Transforming lives - Lancashire County Council

Transcription

Transforming lives
Extended services personal impact stories
How schools, school clusters and their partners are using
extended services to improve the life chances of children,
families and communities
Contents
The core offer of extended services
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Varied menu of activities
The Brand You Experience, Kent
Breckland Middle School, Suffolk
Didcot Partnership, Oxfordshire
Gillingham School, Dorset
Greatwood Community Primary School, Skipton
Greenfield School Community and Arts College, Durham
Hastings and St Leonards Excellence Cluster, East Sussex
Houghton Kepier Sports College, Tyne and Wear
My Heritage, My History, My Home project, Middlesbrough
Northfield St Nicholas Primary School, Suffolk
Penn Hall School, Wolverhampton
Weobley Extended Schools, Herefordshire
Withernsea High School, East Riding of Yorkshire
South East
East of England
South East
South West
Yorkshire and the Humber
North East
South East
North East
North East
East of England
West Midlands
West Midlands
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North West
North West
North West
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London
London
East Midlands
South West
London
South East
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London
South East
London
London
London
London
East Midlands
West Midlands
London
East Midlands
South West
London
London
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London
South West
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Childcare
Pear Tree Specialist School and Children’s Centre, Lancashire
Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School, Warrington
Three rural primary schools, Cumbria
Swift and easy access
Cambridge School, Hammersmith and Fulham
Central Foundation Girls School, Tower Hamlets
Children’s outreach service, Nottinghamshire
CPR Learning Partnership, Cornwall
Servite Roman Catholic Primary School, Kensington and Chelsea
Sittingbourne Community College, Kent
Parenting support
Barking Abbey School, Barking and Dagenham
Bexhill parent support adviser team, East Sussex
Byron Primary School, Croydon
Carlton Primary School, Camden
Cuckoo Hall Primary School, Enfield
Deptford Green School, Lewisham
Glenbrook Primary School and Hadden Park cluster, Nottingham
Grove Road Community Primary School, Harrogate
Halesowen Partnership at Caslon Primary School, Dudley
Kingsbury High School, Brent
Thrumpton Primary School, Nottinghamshire
Turlin Moor Community School, Poole
Woodlands Junior School, Redbridge
Yeading Junior School, Hillingdon
Community Access
Abbs Cross School and Arts College, Havering
Carter Community School, Poole
Resources
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2
The core offer of extended services
A varied menu of activities (including study
support and play) and childcare. In primary
and special schools, this means access to a
varied menu of activities, combined with
childcare, provided from 8am to 6pm, five days
a week, 48 weeks a year, in response to
demand. In secondary schools, this means
access to a varied menu of activities and a safe
place to socialise and complete homework,
provided from 8am to 6pm during term time
and more flexibly during the holidays.
Parenting support. Supporting parents means
providing access to structured, evidence-based
parenting programmes, informal opportunities
for parents to engage with the school and each
other, family learning sessions and information.
Community access. Where a school has
facilities suitable for use by the wider
community (eg playing fields, sports facilities,
IT facilities, halls), it should look to open these
up to meet wider community needs in response
to local demand.
Swift and easy access (SEA) to targeted and
specialist services. All schools, working closely
with other statutory services and the voluntary
and community sector, should focus on the
early identification of – and the provision of
support for – children and young people who
have additional needs or who are at risk of
poor outcomes.
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ES personal impact story
The Brand You Experience, Kent, South East
“It’s definitely a worthwhile experience and to sum it up in one word would be ‘amazing’. I now
know what I want to do in the future and have more information about it.”
Year 11 student
“I have taken so much away from this week: friends, confidence, positivity, independence and
even trust.”
Year 11 student
“We can only describe the over all effect as amazing and, to be honest, pretty wonderful.
We hoped our students would feel the benefit from attending but we never expected such a
turnaround in their outlooks.”
Teacher
students displayed an “amazing change in attitude” when
they returned to school. “They are all showing increased
levels of confidence and enthusiasm and some have
become downright bouncy! We can only describe the
overall effect as amazing and, to be honest, pretty
wonderful. We hoped our students would feel the benefit
from attending but we never expected such a turnaround
in their outlooks.”
In February 2009, Maidstone Extended Services launched
the Maidstone Brand You Experience, an innovative
programme intended to help raise the self-confidence of
young participants and encourage them to think more
positively about their futures and what they would like to
do after school.
