Survey Support

Organising a survey

1. Model letters
We can supply for your use model letters to engage with local partners. For example, we have a letter of invitation from a Director of Public Health to local Headteachers, inviting them to take part in a survey. For headteachers, there is a letter they can send to parents, informing them about the survey and requesting information.
2. Local contacts
We have a network of contacts throughout the UK and may be able to put you in touch with people local to you who might be interested in supporting survey work.

Provision of questionnaires and administration of survey

1. School packages
Blank questionnaires will be parcelled up by SHEU (and sent direct to schools if need be) together with Collecting Good Data Manuals and return labels for completed scripts. This package is issued with a list of contents.
2. Supervising teachers
are provided with a detailed sheet of guidelines for administration of the survey and a feedback sheet.
3. Introductory seminar
We can lead a Collecting Good Data seminar to talk through with the data collection process with teachers from each school.

SHEU support during survey

1. Key person:
A key contact for each area will be nominated on the Unit staff to act as the 'helpline' for the area coordinator and for individual schools.
2. Keeping schools informed
When completed scripts arrive an acknowledgement letter is sent to the school with confirmation of numbers received. Any incomplete information will be chased by SHEU.
3. Keeping area coordinator informed
Each area coordinator will receive a weekly fax to inform them of the arrival of schools' scripts at SHEU.
4. Remote support for local survey
We can chase schools recruited to a survey for completion. If desirable, we can also be used for the recruitment and/or selection of schools.
5. Feedback
Each supervising teacher is asked to complete a sheet of Supervisors' Notes regarding the collection of the data. This ensures that our service can react promptly to any local changes or other requirements.

Return of data

1. Schedule
Normally a school's results are returned to the school within six weeks. Group results will be returned to the area coordinator within six weeks of the receipt of the last school's scripts at SHEU.
2. Results are returned normally in 2 phases:

(i) School Result tables, pupil Health Risk Appraisal Scores, an 'After the Survey' manual and supporting literature. An accompanying letter, listing contents and what is to come, is sent with the package, together with a duplicate which we request is returned to acknowledge receipt of these data. (ii) School report, summarising key results from the tables and incorporating them in a standard text, together with the same results from the whole area survey. This requires that all schools' scripts be processed, and so this report will be returned to schools at some point after the first package.

3. Area data returned to area coordinator
The area coordinator is sent a summary report of the total sample. giving the final number of schools, when scripts were received at SHEU, when reports were returned to schools, and whether schools' receipt letters were returned to SHEU.

Available support after the survey (optional)

We can continue to support your work after the results have been returned to you.

1. Report preparation
Schools Health Education Unit staff can rapidly create draft material for dissemination of your survey results, which set your survey findings in the context of our aggregate databanks or some other defined set of data (for example, the North-West). These drafts can be supplied in word-processor format for your editing, as it is most important to include local perspectives and additional information about local programmes.
2. Follow-up seminar
We can be available to attend a follow-up seminar with schools to report on the main findings for their local area, to share examples of how schools have worked with their data in the classroom, in the staffroom and with parents and governors.
3. Archives
A printed and a computer database copy of the area data are kept at SHEU, together with any earlier surveys -- some stretching back to the early 1980s. This archive can be used to generate additional or replacement copies of books of results, or to carry out secondary analysis.
4. Research questions
We can advise and carry out statistical analysis to answer particular questions you may have about the picture locally - for example, are rugby players really heavier drinkers? Does income affect how much pupils smoke?
5. SPSS training
We are experienced in the use of the statistical software package SPSS and can provide guidance and training in its use. The most comfortable model is for someone from your institution to spend time in the Unit after a survey, so that they can work on local data to meet your needs.

Survey service

Schools get back a comprehensive package of support, comprising:

* Book of Tables
* School Report
* HRA scores for pupils (which may be used in consultation with School Nurses)
* After the Survey manual.

Schools can also get additional services from the SHEU:

* Workshops - suggested exercises using the results
* Teaching Materials

Please contact Angela Balding (Tel: 01392 667272) for details.

Topics: 
surveys