I go to the small shop near my house. Most people buy bread and milk. Some people buy fruit. A few people buy newspapers. People want the shop to be open later.
We asked 20 students about the school canteen. Most people (15 out of 20) said the food was good. About half said they would like more vegetables. A small number said the queue was too long. When we asked what they would change, the most common answer was 'lower prices'. Some people said they would like a wider choice for breakfast. A few people said the canteen should be open longer in the afternoon. Overall, students like the canteen, but they would welcome small improvements — particularly more vegetables and shorter queues.
INTRODUCTION. This is a short report on a small survey of our school library. Four students did the survey over two weeks. We wanted to find out what students think of the library and what might be improved.
HOW WE DID THE SURVEY. We asked 30 students three questions: how often they use the library, what they use it for, and what they would change. We asked students from different year groups in the school yard at lunchtime.
WHO WE TALKED TO. Most of the students we asked were aged 13 to 16. We did not manage to speak to many of the older students, who were often busy with exam preparation.
FINDINGS. About half of the students said they use the library every week, mostly to do homework. About a third use it to read books for pleasure. The most common change suggested was more comfortable seats. Some students wanted a quieter section for studying. A smaller number wanted longer opening hours after school.
WHAT THIS SURVEY DOES NOT SHOW. We only asked students who came to the library or were near it. We did not speak to students who never use the library. They might have had different reasons for not coming.
CONCLUSION. The library is well used, but small changes — more comfortable seats and a quieter section — could make it better for many students. We would like to share these findings with the librarian and the school council.
INTRODUCTION. This report describes a small survey of the after-school sports activities at our school. Three students carried out the survey over two weeks in October, asking 40 students between the ages of 13 and 16. The aim was to find out which activities students use, why, and what they would like to see changed.
HOW THE SURVEY WAS CARRIED OUT. We asked students at lunchtime over five days. We had four short questions and let students answer in their own words. We told them the answers would be shared with the school sports coordinator.
WHO WE SPOKE TO, AND WHO WE DID NOT. About 60% of the students we asked were boys, although the school has roughly equal numbers of boys and girls. We mostly missed students who do not stay for after-school activities — possibly the most useful group to speak to. We also did not reach the youngest students, who tend to leave straight after school.
FINDINGS. About half of the students said they take part in at least one after-school sport, most commonly football, basketball, or running. About a third said they had tried an activity once and stopped. The most common reasons for stopping were: not enough time with homework, the activity was at the wrong day, or they did not feel welcome with the group that already attended.
A smaller number of students said they would like an activity that does not exist at present — most often, a low-pressure exercise group that does not require competition.
WHAT THIS SURVEY CANNOT SHOW. We only asked students who were at school at lunchtime that week. We did not reach students who were absent, those who actively avoid sport, or any of the parents who might have views.
CONCLUSION. The school's after-school sports work well for some students, but a notable number have tried activities and stopped. The pattern suggests that the activities serve those already comfortable in sport, and less well those who are not yet. A small new low-pressure activity, alongside better welcome practices in existing groups, might encourage more students to take part.
INTRODUCTION. This report describes a small survey of the city library's evening services, carried out by four volunteers over three weeks in November. The aim was to understand how the library's evening hours (5 to 8 p.m.) are used, who uses them, and what could be improved.
METHOD. We approached people leaving the library between 5 and 8 p.m. on weekdays. We had four short questions and let conversations follow their course. We interviewed 45 people in total, recording their answers in their own words and meeting weekly to compare notes.
WHO WE REACHED, AND WHO WE DID NOT. About 60% of those we spoke to were students aged 16 to 22; about 25% were adults using the computers; the rest were older readers using the reference section. We did not reach families with young children (who use the library earlier); shift workers (who work at these hours); or those who cannot reach the library at all. The survey was conducted in English only.
FINDINGS. About half of those we spoke to use the evening hours regularly. The most common reasons given were: a quiet place to study, free Wi-Fi, and avoiding distractions at home. Around a third said the library was 'one of the few free places open in the evening'. Several students reported that they would not be able to do their schoolwork at home — too many siblings, no quiet space, no internet.
