Out of School Hours Learning

Guiding practice

Background

The first Code of Practice was for secondary schools. It was followed by:

  • the Code of Practice for Primary Schools
  • the Code of Practice for Public Libraries, in 1999
  • the Scottish Code of Practice for Primary Schools, in 2000
  • the Youth Work and Study Support Code of Practice, in 2001
  • the revised Study Support Code of Practice for Public Libraries, in 2002.

Purpose

This website uses these codes of practice to provide a flexible tool for both planning and quality assurance. It is designed to accommodate a diversity of settings and approaches. It recognises that growth takes place when people have opportunities to set their own goals. 

It sets out a series of questions for schools to ask themselves and identifies a range of types of evidence of good practice. It can be used as a planning tool for anyone involved in developing provision. For example, it can be used by an OSHL or study support co-ordinator reviewing a particular initiative, an individual tutor assessing the impact of an activity or a senior manager assessing the wider impact of OSHL or study support on raising achievement and school improvement.

Like the codes of practice on which it is based, this website: 

  • identifies common principles drawing on examples of good practice from around the country 
  • provides a framework of standards with identifiable success criteria which schools can use to evaluate and improve practice 
  • suggests strategies and sources of support which can help schools and other organisations to meet higher standards.

Benefits

Used as a framework for self-evaluation, this section can bring important tangible benefits. It can: 

  • help, through a process of review, to ensure that provision is closely linked to overall purposes and is really targeted at identified needs 
  • pinpoint areas for development and help set priorities for future action 
  • ensure that all stakeholders, for example students, parents, and teachers, are fully involved in building a quality study support programme 
  • provide a foundation for building partnerships with other agencies, businesses, libraries and youth and community services based upon recognised standards of good practice 
  • provide a benchmark for internal and external comparison.