesintheircoachingsessionstolearnabouttheCREATEskillsandhadsettargetstowardstheirowndevelopment.

It’smoreaboutemployabilityratherthanjusthavingqualifications.Youalsohavetheseextrasetofskillsorthisframeworkthatyoucan…so,forthe

communication,ithelpsyoutotalktoothers,becauseyoumightbelackinginoneoftheareas,andyoucansettargetseveryweekinthatgoalarea,andwork

onit.(ZoryaStudent1)

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StudentsalsospokeabouthowtheywereabletorelatetheCREATEframeworktotheirworkexperienceandfoundtheprocessofmaintainingadiarytoreflectontheskillstheydevelopedatworkausefulprocess.WheretheywouldnotexplicitlyspeakwiththeiremployersabouttheCREATEframework,theyfoundthatwhenemployershadtosignoffontheirreflections,itwasalmostlikeanendorsementoftheirbeliefintheirownemployabilityskills,whichwouldonlyencouragethemfurther.Oncompletingtheirworkexperiences,theyhadfoundithelpfulto try and relate back to the CREATE framework, therefore allowing them to gain anappreciation forwhy theywere actuallyworking on learning about anddeveloping theseextraskillsoutsideoftheirqualifications.

IcanusesomeoftheCREATEsections,someoftheCREATEframework,inmyworkexperience…….Iwoulddefinitelysaytheworkexperiencesareuseful,

because,otherwise,Iwouldn’tknowhowtobehaveatwork.(ZoryaStudent1)

ThestudentsatStudioSchoolZoryacomeclosetotheenvisionedStudioSchoolmodelinthattheyseemedtobethemastersoftheirownCREATEjourneys,schedulingcoachingasandwhen they needed, and working with the coaches to identify areas of improvement,ultimatelybeingresponsiblefortheirdevelopmentthemselves.

TrainingontheCREATEframeworkTheStudioSchoolTrusthadprovidedinitialtrainingontheCREATEframework,withboththeCoachingteamandteachingstaffhavingattendedtrainingatManchester.Thisoccurredatthetimewhentheschoolhadjustopened,whichmeantthattheschoolhadnotreceivedtrainingfromtheTrustorthenewlyformednetworkinfouryears.ThematerialsfortrackingandmeasuringskillsprovidedbytheTrusthadprovedunfit forpurposeforStudioSchoolZorya,whichiswhytheCREATEPassporthadbeendevelopedbythecoachingstaff.Allthedevelopmental and improvement work that is done on the CREATE Passport is sharedbetweenthecoachingstaffandthebusinesslinksmanager,withverylittlein-housetrainingdeployedtowholestaff.

SchooltrajectoryDuringourdiscussionswiththestaffatschool,itwasinterestingtoseethatstaffcouldsense‘thewindsofchangecoming’ (ZoryaSLT2)and felt theirvulnerability inbeing thesmallerschoolofasmallMAT,aswellasbeinganundersubscribedStudioSchool.SeniorleadershipwerereflectiveintheirdiscussionwiththeresearchteamthattheywerenowinasituationwheretheyhadstruggledtoincreasetheirstudentrollduetoavarietyoffactorssuchasbadpressaroundStudioSchools, factually incorrect informationpublishedon theirProgress8measures,andthebattlewith‘smalltownthinking’(ZoryaSLT1)ofparents.Withincreasingpressures related to funding, senior leadership was aware that theMATwaswanting toinstitutechangessuchasbringingstudentsfromtheotherschoolintotheMATwhichtheyfeltwould ‘destroytheethosof thesmall school’ (ZoraySLT2)andmake itharder for the

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schooltoprovidetheintegratedlearningmodeltheyhaddeveloped.SchoolleadershipwasalsowarythatStudioSchoolswouldsufferthesamefateasthe‘specialistschoolsandthediplomas’(ZoryaSLT1),whichwouldmeanthatalltheworkthattheyhaddonetodevelopthisintegratedcurriculumandwithemployerswouldfalltothewayside.Theseconversationsareparticularlyinsightful,assinceourinterviews,bothleadershavelefttheschool(oneduetofundingdecisionsbytheMAT),signallingachangeintheMAT’sviewofhowtheStudioSchoolshouldfunction.

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CaseStudy2:StudioSchoolUnaStudio SchoolUna is an established Studio School, having opened in 2013. Located in anindustrialtownintheWestMidlandsofEngland,theschool ispartofafive-schoolstrongMAT.ThePrincipalfromtheStudioSchoolnotonlysitsontheExecutiveTeamfortheMATbutispartofthefoundingteamfortheMATinthearea,givingtheschool‘influence’(UnaSLT1)and‘completeparitywitheveryotherschool’intheMAT(UnaSLT1).HavingachievedaninfluentialpositionintheMAT,theschoolhaschampionedthecreationofanalternativeprovision school, partly to fulfil an unmet need in the area, and partly to articulate thedifferencebetweenaStudioSchoolandanalternativeprovidertothecommunity;somethingthathasbeenabarrierfortheStudioSchoolintermsofrecruitment.ThismoveissymbolicofSeniorLeadership’semphasisoncreatinganunderstandingoftheStudioSchool’sbrandingandethosnotonlyinthelocalarea,butalsonationally,asithasbeenconfusingforsomestakeholders;

StudioSchoolsfrustratinglykeeponbeingthoughtofasbeingAlternativeProvision(AP)Schoolsandtheyarenotbutdoyouknowwhat,PersonalCoachesandtheworkwithemployersisperfectforAPsoI’mgoingtotakethismodelandI’mgoingtomakeitworkinAPandthatwillalsohelpmeredefinewhatUnaStudioSchoolisbecauseitwon’tbeconfusedwithbeingthat(UnaSLT1)

The school building is small, however, there are plans for expansion, and they do sharefacilities with some of the sponsors of the school. That said, the school does have theelectronicequipmentandfacilitiesforstudentstoflextheirinterestinTVproductionorradio;theschoolalsohasaperformanceartsspacethatprovidesanareaforsomeofthestudentstakingCreativesubjects.Thoseinvolvedindanceorsingingoraparticularinstrumentusuallygotootherstudiostoreceivethebespoketrainingthattheywouldneed.Studentsattheschoolare largelyfromthelocalareaandtheschool isclosetofullysubscribed,afeatureuniquetotheStudioSchoolnetwork.BeingsetupintheMidlands,StudioSchoolUnahasfocusedonprovidingemploymentoutcomesforyoungpeopleintheareaintheDigitalandCreativeIndustries,whicharethelargestgrowingindustriesinthearea.

NationalcontextisreallyimportantintermsofsectorskillsforthepurposeofaStudioSchool.Wewantedtospecialiseincreativeindustries…….intermsofthenationalremitandthegapsaroundshortages,andindemandindustrysectors,

economicgrowthsoreallyatthenationallevelthatwasadriverforus.Obviouslylookingatthelocallevelintermsofthebreadthofcurriculum

available.AsSLT3justsaid,intermsofspecialisingintheartstherewasreallyagapinthemarketintermsofthatandtheotheronewasreallypickingupwhere

EBacclosesout.(UnaSLT2)

TheschoolisactuallyoneofthefirstfifteenschoolsselectedtobeaT-levelpioneerforthenewdigital Technical Levelqualification. StudioSchoolUna is also currentlyexpanding its

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offeringstoincludeHealthandSocialCare,tomeetthefuturedemandsof industryinthearea (as definedby the Local Enterprise Partnership), keeping in linewith its self-definedpurposeasaschool.ItisimportanttonotethatStudioSchoolUnaemploysacoachingmodelasoriginallyenvisionedintheStudioSchoolmodel,wherestaffhavebeenhiredspecificallyas Personal Coaches to develop the Pastoral Curriculum and provide the students at theschool with coaching ‘at least every three weeks’ (Una Personal Coach2). The CREATEframeworkisnotusedexplicitlywithemployers,andtherearelimitedpaidworkexperienceopportunitiesavailable forstudentsat theschool.Thatsaid,employersdoget involved inprojectswithintheschoolthatallowsstudentstobuildskillsthattheymayotherwiseintheirindustrialexperiences.

CREATEgonefullcircleAsdescribedbytheSLTatStudioSchoolUna,theCREATEframeworkanditsusehascomefullcircleinthefiveyearsoftheschoolbeingopeninthattherewashighengagementwiththe frameworkacross theschoolat itsopening, followedbyamove toCREATEbeing thedomainofPersonalCoachesonly,toarecognitionforaneedtomovebacktowholeschoolengagementthroughanimplicitembeddingoftheframework’skeyelementsinthetechnicalqualifications.ThismoveawayfromCREATEfromawholeschoolcultureisevidentfrombothnewerteachersandstudentswhohadnotbeenpartoftheschool’sinitialjourney.

SothatTeachersthatweretherefrom2013oreven2014itwaspartoftheirDNA,butthenstaffIrecruitedin2015/2016,IrememberbeinghorrifiedoneINSETdayclosetoChristmas,talkingaboutCREATEandoneofthestaffsaid

‘sorrywhatIsthat’?I’mlikehowhasthathappened?(UnaSLT1)

ThiscyclicdescriptionoftheCREATEframeworkislinkedtothejourneythattheStudioSchooland its leadership have taken in steering Studio School Una through identifying andembracingitsownuniqueidentity.

So,its[CREATEframework]beenonajourneyandIthinkwearereconnectingwithitrightnow.(UnaSLT1)

TheinitiallifeofCREATEWhen it first opened, Studio School Una had attempted to implement the Studio Schoolmodel (and subsequently, the CREATE framework) in the original form that had beenenvisionedbytheStudioSchoolTrust.Allsubjectsofferedweretaughtthroughproject-basedlearning,andalllessonsweremappedtothedifferentelementsoftheCREATEframework(UnaSLT1)usingitsownspecialschemeofwork.Atthetime,membersofstaffdevelopedanddelivered‘CREATElessonswhereeverymemberofstafftookaskill,andhadtodeliveranhoursessiononit,for instance’(UnaSLT3). ThreeofthestudentsweinterviewedhadexperiencedthisexplicitdeploymentoftheCREATEframeworkrecalledfeelingthatCREATE

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was‘partofeverylesson’(UnaStudent2)andwas‘liketheschool’smotto’(UnaStudent1).AtthistimetheschoolalsorecognizedthattheCREATEframeworkprovidedauniquesellingpointfortheschoolasit‘increased[theschool’s]credibility’withbothstudentsandparentswhocould‘relatetothefactthat[theschoolhas]aframeworkwithwhichtohelpbuildsoftskills,whichtheyknowthattheyneedtosucceedinlife’(UnaPersonalCoach1).

There-positioningoftheCREATEframeworkHalf-waythroughthefirstschoolyearhowever,StudioSchoolUnapivotedinitsjourneyofprojectbasedlearningtoadoptamoretraditionalapproachtoqualifications,andchosetoheavilyinvestinthecoachingstaffattheschool,makingthepersonalcoaches‘thecustodiansanddriversofnotjustthemappingbuttheshowingthekidshowandwhytheyaredevelopingthese CREATE skills’ (Una SLT1). This move was attributed to the belief held by schoolleadershipthatneithertheproject-basedlearningnortheCREATEframeworkwouldhelptheschoolto‘illustrateit’sprogresstoOfstedortotheDfE’(UnaSLT1),particularlywithregardstotheEBaccrequirements.Theschoolmovedfromitsfocusonthosequalificationsthathademployability outcomes to includeHumanities,Geography, andmore science, not just tocomplementthevocationalqualifications,but‘moresciencefortheEBacc’ssake’(UnaSLT1)andtheyalsointroducedlanguages.Asthestaffmovedtowardsthisincreasedcurriculum,and the increasing demands of teaching, CREATE moved solely into the domain of thePersonal Coaches. For a small school of 300 students, 3 and half FTE were dedicated topersonalcoachingandthedevelopmentofCREATEskillswasallmanagedthroughthem.Thecoaching staff wouldmeet with students in one to one sessions as often as they could,workingononeortwoareasoftheCREATEframeworkwiththestudents.In our interviews with the coaching staff, one obvious tension that was highlighted waswhethertheCREATEframeworkitselfwasfit-for-purposeasacoachingmodel.WheretheCREATEframeworkhadinitiallybeenadoptedenmasse,thearrivalofaPersonalCoachwhohadrunhisowncoachingbusinesshadpromptedaperiodofreflectionfromthecoachingstaff.BoththePersonalCoachesfeltthatthecoachingattheschoolfeltmorelikementoring,andpastoralcare,withtheCoachesbeingtheownersoftheCREATEframework;amodelthatwasnotatalllikewhatthecoachfeltweretruecoachingmodels.BoththeCoacheshowever,didrecognizethatitwouldbealmostimpossibletoimplementapurecoachingmodelinaschoolwhichsuchadiverseintakeofstudents.Notallstudentscamefromabackgroundthatmeant they had the motivation or the understanding to take ownership of their skillsdevelopment,andsotheCoacheshavehadtoperfectadelicatebalancebetweenguidingstudentstowardsrealcoachingandprovidingthemwiththesupporttheyneededintermsofmentalhealthorguidance.

Ithinkmentoringhasit’sitsroleinitsplacebutcoachingdoesaswellandIthinkthedifferenceisownership.Iftheyuncoverthingsforthemselvesandthenthey

see,wehavetorealisticwithinourroleintheschool.(UnaCoach1)

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StudentsareintroducedtoCREATEatintroductionevening,andthenagainwhentheystartschool. It iswhen they have one on one sessionswith one of the Coaches that they areintroduced to the framework indepth. TheCoaches recognized that the framework in itsentiretymightbetoomuchforallstudentstotakein,andsotheypickoneortwoareasthattheyfeelthatthestudentmaywanttoworkon.Afterthisprocessbegins,studentstaketheCREATEAssessmentTooleveryquartertoassesswiththeirCoachesjusthowmuchprogresstheyweremakingonthedevelopmentoftheirtargetareas.BoththeCoacheswerecriticaloftheAssessmenttoolaseachskillhadmanystatementsassociatedwithitthatastudentwouldhave todigest and thenassess themselvesagainst. TheCoaches found themselveshavingtodilutethe languageofthestatementsorexplainthestatementstothestudentswhichtookawaythesenseofownershipthatthetoolwasactuallymeanttodevelopinthestudentsastherewasmore‘hand-holdingthannecessary’(UnaPersonalCoach1).TherewascleartensionhighlightedbetweenthetwoCoaches,whereonehadcompletelyboughtintotheethosandlanguageoftheframeworkfromtheverybeginning,whereastheotherhadtakenawhiletobeconvincedthatCREATEwouldbeavaluablecoachingtool.BothCoachesdid agree though the Assessment Tool felt bulky and the language felt more tailored toemployers,ratherthantostudents.Theareascoveredbytheframeworkitselfhoweverwere‘great’(UnaCoach1)andallowedthemtobeflexibleintheircoachingvspastoralrolewithstudents.

Ithinkinrealityittookmeprobablyagood12ifnot18monthstobuyintoCREATEinallhonestybutnowthatIhavepersonally,andseeingtheneedsandthedemandsoftheschoolandhowwehavetojustifyourexistenceIwouldsaythatweareheadingmoreintoCREATEratherthanawayfromitbecauseit

certainhasgreatvalue.

Itisinterestingtonotethatthestudentswhowerenewertotheschoolwerelessabletotalkabout their coaching sessions in terms of the CREATE framework. They knew what theframeworkwas,butwereunabletomakethelinksastohowtheareastheyhadbeensetastargetsbytheircoacheswouldeventuallylinkbacktoemployment.ApotentialreasonforthisisthattheKS4studentshadnothadanyworkexperienceyet,norhadtheyengagedinanylargeprojectsthatwouldhaveutilisedtheseskills.Anothertensionthatwashighlightedinourinterviewswasthatwiththeheavyinvestmentincoaching, teaching staff were less invested in understanding and engaging with theframework,resultinginamixedresponsefromstafftothetimethatwasactuallyspentontheCREATEframeworkandcoaching.ThecoachesdidrecognizethoughthatthepressuresofthecurriculummadeithardfortheteacherstoengagewiththeCREATEframeworkasmuchas the coaches would have liked them to, however, felt that there was a growingunderstandingthatcoachesprovidevaluetothestudentslivesandskillsdevelopment.

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Wehavehadamixedresponseandreactiontocoachingingeneral.Somebuyintoandareverysupportive.Somehavebeenresistanttoit,althoughIthinkit’sinterestingthatsomeofthosewhohavebeenresistanttoitrecentlyhaveleftthe

schoolbuttowardstheendstartedtovalueitmorethantheydidatthebeginning(UnaCoach1)

ThefutureofCREATESenior Leadership expressed distress that new staff at the school had become sodisconnected from the CREATE framework that they didn’t even know of its existence.Knowingthiswasdrivenbythedeliberatedecisionsmadeoncoaching,theprincipalwantedtoensurethatCREATEwasonceagainembracedbyallattheschool.Thatsaid,theywerenotwilling to take away from curriculum time, as CREATE was ‘not a curriculum, it was aframeworkthroughwhichprogressbeyondacademicoutcomescanbedemonstrated’(UnaSLT1). The school is also deliberately making decisions that are not driven by externalrequirementssuchastheEBaccandischoosingtore-focusitsenergyonthetechnicalandvocationalqualificationsonofferattheschool.Forexample,studentsarenolongerrequiredtotakealanguage,andscienceismorecloselylinkedtothetechnicalspecialism.Theschoolisnowmovingtowardsascenariowhereproject-basedlearningwillbeemphasizedthroughthe technicalandvocationalqualifications,allowing teachers toweave inelementsof theCREATE framework quite smoothly, creating an implicit interaction for students, and re-engagement of the staff with the skills. As staff themselves identified, the vocationalqualificationsleantthemselvesquitewelltoimplicitlybuildingCREATEskills(UnaTeacher1),whichwouldallowaneasybuildingoftheskillswithouthavinganotherframeworkfrontandcentrewithstudents.