The event was organised in partnership with Kent’s 14-24
Innovation Unit and Beyond Excellence, a business
consultancy from East Kent, and was funded by the two
Maidstone Local Children’s Services Partnerships. The
objective was to reduce the number of young people not
in education, employment or training (NEET).
Outcomes
• Teachers report an improvement in behaviour
• Pre- and post-event evaluation shows that, the young
people had clearer goals, a greater understanding of
their skills and were more positive about their future
than before the programme began
• Schools welcomed an opportunity to offer projects
that focused on empowering middle-ability students,
particularly girls
• Many students have volunteered to help deliver the
project to other young people in the future
The programme targeted students in year 11. Five
Maidstone secondary schools were asked to identify
pupils who were likely to benefit from help in planning
what to do on leaving school. In total, 24 students
attended five days of activities at Bradbourne House in
East Malling. Sessions included discussions on positive
thinking, defining success and creating life goals. The
week also included a day trip to Treejumpers, an outdoor
activity centre near Brands Hatch, to encourage team
building and help the young people push their boundaries.
Jumping off 60-foot poles to grab a trapeze bar was a
highlight for many of the participants.
More information
Helen Devlin, Extended Schools Coordinator, Maidstone 1
Local Children’s Services Partnership
Tel: 07917 224 225
E-mail: helen.devlin@kent.gov.uk
The week ended with the Brand You Exhibition, a “job fair
in reverse” showcasing the skills and talents of young
local job-ready adults. Local businesspeople were invited
along to watch, share ideas and offer advice on building a
successful working life and achieving goals.
Matthew Mallett, Extended Schools Coordinator,
Maidstone 2 Local Children’s Services Partnership
Tel: 07917 224 224
E-mail: matthew.mallett@kent.gov.uk
The schools involved were very positive about the
participants’ experiences. One teacher reported that the
4
Breckland Middle School, Suffolk, East of England
“That was great, sir. I have only ever seen it on the TV before and it’s not the same as actually
being there, is it?”
13-year-old student
Teaching staff saw a major improvement in the student’s
behaviour and attitude as he began to express more
interest in school and in rugby. He has also joined a local
rugby club and plays competitive games at weekends.
Additional funding through the extended services
(ES) disadvantage subsidy has enabled Breckland
Middle School to ensure its most disadvantaged pupils
can now access a wide choice of extra-curricular clubs
and activities.
“The additional funding has given me an opportunity to
reach all my pupils, not just those who can afford it,” says
Duncan Reed, Headteacher at Breckland Middle School.
The funding has allowed the school to arrange for eligible
pupils to take advantage of activities and trips, including
music lessons, dance sessions and membership of sports
clubs. Eighty-three pupils have already benefited from the
funding, joining sports clubs, taking part in activities and
attending previously unaffordable day and residential
trips. Staff have been keen to contribute ideas about how
to increase the activities on offer to ensure the most
vulnerable children are able to take part.
Outcomes
• Additional funding has enabled the school to extend
opportunities to pupils who previously could not
afford to participate in ES – 83 have already benefited
through the disadvantage subsidy
• The school has been able to offer an additional six
activities to its extra-curricular provision and plans to
expand further to include yoga and martial arts during
the next school year
• Being able to participate in new activities and develop
new interests is having a positive impact upon the
self-esteem and behaviour of some of the
participating pupils
A large group of pupils have been encouraged to get more
involved in playing rugby. Many had not played before
and the school set out to deepen their understanding of
the game by broadcasting some of the Six Nations rugby
internationals on a large screen at lunchtime. When an
opportunity arose to get tickets for the Anglo-Welsh EDF
rugby semi-finals, the school bought 40 tickets so pupils
who had started training at the school could broaden
their understanding of the game by attending two
matches at Coventry City Football Club’s Ricoh Arena.
More information
Duncan Reed, Headteacher, Breckland Middle School
Tel: 01842 810 485
One 13-year-old student, who joined the school after
moving from the Midlands to live with his father in
Suffolk, has developed a passion for rugby since attending
the matches. His father was unemployed and had four
children to look after. The boy was often in trouble in and
out of school. The school encouraged him to join its rugby
club to help build his self-esteem and motivation. The
disadvantage subsidy covered the costs of his boots and
kit as well as paying for the match tickets.
“That was great, sir,” the boy said. “I have never been on a
school trip in the four years I have been at this school. I
saw so much. I have only ever seen it on the TV before
and it’s not the same as actually being there, is it?”
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Didcot Partnership, Oxfordshire, South East
“It’s made a big difference. He was very agitated before. He’s a lot calmer now he is able to run
around and let off steam.”
