The Educational Success Programmes (PRE), established by the 2005 Social Cohesion Act, constitute an ambitious policy to tackle inequality of opportunity, aimed at children and young people facing the greatest difficulties. The aim of these programmes is to provide children in priority neighbourhoods under the Urban policy with a personalised pathway based on a holistic approach to the difficulties they face, in close collaboration with their families (social and medical support, cultural or sporting activities, creative workshops and various forms of academic support). They benefit more than 100,000 children.
The impact analysis presented in this report is based on two surveys carried out in around 100 schools (the first in autumn 2012, the second in spring 2014) involving children in CE1 and CM1, their parents, their teachers and the PRE coordinators. In order to document as fully as possible the range of difficulties faced by the children and their families, and the effects of the PREs on these difficulties, the questionnaires cover a wide range of areas, drawing on multiple perspectives. Each child therefore completed several questionnaires designed to measure their perceived quality of life, self-esteem and motivation towards schoolwork, which complemented the évaluation of cognitive skills carried out through maths and French tests. Teachers were also asked to perform evaluation of various academic skills and attitudes towards learning for each child, and were questioned about the children’s family background. Parents were also interviewed about their relationship with the school and their child’s situation.
We measure the impact of the PREs by comparing the progress of 404 children who took part in a programme between autumn 2012 and spring 2014 with that of 290 children who initially had comparable characteristics across the many dimensions measured, but who were not participating in a programme because their school was not affiliated with a PRE.