No,absolutelynotandIthinktobehonestifwediddothat,ifweputitforwardinthatsenseIdoactuallythinkthatinsomecasesyou’ddisengagetheStudentbecauseagainit’sanotherframeworkinfrontofthem.IthinktheframeworkforTeachersascriteria,ifyoulike,orassomethingtousetoassesswhetherornotaStudentisworkingtowardsemployabilityskillsisfantasticbutasaStudentmodel

notnecessarilyso(UnaSLT4)

Theschoolisnotlookingtomovetoproject-basedlearningenmasseinordertoteachthecore subjects, but is evaluatingways inwhich it could deliver realworld projects in thetechnicalspecialismsthatwouldhelpstudentstacklegapsintheircoresubjectsaswell(UnaSLT3).Theideathereforemovingforwardistohavecoachingworkhand-in-handwithproject-basedlearning,asseniorleadershipholdthebeliefthatitisonlythecombinationofthetwothatcanhitallthedifferentelementsofCREATE.

NomatterhowinnovativeIamwiththeTechnicalVocationalareastheyarenotteachingemotionalintelligence.ButthePersonalCoachesarebrilliantintermsofthatchallengeandthat’swhyyoucan’tdoCREATEwithoutPBL,andyoucan’t

doPBLwithoutPersonalCoaches(UnaSLT1)

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In plotting the future of CREATE, senior leadership also feel that the framework and itslanguageneedsre-visiting,assomeofitfeltoutofdate,andnotnecessarilyfitforpurposeforthemillennialgeneration(UnaSLT3).SomestaffexpressedaneedtochallengeStudioSchool leadership to truly understand what types of skills they wanted an employabilityframeworklikeCREATEtoinstilinstudents(UnaSLT4).

TrainingStaffatStudioSchoolUnahadreceivedinitialtrainingfromtheStudioSchoolTrustwhentheyfirst opened. It is also from thework from the Trust that they had received the CREATEAssessment Tool. However, conversationswith the Trust, particularlywith regards to theCREATEframeworkhavebeenlimitedtononesincethen,andPersonalCoacheshavebeenlefttograpplewiththenuancesoftweakingtheCREATEframeworkforthemselves.SeniorleadershiprecognisethatthelackoftouchpointswiththeCREATEframeworkhasleftsomestaffwithnonotionoftheethosthattheframeworktriestoembed,andsoareintheprocessofcreatingtrainingthatwouldbeavailabletoallstaff.

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CaseStudy3:StudioSchoolCoralineStudioSchoolCoralineisarelativelynewStudioSchool(openfor2years)locatedinamarkettowninSouthEastEngland.ThisschoolisnotonlyapartoftheStudioSchoolnetworkbutisalsopartofa largesevenschoolMAT.Morerecently,theschoolhasalso joinedthePiXL2Club,whichisagroupofschoolsacrossthecountrythathavecometogethertolearnfromeachother’sbestpracticeswiththeaimofraisingschoolstandards.Theschoolhasaverylargecatchmentareaandyet theschool remainsundersubscribed.StudioSchoolCoralineopenedin2016withtwotothreebigemployersonboardasemployerpartnersbutschoolleadershiphassincefoundthattheirstrongestpartnershipsandhighestengagementcomesfromthesmaller,morelocalbusinessesthathavesincejoinedtheirportfolio.StudioSchoolCoraline has therefore expanded its employer network to include numerous smalleremployersthatmaynothavebeenabsolutelyrelevanttotheirspecialismsbutwouldatleastbeable tooffermeaningfulworkexperiences to students. Thebuilding that the school ishoused in is a purpose built, modern open building, with large open spaces to promotecollaborative working amongst students. The building is constructed using sustainablematerials, echoing the theme of the Studio School at the time of opening (sustainableconstructionsandlogistics).ThesethemeswereselectedtoreflectskillsneedthathadbeenidentifiedbytheLocalEnterprisepartnership.However,StudioSchoolCoralineiscurrentlytransitioningawayfromitsoriginal(veryspecific)themesandmovingtowardsamoregenericthemeofSTEMtherebyexpandingtheirqualificationoffertobettersuittheneedsofthelocalcommunity. The staff at Studio School Coraline is small, with teachers carrying multipleresponsibilitiesintherunningoftheschool.Staff,whileawareoftheCREATEframework,arenotengagingwithitcurrently,asleadershipevaluateshowtheywouldliketheemployabilityframeworktobeframedattheschool.

CREATE:AnemployabilityframeworkintransitionInitsrelativelyshortlifespanStudioSchoolCoralinehasexperiencedatransitionnotonlyinitsthemesandspecialisms,butalsointheimplementationanddevelopmentoftheCREATEframework,andcurriculumdelivery.SLTattheStudioschoolrecognisethatCREATEwasusedattheschoolalmostasa‘bolt-on’(CoralineSLT1)frameworktotheschoolethosandwantedtomovetowardsamoreintegratedcultureofemployability,andcharacterskillsthroughouttheschool.Ourconversationswiththemwereverymuchfocusedonthechangesthatweregoverning this transition and the different voices that theywere having to consider. Thistransitionisrepresentativeofthedifferentforces(internalandexternal)thatcaninfluence

2PiXLClub–PartnersinExcellenceisanot-for-profitofover1600secondaryschools,500sixthforms,600primaryschools,and75providersofalternativeeducation,spanningEnglandandWales.StartedbySirJohnRowling,PiXLisaproductoftheschoolimprovementprogram,theLondonChallenge,andstartedin2005.WherePiXLwasfirstsetuptosupportschoolstoachieveacademicexcellence,itnowhasexpandeditsprogramstothedevelopmentofemployabilityskillsandcharacterdevelopment.Thenetworkdrawsontheexpertiseofsubjectleadersandheadteacherstobuildprograms,almostacatering‘fortheschools,bytheschools’throughitsmodelofcollaborationaroundleadershipandsharedresources.

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StudioSchoolsmoregenerallyastheynavigatetheeducationlandscapewhiletryingtostaytruetotheiroriginalethosandmodel.ThestudentexperiencewiththemodelisnotasexplicitasenvisionedintheoriginalStudioSchoolmodel,duetoatransitionthatwillbedescribedbelow. Due to this, the analysis of the CREATE framework has focused largely on theperspectivefromtheseniorleadershipteam(SLT)atStudioSchoolCoraline,howeverstudentvoiceisrepresentedlateroninthediscussion.

TheinitiallifeofCREATEWhenitfirstopened,StudioSchoolCoralinehadadoptedtheCREATEframeworkasameansof talking about and deploying the idea of employability skills to students, parents, andemployersalike.TheCREATEframeworkprovidedauniquesellingpointfortheschool,astheframeworkanditsethoswasdeemedas‘common-sense’,and‘somethingthattheycouldallrelatetointheirdailyjobs’(CoralineSLT1)byparentsandemployersalike.Schoolleadershipthereforerecognisedthemarketabilityoftheframeworkanduseditasatoolforrecruitment.

Initsfirstyear,theStudioSchoolheldaworkshoponCREATEforitsstudentstofamiliarisethem with the core skills for their personal development. Following this, the CREATEframeworkwasembedded inprojectsandactivitiesthatwererunthroughouttheyearto‘developanddriveskillsthatthey[thestudents]otherwisedidn’thave’(CoralineSLT3).Byadoptingdifferentrolesintheseprojects,studentswereabletofocusonanddevelopvariousCREATEskills.Astheschoolmovedintoitssecondyear,therewaslessemphasisonprojects,particularlyfortheY11andY13studentsastheemphasisshiftedtowardscurriculumdeliveryforGCSEsandA levels. This yearwasalsomarkedby thegrowthanddevelopmentof anemployabilityframeworkwithintheschool’sMAT,andanadoptionofcharacterdevelopmentprogramsfromthePiXLClub.AllofthesehighlightedfactorshavehadaninfluenceonthelifeoftheCREATEframeworkatStudioSchoolCoraline,aswillbediscussedinmoredetailbelow

Influenceofinternalforces

StaffingstructureStudio School Coraline has a small staff and does not deploy the staffing structurerecommended by the Studio School model of having coaching staff and teaching staff(learningcoaches)tofocusonthedifferentelementsoftheStudioSchoolmodel.Withno‘assigned’staffmemberforCREATE,thedeliveryoftheskillsfelltoallmembersofthestaff.Thiswasdoneviaprojectsthatweremeanttonotjustdeveloptheseskillsbutalsodeliversomeacademiccontent.Althoughbothstaffandseniorleadershiprecognisedthevalueofthis project based learning towards building student engagement and motivation, theyrealised that students were actually falling behind where they needed to be in theircurriculum.Asallstaffhadbeeninvolvedindeployingtheframeworkthroughtheseskills,the intense and sudden shift in focus meant that CREATE fell to the wayside. With no

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specialised staff in the form of Personal Coaches, there was no explicit focus placed onCREATE,therebycreatingavoidintheStudioSchoolmodel;

Iactuallythinkthat’sprobablythebestsolutionthatwe’dhave,thatunderpinsthecoachingmodel,studentssitatachairandgo‘Okay,welllet’stalkabout,youknow,whatwereyourCREATEthingstoworkonforthelastfewweeks?(Coraline

SLT3)

Nothavingacoachingmodelfromthestartwasaconsciousdecision(StudioSchoolCoralineSLT1)madebyschoolleadership.Thiswaspartlybecausetheydidn’thavethefundingforit,andpartlyduetoaperceivedneedthattheschoolneededtoestablishitselfasaStudioSchoolbeforeattemptingtoembedacoachingmodel.Thatsaid,membersoftheSLT(CoralineSLT3andSLT4)intimatedthatitwasthelackofthecoachingstructurethatmeantthatfewerone on one conversations occurred which would have encouraged deeper self-reflectionamongst the students; theway someof the skillswere developed in students’ lessons intutorialsmadeitfeellikeasuperficialattempt.

LackofresourcesandsupportfromtheStudioSchoolTrustPrior to opening, members of the Studio School Trust delivered training on the CREATEframeworktostaffatStudioSchoolCoraline.ThistraininghelpedtheStudioSchoolbuilditsnetwork(CoralineSLT3),providingexamplesofwhathadworkedandwhathadn’tatotherStudioSchools.ThisnotonlyallowedtheschooltolearnhowmembersofthemovementhadbeensuccessfulatthemakingCREATEthe‘languageoftheschool’(CoralineSLT1),butalsotogain‘comfort’(CoralineSLT1)knowingthatitwasindeedpossibletoembedCREATEinaschool’sethos.SLTmembersdidreflecthowever,thatwhilsthelpful,thetrainingprovidedwasinexorablylinkedtoacoachingstructuremodelmakingitunfitforpurposeforStudioSchoolCoralinethathadinfactbeengiventheadvicetonotinvestinacoachingmodelfromthe get go. School leadership was also critical that there was a lack of resources madeavailable from the Studio School Trust leaving the deployment of the framework anddevelopmentofCREATEskillsverymuchdependantonthe ‘skillofthe individualteacher’(CoralineSLT1).

Studentvsemployerlanguage–whatreallyworks?Themembers of the SLT were appreciative of the language that the CREATE frameworkprovided to students as it was one that employers could easily relate to, as the ‘actuallanguagethatituses,andyouknow,withtheCBIcontext…isverypowerful’(CoralineSLT1).They also felt that helps equip students with the knowledge of how to talk about theiraccomplishmentstoemployers,tohighlighttheirskillsoutsidetheiracademicqualifications.

ifyouthinkofaCV,you’vegot‘howemployableIam’,youknow,outsideofspecificqualifications.WhatCREATEdoesisitchangesstudentskillsintoalanguagethatyouwouldusewithanemployer.Ithinkitneedstogothrough

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thatfilter[CREATE],sothatstudentslearnhow[todescribetheirskills]inthefuture.(CoralineSLT4)

Whileusefulinconversationswithemployers,theSLTwascognizantthatthelanguageofCREATEwasnotfitforpurposeforstudentstotrulyinternalizetheethosandpractisethereflexivity required to internalise these characteristics that would make them moreemployable.Thelanguagewasclumsy,andaimedatemployers,attimesbeingtoocomplexforstudentstounderstand,particularlythosewithnoexperienceofwork.Theyhighlightedthe need for a framework that has simpler language, making it easier to ‘articulate… tostudentssothatitkindof,itkindoffits’(CoralineSLT3),andisdigestiblebystudents,allowingthemtobecometrueownersoftheirskilldevelopment.

Influenceofexternalforces

InfluenceoftheMATSinceitsfirstyear,theSLThasalsofelttheneedtofind/createanemployabilityframeworkthat‘foruswasmoreusablewithintheframeworkofourschools’(StudioSchoolCoralineSLT3).Asmentionedbefore,StudioSchoolCoralinefunctionsaspartofalargerMATwhichhasitsownframeworkofemployabilityskillsdeployedacrosstheschoolsandcollegesintheMAT. Leadership at Studio School Coraline has spent the last year linking the CREATEframework to thatof theMAT,mappingcharacteristics, toallowa transition towards theMAT’slanguageforemployabilityskills.PartofthisdecisionwasalsoinfluencedbythelackofsupportprovidedbytheStudioSchoolTrustitself,inthattherewerenoresourcesthatsatbehind the CREATE framework that would allow a meaningful assessment of the skillsdevelopedinstudents.

whatwerealisediswedidn’thaveanythingthatsatbehindthatandpeoplesaid‘Ohyoucoachthem’.Wellyouknow,whatdoesthatmeaninpractice?

Andthat’swhereStudioSchoolsIthinkstruggledbecausetherealitiesofactuallyhavingpeoplethatknewwhatthey’redoing,thatcanconsistently

constantlyengagewithstudentsandstuff,thatwasaproblem.(CoralineSLT1)

Thismoveservestheschoolintwoways:

1. theschoolwillnowhavebettersupportandgreaterresourcesthanwiththeStudioSchoolTrustastheresourceswerebeingdevelopedMATwide,creatingacommunityofusersand

2. the schoolwouldnowbenefit fromauniversal employability language thatwouldallowforMAT-levelengagementwithemployers,increasingtheschool’sreachwithinthe local andnational community (Coraline SLT4andSLT2). The SLThighlights theneedforaunifiedlanguagetofacilitateabetterdevelopmentoftheseemployabilityskillsthatwouldthentranslateacrossnotjusttheschool,butalsotheMATnetwork.

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Thethingis,isthatwhat[MATemployabilityframework]Ithinkwilldoissomethingthat’ssortofeasytohaveaspartofthesortofrhythmoftheschool,ithooksintolotsofotherresourcesandmaterialthatwecanhaveanditgivesa

sortofunifiedbrandacross[MAT]aswell.(CoralineSLT1)

InfluenceofPiXLStudioSchoolCoralineisapartofapilotschemerunbythePiXLClubforacharacter/moralframeworkthatlookstoinstilmorekindnessandacompassionfortheotherinitsstudents.As theschoolnavigates theprogram, theSLT is looking to integrateelementsof thisPiXLcharacterframeworkwiththeMAT’semployabilityframeworkbasedoncommonattributes.For leadership at Studio School Coraline, the PiXL character framework would form thebackboneoftheethostheywouldliketoinculcateattheschool,withtheMATsemployabilityframeworkdeployedtostudentsontopofit.

thePiXLmodelhasreallyhelpedusasaschoolandIthinkit’shelpingschoolsnationallytosay,youknow,‘Wecan’tjustbeaboutresults,wehavegottobe

aboutthecharacterofeachindividualperson’,youknow,andwe’vegottomodelthatasadultsandwe’vegottohaveacultureinourschoolthatembracesthat

(CoralineSLT2)

InfluenceofinspectionframeworkandaccountabilitystructuresTheintensifiedfocusonaccountabilityviameasuressuchasProgress8ishighlightedasanobstacleintheschool’sdesiredfocusonthedevelopmentofemployabilityskills.MembersoftheSLTbroughttolightthefactthatitisdifficulttoassesstheskillsdevelopedbyCREATE,oranyemployabilityframeworkforthatmatter.ThetemplatesprovidedbytheStudioSchoolTrusthadprovedtoo‘clunky’(CoralineSLT1),movingthefocusfromself-reflectiontounnecessaryandrepetitivereporting.Thislackofassessment,andinturnabilitytodemonstratetoOfstedtheworthoftheskillsmadeithardforschoolleadershiptojustifyspendingtimeontheframework;

Thebiggestresourcestumblingblockformeistime,particularly,youknow,becausethisCREATEframework,howevergooditis,it’snotaqualificationthatisrecognisedin,youknow,performancetablesandeverythingelsesowe’vegottoputourfocusonthatbutthenofcourseyourunoutoftimeto(CoralineSLT4)

DidthestudentshaveanythingtosayaboutCREATE?Unsurprisingly, given that school leadership was currently evaluating the nature of theCREATEframeworktheyoungerstudentsinterviewedinthisstudywereunabletoarticulatewhattheacronymevenstoodfor.OnlyonestudentwasabletotalkinuncertaintermsaboutCREATE,andhowinhisfirstyear(thefirstyearoftheschool),theprojectshehadworkedonhadhelpedhimdevelopskillsthatwouldbeusefuloutsideofschool.Whatisinteresting

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tonotehowever, is that thesestudentshadchosentocometo theStudioSchool to takeadvantage of the work experience offer, which in turn would allow them to build theemployabilityskillsespousedbytheCREATEframework,andsotherewasindeedanappetiteamongstthemtolearnanddeveloptheseskills.

So,wheredoesCREATEsittoday?StudioSchoolCoralinestillintendstoprovideasetofemployabilityskillstoitsstudents,asitisafterall,oneoftheschool’sUSPs.However,thisframeworkwillnowalignwiththeneedsandlanguageoftheMATandthatofthePiXLframeworkmuchmorecloselythanwiththeStudio School network. The school is also looking to implement the character frameworkwhich formsthe foundationandsits incomplement to thetypesofskills that theschoolswantsitsstudentstoleavewith.TheschoolislookingtouseCREATEasaformofrecognition;theintentionistocreateaschoolleavingcertificatethatisbuiltonCREATE,tyingtheschoolloosely back in with the Studio School model. CREATE is no longer featured on schooldocumentation,orontheschoolwebsite,astheschoolcontinuestotransformitsidentitytomeetthedemandsofthemanyfactorsoutlinedabove.