Parent
Amanda Jones is a home-school link worker in the Didcot
Partnership in Oxfordshire. She is based at the South
Didcot Children’s Centre and, together with a second
home-school link worker, covers 15 schools, including two
secondary schools. Amanda had been part of the ‘team
around the child’ for a family with two boys for some
time before the extended schools disadvantage subsidy
pathfinder offered some alternative early interventions to
support the family.
Outcomes
• Dramatic improvement in behaviour at home
and school
• Success in sporting activities is helping to build the
pupil’s self-esteem and he is much happier
• Targeted activities can have significant positive
outcomes for children and young people
• Being able to offer access to safe activities outside the
home is a positive addition to the package of support
that can be offered to vulnerable children and families
The boys (in years 6 and 3) were displaying behavioural
problems at school and in the local community. The
older child was increasingly excluded from school for
longer periods. The boys were having a difficult time at
home, with suicide and depression affecting the wider
family group.
More information
Amanda Jones, Home-School Link Worker,
Didcot Partnership
Tel: 07825 823 449
E-mail: amandajones@manor-didcot.oxon.sch.uk
Positive activities
Counselling sessions had had limited success with the
older child but, as he was interested in sport, Amanda
could see that the funding available through the
disadvantage subsidy might offer opportunities for him to
channel his energy into positive physical activity. The
funding has enabled both boys to sign up to a range of
sports activities and go on school trips and a school
residential activity holiday.
The disadvantage subsidy funding has brought immensely
positive results for both children, particularly for the older
boy. “He has found that he excels at most sports and
being able to take up sports activities has helped to
dramatically improve his behaviour at home and at
school,” says Amanda. “He is proud of his achievements,
happier, more confident and much more relaxed – and
this means his behaviour at school is more manageable.
Getting involved in sports activities has made a real
difference to his behaviour and that could only be made
possible through the financial support available through
the disadvantage subsidy.”
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Gillingham School, Dorset, South West
“A great experience for my daughter… she could use team-building skills and forge
new friendships.”
Parent
“The day was phenomenal and fantastic and everyone benefited from it. I learnt lot of useful
things, like how to make a stress ball.”
Student, year 7
Gillingham School in Dorset applied for external funding
to organise an activity day for year 7 students, who were
finding the transition from primary to secondary school
difficult. Several students had been identified as not
coping well with their new environment and were
displaying some behavioural or emotional problems.
The school targeted these students initially, telephoning
parents to explain why teaching staff thought the
one-day course would be helpful. The remaining places
were made available to the rest of the year 7 group.
Outcomes
Making new friends
Kath Saunders, Extended Services Development
Coordinator (North Dorset)
Tel: 07825 863 214
E-mail: k.saunders@dorsetcc.gov.uk
• Positive feedback from students and parents
• Early intervention for targeted students provides
additional support through the transition process
• A school-phobic student, whose parents were having
difficulty taking into school, is attending more
regularly and is much happier at school since
participating in the activity day
More information
The activity day was run by Future Roots, a local
voluntary organisation working with hard-to-reach young
people, during the first half term of the school year. In all,
22 students participated in circus skills and team-building
activities, which encouraged collaborative working and
positive interaction. Students were grouped together to
ensure everyone had a chance to socialise with each other
and make new friends.
Feedback from the day has been extremely positive,
helping to shift some students’ negative feelings and
concerns about attending secondary school. It provided
an opportunity for them to make new friends and build
positive relationships. Teaching staff report that almost all
the participants have asked if the day can be repeated.
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Greatwood Community Primary School, Skipton, Yorkshire
and the Humber
“It is the best club in the world.”
“It was fab. You get to play with different things.”
“It was the most exciting, thrilling club I ever went to.”
Pupils’ comments on the Booster after-school club
The 12-week programme has run three times so far. Pupil
and teacher evaluation has been overwhelmingly positive
regarding its impact and effectiveness, particularly in
terms of improving the participants’ emotional behaviour.
When children were asked what they disliked about the
club, the overwhelming response was “nothing”. This is
supported by feedback from teachers, who have been
particularly impressed by the positive effect upon the
children’s self-esteem and interaction with others. At one
of the groups, a girl who was very withdrawn at the start
of the club was the first to volunteer to perform the club’s
production in front of the whole school.
Greatwood Community Primary School, based on the
outskirts of Skipton in the Yorkshire Dales, is a small
school offering an impressive range of extended services.
