Equipment and Resources
With regard to the previous research done as a group, I have found that there has been a 22% increase in the number of students in the sixth form from September 2005 to September 2007. This increase has resulted in more equipment being used by the students. However as S2 is the study room at the moment there are not enough computers and resources to fulfil the requirements of all the students. The study room in the sixth form is the only place where the students can do their work in their spare time. In the whole of sixth form there are over 200 computers however in the study room at the moment there are approximately 12 computers. This is a very less amount and it does not satisfy the needs of the amount of students that are studying in the sixth form. Therefore this is a very significant factor that has resulted for this change to take place. Other equipment such as educational books, textbooks and tables are also needed for the students. S2 does provide students with the suitable resources but most of the resources have been damaged and used inappropriately therefore these has resulted in students not having much of educational facilities in S2. The tables are also needed for the students to work. At the moment in S2 there is no printer or photocopier, the students have to print their work from other places. This is time consuming for them as sometimes they cannot print there work in time therefore they do not hand the work in, this also affects their grades. To overcome this problem as a group we have decided to change S2 to S4, which would meet with all the requirements of the students e.g. more computers, resources, Printer and photocopier, increase in space and an overall better studying environment.
Students feel that there is not enough equipment available for studying in the S2
Space
The space in the study room is the most important factor because of which it has been decided to proceed with the change. There are roughly 304 students in the sixth form. S2 is rather small for providing this amount of students with all the equipment which they need. Students’ demands are increasing and they require adequate equipment, as space being an issue in S2 the students are not able to work effectively. This therefore is having an affect on the students overall performance. The students are lacking the attention they should be receiving from the sixth form. On the other hand S4 is much bigger in space and can fit around 30-35 computers. S4 can provide the students with all the useful necessities. It has more space, therefore will be able to have more computers and desks which the students are in need of. Another problem with S2 is that, because of the lack of space it gets really crowded. There is no computer booking system or a limit to the amount of students that can enter, therefore when there are a lot of students the noise level also increases. This disrupts students that are working and so they cannot
concentrate. There are also more minor accidents such as being hurt by chairs and equipment that has been lying in the middle of the study room. The students also agree with the fact that there is not enough space. This is proven from the questionnaire that was taken by the students.
The results show that 83% students feel that the space in the study room is very poor. Therefore space is a relevant factor for this change to occur.
Supervision
As seen from the questionnaire results, most students feel that the supervision in the study room is poor. Regardless of this some students do think that the supervision does not lack anything. They believe that the supervision in the study room is good. From my point of view, I think that the supervision in S2 does need to be improved. Miss Vekaria
(Study room assistant) does need another person that could help her with handling the students, monitoring the students and keeping the study room clean. In the study room because of the lack of space, Miss Vekaria cannot walk around and monitor the students’ behaviour. By changing to S4 Miss Vekaria will have more space therefore it will be easier for her to walk around. By increasing the space, the number of students in the study room will also increase therefore Miss Vekaria will need another person to help her with the supervision.
Another problem with the supervision is the level of noise. As the room is small the students tend to communicate with each other more. Students are always constantly shouting and the noise level is appalling. As there are fewer computers, there are times when a whole bunch of students are gathered around one computer, the excuse they always come up with is that there are not enough computers. This is an excuse for them but also a fact. Consequently if there is another teacher to supervise and the change to S4 does occur then this excuse will no longer be accepted and the noise level will also be low. From the questionnaire result it can be seen that students do feel that the level of noise in S2 is extremely loud.
When the students are gathered around one computer there is also the problem with supervising them. As mentioned before because of the lack of space Miss Vekaria cannot walk around and monitor the students, if the students are gathered around one computer then they take more space, therefore this creates more problems for Miss Vekaria. The change to S4 will help to improve the supervision.
Poor attendance
Teachers have been complaining about the attendance of the pupils. Pupils are bunking more lessons to hang around in the study room. As an excuse they proclaim that they are doing their work, however most of them spend the whole time misbehaving and using the computers inappropriately. This problem can only overcome if the timetable check is introduced. The timetable check will prevent students from bunking their lessons as it will show the weekly schedule of the students. This will be stored in Miss Vekaria’s computer so that she could check if the students are bunking or not. By having the timetable check the students will not be able to miss their lessons. This will also benefit the students as they will be attending the lessons therefore learning more. By following the timetable check other students will have the privilege to use the computers. The students will attend their lessons.