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CaseStudy4:StudioSchoolTigrisStudioSchoolTigris isaoneof theolderStudioSchools,havingopenedapproximatelysixyearsago.ItisbasedintheSouthofEnglandandhasanincreasingnumberofstudents,goingupto500 in2018/19.Thismakes it isoneof the largerschoolswithin theStudioSchoolsNetwork.Thisisreflectedinthenumberofstaffemployedattheschool,38andanumberofspecialistcoachesoncasualandfixedtermcontracts.Theschooldefinesitselfas‘focusedonemployability in the areas of Sport and Performing Arts’. Across all documentation Tigrisemphasisesthatitscorepurposeisto‘makethepathwaytowardshighperformancemoreaccessible for young athletes and performers’, arguing that ‘for too long athletes andperformers have had to sacrifice their education in order to succeed in their chosenspecialisms’.ThesetwospecialismssitalongsideeachotherasanAthleteAcademyandStageandScreen,generallyreferredtowithintheschoolas‘sportandstage’.AcrossthesetwopathwaysKS4studentsundertakeGCSEs inEnglish LanguageandLiterature,Maths, Science,Business,alanguageoption,andaHumanitiesoption.Those in theAthleteAcademyalso takeeitherGCSE PE or NCFE Level 2 Health and Fitnesswhile also undertaking timetabled specialisttrainingandstrengthconditioning.ThosestudentsintheStageandScreenpathwayalsotakeaGCSEineitherMusic,Dance,and/orDramawhilealsoundertakingspecialisttechnicalandperformancetraining.AtKS5studentstakeeitheraBTECLevel3ExtendedDiploma(inSportorPerformingArts)oraBTECLevel3DiplomaplusanacademicAlevel,alongsidethreeorfouracademicALevelsandspecialisttraining.Thestaffdescribedsomethingofadividebetweenthetwopathways,withonememberofstafflikeningthemtodifferent‘houses’,withacompetitivespiritbetweenthetwo.Inpart,differencesare rooted in thenatureof theactivities,but there isalsoagenderdivide,asdescribedbytheviceprincipal:‘we’reveryheavyweightedinboysinsport,we’reveryheavilyweighted ingirls instageandscreen.’However,all theteachersagreedthatworkingwiththesetwogroupsofstudents,withdifferentneedsandaspirations, thoughchallenging, isextremelyrewarding.Similarly,thestudentsdescribedrewardingcollaborationsbetweenthetwo pathways, with, for example, sports students helping with staged performances bymovingthesetduringtheshows.Attheschool’sinception,Tigrisfocusedonhealthandsocialcareandconstructionbasedonlocallabourmarketneeds.However,accordingtomembersoftheSLTandteacherswhohadbeeninvolvedwiththeschoolfromthebeginning,thefocusonsportandperformingartscameaboutlargelythroughchance,thefailureoftheoriginalspecialismstoattractsufficientstudentnumbers,andexistingstudentinterestsratherthanlocallabourmarketneeds.Thishas meant that the school is not and does not need to be fully embedded in the local

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communityandsohasaverywidecatchmentarea,attractingstudentswithspecificsportingorperformingtalentsandinterests.

InstitutionalIdentity:ThepulltowardsmainstreamAsinothercasestudies,theschool’sengagementwithCREATEwasfundamentallyrootedinallaspectsofitsengagementwiththewiderStudioSchoolsmodelanditsbroadapproachtoeducation, skills, and employment. In many ways, at the time of data collection, Tigrisappeared tobe in transition,moving froma clear Studio Schoolmodel, set upunder theprevious administration, to something closer to mainstream education. This movementappearedtohavebeenongoingforthelastfewyears,partiallysincethenewprincipalstartedin2015(shehadbeensecondedintotheroletodealwithawiderangeofchallengesthattheschoolwasfacingatthetime,particularlyasignificantdeficit inthebudget).Anumberofcriticalchangesintheoperationoftheschoolwereduetobefullycementedinthefollowingacademicyear(2018/19).Thistransitionwasperhapsmostvisibleinthedecisiontochangetotheoperatinghoursoftheschool.TheprincipaldescribedhowTigrishadoriginallyoperatedfrom9-5,MondaytoThursday,and9-4onFridays,inaccordancewiththeStudioSchoolmodel.However,inpartduetobudgetrestraints,thesehourshadbeenreducedsothat,from2018/19,theschool’scoreoperationalhourswillbeconsistentwithmainstreamschoolinginthearea.Similarly,theprincipaldescribedmovingawayfromthe14-19yearoldmodelandexpandingtoa13-19yearoldmodel,startingtheschoolatYear9.Again,thischangewastobeformalisedinthefollowingacademicyear,buthadbeenunofficiallypilotedin2017/18,withapproximately50students(increasingto70byJuly2018)registeredtoasisterschoolbeingeducatedinTigris.Members of the SLT implied that therewas a hope to competewith other neighbouringschoolsandexpandtheschoolallthewaytoamainstream11-19model,withintakeatYear7.ThisintroductionofaYear9,alongsideawiderstrategicdecisiontogrowtheschool,hasmeantthesmallschoolideal,embeddedintheStudioSchoolmodel,isalsointheprocessofchanging.Theprincipaldescribedhowin2015,therewere127students,butsinceshetookovermanagement, this has grown to the point where therewill now bemore than 500studentsin2018/19.Alongsidethis,theassistantvice-principaldescribedtheschool’strajectoryawayfromprojectbased learning. He discussed how the Studio School model aimed to deliver the wholecurriculumthroughprojectbasedlearning,butdescribedhowadecisionhadbeenmadeatTigris for each subject to be delivered by a subject specialist in order to meet therequirementsofGCSEsubjects:

Ithinkprobablyabouttwoyearsintoitwerealisedthattryingtodeliverarangeoftheacademicsubjectsthroughprojectswasn’tgoingtobethewayinwhich

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studentsweregoingtogetthebestoutcomes.Ithinkwhatthesetupisforacademicqualificationsisnotreally...elasticenough.

ProjectbasedlearningwasstillundertakeninPSHEandCitizenship,wherestudentstookthetime to explore large issues such as democracy and community through collaborativeprojects.However,teachersacknowledgedthatlarge-scaleprojectswouldalmostcertainlyhavetobeabandonedinthefutureduetothereductionintheschoolday:‘it[projectbasedlearning]takesalotoftime,andthattimeonourtimetablehasbeenreduced…That’smadeitmoredifficult.’This pressure of formal examinations, therefore, meant that the school adopted amoremainstreamteachingapproach inwhat teachers referred toas ‘theacademics’– subjectsoutsideoftraininginspecialisms.Theviceprincipalsuggestedthatpartofthepressurecamefrom theMAT: ‘I think personally, becausewe’re part of a trust now,we’re nowheld toaccountby them’. Even though the school, as a Studio School, didnothave to reportonProgress8,thevice-principalstilldescribedthepressurefromtheMATofhaving‘toensurethateachstudenthits thoseacademicbuckets’.Onememberof theSLTevenwentontodescribe this relationship with the MAT in pugnacious terms: ‘Because the trust areacademics,we’reacademics,andwe’reaStudioSchool,we’rebothandwe’redifferentandthat’sourbattle’. Inordertowin,orat leastnot lose,thisbattle, theschoolhadtakenastrategic decision to adopt a schooling approach for the ‘academics’ that would berecognisableandacceptabletotheMAT.

RetainingaDistinctIdentityAcrossmanyaspectsofthepracticeandethosoftheschool,thereappearedtobeaclearmove towards a mainstream model. There was certainly a definitive letting go andmodificationofmanyoftheaspectsthataredistinctivetotheStudioSchoolmodel.However,theprincipal,theteachers,andthestudentsveryclearlyalsoviewedtheschoolasseparatefrommainstreameducation.As such, it is perhapsmost appropriate to see the school asdevelopingitsowndistinctivemodelofeducationthatsatsomewherebetweenmainstreamschoolingandaStudioSchoolsapproach.Thismodel is firmlyrooted inthespecialismsofsportandperformingarts,adeliberatedrivetoavoiddefiningsuccessonlyintermsofexamoutcomes, and a strategic decision to take amoreholistic approach to education.As theprincipalstated:‘thisisaboutthewholechild’.ThemembersoftheSLTwereveryawareofthetransitionthattheschoolwasundergoingandthetensionintheschool’sidentityasitfounditsownplacewithinthevocationaloffering,theMATandtheStudioSchoolsNetwork.ThiswasarticulatedclearlybyoneindividualwhodescribedcomparingTigristootherStudioSchools:‘[they’re]sodifferentandsovocational…

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we’renevergoingtobelikethat.Atthesametimewe’renevergoingtobelikethegrammarschools…Weareverymuchinthemiddleandsometimesit’saverydifficultgroundtotread.’

Whatisemployment?Whatareskills?AttheheartofmanyofthechallengesrelatedtoTigris’institutionalidentitywasatensionwithin theschooloverhow ‘employment’wasconceptualised,howplacementsoperated,andhowemploymentskillsweredefined.Witha focusonsportand theperformingarts,studentsspentsignificantamountsoftimetrainingandrehearsinginthesespecialismsatanelitelevel.Astheprincipalpointedout,‘whatmakesyoutheschooldifferenttomainstream?Well,thereyoucandoGCSEdanceorPEtwohoursaweek,threeifyou'relucky.Herethey'redoing10,12hoursaweekbythetimethey'veputtheirtraininginwiththeircoaches.’Thisintensivetrainingandrehearsalregimereflectedthefactthattheschoolisnotfocusedonpeoplewithaninterestinsportortheperformingarts,butisexplicitlytailoredtostudentsthatwantacareerinthesespecialisms.Thepinnaclesof such careers are generally rooted in engaging in competitive sports at anationalorprofessionallevelorperformingprofessionally.Thiswasreflectedinthedisplaycases in theschooland the fact thatallmembersof theschool, fromtheprincipal to thestudents, described school success in terms of the number of students competing at anational level in their chosen sports or students appearing in BBC programmes, films, orperformingonBritain’sGotTalent.Withinthiscontext,skillsweretightlyrelatedtoindividualperformances in selected sports or arts and so employment and employment skillswereinherentlytiedtotrainingandrehearsing.Thismeantthat,althoughthelanguageofcoachingwasembeddedintheschool,coachingwasunderstoodinverydifferenttermstothestandardStudioSchoolconceptualisationoflearningandpersonalcoaches.AtTigriscoachingstaffdominatedstudents’lives.However,thesewereprofessionalsports(specifictoeachsport)coachesorprofessionalperformance(e.g. singing, dancing etc.) coaches. Their primary function was to support training andrehearsals: for example, helping students to gain sport-specific skills, improving students’sportingtacticsandstrength,improvingdancingandsinging,andsupportingthestagingoflarge scale shows.Thesecoacheswereusuallyhighlyaccomplished individualswithwiderrolesinnationalsportsortheperformingindustries,wererelativelyexpensivecomparedwiththeir teaching colleagues, and were employed on hourly paid contracts. As the principalstated:‘youlookatacoachandthat’ssomanyteachersworth…Thecoachesareinforthathourandthat’salltheygetpaidfor.Theydohaveacommitmenttothekids,buttheydon’tcomparedtoateachingstaffmemberthat’sfull-timewiththekids.’Thisdifferentmodelofcoachingappearedtoberootedinthefactthatcoreskillslinkedwiththe students’ vocational specialisms were seen as related to personal sporting and arts-relatedperformances.Consequentlyemploymentskillswerelargelyconceptualisedinterms

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ofsportingandperformanceskillsandstudentswerecoachedindevelopingthesethroughextensivetrainingandrehearsalprogrammesratherthanlongtermworkplacements.Infact,alargenumberofmembersofstaffdiscussedsportingeventsandstudentstravellingduringtermtimeforcompetitionsortoactincertainshowsintermsofvocationalplacementswiththenationalteamorrelevantproductioncompanyastheemployer.However,alongsidethis,teachersalsodescribedtheimportanceofstudentsbeingexposedawidervarietyofcareertrajectorieswithintheirspecialisms.Forexample,theviceprincipaldescribedhow stage students focusedwork arounda large showcase, but linkedupwithdifferent related professionals (e.g. performance project managers) to understand anddevelop‘theskillsthatyouneedbeyondjustyourperformanceskills,thatyouwillthenbeabletotakeforwardintoawholerangeofdifferentspecialistcareerpathways…liketheatremanagement…andthingslikethat’.Asimilarapproachwastakentothoseonthesportingpathway,witheffortsmadetohelpstudentsthinkaboutcareerpathwaysbeyondimmediatepersonalsportingachievements.Theassistantviceprincipal, forexample,emphasisedtheimportanceofstudentsneeding‘tohavethislifelongcareerplanwhichisn’tgoingtobeaboutthemperforminginsportallthewaythroughtoretirement…Maybetheywon’tmakeitasthatprofessionalfootballer,buttheywillbethatcoach.’Atthesametime,moregeneralemploymentskillswerealsoanimportantpartoftheschool.All year 10 and year 12 students had to undertake a two week work placement. Theseplacementswerearrangedbyacareerscoordinatorwhosupportedstudentsinselectinganappropriate place of work from a variety of pre-approved employers that had beenappropriately vetted. These included a wide range of different kinds of places of workincludinglocalprimaryschoolsandalargescalemusicshop.Thecoordinatordescribedthechallengeofdevelopingnewpartnershipswithemployersduetotheadministrativeburdenof ensuring all safeguarding protocols were followed meaning that there was a strongemphasisonstudentsworkingwithemployersalreadyonthebooks.Bothstaffandstudentsclearly viewed these placements as important. However, they were obviously viewed asadditional experiences, and of secondary importance to the core focus on training,rehearsing,competing,andperforming. In factstagestudentsonlyspentsixdaysontheirplacements(asopposedtothefulltwoweeks)duetospecificperformancecommitments.Assuch,inourinterviews,thesetraditionalworkplacementsweredescribedasanimportantwayofgainingexperienceandskillsfor‘secondcareers’eitheralongsideorafterstudents’coresportingorstagework.

CREATEWithinthisinterestinganddistinctivevocationalcontext,theCREATEFrameworkappearedtohaveanimplicitroleinthelifeoftheschoolratherthanfeaturinginanexplicitway.Duringourinterviews,theSLTandtheteachersindicatedthatbeingpartofthisresearchprojecthadhelpedthemreflectonhowCREATEfittedintotheireverydaypractice.Therewasaconsensus

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thatwhiletheframeworkwasrarelyusedexplicitly,byreflectingonittheyrealisedthattherewassignificantoverlapbetweenitandwhatwasbeingundertakenintheschool.Asdescribedbytheviceprincipal:‘itwasreallyinterestingtoseestaffgoing,“Oh,yes,sothat’swherethatapplies.Oh,yes,wedothat.”’ThePrincipaldescribedthisimplicitengagementas‘verymuchembedded throughout the teaching and the learning and it actually happens without usalmosthavingtothinkaboutitbecauseitisverymuchthere’.Thissentimentwasechoedbytheteachersweinterviewed,onestated:‘it’s integratedaroundtheentireschool ineverysubjectratherthanCREATEisinthisboxandthenyourlessonisinthisbox.Thereit’smorelike: we’re teaching you how to be more emotionally aware when you're studying AnInspectorCalls,anditworksthatway.’This implicitengagementwithCREATEwasborneout inour interviewswithstudentswhoappearedtohaveaverylimitedengagementwithCREATEwiththemgenerallydefiningitinvery generic ways often linked with PSHE and wellbeing: ‘it’s having different wayscommunicatedandgivingopportunities topeople, andhowwe safeguard youngpeople’.Similarly, although the careers coordinator described using the framework to structure arecentcareers fair, sheemphasised thatemployers involved in theplacementswouldnotengagewithCREATEoranyotherskillsframeworks:‘whenIwasdoingworkplacevisitslastyearduringtheworkplacement,InevermentionedCREATEbutImentioned,“Howaretheydoing?Aretheyworkingwellwitheveryone?Aretheyexplainingtoyouwhentheydon’tunderstandsomething?Thatsortofthing.”However,althoughCREATEwasnotovertlyused,someaspectsoftheframeworkfeaturedincoachingsessionsandinreportingontrainingdevelopmentsand,toalesserextent,inworkplacements.Theschoolhad ‘amatrixofoutcomeswhich is fromtheCREATE framework’.TheseappearedtobebroadlyconceptualizedformativelyandlinkedwiththekeythemesofCREATE, used to encourage students to develop, for example, their communication skillsthroughtrainingandrehearsals.Eachindividualstudenthadanassessmentsheetsthatwascompletedbytheircoach.However,theskillsembeddedinthismatrixwerelargelydescribedas vehicles for improving training or performance, rather than being described in directemployment terms.Forexample,asonememberof staffdescribed: ‘[thecoaches’useofassessment]getsstudents to recognise thatparticularskillsaroundemotional intelligenceandaroundcommunicationwilldirectlyenhanceyourperformancebyrecognisingthatthewayinwhichyou'rethinkingandfeelingcanbecommunicatedindifferentwaysandalsobeunderstoodindifferentways’.The matrix was supplemented by a ‘performance behaviour framework’, aimed at‘recognisingattitudesand transferable skills (e.g. communication) that impacton success’(assistantviceprincipal).Thisisathreelevelsystem–gold,silverandbronze.Theteachersandstudentsdescribedhowtherewasanexpectationthatstudentswouldworkatsilverandthey would be rewarded for being awarded golds marks and warned or sanctioned for

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repeated bronze awards. In many ways, this framework appeared to underpin the coreexperienceoftheschoolsmorethantheskillsmatrix,whichappearedtobeusedprimarilyforassessment,andthelinebetweenthemappearedblurred.Asoneteacherstated:‘Ithinkwe’rekindofmeldingthatbehaviourawardsystemwiththeCREATEframework,becausethat’swhatwe’vebasediton’.Thisimplicit,embeddeduseofCREATEalmostcertainlyreflectsthetrajectoryoftheschoolwhich,whenfounded,fullyadoptedtheStudioSchoolmodelwithCREATEandprojectbasedlearning sitting explicitly at its heart. As the specialisms of the school have changed, theconceptualisation of skills, employment, and coaching have become shaped by sport andstage, and the distinctive elements of size, 14-19, operational hours, and project basedlearninghavebeengraduallyeroded,CREATEnowappearsassomethingofahistoricartefactwithin the school. None of the key stakeholders (students, employers, parents, staff)appearedtohaveanysenseofownershipoftheframeworkandtheredidnotappeartobeanydrivetowardsitsexplicitusefromtheSLT.Although,staffcouldrecognisehowsomeoftheirexistingpracticesreflectedCREATE,theframeworkitselfandthelanguageassociatedwithitseemedprimarilytounderpinassessmentof‘softskills’andbehaviourmanagement.AstheschoolappearstomovefurtherawayfromtheStudioSchoolmodelandforgeitsowndistinctiveinstitutionalidentitywithinitsMAT,itisdoubtfulwhetherthelanguageofCREATEortheframeworkitselfwillremaincentraltotheschoolformuchlonger.AsamemberoftheSLTsuggested:‘Idon'tthinkCREATEhastobediscreet.Withthetightnessoncurriculumnowwejustneedtobemakingthemawareofwheretheyarecommunicating,wheretheyarerelatingtoothersetc.’