The school provides wraparound childcare from 8am until
6pm, five days a week, for children aged three to 11.
Extra-curricular clubs on and off the school site offer
pupils the opportunity to take part in football, netball,
rugby, PE, ball skills, dance, drama, board games and cross
country. The school also arranges one-off courses,
including a lottery-funded 12-week after-school
programme, delivered in partnership with a local arts
group, that engages children in the creative arts.
“There was a positive effect on all the children,” says one
teacher. “Children who were previously reticent in talking
to adults became more open and were comfortable
having a conversation. Children whose behaviour in class
could be challenging showed different aspects of their
character. They were aware of each other and willing to
share ideas.”
The Booster after-school club is a recent innovation,
offering targeted ES to pupils who could benefit from
additional support. The club was created specifically to
support children with low self-esteem and poor social and
emotional skills. Ten children from years 4 and 5 are
selected by teachers using the school’s vulnerability
checklist to attend the programme of 12 90-minute
weekly sessions.
Outcomes
• Across all three clubs, significant changes were
apparent in approximately 55 per cent of the children
(five out of every nine). This was seen consistently
among the children who had low self-esteem and who
were quite withdrawn socially
• Seven out of the 26 children evaluated showed a
positive change in both conduct and emotional
behaviour after the clubs had run
• Improvements in pupils’ self-esteem and in their
interaction with others were reflected in the
comments collected from the club leaders and class
teachers in pupil evaluation forms
Two higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs) run the
programme. They organise activities designed to
encourage team work, cooperation and relationship
building. The pupils also learn good manners and how to
eat at the table. The programme culminates with a
celebration party and treasure hunt, followed by a trip to
a restaurant, to which parents are invited.
The Booster club was developed with input and training
from the local Behaviour Support and Children and
Adolescent Mental Health Service. The HLTAs who deliver
the programme receive additional training in child
protection and learn about techniques for sharing ideas
and organising ‘circle time’ with groups of children.
More information
Lisa Taylor, Headteacher, Greatwood Community
Primary School
Tel: 01756 793609
E-mail: headteacher@greatwood.n-yorks.sch.uk
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Greenfield School Community and Arts College, Durham,
North East
“I started at the bottom but, because I received praise and awards, I started to want to do well and
so I worked really hard.”
Jamie, 14*
“I feel I am coping with school much better.”
Student, 14**
Greenfield School Community and Arts College in
Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, has developed a
two-year programme offering an alternative approach to
education for young people at risk of failing in school.
Through the Active programme, 16 students in year 10
have been given the chance to get involved in a wide
range of challenging activities aimed at enhancing their
sense of achievement and improving their school
attendance. The programme offers a range of extended
services activities, making use of the school’s links with
community groups as an incentive to support learning in
the classroom.
Outcomes
• Increased student confidence and motivation,
supported by the school’s praise and awards system –
some students were thrilled to receive awards for the
first time
• Initial evaluation suggests that attendance and
participation are improving
• Improved behaviour has resulted in a 50 per cent
reduction in exclusions among this student cohort
compared with the same period last year
• Participants are more focused and their aspirations are
higher. Some now plan to sign up for further education
or training after leaving school
• Students have just attended a special event to
celebrate their successes. This included the
opportunity to speak about their experiences
to an audience of 50 parents, school staff and
community partners
Participants work towards gaining formal qualifications at
school in the morning and undertake practical tasks with
community partners in the afternoon. Sessions include
sports, fishing, cycling, first aid, dancing, gorge walking,
knitting and working on an allotment. Some students
help out regularly at a nursery, a garage and a
hairdressing salon.
More information
Jill Burdis, Social Inclusion Manager, Greenfield School
Community and Arts College
Tel: 01325 379 047
E-mail: jillburdis@hotmail.com
The programme was launched alongside a three-week
arts project run by the Xpose theatre company, which
focused on challenging issues such as teenage pregnancy,
binge drinking and domestic violence and aimed to
develop the students’ team-building and social skills. The
project culminated in a series of performances for families
and teachers.
*Durham County Council, Countywide, issue 34
** Greenfield pupil evaluation
9
Hastings and St Leonards Excellence Cluster, East Sussex,
South East
“I found it really useful because I didn’t know anything about growing vegetables. This has made
me confident enough to grow vegetables at home with my dad. I enjoy working with different
people and I enjoy bringing up the weeds and digging holes for the vegetables. I would like to do
the club till I leave the school.”
