RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY’S LEARNING PERFORMANCE NETWORK

Sheila Galloway and Steve Strand

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Learning and Performance Network is part of the CAPITAL initiative in which the company works with various departments in the University. The Network is central in building capacity to meet RSC’s aim of becoming a ‘learning organisation’. RSC learning practitioners provide in-service training and other opportunities to staff and pupils at selected schools in England. From Summer 2007 to Autumn 2009 CEDAR is supporting Learning Network staff and postgraduate students to develop evaluation approaches that address three areas: working practices, the spirit of ensemble, and attitudes to Shakespeare. Our work has two components. Steve Strand’s broad quantitative element analyses data from participating schools in relation to general markers of progress, and is using surveys of Year 10 pupils to track pupil attitudes to Shakespeare and related issues.

Sheila Galloway is supporting LPN staff and MA students to exploit to the fullest the ‘learning journey’ undertaken by them in their work and research and by staff and students in the schools involved in the programme.

The Baseline Survey reported in July 2008.