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CaseStudy5:StudioSchoolCrawfordsStudioSchoolCrawfordsisaverynewStudioSchoolhavingbeenfoundedonlyinSeptember2017.ItisbasedinthenorthofEnglandand,atthetimeofdatacollection,wasverysmall,withonly85studentsand15membersofstaff,ensuringsmallclasssizesandimpressivestafftostudentratios.Crawfordswashousedwithinanotherschooland,althoughitfeltphysicallyseparate andhadbeendesignedwith anopen, free flowing feel, itwas tied to themainschool’sinfrastructure.ThismeantthatalthoughtheCrawfordsoperatedbetween8:30and4:15andhadafairlyflexibletimetable,thedaywaspunctuatedbybellslinkedwiththeotherschool’s timetable. In fact, the principal indicated that the school had initially planned tooperatebetween9and5,asenvisionedintheoriginalStudioSchoolmodel,butthishadtobemodifiedtoaccommodatethesharingofthehostschool’scanteen.However,Crawfordswasintheprocessofexpandingsubstantiallyintermsofstudentandstaffnumbersandwasundertakingextensivebuildingworksothatitwouldbehousedinitsowndedicated,speciallydesignedbuildingin2019.Althoughtheschoolisformallylinkedwithaninternationalbank,oneofthemainemployersinthearea,itdidnothaveaspecificvocationalspecialism.However,basedonstaffandpupilinterests,theprincipaldescribedaplantospecialiseexplicitlyindigitalmediaandbusinessinthefuture.ItislinkedwithaMATwhichhadbeenthedrivingforceinestablishingtheschool,with the chief executive aiming to expand the trust’s educational portfolio and offer anadditional vocational model of schooling to compliment its flagship and high profilemainstreamschool.Theprincipalhadjoinedtheschoolduringtheinitialfoundationphaseandsowasabletoshapethefocusandethosoftheschool.Shedescribedbeinggivenrelativeflexibilitybythetrust,buthavingtoestablishitinaccordancewithkeycriteria:‘thatitdoesn’tlooklikeaschool;thatit’saccessibletoallstudents;thatitdoesn’tbecomeelitist;‘thatit’snothijackedbythemiddleclass’.However,inadditiontothistheCEOhadspecifiedfromtheoutsetthattheschoolshouldbebothaStudioSchoolandanInternationalBaccalaureate(IB)school.ThismeantthatalthoughCrawfordsoffersGCSEsitisfirmlyrootedintheIBmodelandtheIBcareerprogramme.Asdiscussedbelow,theattempttomarrytheStudioSchoolmodelwiththeIBledtosignificantstructuraltensionsandamovesimplytofullyembracetheIBmodelalone.However,inpartdue to the vision of the principal and the SLT and partly due to the initialmixedmodelapproach,theschoolappearedtohavedevelopedafairlyeclecticapproach, incorporatingideasfromotherschoolingmodelsandresearchintoeverydaypracticewhereitwasseenasbeneficial.Forexample,thePrincipaldescribedincorporatingtheideaofself-schedulingfromMontessori,wherestudentscould(withinreason)definetheirowntimetables.This led to a range of distinctive practices, which the principal and vice principal bothdescribedasbeingvitaltomaintaininganopen,innovativeandinclusiveethos.Theprincipal

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described attempting to draw on the work of the AltSchool in California or Orestad inCopenhagenwhichfocusoncollaborationandmovingawayfromhierarchicalstructuresoftraditionalschools.Assuchsheemphasisedtheimportanceofensuringthateveryoneintheschool(students,teachingstaff,personalcoachesetc)hadavoice.Atasmallscalethisethoswastranslatedintostudentscallingteachersbytheirfirstnames,workinginsharedspaces(both staff and students), and learning collaboratively (both staff and students). Thiswasparticularlyemphasisedbythelayoutofthecurrentbuildingwithopenmovementbetweenthespaces,glasswalls,andteachersandstudentsworkingtogether.Accordingtotheplansforthenewbuilding,thisapproachwillbecontinuedandexpanded.InadditiontothistheSLTallemphasisedtheimportanceofbeingaLeanSchool.Thisbuildson the famous Toyata businessmodel and focuses on addingmore valuewhile reducingwaste.Inpracticethisparticularlyinvolvedbeingpaperlessandemphasisingtheimportanceof educational technology,with the school providing laptops for all students and rootingteaching,learning,andadministrationinaVirtualLearningEnvironment(VLE).ThisemphasisonlearningthroughtechnologymeantthatstudentswerefrequentlyexpectedtoundertakeresearchontheInternet,whichnecessitatedamoreflexibleapproachtofirewallsettingsandinternet access than mainstream schools. The students we interviewed particularlyemphasisedthispointstatingthatthisflexibleaccesstotheInternetgavethemthefeelingof‘being trusted and treated as adults’. This flexible approach to technology was similarlyemphasisedbytheteachingstaffwith,forexample,onememberofstaffdescribinghowhefelt itwas importantforthestudentstofindapproachestousingtechnology inwaysthatsupported their learning: ‘if that means whacking on a pair of headphones in class andlisteningtomusiconYouTubewhiledoingmaths,I’mallforit.Ifitmeansgettingouttheirphones,that’sfine.Igetoutmyphone’.

IdentifyingasaStudioSchoolIncludingCrawfordsinthisstudywasimportantas,beingsuchanewschool,itwasatacriticalstageinitsjourney:stillintheprocessofdefiningitsinstitutionalidentityandethos,copingwith growth, developing relationships with its MAT and employer partners, and makingdecisions about how employability and skills should be conceptualised and employabilityframeworksoperationalised.AlthoughtheschoolhadtakenanactivedecisionnottousetheCREATEFrameworkandwasmovingawayfromtheStudioSchoolmodel,understandingtheway inwhichthesedecisionsweremadeandthe journeytheschoolhadtakenso farareimportantforthisstudy.Inmanyways,thedecisionnottouseCREATEwasrootedinthewayinwhichtheschoolwasfounded.Theprincipaldescribedextensivechallenges in this foundationalprocess.At thetime,StudioSchoolswerefacingextensivenationalcriticisminthemediaandanumberofschoolswereclosing.This led towhatwasseenasanunfairamountof scrutiny fromthe

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mediaaswellastheDfEandlocalauthoritiesandahostilereceptionwithintheschool’slocalcommunity.Astheprincipalstated:‘StudioSchoolsareconstantlyinthepress.Wehavealocalactivistwholikestowritein[tothelocalpress]probablyfortnightly,andthere’salwaysthesameparagraphabouthowmanyStudioSchoolsareclosing’.Thishostile relationshipwiththelocalcommunityledtoanongoingneedtojustifythepurposeoftheschoolandthevalidityoftheStudioSchoolmodel,somethingwhichtheprincipaldescribedasrequiringahugeamountofenergyandinvolvingher,herSLT,theMATaswellasthesponsoringbankasanemploymentpartner.TheprincipalfeltthatshedidnotreceiveadequatesupportfromtheStudioSchoolsTrust,whichwasintheprocessofclosing,whichexacerbatedmanyofthesechallenges.ThisleftherandherseniormanagementteamfeelingisolatedatatimewhentheyweremostinneedofassistancebothintermsofdealingwiththepoliticsofsettingupandjustifyinganewStudioSchool ina challengingenvironmentaswell as thepractical aspects related to theStudioSchool model: training staff in the CREATE framework, establishing a coherent coachingmodel, developing meaningful links with employer partners. The hostility the principalexperiencedinthemediacombinedwiththislackofsupportledtheprincipaltoviewStudioSchools as ‘a tainted brand’, she stated ‘being a Studio School was ‘bringing some badpublicitywithit,butitwasn’tbringingussupport’.ThislackofsupportmeantthattheschoolhasnotdevelopedcloselinkswiththenewStudioSchools Network, and importantly was instrumental in the decision not to engage withCREATE.Fromthebeginning,theschoolwasconceptualisedascombiningtheIBandCREATE.However, with the Studio Schools Trust in transition, the headteacher felt unable toimplementCREATE:

IwentdowntoLondontomeetthem[theStudioSchoolsTrust]…butIactuallydidn’tgetenoughtrainingtorunCREATE,orexposuretoittothenrunwithitstrongly…IsignedupforeveryCPDthattheStudioSchoolsTrusthadbuttheyendedupcancellingthemall,allthesewebinars,becausetheydidn’thave

enoughnumbers.

Thismeantthat,beforetheschoolhadevenopened,theprincipalandtheviceprincipalhadmade the decision not to implement CREATE and focus purely on the IB. With severalmembers of the SLT having had previous experience ofworking in IB schools and the IBprovidingastrongandaccessiblesupportnetworkwitharangeoftriedandtestedresources,‘itfeltsafe’.

TheIBCareersProgrammeTheschoolthereforedecidedtotakeonkeyaspectsoftheStudioSchoolmodel,particularlybeing a small school, starting at 14, operating a longerworking day, using project basedlearning,embeddingworkplacementsintheeverydaylifeoftheschool,andhavingseparatepersonalcoaches.However,theprincipaldecidedtoimplementvocationalworkemployment

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skills through the IB careers programme. This careers programme has a technical orvocationalqualificationatitsheart,generallyequivalenttotwoA-Levels.Itisthencombinedwith two diploma subjects (a third in some cases). Alongside this is a core programmeinvolving50hoursof‘servicelearning’undertakenovertwoyears,areflectiveproject(a4000wordessay;avideoplus1000words;orphotosplus1000words),and language learning.Skillsaredevelopedandmonitoredthrough10IBlearningprofilesthataimtodeveloparangeof what one teacher described as ‘soft skills’ (e.g. communication, being aware of andsensitivetodifferentcultures,beingreflective,beingprincipled,havinganopenmind,beingcaring etc.), subdivided into Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills. The teachers describedbuildingATLskillsintotheirlessonsbuytheseweregenerallydescribedasbeingdrivenbythepersonalcoaches.FollowingtheoriginalStudioSchoolsmodelofpersonalcoaches,atCrawfords,twocoachingstaffaimedtohave20-30minutecoachingsessionswitheachstudentaminimumofonceaweekandtheroleofpersonalcoachwasseenascentraltotheidentityoftheschool.Thiswas reflected inplans to invest in increasingpersonal coach staffingnumbers in thenextacademicyearandplans,describedbytheheadteacher,toevaluateexistingcoachinganddevelop and distinctive coachingmodel for the school. The coaches aimed to work withstudentsontheiremployabilityskills,helpthemsetpersonaltargets,andstructuretheirworkaccordingly.Thisactivitywascloselylinkedwiththeexpectationsofworkplacements,asacorepartoftheIBcareersprogramme.Allstudentshaveatleastonesummerplacement–threeweeksinJulyorthreeweeksinAugust.AtthesametimeIBCareerProgrammestudentsgooutonMondays ‘tododifferentworkexperiences likeestateagentsor things they’reinterested in’. This is supported by the Work Experience Coordinator who is directlyresponsibleforplacingstudentsandarrangingpartnershipswithemployers.Justaswasseeninothercasestudies,therewassometensionacrosstheschooloverwhetherthedevelopmentofemployabilityskillsandtheuseoftheframeworkshouldbeimplicitorexplicit.Theteachersweinterviewed,andtoalesserextentthecoaches,allarguedstronglythatATLskillsshouldbeimplicitintheirteaching:‘itwouldjustbeclunkytosay,“rightnowwe’reworkingoncommunication”’.Theviceprincipleontheotherhand,wasclearthattheATLskillsframeworkshouldbeanexplicitpartofthemajorityofinteractionswithstudents.She described how shewill be supportingmembers of staff to introduce every lesson byexplainingwhichskillstheywillbedeveloping:‘they’re[theteachers]notexplicitenough…I’mjustpatientwithit…it’sconstantreminderswhenI’mdoinglessonobservations’.Shealsodescribedplansto‘addvalue’tocoachingbyreallyembeddingtheskillsframeworkintotheirworkandusethisdirectlywithstudentstodiscusstheirskillsneeds.Usinga‘tracker’,anexcelspreadsheet, the coaches will monitor and report skills development: ‘I want you [thecoaches] to tellme towhat extent you think they [students] actually develop that skill…comparethatratingtothekids’self-evaluations’.TheviceprincipalviewedherplanstobringtheIBcareerskillsframeworkintotheroleofthecoachesasslightlycontroversial:‘coaching

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isthepastoralside,whichI’msupposetoleavewellalone,butI’mjusttryingtobringthewholethingtogether’.Ironically,thisapproachtousingtheIBemployabilityframeworkexplicitly,embeddedinbothteachingandcoaching, inawaythatprovidesstudentswithagencyandcontrolovertheirlearning, is closely tied to theway inwhich the implementationofCREATEwasoriginallyconceptualised.AlthoughCrawfordsisstilldevelopingkeyworkingpracticesandestablishingitsidentityasaschool,itsapparentsuccessesinimplementinganemployabilityframeworkthusfar(asevidencedbyOfstedandglowingreportsfromstaffandstudents),suggeststhatsuccessful development of employability skills is linked lesswith specific frameworks andmorewitharangeofsocialandstructuralfactorsrelatedtotheschoolandwidercontexts.Here,itwasclearthatasignificantfactorwasleadership.TheseniorleadershipteamhadanunwaveringbeliefintheIBmodelandwereabletoinstilthatconfidenceinstaff,studentsand parents. At the same time, the school benefited from a supportiveMAT,which alsosharedabeliefinthemodelandtheframework.Thiswasaidedbywidersupportnetworksbeyond the school and the ready availability of CPD to ensure all newmembers of staffunderstoodtheframework.AnotherkeyfactorappearedtobetheexplicitandembeddeduseoftheIBframeworkintheschool(withplanstoincreasethisvisibility),withstudentsabletogainasenseofownershipofitandthelanguageofskillsbecomingembeddedincross-schoolcommunication.

ADifficultJourneyStudyingCrawfords’journeythroughfoundationtotheendofitsfirstyearthroughthiscasestudyhashighlightedthe importantdecisionmakingprocessesaroundemployabilityskillsframeworks.ItshowsthatthereasontheschooldecidednottouseCREATEwasrelatedmuchmoretosocialandpoliticalfactorsthanthequalityoftheframeworkitselfandthatsuccessfulimplementation of any framework is fundamentally linked to social and structural issueswithina schoolandbeyond.However,our studyofCrawfordsalsohighlighteda rangeofemergingissuesthatseveralofourcasestudieshadexperiencedearlierintheirhistories.Inthese other schools, these issues limited the successful implementation of CREATE andshapedthewidervocationaloffering.Therefore, the fact thatwesawthematCrawfords,suggestsmanyStudioSchoolswentthroughsimilartrajectories,oftentakingadistinctiveandinnovativeapproachtoschoolinginitially,thenbeingpulledbacktowardsmoremainstreammodelsastheschoolsgrewandweresubjectedtoarangeofaccountabilitymeasuresandexternalpressures.AtCrawfords,eventhoughtheschoolwasonlyayearoldandtheprincipalandwiderteachingstaff emphasised its innovative nature, there was already a concern about the pull ofmainstreamschooling.Withtheschoolabouttoexpandsuddenly,andthestaffingnumbersset todouble, severalmembersof theSLTdiscussedbeing consciousof thepressure this

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wouldputonthedistinctiveethostheyhadworkedtocreateandthelikelihoodthatitwouldbedilutedbyasuddeninfluxofnewstaffwiththeirownideas.Teacherswerealsoconsciousthat the planned growth in student numbersmight challenge the ethos.With the schoolmaintainingentranceat14,theprincipaldescribedhowthiscanleadtoa‘secondchance’studentpopulation,withjoiningstudentstendingtobepushedoutofmainstreamschoolsforavarietyofsocial,behaviouralandeducationalreasons:‘there’sareasonwhystudentstransferat14’.ShesuggestedthatifotherschoolsintheareaviewCrawfordsasdumpinggroundfordifficultstudents,vocationalaimsmightbederailed.Toacertainextent,thiswasalreadybeingseenintheworkofthecoacheswhodescribedhavingtodealwitharangeofsocialandemotionalproblemsandspecialeducationalneeds,takingtimeawayfromafocusonemploymentskills.Similarly,membersofstaffandtheSLTraisedconcernsaboutthepressureofexamresults.WhileanumberofteachersdescribedjoiningCrawfordsbecausetheywere‘sickofworkingin exam factories’, there was still a sense that ensuring students succeeded in formalsummative assessment was something that still dominated their lives. This was clearlyexpressedbytheprincipal:‘withafocusontheIBdiploma,you’realwaysawareofthisfinalexam’.Shedescribedhowthisfocuswasalready‘pushingteachersawayfromproject-basedlearning’andthatparents,worriedaboutexams,hadalreadycomplainedaboutsomeoftheschool’s distinctive elements – notably a lack of homework and large scale project basedlearningwhichwasseenasnotprovidingthestudentswithadequatestructureorsupport.Evenwithintheshortlifeoftheschool,itwasclearthatpressuresofattainmentandformalexaminations,linkedwithparentalexpectations,wasalreadyputtingpressureontheschool’sinnovativeapproaches.Atthesametime,difficulties,describedbythecareerscoordinatorandtheprincipal,withforgingmeaningfulrelationshipswithemployerpartnersmeantthatembeddinglongtermwork placements in the heart of the school was challenging. The careers coordinatordescribedtheproblemsoffirmssimplynotrespondingtoher,notbeingabletoworkwithstudentsbelow16,oronlybeingabletooffershorttermplacements.Thesedifficulties inbuilding long termandmeaningful collaborationswith employer partnersmeant that theschoolcouldonlyofferapatchworkofsmallscale,individual,shorttermworkplacementsandcommunityserviceactivities,rangingfromdoggroomingandshopsalestoprovidingashowforresidentsinanoldpeople’shome.Infact,theprincipaldescribedthismodelofworkplacementsas ‘slippingback towardsa traditional schoolmodelofworkexperience’.Thishighlightsthedifficultiesofimplementinganembeddedmodeloflongtermworkplacementsiftheschooldoesnotalreadyhavemeaningfulsupportfromemployerpartners.During our research it appeared that these emerging issues were beginning to presentchallengestoseveralaspectsoftheinnovativeanddistinctiveapproachthatCrawfordswasattemptingtofoster.Asweobservedinothercasestudies,thesekindsofchallengestotheoverallethosandmodeloftheschooloftenledtothewateringdownoftheiruseofCREATE

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andsoitislikelythatCrawfords’useoftheIBemploymentskillsframeworkmaychangeastheschoolgrowsandcontinuesonitsevolutionaryjourney.