Year 9 student
The Hastings and St Leonards Excellence Cluster
team is working with schools to ensure that children and
young people most at need in this deprived area are
benefiting from extended services. The cluster team uses
the East Sussex County Council self-assessment tool to
audit the delivery of extended services in each school in
order to identify and fill any gaps in local provision.
Twenty-seven schools pool their extended services
budgets to offer cluster-wide services, including sharing
the cost of employing home-school link workers and
learning mentors.
Targeted activities
At Filsham Valley School, the Excellence Cluster has taken
advantage of the skills already available in the team to
help set up a variety of clubs and activities aimed at the
school’s most vulnerable students. The gardening club,
cookery club, ‘creative confidence’ (drama and circusbased confidence-building) sessions and a health and
fitness group, run in partnership with the school nurse
and Active Hastings, all offer alternatives to more
traditional or sports-based after-school activities, which
some young people feel less confident about attending.
The gardening club is based at two plots at a nearby
allotment that were already being used by the Behaviour
Improvement Programme mentor. The club was originally
devised for a group of young people who were already
working with the learning mentor but now any student at
Filsham Valley can join in. Up to 10 students walk to the
site once a week after school to prepare the ground and
plant and tend vegetables. The popular club encourages
physical activity and collaborative working among the
students and with members of the local community.
The school was the first in East Sussex to achieve the
Healthy Schools Silver Award and the club’s vegetable
growing theme links to other healthy eating activities and
the cookery club. Some students attend both clubs,
extending their knowledge of healthy eating. The
five-week cookery club invites parents to share a meal at
the final session. Feedback from parents has been very
positive, with some even asking for recipes so they can try
out dishes at home. Some students have gone on to grow
vegetables at home with their families and links to a
nearby agricultural college have encouraged others to
consider agriculture as a future career.
Outcomes
• Extended services activities target those who are
most in need
• The gardening club is helping to build confidence,
encourage team working and foster a sense of
purpose. It also links to healthy eating themes
• Students have an end product to take home,
which helps bring the extended services’ themes into
family homes
• The Excellence Cluster works closely with the school’s
pastoral team, contributing to a significant
improvement in students’ behaviour and attendance
and anticipated improvements in attainment
More information
Teresa Fuller, Full Service Schools and Extended Service
Coordinator, Hastings and St Leonards Excellence Cluster
Tel: 01424 439340
E-mail: teresaf_exc@yahoo.co.uk
10
Houghton Kepier Sports College, Tyne and Wear, North East
“When I leave school I want to come and work here. I’m going to come down every school holiday
to work here – and on as many weekends as I can.”
Michael
“I’m going to come down in the holidays to work. I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Bradley
“The lads have been an absolute credit, both to themselves and the school. I am delighted that so
many of them want to come back here to help out.”
Chris Scott, Project Manager, Get Hooked
“Indeed, Michael spent much of half term working at the
centre during the day as a volunteer and then fishing
there in the evening and through the night, camping at
the site during his stay. Not bad for a 14-year-old. And,
you have to remember, the site is not on their doorstep –
it’s around 20 miles from Houghton so that does take
some commitment.”
Michael and Bradley were among six students in years 9
and 10 at Houghton Kepier Sports College who were
invited to take part in a series of sessions at the Get
Hooked Fishing and Angling Centre in County Durham.
The school offers a wide range of extended services to
students, parents and the wider local community and the
Get Hooked project forms part of the college’s extensive
study support and varied menu of activities.
Outcomes
This is the second year of the school’s partnership with
Get Hooked. The 40-acre angling centre offers tuition and
work experience to young adults who lack social skills,
have learning difficulties or may be at risk of offending.
The course involves learning about land preservation and
conservation, while also helping students to build their
confidence and communication skills.
• Students have learnt new skills and developed their
confidence and self-esteem. They are being equipped
to play an active part in society when they leave
school, despite leaving school with few formal
qualifications
• The project provides safe activities that are leading to
volunteering and employment opportunities, for
example, four of this year’s cohort intend to volunteer
at the centre and some are considering studying for
NVQs in related subjects
• The programme is developing young people’s thinking
skills, helping to strengthen their motivation and raise
their personal aspirations
• It is a positive example of a school working with an
external provider to offer students a chance to
develop and showcase their talents in an environment
completely different to that of the school
The participants were identified by the school as having
specific needs in terms of their learning or social skills,
which were limiting their ability to integrate with others.