If the change to S4 does happen then the booking system will be introduced hence the students overall attendance, punctuality and exam grades will improve.
Environment of the study room
As there is less supervision the environment of the study room is not as good as it should be. The behaviour of the students is not inspiring. The students do not respect the equipment they have, kicking the computers and throwing the books around is not the appropriate manner to behave in. This problem can overcome if there is more supervision; therefore in this case recruiting another person to help Miss Vekaria would be helpful. There is also the problem of the light. S2 is dull and extremely hot in the summer as there is no air conditioning. The light prevents the students from working as they complain that they cannot work because of the lack of light. In summer when there are too many students in the study room, the study room becomes stuffy. This also prevents students from working.
Because of having less equipment and supervision students are not encouraged and motivated towards their work. Their behaviour is not as pleasant as it should be. The students use the study room for socialising instead of working. Some students spend the whole day just chatting and not doing any work. Students that need to use the computers for work that is important do not get a chance. The study room does not have the necessities of giving the students a good working environment. If the change to S4 does happen then students will have more space, more equipment. This will hopefully improve their behaviour and they will be more motivated and committed towards their work.
Cost
Cost at the moment is the most significant factor that is restraining the change. The following are the factors which would need to be cost considered:
- Ordering 4 computers
- Ordering 2 printers and 1 photocopier
- Ordering 2 IP cameras
- Ordering computer desks
- Cost of recruiting and training new staff
- Additional costs
From the previous research I have found out that the approximate cost of all this and other additional costs will be around £5,000-£7000. This is a very high amount and the sixth form at the moment would not be able to afford to buy all this. However we have asked Mr Segal and he has said that he will arrange a way in which all this could be possible. The cost of new equipment is the most vital issue that is restricting the change from S2 to S4. However Mr Segal admits that the factors that are driving the change such as lack of space, supervision and the students’ behaviour are affecting the whole of sixth forms reputation, therefore he thinks that this change will help to improve the sixth form and the environment in which the students are studying.
If the cost is sorted out then there will not really be any other restrictions when changing the study rooms.
Funding
Funding is another major problem related with the cost. If we do not get enough funding then we will not be able to buy the equipment therefore our project will not be completed. The financial support will only be taken through Mr Segal as he is the head of the sixth form. However if there is no other alternative then we as a group will convince Mr Segal to take a loan from the bank. This will help when making the change to S4 and also to improve the overall sixth form buildings and classrooms.
Time
There is also the problem with the amount of time we have to complete the project. Subsequently this will be overcome with our objectives. In the objectives it states which task needs to be completed and the date it needs to be completed by. Therefore this is not a major issue at the moment. However as there will be Easter holidays, half-term and the summer term if we do fall back with time then the duration of this project will be delayed. This may take more then 3 months to complete and so might take up to another 2 months. Another 2 months will be from September to October. This will therefore affect the students’ education as they will not have an appropriate place to study. The study room will not be completed with all the necessary facilities.
To over come these problems we have planned in the Gantt chart and critical path analysis how much time it would approximately take, therefore if we follow them and stay ahead of the time then hopefully this project will be completed by the second week of September. The change from S2 to S4 will be time manageable.
Students and teachers
Students can also affect this change. Some students don’t want this change to take place; they do not like the idea of the booking system and timetable check as this will stop them from bunking lessons and hanging around in the study room. However students should realise that at the end of this project it will benefit them the most. This change from S2 to S4 will improve their attendance, motivation and also their knowledge on the courses they have chosen to do. When we were doing the questionnaire there were some students who we had to avoid giving the questionnaire to, those were the students that are against this change. This problem has overcome as the students we chose to give the questionnaire to were all for the change. Having the students co-operate with us has made it much easier to complete this project.
The problem with the teachers is that some of the teachers use S4 as their teaching classroom; they prefer the room more as it is spacious and brighter. The dilemma that can arise with this is that the teachers might not shift to S2, if the teachers refuse then there is no other option. The change will not happen. Nevertheless for the students benefit I do assume that the teachers will oblige with us for this change to be possible. As a group we will be able to convince the teachers.