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4.DISCUSSION:EMPLOYABILITYSKILLS,CREATE,ANDTHEWIDERSTUDIOSCHOOLMODEL

Asdetailedinourcasestudies,notwoStudioSchoolsarethesame.Theydiffernotonlyintheir geographical choices, but also in their specialism choices, recruitment techniques,studentnumbers,engagementwithemployers,andevensponsorstructure.However,therearecoretenetsoftheStudioSchoolmodelthataremeanttomakeaschoolclearlyidentifiableasaStudioSchoolandcreateacommonthreadacrossthenetworkofinstitutions.ThemostpertinentoftheseistheCREATEframework,whichasdescribedinthefirstphaseofourstudywasdesignedspecificallyfortheStudioSchoolmodelbytheStudioSchoolTrusttosupportstudentstodevelopemployabilityskillseffectively.

However,aswasclearfromboththeresponseswereceivedtoourquestionnaireandthein-depthcasestudies,thiscoreelementofthemodelisitselfdeployedinadiversesetofways,embeddedinarangeofdifferentconceptualisationsofvocationaleducationalandtheStudioSchoolmodel,andwithvaryinglevelsofengagementfromthekeystakeholders(students,employers,staff,andparents).ThereisnoonestandardwaythattheCREATEframeworkhasbeenusedacrosstheschoolsinourstudy.Infact,inthemajorityofthecasestudyinstitutions,wefoundthattheuseoftheCREATEframeworkwasinfluxandthattheschoolswereallinastateof transition, establishing their institutional identity in relation to their own specificcontexts andneeds. Inall cases, this involved, to varyingdegrees,movingaway from theoriginal conceptualisation of the Studio Schoolmodel and the place of CREATEwithin it.Within these complex and transitory contexts, the implementation of CREATE must beunderstoodholisticallywithinthecontextoftheschoolasawholewiththeimplementationof the framework being driven by complex and inter-connected decisions relating toaccountability,fit-foruse,ownership,leadership,andinstitutionalidentity.Inthissectionwe,therefore,presentthekeylessons(seeFigure5)thatcanbelearnedfromthe Studio Schools’ relationship with CREATE and employability skills, and their journeythroughtheeducationmarket.Forconceptualclaritywehavepresentedtheseissuesunderseparateheadings.However,itisessentialtoemphasisethatallthepointshighlightedbelowarepartofacomplexsystemofinterrelatedfactors,pressures,anddecisionsandsoovertseparationoftheseissuesisinevitablyalimitedapproachtopresentingthemessyrealitiesofthedeploymentoftheCREATEframeworkinStudioSchools.

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ExplicitvsImplicitImplementationofCREATEAttheheartofthediversityofapproachestoCREATEacrossthecasestudyschoolswasatension between whether it should be implemented explicitly or implicitly. Explicitimplementationplacedtheframeworkattheheartofschoollife,withallmembersofstaffandstudentsworkingdirectlywithitandthelanguageofCREATEskillsbecomingembeddedin all learning related interactions. More implicit approaches to CREATE focused ondeveloping the employability skills of CREATE through teaching and coaching withoutnecessarilyreferringtotheframeworkinanovertmanner.IntheoriginaldocumentationforStudio Schools and CREATE, it was clear that themodel was designed for CREATE to beimplemented explicitly with both learning and personal coaches overtly working withstudentstodevelopskillsthroughprojectbasedlearningandcoaching.Thiswouldallowbothforthedevelopmentofemployabilityskills,aswellastheteachingoftheacademiccurriculumwithinreal-worldcontexts.Assuch,theexplicituseoftheCREATEframeworkthroughprojectbasedlearningandpersonalcoachingwasmeanttobethecorewayinwhichemployabilityskillsweredeveloped,plannedforandassessed.

ProjectBasedLearningAsmightbeexpectedgiven thecentralityofanexplicit implementationofCREATE to theStudioSchoolsmodel,mostschoolsinourstudystartedtheirlivesinvestinginthisformofimplementationembeddedinprojectbasedlearning.Forexample,projectsatStudioSchoolUnaweredesignedtohighlightdifferentskillsoftheframework,inthatstudentscouldplaytheroleofProjectManagerorResearcher,whichwouldenablethemtodevelopdifferentskillsonthedifferentprojectsthatalsotaughtthemthecurriculum.However,acrossallthe

Figure5:LessonslearnedfromtheCREATEframework

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case studies, staff and leadership at the schools found that whilst teaching the corecurriculumthroughprojectbased learningwassuccessful inbuildingstudentengagement,motivation,anddevelopingemployabilityskills,itpresentedarangeofsignificantpracticalchallenges.Firstly,largescale,embeddedprojectbasedlearningisextremelytimeconsuming.WhileitmaybesuccessfulwithintheoriginallyconceivedoperationalhoursforStudioSchools(9-5),ifthereareanypressuresonthosehours(duetobudgetaryrestrictions,forexample),schoolsfound themselves under pressure to develop and fit appropriate projects. Secondly,attempting to develop cross-curricular projects requires significant collaboration betweensubjectspecialistsandexpertisetoensurebothskillsdevelopmentandappropriatelearningtakeplace.Inpractice,ashighlightedinTigrisforexample,manyschoolsdidnotfindtheyhadsufficientexperienceandexpertiseamongsttheirstafftodeliver largescaleprojectbasedlearning effectively. Consequently, attempts to embed project based learning across thecurriculumwereoften reducedafter the firstyearofStudioSchools’ lives.ThisalsooftencoincidedwithschoolsgrowingandaninfluxofnewmembersofstaffwhomaynothavebeenasdedicatedtotheoriginalStudioSchoolsmodelastheircolleagues,dilutingexpertiseandadesiretoimplementinnovativeapproaches.However,themostsignificantchallengetotheexplicit implementationofCREATEthroughprojectbasedlearningrelatedtothepressuresofexternalperformancemeasures,notablyexam outcomes. Many of the members of staff we interviewed across all the schoolsdescribed the challengeof attempting to combinea vocationalofferwithexpectationsofacademic attainment. While many schools attempted cross-curricular implementation ofCREATE through project based learning initially, the pressures of performance measuresmeantthatassoonas it looked likeacademicoutcomesmightbeweakorOfstedreportsmightbecritical,schoolsfelttheyhadtoreverttomoretraditionalapproachestoteachingandlearning.Inessence,theydidnotfeelabletocontinuetoexperimentwithanovelmodelor thedevelopmentofemployability skills, if it jeopardisedexamsuccess. Several schoolsexpressedfrustrationatthiswith,forexampleamemberoftheSLTfromTigrisstatingthat‘thesetup…foracademicqualificationsisnotelasticenough’andamemberoftheSLTfromCoraline commenting that CREATE was ‘not a qualification that was[is] recognised inperformancetables’.SLT across the schools described concern about the DfE and Ofsted as well as parentalexpectations,andalthoughnottrueforallcasestudyschools,thispullbacktowardsmoretraditional approaches to delivering the curriculum was also exacerbated by difficultrelationshipswithschools’MATs.Inseveralinstancesitwasclearthattheinstitutions’MATsdidnotunderstandthecoreaimsoftheschoolsorthedistinctiveaspectsoftheirvocationalofferandsoplacedpressureonthemtoconformwithstandardsuccessmeasuresappliedinmainstream education. For example, one school described having to meet Progress 8

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standardsfortheMAT,ratherthantrytochallengethenorm(StudioSchoolsarenowexemptfromProgress8).InmostcasesthisresultedinamovetowardsmoremainstreamapproachestoteachingandlearningandthelossofexplicitimplementationofCREATEthroughprojectbasedlearning.Therefore,inthefaceofperformancemeasures,examspressure,Ofsted,andMATsthekindofin-depth,embeddedprojectbasedlearningenvisionedintheStudioSchoolsmodel foundational documents was generally either abandoned or consigned to the‘Cinderellasubjects’ofPSHEandCitizenship.Inpractice,thismeantthatalthoughthedifferentStudioSchoolswerehighlydistinctive,itwaspossible toseeacommontrajectorywhen it cameto the implementationofCREATEthroughprojectbasedlearning.Schoolsstartedwithanexplicit,cross-curricular,embeddedapproach,butdue toa rangeofperformancepressures,movedaway fromprojectbasedlearningandtowardsmoretraditionalpedagogies.ThisgenerallyleftCREATEsittingoutsidethecorecurriculumanditsimplementationconceptualisedinmoreimplicittermsornotatall.

CoachingAlongsideprojectbasedlearning,theoriginalconceptualisationoftheStudioSchoolmodelcalled for theexplicit implementationofCREATEthroughpersonalcoaching.ThePersonalCoacheswereenvisionedasworkingwithstudentsinonetoonecoachingsessionsonthedevelopment of their skills, guiding them towards taking an agentic approach to skillsdevelopmentand,aswillbediscussedbelow,takingownershipofCREATEthemselves.Thiskindofcoachingrequiresfrequentinteractionbetweenpersonalcoachesandstudentsand,asdescribedbyStudioSchoolUna‘coachingistailoredonthecalibreofthestudents…andthewaytheywillrespondtoandinteractwiththeCREATEframeworkisverydifferent’(UnaPersonalCoach1).However,justasinprojectbasedlearning,theStudioSchoolsincludedinthisstudyadoptedarangeofapproachestocoaching.WhilethemajorityinitiallyadoptedamodelsimilartotheoneenvisionedintheoriginalStudioSchoolsdocumentation,theyfacedanumberofchallengesinimplementingit.As indicatedby thequestionnaire responses, a largenumberof schoolsacross theStudioSchoolsNetworkdidnotseparateout theroleof learningcoach(or teacheras theywerecalledinmostschools)andpersonalcoach.Theteacherssimplytookontheroleofpersonalcoachwhere appropriate. A number of reasonswere given for this, but at its heart, thismodification of the original Studio School model seemed to be rooted in a generalphilosophicaldisagreementwiththeideaofpersonalcoachesandalackoffunding.Whereteachers were described as taking on the role of personal coaches it was clear that thepressures of timetabling, delivering the curriculum, and exams meant that only limitedcoachingcouldtakeplaceatanindividuallevelandsoexplicitengagementwiththeCREATEframeworkwaslimited.

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In our case studies, themajority of schools, (including Crawfordswhere CREATEwas notimplemented)hadinvestedinseparatepersonalcoaches.ApartfromTigriswherethemodelof coaching was firmly rooted in a unique conceptualisation of employment skills withcoachesactingassportsorperformingartscoaches,theseschoolsdescribedtheirpersonalcoachesasworkingwithstudentsontheiremployabilityskills.However,evenintheseschoolsitwasclearthatlimitedbudgetmeantthatonlyasmallnumberofpersonalcoacheswereemployed.This ledtotimepressureand,even inrelativelysmallschools,thechallengeofhavingmeaningfulpersonalrelationshipswithallstudents.Furthermore, some members of staff described the challenge of maintaining closerelationshipsbetweencoachingstaffandteachingstaff.Withthewidespreadreductionofproject based learning, in themajorityof the schoolswe studied the coaching staffwerealmosttheonlymembersofstaffengagingwithCREATE.Thisdependenceonjustacoachingmodel for CREATEwithout involving other staff led to tension and a disconnect betweenpersonalcoachesandwidermembersofstaffasdescribedbytheprincipalatUna:

WemassivelyinvestintopersonalcoachinganditdoeschangelivesbuttheybecomethecustodiansanddriversofnotjustthemappingbuttheshowingthekidshowandwhytheyaredevelopingtheseCREATEskills.ButthattookusonajourneythatasIrecruitedmoreandmorestaff,asCREATEwasinthePastoral

CurriculumasopposedtotheEducationalCurriculumIgotthisgrowingdisconnect…….IrememberbeinghorrifiedoneinsetdayclosetoChristmas,

talkingaboutCREATEandoneofthestaffsaidsorrywhat?I’mlikehowhasthathappened?(UnaSLT1)

ThiskindofseparationexacerbatedthemoveawayfromtheoriginalStudioSchoolsmodelina way that appeared to separate out CREATE and work on employability skills from thegeneral life of the school, preventing an integrated,whole school, skills based approach.Although there was a recognition amongst staff that there should be more interactionbetweenthemandthepersonalcoaches,particularlyinrelationtoCREATE,acrossthecasestudyschools,thereappearedtobeatrajectoryofgrowingseparationandtheisolationofCREATE.However,arguably,thebiggestchallengethecasestudyschoolsexperiencedinrelationtocoachingwasdealingwiththepersonal,emotional,behaviouralandspecialeducationneedsofthestudentpopulation.Throughourinterviewswithstudentsandmembersofstaffacrossalltheschools,itwasclearthatalargeproportionofthestudentpopulationinalltheschoolshadarangeofneedsthatledthemtoleavemainstreameducationandmoveintosomethingsmallerandmoredistinctive.Thisispartofthe14-19yearoldeducationalmarketplaceandclearlyakeyaimoftheStudioSchoolmodelistoprovideaneducationforstudentswhowantamorevocationalofferingthanisprovidedinmainstreamsettings.However,basedonourinterviews with students, it was clear that although they had experienced significant

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challenges intheirpreviousschools,theStudioSchoolsettingwasprovingtobenurturingandhelpingthemtosucceed.Basedonourinterviews,itwasclearthatthecoachingstaffacrosstheschoolsweregenerallyexpectedtosupportstudentswithemotionalandbehaviouralissuesaswellasworkwithSENstudentsonensuringtheirneedsweremet.Thecoachesweinterviewed,alongwithSLTandstudents, particularly viewed this pastoral aspect of their work as essential to studentwellbeing and the overall nurturing identity of the schools. With such high numbers ofstudents with often very complex needs, this meant that, in many instances, the mostsignificantpartofpersonalcoaches’timewasspentonpastoralsupportasopposedtoskillsandvocationalorientedwork.EngagementwithCREATE,asaresult,oftencamesecondtoimmediate social, emotional, behavioural, and special educational needs. Therefore, asillustratedaboveintermsofprojectbasedlearning,withCREATElimitedtomorepastoralsubjects like PSHE in curriculum time, and coaching transformed into pastoral and SENsupport,CREATEoftenseemedtobeconceptualisedinpastoralterms,illustratedclearlyinthequotefromUna,wheretheprincipaldescribedCREATEasthe‘pastoralcurriculum’.Insomeofthecasestudies,itappearedthatthemoveofCREATEintoapastoralcurriculumwas part of a wider trajectory towards an entirely implicit implementation of CREATE.Although it adopted a differentmodel of coaching, this was exemplified by Tigris, whichappearedtohavemovedawayfromanymeaningfulexplicitengagementwithCREATE,withtheframeworksittingwithinthelanguageofschoolalmostentirelyimplicitly–almostasahistoric artefact. With a number of schools expressing concern that their MATs mightincreasingly send challenging students to them, (i.e. who had been excluded from otherschoolsinthetrust)it isentirelyplausibletoassumethatmanypersonalcoachesmayseetheirpastoralresponsibilitiesincreasefurtherinthenextfewyears.Ifthis isthecase, it islikelythatCREATEmaybecomeincreasinglysidelinedandincreasinglyexistingonanimplicitonlybasisintheschoolingmodel.