DIFFICULTIES. Three issues came up. First, the lighting in the reading room is dim and tiring after long study sessions. Second, the only available drinking water is from a single fountain on a different floor. Third, the entrance after 6 p.m. uses a side door that is poorly lit and can feel unwelcoming.
WHAT THIS SURVEY CANNOT SHOW. We only asked people who used the library in the evening. We did not reach those who would benefit from evening hours but cannot come — shift workers, parents with young children at home, people without transport.
WHAT THE SURVEY DOES SUGGEST. A clear pattern emerges: the library's evening service is filling a real gap, particularly for students from households without quiet space or home internet. The difficulties named are concrete and small. Behind them, however, lies a wider question — whether the evening service could be expanded to reach those who currently cannot access it.
RECOMMENDATIONS, in order of urgency: (1) replace the lighting in the reading room; (2) install a drinking fountain in the main reading area; (3) improve lighting at the side entrance; (4) consider extending hours during exam periods; (5) conduct a separate consultation with shift workers, parents at home, and others who currently cannot use the evening service. The fifth recommendation is the most important: it would help us understand whether the service is reaching everyone it could.
CONCLUSION. The library's evening hours serve a real and not always visible need. Modest practical improvements would significantly improve the experience. With a separate consultation aimed at those currently missing, the service could become genuinely available to the wider community.
INTRODUCTION. This report describes a small survey of evening use of the community sports hall, carried out by four volunteers from the residents' association over three weeks in November. The aim was to understand who uses the hall in the evenings, what for, and what could be improved. We hope the findings will be useful to the hall's management and to the council.
It is worth saying at the outset that small community surveys of this kind have particular strengths and limits. They reach people in person, in the place itself, in conversations that often reveal more than questionnaires can. They reach fewer people than professional research and depend on who happens to stop and talk. A useful report makes use of the strengths while being honest about the weaknesses.
METHOD. We approached people leaving the hall between 6 and 9 p.m. on weekdays. We had four short questions but allowed conversations to follow their course. We interviewed 38 people, recording answers in their own words.
WHO WE REACHED, AND WHO WE DID NOT. About half were adults aged 25 to 50; a third were teenagers; the rest were older users. We did not reach those who had stopped coming, those who never come, or anyone who used the hall only during the day. We also did not interview the staff, whose perspective would deserve separate work.
FINDINGS. About 70% of those we asked use the hall regularly, most often for football, basketball, or fitness classes. Around half mentioned the cost of sessions (recently increased) as a worry. Several teenagers told us they had reduced how often they came as a result. A small number of older respondents said the hall had felt 'less like a community space' since the management changes last year — a phrase that recurred in three separate conversations.
DIFFICULTIES. Three issues came up. First, the changing rooms are old and feel unwelcoming, especially to younger users. Second, recent price changes are pricing out users who used to come. Third, several respondents said they no longer recognised the staff, who change frequently — small, but mentioned often enough to seem worth recording.
WHAT THIS SURVEY CANNOT SHOW. We only asked current users. We did not reach those who have stopped, or those who never use the hall at all. We did not ask whether price changes have particularly affected lower-income users — though several respondents implied this was the case.
WHAT THE SURVEY DOES SUGGEST. The hall is valued by those who currently use it, but several findings combine into a pattern: rising prices, reduced staff continuity, less community feel, teenagers reducing their use. None of these is dramatic; together, they suggest a hall that is, slowly and by no deliberate decision, becoming a place for those who can afford it and find their way in, rather than a community resource for the wider neighbourhood.
RECOMMENDATIONS, in order of urgency: (1) review the recent price changes; (2) renovate the changing rooms; (3) consider what staff continuity would require; (4) advertise sessions more widely in parts of the neighbourhood currently under-represented; (5) conduct further consultation with former users and those who have never used the hall, including in languages other than English.
CONCLUSION. The community sports hall is currently working well for many users, but a quieter pattern across the findings suggests that it is slowly becoming less available to those who do not already use it. With modest practical changes and further consultation, the hall could continue to serve current users while becoming more open to others. The work of reaching those we did not reach this time lies ahead of us; this report is a first step, not a complete account.
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