Bestpracticeinamessyreality:explicitandimplicitimplementationofCREATEThe above section has highlighted how a range of issues, pressures, and challenges havemeantthattheStudioSchoolsweanalysedhadmovedorwereintheprocessofmovingawayfromanexplicitimplementationofCREATEtoamuchmoreimplicitone.ThissuggeststheoriginalconceptualisationofCREATEmayhavebeenoverly idealforthemessyrealitiesofschooling.However,itispossiblethatwithinthesemessyrealitiesamiddlegroundcanbefound,andourresearchsuggeststhattheimplementationofCREATEoranyemployabilityframework is likely to bemost successfulwhen both explicit and implicit approaches aretaken.ThiswasparticularlyexemplifiedbyStudioSchoolZorya,whichstandsincontrasttotheothercase study institutions as one that deliberately employed both explicit and implicit

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approachesfromtheopeningoftheschool(althoughotherschoolsalsoincorporatedexplicitandimplicitelementsashighlightedinthecasestudies).CREATEhadbeenembeddedintheschool’s ethos through both a coaching framework, and a strong emphasis on workplacements throughwhich students couldbuild their CREATE skills. Thepersonal coachesexplainedtheskillstostudentsinone-to-onesessions,andwhenstudentswentoutonworkplacementstheywererequiredtoreflectonandlinktheiractivitiesandtheskillstheyhaddeveloped back to the CREATE framework. This combination of activities appeared to besuccessful indeveloping student agencyaspupils took controlof theirownemployabilityskills,anddevelopedameaningfulsenseofownershipofCREATE,identifyingtheskillstheywantedtoworkon,andlearningfromtheirworkexperiences:

IcanusesomeoftheCREATEsections,someoftheCREATEframework,inmyworkexperience.I’vefoundtheappliedone,doingjustthingslikemathsina

lesson,wedon’ttendtoactuallyapplyittoanything.ButwhenI’vebeenatworkdoingqualitycontrolonsprings,it’smoreapplied,soIhadtomeasurestuff,andthensay,“Wellthat’sfine,wecansendthatbacktothecustomer.”Or“Thisisn’tfine,weneedtosendthemanewone,orredesignit.”Andit’sactuallyapplyingthemathematicstosomethingthat’srealandphysical,notjust,likeSallyhas,

someapples.(ZoryaStudent)

This explicit engagement with CREATE was further embedded in the life of the schoolphysically. In Zorya, theCREATE framework couldbe foundphysicallypresentaround theschool in the form of posters, PowerPoint presentations on school monitors, CREATEpassportsanddiariesforstudentrecord,coloursemployedindocumentationandeventhedesignonthewallsofschools.

YouseetheCREATEpostersupandallthatsortofthing...Whatyouwillalsoseealongthemiddleofeverycorridorisaboard,afriezerather,thatrelatestotheCREATEframework…wehadplainwhitewallsthatthebuildersleftforus.Weneededtobreakitupandmakethestudioschoolcometothebuilding.Sodowneverycorridor,you’llseethatthereisafriezedownthemiddleofthecorridorwhicheachoftheCREATEcovers,withallthesymbolsthatrepresentwhatthat

areaofCREATEwouldbe.(ZoryaSLT)

Thesephysicalmanifestationsplaced the frameworkat thecentreof schoolactivitiesandwere an overt attempt to embed it in the everyday life of the school emphasising theimportanceofCREATEandthedevelopmentofemployabilityskillsforschools’institutionalidentity,makingthevocationalethosandvaluesoftheschoolexplicittoanyonevisitingit(newstudents,parents,employers).However,at thesametime,thesephysicaldepictionsalsoacted implicitly.Theycouldbeassubtleasacolourschemeorstripesof theCREATEcolours runningdownawall. As such, they formedpart of the subliminal tapestryof theschool,implicitly,butconsistentlyremindingeveryonewithinitofthecentralityofCREATE.

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TherewasanacknowledgementamongststaffatallthecasestudyStudioSchoolsthatitwaseasier for CREATE, ‘to happen within a Vocational Curriculum rather than an AcademicCurriculum’(UnaStaff).Asdescribedabove,thisledtodifficultiesforteachingstaffinvolvedin,asTigrisdescribed them, the ‘academics’ toengagewithCREATE inameaningfulway.TeachersatCoralinedescribedasentimentwefoundacrossotherStudioSchoolsthatanyattempt to embed CREATE skills explicitly in teaching academic subjects, for exampleindicating to the students which skill they would be developing in any given lessen, felt‘artificial’ or ‘clunky’. This was particularly the case once cross-curricular project basedlearninghadbeenreduced.Rather,inthiscontext,therewasaneedtoworkwithCREATEinlessdirectandmoresubtleways.Thisrequiredteacherstodomorethatpaytheframework‘lip service’ (Coraline SLT), but rather increased the pressure to embed it within lessonplanningwithoutallowingittojeopardisethenaturalfocusofthelesson.Although not actually engaging with CREATE, this approach was most clearly seen inCrawfords where teachers were actively encouraged to reflect on their lessons andunderstandopportunitiesforthedevelopmentofskills in linewiththe IBframework.Thisappearedto leadtoan implicitapproachtoskills in theacademiccurriculumthatworkedalongside explicit engagement with the employability framework through vocationalactivities, coaching and work placements. In other schools this reflective activity wasencouragedbytheresearchprocesswhichrevealedanimplicitengagementwithCREATE,asindicatedbystaffatZorya:

Staff:Asweknewthiswascomingup,bothofushavetakentheopportunitytorefreshourselvesonwhatCREATEwasandfindwhereweactuallyuseit.And

actually,onreflection,youstartthinking–

Staff:It’sineverythingwedo.

ThissuggeststheimportanceofstafffindingtimeandspacetoreflectonengagementwithCREATEandtheplaceofskillsdevelopmentintheirteachingandthatregular,collaborativeformalreflectionshouldbeencouragedwithinallStudioSchools.Thus,withinthechallengingmessyenvironmentsofthecurrenteducationalstructuresthatStudio Schools must exist in, our research suggests that a core part of the successfulimplementationofCREATEoranyemployabilityframeworkrequiresbothexplicitandimplicitoperationalisation. Explicit implementation should take place through vocational work,coaching,andworkplacementandtheframeworkshouldformthebasisofconversationsandactivityintheseareas.Implicitimplementationtationshouldtakeplacethroughembeddingtheframeworkinthefabricoftheschool,evenatasubliminalleveltosignaltheimportanceoftheframeworktothevocationalethosoftheschool.Atthesametime,teacherswhomightnotbeactivelyinvolvedinthemorevocationalaspectsoftheschoolshouldbeencouraged

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toreflectonbuildingskillsimplicitlyintotheirlessonplansandcommunicatetheiractivitiescloselywithcoachesandvocationalleads.

CREATEasamarketingtoolForanewschoolcarvingitsspaceinthelocalcommunity,theCREATEframeworkwithitsemphasisonthedevelopmentonemployabilityskillsprovedtobeaninvaluablemarketingand recruitment tool. The school leadership in our study described using the CREATEframeworktoshowcasetoparentsthatstudentswerenotbeingsentto‘justrunofthemillexamfactories’(ZoryaSLT);thatStudioSchoolsallowedforthedevelopmentofthestudents‘beyondtheclassroom’(UnaSLT).

So,weactuallyusedittoframewhattheschoolwouldbeabout,soit’slearningplusthisotherstuffandtheotherstuffframedquitenicelyintheCreate

frameworkbecauseitkindofarticulatedwhattheotherstuffwastothestaffandthestudentsandtheparents,itwasareallygoodtooltodothat(Coraline

SLT)

SchoolleadershipfoundthattheCREATEframeworkwas‘somethingthey[parents]couldallrelatetointheirdailyjobs’(CoralineSLT1),andfeltlike‘common-sense’(ZoryaSLT)enablingearlybuy-infortheschoolconceptfromparentsinthecommunity;

Yeah,andIthinktherealityisthattheCreateFrameworkactuallycreatesmoreopportunityforus.ItincreasesourcredibilityandIthinkParentsthenrelatetothefactthatwehaveaframeworkwithwhichtohelpbuildthesoftskills,whichtheyknowthattheyneedtosucceedinlife.So,Iactuallythinkit’safeatherin

ourcapthatweuseitinthatsense.(UnaPersonalCoach)

Fairlysimilarly,theCREATEframeworkhelpedtheschoolsengagewithemployerpartners,whowhenhearingaboutthedevelopmentofemployabilityskillswouldwanttopartnerwiththeschoolstoprovidemeaningfulworkplacementsforstudents.Havingtheframeworkaspart of the school model made it easier for the school’s to convince employers of theircommitmenttothedevelopmentofemployabilityskills.

…thentheylookedattheseposters[CREATE]onthewall.Theysaid,“Whatarethesethen?”sowhoeverwaswiththemexplainedittothemandtheysaid,“Hold

onaminute.…….What’sthis?”

Soweexplained,“Theyalsoleavewiththat,”theysaid,“We’vegottoworkwithyou,”(ZoryaSLT)

LeadershipAcross all the case studies itwas clear that successful implementation of CREATE or anyemployabilityframeworkrequiredstrongleadershipwithavisionforbothCREATEandtheschool’sethosandinstitutionalidentity.Inmanywaysitisunsurprisingtosuggestthatthesuccessfulrunningofanyschoolrequiresstrongandeffectiveleadership.However,through

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CREATEandthewiderStudioSchoolmodel,StudioSchoolsareattemptingtodosomethingdistinctiveandunusualcomparedwithmainstreameducation.Asdescribedabove,therearearangeofexternalpressures and internal forcesthatconstantlypullStudioSchoolsbacktowardsmainstreamschoolmodels. Inthefaceofexamperformancepressures,demandsfromMATs,expectationsofparents,criticismfromOfsted,challengesofgrowth,suspicionbyteachersetc.,amovebacktowardsmainstreamapproachesandpedagogieswillalwaysbe thepathof least resistancewheneveranydifficultiesarise.Tomaintain thedistinctiveaspectsoftheStudioSchoolmodelandtoimplementanemployabilityframeworkeffectively,school leaders must have a deeply held belief in the model and framework in order toovercomechallengesandbringtheirmembersofstaffwiththem.ThiswasclearlyarticulatedbyamemberoftheSLTatZorya:

AndIthink,youknow,there’reallthechallengesthatcomewithbeingaStudioSchool.……But[weare]tryingtostaytruetothatstudioschool’smodel

Thekindofleadershiprequiredtonavigatethesechallengeswhilemaintainingadistinctiveinstitutionalidentityandvocationalofferingwasshownbyseveralofourcasestudyschools,notjustintheprincipals,butacrossthewholeoftheSLT.Forexample,StudioSchoolZorya’sstandout and steadfast commitment to theCREATE framework can, to a great extent, beattributedtotheleadershipattheschool.Earlyon,schoolleadersrecognizedthevalueoftheCREATEframeworkandhowitwouldresonatewithemployers,andworkedtoensurethattheintegrationoftheCREATEframeworkwasbuiltintotheoriginalbidfortheStudioSchool.Investments were made in the coaching model, as well as a dedicated Business LinksManager. Time andmoneyweredeliberately allocatednot only to the development of aCREATEpassport,whichwouldallowstudentstointeractwiththeframeworkinaneasytodigest manner, but also for developing employer relationships with valuable workexperiences,andforprojectsthatgavebacktothelocalcommunity;thesewereconsciousdecisions that the school leadership took knowing fully well that they would not benecessarilyjustifiabletoOfsted.ItisthisdeliberatecommitmenttothetenetsoftheStudioSchoolmodelthathasallowedstudentstoembraceandinteractwiththeCREATEframeworkandbecometheownersoftheirownskillsjourney.Inmoregeneralterms,thiskindofleadershipcouldbeseeninCrawfords,eventhoughitwasnotimplementingCREATEandwasmovingawayfromidentifyingasaStudioSchool.Theirprincipal,incollaborationwiththeSLT,hadmappedoutadistinctiveidentityfortheschool,emphasising its vocational offer, along with the IB Careers Programme, placing anemployabilityframeworkattheheartoftheschool.Thistookastrongvisionand,inthefaceofsignificantchallengesinthelocalcommunity,determinationtocarrythevisionforward.TheseleaderscanbecontrastedwiththeprincipalatTigris.Whileshewasclearlyastrongleader,shehadbeenbroughtintodealwithanumberofchallenges,primarilyadeficitinthebudget, leftbythepreviousadministrationoftheschool.Havingnotbeen involved inthe

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foundationoftheschoolandcomingfromamainstreameducationbackground,shedidnothavethesamecommitmenttotheStudioSchoolsmodelassomeofherpeersintheStudioSchoolsnetwork.Duetothenatureofherappointment,hercoreaimsweretoreducethedeficit,improveattainment,andproduceworldclassathletesandperformers(allofwhichshe appeared to be succeeding at), not necessarily implement the original Studio SchoolmodelandCREATE.Thereforewhendifficultiesarose,itisnotsurprisingthattheschooltookthepathofleastresistance,droppedthedistinctiveaspectsoftheStudioSchoolmodelandmovedtowardsamoremainstreamoffering.GiventherelativelyswiftturnoverofseniormembersofstaffinallschoolsintheUK,andthefactthat,assuggestedbyaStudioSchoolstrustee,thismaybeevenhigherinStudioSchools,theissueofleadershipissignificant.Ifschools,governors,andMATswanttomaintainStudioSchools’distinctiveidentityandoffering,foundingprincipalsandmembersofthewiderSLTshould be replaced not only with strong and capably leaders, but with individuals withsignificantunderstandingofthemodelandastrongbeliefinitsdistinctiveelements,includingthecentralityofemployabilityframeworks.However,whileemphasisingtheimportanceofstrongleadership,itisequallyimportanttoemphasisethatleadershipcomeswithinacontextandsomeofthechallengesschoolsfacesimply cannot be overcome by rigidly sticking to a model in the face of criticism and,potentially, failure. One of these issues that we came across in a number of case studyinstitutionswastheschools’relationshipwiththeMAT.Ultimately,ifatrustexertspressureon a Studio School to conform to more mainstream models of schooling and meetstandardisedperformancemeasures,thereislittlethataleader,nomatterhowstrongtheymight be, can do about it. This highlights the importance of Studio Schools, if possible,developingstrongandcollaborativerelationshipwiththeirMATs.Inmanyways,thiskindofrelationshipwasexemplifiedbyStudioSchoolUnawhere theprincipalhad recentlybeengivenequalweighton thegoverningbodyof theMAT.Thismeant that school leadershipcoulddeterminetheidentityandstrategicapproachoftheMATandcarveoutameaningfulplace for the Studio School within the trust’s wider portfolio of educational offerings.Importantly,theprincipaldescribedhowthisrelationshipwiththeMATmeantthatdecisionsaroundtheCREATEframeworkweredrivenbytheStudioSchoolitself,ratherthantheMAT,andsoUnacouldstaytrueto itsoriginalethos.ThissenseofownershipforStudioSchoolleadership has a profound impact on the confidence needed to lead a Studio School, asdescribedbytheprincipalatUna:

MyjourneyhasbeenoneofgrowinginconfidencethatweintheStudioSchoolhaveabespokecurriculumthatisrightforthesekidsnow,anditsrightforhow

wepreparethemforthefuture.(UnaSLT)

Thus,our findingsemphasise the importanceof leadership in implementingemployabilityframeworksandmaintainingthedistinctiveaspectsof theStudioSchoolsmodel.Astrong

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belief in the framework and model across the whole of the SLT is required to navigateeffectively the range of challenges and difficulties inherent in the current educationalstructureandmaintainadistinctiveinstitutionalidentityandthisbeliefandunderstandingofthemodel shouldbea vital consideration inongoingemploymentdecisions.At the sametime,itwasclearthatsuccessfulimplementationofbothadistinctiveschoolingmodelandanemployabilityframeworkmustberootedinastrongandcollaborativerelationshipwiththeschools’MATs,embeddingit inthetrusts’operations,givingleadersfreedomtomakedifficultdecisions,andconfidenceto,inthewordsofbothUnaandZorya’sprincipals‘punchabovetheirweight’.

OwnershipIntheabovediscussionofimplicitandexplicitimplementationofCREATEandissuesaroundleadership,referencehasbeenmadetoownershipoftheframework.Acrossthecasestudies,ourdatashowedclearlythatsuccessfuldeploymentofCREATErequiredasenseofownershipfromalltherelevantstakeholders:staff,leadership,andemployers,butparticularlystudentswhoaretheprimaryusersoftheframework.WithallstakeholdersfeelingasenseofownershipofCREATE,theycancommunicateandcollaborateinameaningfulwaythatencouragesembeddedengagementandsupportsthedevelopmentofstudentagencyandultimatelyemployabilityskills.However,ourfindingshighlightedarangeofchallengestothisidealisedmodelofsharedownership.

WhoactuallyownstheCREATEframework?

MembersofstaffAs originally outlined, students were envisioned as the core owners of the CREATEframework, responsible for developing and nurturing of their own skills. This was to besupplementedbypersonalcoaches,whoweretobethedriversoftheCREATEframework,guiding individualstudentsontheir journeys.This idealisedstaffingstructure,however,asevidencedfromourcasestudiesanddiscussedaboveinthesectiondedicatedtocoaching,waseithernotonethatwasactualisedacrossalltheStudioSchools,hadbeendeployedwithauniquedefinitionofcoaching(Tigris),orthecoachingrolewassharedacrosscurriculumteachers(Coraline).Evenwherepersonalcoacheswereactivelyworkingwithstudents,thepressuresofpastoralcareandspecialeducationalneedsmeantthatfewcoacheswereinaposition to engage with CREATE in a meaningful way. These structural and operationallimitationsmeantthatveryfewcoacheswereabletotakeownershipofCREATEanddriveengagementacrosstheschoolashadbeenoriginallyenvisagedintheStudioSchoolsmodel.Intheabsenceofthecoachingmodel,leadershipatStudioSchoolCoralineattemptedtoinstilawholeschoolculturebasedontheCREATEframeworkthroughallthestaffattheschool.Whilst thisworked in the first year of the school’s existence, teachers found themselvesdriftingawayfromthedevelopmentofCREATEskillstofocusonthepressuresofcurriculum

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deliveryandhighstakesexaminationsinaGCSE/A-levelyearleavingtheframeworkinastateoflimbo.ItistobenotedthatatStudioSchoolCoraline,studentsfromthefirstyearofitsopeningwereatleastawareoftheCREATEframework,butthosewhohadjoinedsincewereunabletoarticulatethoseskillsatall, therebyneversettingupascenariowherestudentscould even exercise their own agency in the development of these skills. The issueshighlightedatStudioSchoolCoralinebroughttolighttheneedforaCoachingmodeltoreallyallowstudentstointeractwithandabsorbtheCREATEframework,andultimatelybecometheownersofit.

Butthat’salsoanotherstumblingblockbecauseyou’vegotasmallstaffbodyandpeoplewouldprobably,wouldwanttogetinvolvedinitbutbecauseteaching

loadsarehighandtheexamsandallthatstuffisthere,it’sactuallyreallydifficulttogetotherstaffto(CoralineSLT)

Toacertainextent,theissuesseenatCoralinewereseenacrossalltheStudioSchoolsandwerefundamentallylinkedwithteachers’identity.Anumberoftheteachersinvolvedinthemore academic subjects thatwe interviewed expressed the view that their focuswas on‘teaching’ and ensuring successful academic outcomes. Although all of them expressed astrongsupportforvocationalmodelsofeducation,theiridentityasprofessionalswasrootedin more traditional pedagogic approaches. This was partially encouraged by the originalStudio School model, which emphasised a very clear distinction between learning andpersonal coaches. However, without embedded cross-curricular project based learningholding these tworoles together, therewas little incentive forwider teachingstaff in themajority of the case study schools to engage with CREATE let alone take any form ofownershipofit.Thus,fromastaffperspective,itwasclearthatawholeschoolmodelofownershipofCREATE,whereallmembersofstaffwereexpectedtoengageactivelywiththeframework,wastoodiffuse and at constant risk of being side lined bywhat teachers viewed asmore urgentpressuresofexamsandperformancemeasures linkedwiththe‘corepracticeofteaching’.While a focusedownershipmodel,with staff engagementbeing ledbypersonal coaches,appearedtobebestpractice,itwassubjecttomodificationstotheroleofpersonalcoachesandthepressuresofstudents’pastoralandspecialeducationalneeds.Therefore,withoutembeddedstructuralsupportthatenablespersonalcoachestomaintainafocusonvocationalneeds and employability skills, there is always a risk that no member of staff will takeownershipofCREATEanddriveschool-wideengagement.

StudentsAlthoughstudentsareseenasbeingthekeyownersofCREATE,ourevidencesuggestedthateveninthoseschoolswhereacoachingmodelwasdeployed,studentengagement,letaloneownership,withCREATEwasalsolimited.Insomeschoolsstudentsmisunderstoodwhattheframeworkwas,often,basedonthepastoralfocusofcoaching,conceptualisingitinpastoraland wellbeing terms. One student from Una, for example, while describing the pastoral

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benefitsofcoaching,statedthatcoachingwaslike‘havingamuminschool’.Inotherschools,severalmembers of staff suggested thatworkingwithCREATEdirectlywith studentswasdeliberatelyavoidedasitmightbetoocomplicatedforthem.TheseapproachesappearedtokeepCREATEawayfromthestudentsinseveralofthecasestudyschools,limitingengagement,ownershipandstudents’abilitytotakecontroloftheirown skills development.However, in contrast Zorya adopted an approach thatwasmoreclosely modelled on the original conceptualisation of student ownership of CREATE. OurconversationwiththestudentsatStudioSchoolZoryashowedthattheyoungpeoplehadamuchmoreagentic relationshipwithCREATE.Theywereparticularlyable to relate to theframeworkintheirworkexperiencesthroughtheCREATEpassport,whichprovidedspaceforthemtoreflect independentlyonhowtheirworkwashelpingthemdevelopemployabilityskills.

IcanusesomeoftheCREATEsections,someoftheCREATEframework,inmyworkexperience.I’vefoundtheappliedone,doingjustthingslikemathsina

lesson,wedon’ttendtoactuallyapplyittoanything.ButwhenI’vebeenatworkdoingqualitycontrolonsprings,it’smoreapplied,soIhadtomeasurestuff,andthensay,“Wellthat’sfine,wecansendthatbacktothecustomer.”Or“Thisisn’tfine,weneedtosendthemanewone,orredesignit.”Andit’sactuallyapplyingthemathematicstosomethingthat’srealandphysical,notjust,likeSallyhas,

someapples.(ZoryaStudent)

Thissenseofownershipandunderstandingofwhattheskillsareandhowtheyaredevelopedwasfurtherenhancedbyavocationallyfocusedcoachingmodel.IntheironetoonesessionswithCoaches,thestudentssettargetsforthemselves,increasingtheirsenseofresponsibility.Although coaches in Studio School Zorya were, like other case study institutions, findingpastoralcarewasbeginningtodominatetheirwork,structuringthecoachingsessionsaroundthe reflectiveprocessof theCREATEpassportmeant that,at the timeofdatacollections,studentswereabletotakeownershipofCREATEandcouldindeedbethedriversoftheirownskilldevelopment.

Like,forme,incoaching,Iwouldsetatarget,itcouldbeanythingfromjusttidyingmyroomtogetthisworkdoneforthedeadlineoritcanbeanything.And

IhavetorelatethattooneoftheCREATEsections

EmployersIntheoriginaldocumentationfortheStudioSchoolmodel,closerelationshipswithemployerpartners sit at theheartof thevision for implementingCREATE.Employers,workingwithstudentsandpersonalcoachessupport thedevelopmentof specificCREATEskills throughcarefullytailoredlongtermplacements.Assuch,thedocumentationveryclearlydescribesCREATE sitting at the heart of communication between employers and Studio Schools.However, in practice our research highlighted that the majority of Studio Schools werestruggling to develop meaningful relationships with employers. Many schools described

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frustrationatcallingmultipleemployers,desperatetoarrangeplacementsfortheirstudents.Otherindividualsdiscussedthedifficultyinarranginganyplacementsforstudentsbelowtheageof16orarranginganyexperiencesthatlastedmorethanafewweeks.Thiswasillustratedbythedifficultieswefacedinsuccessfullyincludingemployers’voicesinthestudy:whilewewereabletomeetwithafewemployersintwoofthecasestudyschools,itwasclearthat,inthemajorityofcases,employerswerenotparticularlyactivestakeholders.Withinthiscontext,inthemajorityofthecasestudyinstitutions,itwasclearthatschoolsthatwere able to findplacements for their students preferred to avoidplacing any additionaldemandsonemployersbyintroducingCREATEtotheconversation.OnlyinZoryadidthereappeartobelongtermplacementstakingplacewithconversationsaboutskillsembeddedincommunicationbetweentheschool,thestudent,andtheemployer.ThispositiverelationshipappearedtoberootedinthefactthattheprincipalandwiderSLThadstrongrelationshipswiththesekeyemployerpartnerspriortothefoundationoftheschool.TheywerebroughtintofoundationaldiscussionsearlyonintheprocessofestablishingtheschoolandsohadastrongsenseofownershipofboththeschoolandthemodelandsowereabletoengageinameaningfulwaywithCREATE.AlthoughthisillustratesamodelofbestpracticeforengagingemployersandusingCREATEasatoolforestablishingcommunicationbetweenschoolsandemployers,italsohighlightsthe important challenges all schools face when attempting to develop meaningfulrelationshipswithemployersthroughcoldcalling.Withoutlongtermpersonalrelationshipswithemployers,developingnewpartnershipsisextremelydifficult.Thisisexacerbatedbytherequirementsforredundancyinaplacementsystem.Therewillalwaysbetimeswhensomeemployerscannottakestudentsandso,assuggestedbyCoraline,schoolsreallyneedmorethandouble thenumberofpartners theymightexpectbasedonstudentnumbers.Giventhesedifficulties,itisclearthatseveralyearsarerequiredtodevelopsufficientnumbersofstrongpartners.Asdescribedabove,strongleadershipisnecessarytonavigatetheinevitablesetbacks in creating these partnerships and continue to pursue a model of long termembeddedworkplacements.Consequently,whileemployersareconceptualisedaskeystakeholdersintheStudioSchoolmodelandconsequentlykeyownersoftheCREATEframeworkoranypartneredapproachtoemployabilityskillsdevelopment,thisisnotthecaseformanyStudioSchools.Therealityisthatpartnershiprelationshipsareoftenfragileandduetopressureplaceduponschoolstofind adequate numbers of employment opportunities for their students, power is oftenunequallydistributedinemployers’favour.Schoolsareconsequentlyreluctanttoplacewhatmight be seen as additional burdens on their employer partners by expecting in depthengagementwith,letaloneownershipof,skillsframeworks.

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TrainingAlongside the importanceofownership, itbecameclear throughourworkacrossall casestudy schools that the successful implementation of CREATE requires dedicated andconsistenttrainingforallmembersofstaff.Thisensuresasharedunderstandingofthegoalsandethosoftheframeworkandclearcommunicationbetweenmembersofstaff. Intheanalysisduringourfirstphaseoftheresearch,althoughvariousadhocprogrammesweremadeavailabletoStudioSchoolsthroughtheStudioSchoolsTrust, therewasonlyalimitedstrategicapproachtothetrainingofstaffontheCREATEframework.Thiswasechoedinourinterviewswithstaffwhosuggestedthatonlyminimaltrainingresourceswereprovidedtothe individualStudioSchools tosupportthemintheirstrategicthinkingontheCREATEframework.Inthefirstyearofbeingopen,staffwereprovidedtrainingbytheTrust,eitherattheTrustheadquartersinManchester,oraspartofanINSETdayintheschool.Thesesessionshad takenplacewithall staff,ensuring therewasageneralawarenessof the skills in theCREATEframework.

It’sverymuchsomethingthatwe’reallawareof.ImeaneverymemberofstaffthatobviouslyenrolsandcomestoworkfortheStudioSchool,it’spartofwhatweprovidethemintermsofwhattheyneedtoknowandwhattheyshoulduse

(UnaSLT)

However, the training providedwas closely tied to the distinctive Studio School coachingmodelinitsidealformandsoquicklyprovedirrelevantforthemajorityofschoolswhichhadmodifiedtheirapproachtocoaching.Furthermore,asevidencedbyCrawfords,whiletrainingexistedearlyinthelifeoftheStudioSchoolsTrust,itappearedthattheschoolsthatopenedlateron,particularlywhenthetrustwasbeginningtoclose,didnotbenefitfromanytrainingand there arenownoopportunities for CPDon the Studio Schoolsmodel or theCREATEframework. This means that training new staff in any Studio School will be extremelychallenginginthefuturewithnocentrallyavailableexternalCPDThiswasoneofthereasonsthatCrawfordsdecidedtofocusontheIBCareersProgramme.Itwasseenashavingstrongsupportnetworksandinternationallyrecognisedexternaltrainingthatcouldbeengagedwithinaconstantway.Tosupplementthecentrallyavailabletraining,manyoftheStudioSchoolswestudiedtookadvantageofbeingapartofanetworkofschoolsandvisitedeachothertounderstandhowtheirpeershadmadetheCREATEframeworkworkintheirownindividualcontexts.However,perhapsunsurprisingly,theseopportunitiesweremainlyundertakenbymembersoftheSLT,with wider coaching and teaching staff working with cascaded information and withoutongoingCPDontheCREATEframeworkstafffoundthattheyhadtoworkonimplementingCREATEintheirownuniquecontextsthemselves.ThiswasexpressedclearlybyamemberoftheSLTatCoraline:

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Butthereisnotapackofresourcesthat’ssatbehindit,soitreallyjustsatontheskillofanindividualteacher.(CoralineSLT)

ThisresultedinthevariedlandscapeofthewaysinwhichtheframeworkhasbeendeployedacrosstheschoolsandlittleongoingskillsorCREATEspecificCPD.Thus,ourresearchhashighlightedasignificantneedforongoingCPDforallmembersofstaffinStudioSchoolsforboththeStudioSchoolmodelandtheCREATEframework.WithoutthisitislikelythatnewstaffjoiningtheschoolswillnotgainanappropriateunderstandingofthedistinctivemodelofschoolingorCREATE,existingstaffwillforgetthetrainingtheyreceivedinitially,andCREATEwillbecomingincreasinglysidelined.Although still developing, the new Studio Schools Network may reinvigorate models ofsharingpracticeandsothereisanurgentneedtosupportmechanismsforthis.Apotentialplatformforsharingcasestudiesofgoodpracticeacrossthenetworkwillbediscussedattheendofthisreport.However,giventhedistinctivenatureofalltheStudioSchools,thewaythey implement the model, and the way they implement CREATE, a centrally deliveredprogrammeofCPDmaynotnowbeappropriate.There isnoonesize fitsall solutionandsome schools may need to look elsewhere to other better supported networks andemployabilityframeworkstoexaminewhatworksintheircontextsandtoaccessappropriateCPD.

LanguageofCREATELinkedwith issues of ownership and challenges of empowering students, employers, andmembers of staff in the case study schoolswere questions of language andwhether theframeworkitselfisfitforitscoreusers.

FitforpurposeAcommoncritiqueofCREATEacrosstheschoolswasthatthelanguageoftheframeworkwasnot fit for purposewhenusedwith students.Anumberof individuals suggested that thestatementsassociatedwiththedevelopmentofa‘skillsused’vocabularywasinappropriate,as it was unfamiliar to students who may have only had a very limited exposure toemployment. Rather, it was felt that, despite discourses emphasising the importance ofstudent engagement with CREATE, the language embedded in the framework was moretargetedtowardsemployersratherthanstudents.PersonalCoacheshadtositwithstudentsto explain the statements in the framework (Studio School Una) or, as described above,simplifythelanguageforstudents,takingawaythesenseofagencythattheframeworkwasmeanttoinstilinstudents.Schoolswerealsocritical (StudioSchoolZorya)of theneedofanew language inCREATE,when the core of the frameworkwas like the PLTS (personal learning and thinking skills)frameworkthathadbeenpartofthe14-19Diplomas.Membersofstaffattheschoolsfelt

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thatCREATEshouldhavehadfeedbackfromemployersandstudentsaliketoensurethattheframeworkreallyworkedorwasreallyneededbyitsconsumersbeforeithadbeendeployedacrossnetworkofschools.ThiscommentaryonthelanguageoftheCREATEframeworkbeingaimedtowardsemployersisparticularlyintriguingasveryfewoftheschoolsusedtheCREATEframework as the basis of their relationship with their employer partners. Paradoxically,wheretheschoolleadershipfeltthatthelanguagewasaimedentirelyatemployers,CREATE’slanguagewasonlyeverlooselyusedwiththem.ThisissuewasacknowledgedbymembersofZorya’s SLT who explained that although the ethos of the skills embedded in CREATEresonated with small and large employers alike and contained the language they wouldexpecttoseeoncompetitivestudentCVs,thislanguageisnotactuallyanappropriatebasisformeaningfulcollaborativepartnershipsbetweenschools,employersandstudents.TheoriginalconceptualisationofbothCREATEandtheStudioSchoolmodelplacesCREATEatthe heart of the relationship between schools and employers. However, the difficultiesexperiencedbyschoolsinusingCREATEtobuildrelationshipswithemployerssuggeststhattheframework itselfmaynotbefit forthispurposeandthatsometranslation,specifictoemployersand,potentially,differentsectors,isrequired.Thismaybeparticularlyimportantwhere relationships with employers are tenuous (as described above) and expectingemployers toengagewith lengthyskills frameworks likeCREATE is seenas toomuchofaburden.ThisledseveralofourinterviewsacrossalltheinstitutionstoquestionwhetherCREATEisstillrelevant.SomeindividualsfeltagrowingneedtorevisittheCREATEframeworkanditsfocustoensurethatitmaintainedrelevancynotonlywiththechangingneedsofyoungpeople,butalsotoensurethatthatitwasstillrelevanttoemployers:

…..actuallyisitstilluptodate?IsitstillwhatEmployersarelookingfor?Becauseforme,actually,thereareskillswithintherethatactuallywe’remissing

somethings(UnaSLT)

ThequestionofrelevanceisonethatStudioSchoolsandtheStudioSchoolsNetworkmustcontinuetoreflecton.AretherechangesthatarerequiredtoeithermakeitmoreuptodateormakeitmoreappropriateforthestructurallymessycontextthatallStudioSchoolsmustworkin?However,thesequestionsgobeyondsimpleissuesoflanguage.AsCREATEappearstobecomeincreasinglysidelinedinmanyschools,thequestionofwhethertheframeworkshouldremainacorepartofthemodelandsitattheheartoftheinstitutionalidentityofaStudioSchoolishighlypertinent.Inmanyways,thisissueisemphasisedbyCrawfords,which,althoughnolongeridentifyingasaStudioSchoolorimplementingCREATE,appearstohavedevelopedadistinctivevocationalofferthatwasmorecloselyalignedwiththeoriginalstudioschoolmodelthananyoftheschoolswestudied.

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Intermsofthelivesofeducationalinstitutions,alltheStudioSchoolsareyoungand,aseachschoolcontinuesonitsjourneytodevelopingitsowninstitutionalidentity,itisinevitablethateachonewill facearangeofchallengesanddifficulties.Fromperformancemeasuresandpressures fromMATs to challenges with employers and conservative expectations aboutschoolingfromparents,attheheartofthesedifficultieswill remaintheconstantallureofmainstreamschoolingmodelsandtraditionalpedagogies.Therefore,thepracticalquestionofhowschoolsshouldnavigatethesechallengeswhilemaintainingadistinctiveStudioSchoolidentityiscritical.GiventhefactthatnoStudioSchoolisimplementingCREATEinitsintendedformat themoment,a compromiseover the frameworkmaybenecessary toensure thefutureoftheStudioSchoolmodel.Inordertohelpanswerthequestionofhowschoolsshouldnavigate challenges and difficulties, the Studio Schools Network may find that a formalredevelopmentofCREATE,drawingonexistingpracticesinthemessycontextofthecurrenteducation system, is essential. However, it may also be time to explore alternativeemployabilityframeworksthatmaybemorerelevant,easiertoembedwithinthelifeofaschool, and have wider support networks and training opportunities, and explore thequestionofwhetherCREATEisanylongeranessentialpartoftheStudioSchoolsmodel.

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5.CONCLUSIONThis research project was explicitly focused on the CREATE Framework and how it wasimplementedacrossdifferentStudioSchools.However,theframeworkissocloselytiedtotheStudioSchoolmodelandthewayinwhichithasbeenconceptualisedandengagedwithbythedifferentstakeholderswassofirmlyrootedinbothlocalandwiderpoliticalcontextsthat the findingsnecessarilyhavebroad implications for thevocational,14-19 sectorasawhole. These take the form of policy implications, implications for school management,implications for innovation around implementation of employability skills training, andimplicationsforfutureresearchagendastoexaminetheissuesraisedbythisprojectinmoredepth.

PolicyImplicationsStudioSchoolswereconceivedofasaconceptduringabriefmomentwhensystemsthinkingwasinplaywithintheGovernment'seducationalthinking.ThecontextwasanaspirationonthepartoftheNewLabourgovernmenttotrytocreate local14-19‘systems’ofprovisionwithinwhichtherewouldexistadivisionofresponsibilitiesandrolesbetweenlocalproviders.Studio Schools, it was believed, would help fill a gap by offering a vocationally-orientedalternativeforlocalpupilswhoweredisengagedorindangerofbecomingdisengagedfrommoretraditionalacademically-focusedprovision.Unfortunately,StudioSchoolswerebornintoanerawherethinkinghadmovedonfromthisstance, and was now decisively focused towards markets and provider competition as ameansofratchetingupperformanceandaccountability.Parentalchoiceandmarketforceswoulddriveweakerprovidersoutofexistence.Ratherthanbeallocatedaroleandasetofpotentialstudents, institutionswouldhavetofightforthemwithbothotherexisting localcompetitorinstitutionsandwithanyotherformsofnewmarketentrant(e.g.freeschoolsandUTCs)thatmightchoosetotrytosetupinthelocality.Preciselythesamemodelhasbeenapplied to higher education and is also a feature of the various marketplaces (14-19,apprenticeship, and adult education) that further education (FE) colleges find themselvesoperatingin(seeKeep,2018).Thismarketmodelsetsupaninexorablelogicinthe14-19‘space’. Atanygivenmoment,thereisafinitepoolof14-19yearsoldsinalocality.Competingforthesestudentsandthefunding that is attached to them can be FE colleges, Studio Schools, UTCs, free schools,employersandindependenttrainingprovidersofferingapprenticeshipplaces(and,inatinyminorityofcasestraineeships),VIformcolleges,andmainstreamacademyandcommunityschools and their VI forms. In the medium-term, there are two options for how thiscompetitionwillplayout.Thefirstisthatchoicesinthelocalmarketplacewilldistributethepoolofavailablestudentsinwaysthatmeanthatalltheplayers(pre-existingandanynewentrants) in that marketplace have sufficient student numbers and funding to survivealthough this may mean that in some instances they will need to make adjustments in

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curriculumoffer,andreducestaffing,estatesandothercosts.Thesecondpossibleoutcomeis thatsome institutions loseout in this zerosumgamecompetition forstudentsandthemoneythatfollowsthem,theirstudentnumbersfallbeloworneverreach(fornewentrants)theminimumthresholdthatisneededtomaintaintheinstitution’sviability.Asmany UTCs, free schools and Studio Schools have discovered to their cost, this 14-19marketplacecanbeabrutallyunforgivingandverycompetitiveenvironment.Experiencetodatesuggeststhatnewentrantscanfacesignificantbarrierstoentryintolocal11-19/14-19marketplaces. ItmaybeparticularlychallengingforStudioSchoolsandUTCs,asan‘offer’basedaroundthevocationalroute isatoughroadtotreadwhenvocationalcurriculaandprovisionareinherentlytreatedasrepresentingaremedial/secondchance/secondraterouterelative to the royal road to the ‘gold standard’ of academic GCSEs and A Levels. In aneducationsystemwherethekeypolicyaspirationfor‘quality’secondaryschoolinghasbeenfor itto leadtoentry intohighereducation,otherkindsofdestinationareimplicitlybeinglabelled as second best. Moreover, as some of the fieldwork for this project hasdemonstrated,atleastinpart,StudioSchoolshavefoundthemselves(byaccidentordesign)actingasasecondchancedestinationforstudentswho,foronereasonoranother,havenotthrived in mainstream, traditionally-structured secondary schooling. This role as secondchanceinstitutionscreatesinterestingissuesabouthowtheschoolsthenmarketthemselves.Howisthismodelofprovisionandthestudentsthatitattractsliabletoplaywithaspirationalparentsinaworldofleaguetablesandstatusrankings?AreStudioSchoolsanicheproviderforthosenotsuitedtomainstreamprovision,oraretheyaimingatawideraudiencewithanofferingthatshouldappealacrosstheupperendoftheabilityrange?Thedangerinherentwithbeinganicheprovideristhattherehavebeeninstanceswherethenicheandtheleveloflocaldemanditserveshasprovedtoosmalltoallowtheinstitutiontoreach‘criticalmass’intermsofstudentnumbers,andhasthereforerendereditunsustainable.Insomesenses,StudioSchoolscanrunthedangerofoccupyinganuncomfortablemiddlegroundbetweenschoolsandFE,andtherewillbestrongmarketforcespullingthemtowardsa mainstream school model and curriculum offering. In some local 14-19 educationalmarketplaces,wherecompetition isparticularly intense, thepressureonStudioSchools isliabletopushthembacktowardssellingthemselvesasmoreconventional,mainstream-stylesecondaryofferingsinordertomakethemattractivetoawiderrangeofpupilsandparents.ThispressureplainlyhasimplicationsforthewillingnessandabilityoftheStudioSchooltomaintaintheoriginalCREATEframeworkwithitsovertemphasisonvocationalstudies.

ImplicationsforSchoolManagementThisstudyfoundthatallthecasestudyStudioSchoolswereundertakingajourney,navigatinga complex and crowded marketplace and attempting to develop their own institutionalidentities.Althougheach schoolhaddevelopedadistinctiveethos,workedwithdifferentspecialisms,andwasimplementingtheStudioSchoolsmodelandtheCREATEframeworkinuniqueways,thereappearedtobeacommonalityinthetrajectorytheywereon.Atthepoint

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offoundation,almostalltheschoolsattemptedtoimplementallthedistinctiveaspectsofthe model (e.g. long operational hours, project based learning, embedded placements,personalcoaches,andCREATEsittingattheheartoftheschool).However,inthefaceofawiderangeofchallenges,generallyrootedinthemovefromsystemsthinkingtoincreasedmarketisation, the distinctive aspects of the Studio Schoolmodelwere eroded away andschoolswerebeingpulledtomainstreamapproachesandpedagogies.Fromtheoutset,StudioSchoolswereprovidedwithagreatdealofflexibilitytoimplementthemodelanditsdistinctiveelementsinawaythatenabledtheschoolstobetailoredtotheneedsoftheirlocalcontextsandcommunities.ThismeantthatStudioSchoolswerealwaysenvisionedasmanifestingadiversityofmanagementmodels,specialisms,relationshipswithemployers,andapproachestoskillsdevelopment.DistinctiveinstitutionalidentitywastoberootedinmembershipoftheStudioSchoolTrust,whichprovidedcentralisedadministration,training,andguidanceforitsmembersaswellasconveningpowerandtheabilitytoengagewithpolicymakers,representingtheentirenetworkofschools.However, the Trustwas closeddue to financial pressures andattempting tooperate in acontextdifferenttotheoneitwasconceivedin.Thisclosuremeantthattheschoolslostasourceofguidanceandtraining,meaningthatofficialdocumentationandtrainingmaterialsassociated with Studio Schools were not updated or even ‘lost’ in relation to emergingchallenges and policy changes. Schools lost the ability to engagewith policymakers at astrategiclevelandberepresentedinameaningfulway.Mostimportantly,theclosuremeantthatStudioSchoolslosttheiranchorpoint:thecentralorganisationthatheldthemtogetherdespitetheflexibleaffordancesoftheStudioSchoolmodel.OurresearchsuggeststhattheschoolsweremorelikelytobeshapedbytheagendasoftheirMATsandthepressuresoftheeducationalmarketplacethantheStudioSchool’sbrand,somethingthatwasexacerbatedbythecollapseoftheTrust.Theflexibility,embeddedintheapproachespousedbytheTrust,appearstohavehavehadanunintendedconsequenceoftheschoolsbeingmorecloselyalliedtoschoolsintheirMATs,orotherschoolingmodels,thantheirStudioSchoolpeers.ThishighlightstheimportanceofsomeformofparentorganisationwithadequatefundingandcapacitytorepresentStudioSchools’interests,withconveningpower,andtosupportallStudioSchoolstoretaintheirdistinctiveinstitutionalidentityandimplementtheirinnovativevocationalmodel.SincetheclosureoftheStudioSchoolsTrust,theStudioSchoolsNetworkhastakenonpartofthisrole.AsagrassrootsorganisationitisabletounderstandtheneedsofitsmembersandthemanagementteamwillbeabletoengagewellwithprincipalsofStudioSchoolsaspeers.However,ourfindingssuggestthatastheNetworkestablishesitself,itwillbeimportanttoensurethatithasadequatefundingandappropriateadministrativesupportifitsroleasameaningfulumbrellabodythatcansupportitsmemberschoolsistobeenacted.Whatwill also be important is for theNetwork’s leadership to build its relationshipwithpolicymakers,sothatStudioSchoolscanhaveavoiceatthetableonceagainwithDfE.

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ImplicationsforImplementationofInnovativeApproachestoEmployabilitySkillsThemarketisationoftheeducationsystemthemodelwasconceivedinandthelossoftheparentorganisationisthemessyrealitythatStudioSchoolsmustnowoperatein.Iftheyaretomaintainadistinctivevocationaloffering,withemployabilityskillsatitsheart,thereisaneedtohelpschoolsnavigatethechallengesinpracticalterms.Ourresearchsuggestedthatnosinglechallengenecessarily leadstowidespread institutionalchange.Rather itwasthesubtle combinationofdifficulties that came together togentlypull schools towardsmoremainstream models, eroding distinctive elements a little bit at a time and threateningdistinctive institutional identities. However, across all the case study schools there wereexamplesofgoodpracticeinnavigatingthechallenges,which,ifbroughttogetherprovideauseful map for Studio Schools, and leaders particularly, to use to implement both thedistinctivemodelandanyemployabilityframeworkthatisusedintheschool.Thesecanbesummarisedas:• LEADERSHIP: schools attempting to implement innovativemodels of employability or

vocationally-orientedschoolingrequirestrongleadershipandanunwaveringbeliefinthestrengths of the model. While criticality and flexibility are important features ofleadership, if schools are tomaintain their unique identities and ethos in the face ofincreasing accountability measures and marketisation, a firm belief in distinctivevocationaloffering isessential across thewholeof a school’s leadership.When facingchallenges, the path of least resistance is almost always amove towardsmainstreamschoolingmodelsandtraditionalpedagogicapproaches.Strongleadershipisrequiredtomakethedecisiontotaketheharder,distinctivepathandsupportstaffindoingso.Thisisparticularlyimportantwhenemployingnewleadersafterfoundationalmembersmoveon:clearunderstandingandcommitmenttothemodelareessential.However,our researchhasalsohighlighted thecritical importanceofhaving leaders inMATswhounderstandtheStudioSchoolmodel,oranyinnovativeapproachesthattheirmember schools are attempting to implement. In the academised context inwhich allschoolsnowoperate,thisstrengthofleadershipwithinthecentraladministrationofaMATisessentialifinnovationistobepromoted,broadermodelsofschoolingthatgobeyondpurelymainstreamapproachesaretobeincludedinMATs’portfolioofschools,andschoolleadersaretobesupported.Atthesametime,nowtheStudioSchoolsTrusthasclosed,strongleadershipfromtheStudioSchoolsNetworkwillbeessentialtoensureSLTsacrossallmembershipschoolsareempoweredtonavigatechallengesandmaintainadistinctiveinstitutionalidentity.

• OWNERSHIP:theimplementationofemployabilityframeworks(suchasCREATE)involves

multiplestakeholders(students,parents,employers,staff).Allstakeholdersshouldhaveasenseofownershipoftheframeworkanditsusetoensuremeaningfulengagement.

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However, it is particularly important to empower students to take ownership of theframeworkused in theschoolandso takeownershipof theirownskillsdevelopment.Practicalmeasurescanbeincorporatedtoencouragethis,suchas‘skillspassports’,butaexpectationsofownershipmustbeembeddedintheimplementationofanyframeworkandbeexplicitlysupportedbystaff.

• LANGUAGE: in order to ensure employability frameworks developed or adopted by a

schoolarefitforpurpose,thelanguageusedmustberelevantforallthekeystakeholders,particularlythestudentswhomayinitiallybeunfamiliarwithtermsusedintheworkplace.Thismayrequiretranslationofskills-basedmaterialsfordifferentagegroupsandamoreprogressiveapproachtoskillsdevelopment.

• TRAINING: the successful implementation of distinctive schooling models and

employabilityframeworksrequiresdedicatedandconsistenttrainingforallmembersofstaff.Thisensuresasharedunderstandingofthegoalsandethosoftheschoolandtheframeworkandclearcommunicationbetweenstaff.Thisisparticularlyimportantwhennewmembersofstaffjointheschool.Theremustbeappropriatetrainingtoensurethattheyunderstandthedistinctiveaspectsoftheschoolandhowtoimplementthem.GiventhefluidandmessyeducationalmarketplacethatStudioSchoolsmustoperatein,thereis a need for training to be able to react to and incorporate emerging issues andchallenges.ThisislikelytonecessitatelargescaletrainingproviderswiththeresourcesandcapacitytodevelopflexibleandconsistentlyuptodateprogrammeofCPD.StudioSchoolsmaythereforeneedtoworkwithlargerorganisation,eitherthroughtheirMATsorthroughalternativeemployabilityframeworks,toensuretheyhaveaccesstostrongsupportstructuresandappropriatetraining.

• INTEGRATION: Studio Schools have developed a distinctive employability skills-based

schoolingoffer.Employabilityframeworksmustsitattheheartofthisandourresearchshowsthatthisismostsuccessfulwhenframeworksareembeddedandintegratedintothewholecultureoftheschool.Thisensuresthattheframeworksitsattheheartofallschool activities allowing for a deepunderstanding anddevelopment of employabilityskills for both students and staff. This enables schools tomarket their offer clearly toparentsandemployers.Inacrowdededucationalmarketplace,havingaclearethoswithanembeddedemployabilityframeworkislikelytomakeStudioSchoolsstandout.

WiderImplicationsandanAgendaforFutureWorkOurresearchhashighlightedtherangeofchallengesStudioSchoolsfaceandthepressurethis places on any attempt to maintain a distinctive and innovative vocational model ofschooling and successfully implement employability skills frameworks. This raises severalcritical questions about the role vocational models of schooling can play and how suchapproaches can achieve parity of esteem with mainstream models in a complex andcompetitive educational market place. Research suggests that aspirational middle class

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parents are still likely to viewGCSEs,A Levels andHigherEducationas thegold standardeducational pathway and so vocational models are viewed as second class educationalapproaches(Keep2018).Asfoundinthisproject,thisoftenleavesvocationalinstitutionsinconstantdangerofsimplybecomingsecondchanceinstitutions,thesafetyvalveforapurelyacademicmodel.Inaworldofleaguetablesandinstitutionalstatusrootedinexamoutcomes,thecombinationof a competitivemarket and parental assumptions about the value of vocationalmodelsinevitably leads to the failureof a significantnumberof institutions,withparental choiceremoving‘weak’provision.However,weakprovisionisdefinedintermsthatmaynotrelatetothecoreaimsofvocationalschoolingmodels.Unfortunately,thisisbeingplayedoutacrossmanyStudioSchools.Giventhecentralityofparentalaspirationstothisissue,wesuggestthata piece of research investigating in depth why parents and their children have chosenvocational models of education is critical. The current educational context, withacademisation reshaping the landscape, provides a unique situation to engage these keystakeholdersandunderstandthefactorsthatshapedthedecisiontotakepartinvocationalschooling. This would provide vital information to help schools navigate the competitivemarketplaceandtargettheirkeyaudiences.However,inacompetitiveeducationalmarketthatnecessitatesinstitutionalfailure,thereisalsoanurgentneedtolookcriticallyandholisticallyacrossthewholevocationalsectorandunderstand how the different models and approaches relate to each other and what isdistinctiveabouttheirofferings.Thiswouldbeasteptowardsansweringthecriticalquestionsofwhatbroadlessonscanbelearnedfromthesedifferentmodelsformainstreamschoolstryingtoengagewithissuesaroundemployabilitybetterandhowwilltheselessonswillbeclearlycommunicatedwithmainstreameducation.

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6.REFERENCESCook,W.,Thorley,C.,Clifton,J.(2016).Transitionsat14.Analysistheintakeof14-19educationinsitutions.London:InstituteforPublicPolicyResearchHendry,E.&Sharpe,T.(2013).AnevaluationoftheStudioSchoolsTrustanditsroleinraisingthestatusofpractical&vocationallearning.KeepE.(2018).Scriptingthefuture–exploringpotentialstrategicleadershipresponsestothemarketizationofEnglishFEandvocationalprovision.FETL.StudioSchoolsTrust(2010).TheneedforStudioSchools:AnOverviewoftheEvidence.Manchester:StudioSchoolTrust.Retrievedfrom:https://studioschoolstrust.org/sites/default/files/Studio%20Schools%20Research%20Report.pdfStudioSchoolsTrust(2013).CREATE:AguideforStudioSchoolStaff.Manchester:StudioSchoolTrustStudioSchoolsTrust(2014).StudioSchools---WhatisaStudioSchool?Manchester:StudioSchoolTrust.Retrievedfromhttp://studioschoolstrust.org/what---studio---schoolWandersman,A.(2003).‘CommunityScience:Bridgingthegapbetweenscienceandpracticewithcommunity–centeredmodels.’AmericanJournalofCommunityPsychology31:227-42VanUrk,F(2016).Function-FocusedImplementationFidelityforcomplexinterventions:thecaseofStudioSchools(Doctoralthesis,UniversityofOxford,England).