The school felt the course could make a huge difference
to their outlook on school and life in general. The
students attended day-long sessions on four Saturdays in
April and May, when they carried out conservation and
maintenance tasks, worked in the site shop and learned
catering and angling skills. They were involved in the
construction of willow walkways and planted trees and
shrubs around the site. Discreet supervision meant they
were encouraged to work together as a team and take
their own decisions – and they took immense pride in
their achievements.
More information
Dave Brennan, Community Development and Cluster
Manager, Houghton Kepier Sports College
Tel: 0191 5536528 ext 175
E-mail: d.brennan@houghtonkepier.org.uk
“The course was even more of a success this year. Four of
those who attended are making arrangements to go back
to work at the centre on a voluntary basis,” says Dave
Brennan, the school’s Community Development and
Cluster Manager.
11
Northfield St Nicholas Primary School, Suffolk,
East of England
“Is it breakfast club today?”
Pupil, aged eight
Northfield St Nicholas Primary School in Suffolk has been
using the funding available through the extended schools
disadvantage subsidy to target pupils whose families
would not usually be able to afford to participate in
extra-curricular activities.
Teaching staff have already seen a very positive change in
the pupil on the days he attends the breakfast club. He
always arrives at his classroom in time for registration,
which minimises disruption to the start of his and the
other children’s day.
The additional funding has for the first time enabled these
pupils to participate in school and community-based
clubs and to develop new interests, such as football, horse
riding and fishing. It has also opened up the school’s
summer holiday club to a wider group of children.
The pupil says he loves the club, especially eating
breakfast when he gets there. His family report that, on
school mornings, the boy’s first question is: “Is it breakfast
club today?”
Outcomes
Northfield’s parent support adviser (PSA) has found the
subsidy particularly useful when working with vulnerable
families. She had been working with the family of an
eight-year-old with Asperger’s Syndrome for some time
and completed a common assessment framework (CAF)
to help assess his needs. The pupil struggled to manage
his behaviour at school, did not have many friends and
did not enjoy coming to school. Teaching staff felt he was
not achieving his potential.
A discussion of the family’s problematic times of day
revealed that mornings were particularly hard – this was
when the mother went to work and the father, who has
disabilities, was trying to get the reluctant pupil and his
younger sister ready for school.
• Attending the breakfast club has a calming influence
on the pupil so he is ready to learn when school begins
• Funding available through the extended schools
disadvantage subsidy means that the school can target
the most vulnerable pupils to ensure they benefit from
extended services
More information
Andrew Rough, Deputy Headteacher, Northfield St
Nicholas Primary School
Tel: 01502 563528
The PSA discussed options with the pupil, who agreed to
try to attend the school’s breakfast club on the mornings
when his mother worked. The PSA hoped that the
breakfast club would give the boy a chance to mix with
his peers and start to make friends in an environment
where he did not have to complete class work at the
same time. The fact that the pupil had additional needs
and lived in deprived local area (a ‘super output’ area)
meant he was eligible to receive support through the
disadvantage subsidy to pay for the daily sessions at the
breakfast club.
The boy attended two sessions a week on a trial basis.
When the club leaders reported that his behaviour was
positive, he increased his sessions to three a week.
12
My Heritage, My History, My Home project, Middlesbrough,
North East
“To be truthful, I’ve absolutely loved this history project.”
“I didn’t think Middlesbrough had much of a history.”
“I couldn’t believe 10-year-olds had to pull carts of coal.”
“It was an interesting project and whilst we were learning about things we also had loads of fun.”
Pupils interviewed by their classmates for the My Heritage, My History, My Home DVD
My Heritage, My History, My Home brought together six
primary schools in East and West Middlesbrough for an
extended schools project in the spring and summer of
2008. The programme was developed to raise cultural
awareness, to strengthen relationships between the
diverse communities living in the area and to respond
to some of the concerns raised by headteachers about
race-related issues affecting their pupils.
The East and West Middlesbrough Extended Schools
Teams developed a proposal and secured additional
funding to bring together six schools over seven weeks for
an out-of-hours learning project. The participants worked
with education officers from Teesside Archives and the
Dorman Museum, researching their family heritage and
learning how Middlesbrough has changed since their
parents and grandparents were growing up.
Many of the participants were identified by their schools
as pupils who required additional support outside of
school to help raise their achievement levels and boost
their confidence and self-esteem. Some pupils were
selected because of their interest in art of history in order
to develop their skills and interests.
Pupils visited Teesside Archives and the Dorman Museum
to explore their local heritage, research famous landmarks
and learn about famous people who originated from
Middlesbrough. They worked with a local artist and
creative writer in a series of workshops, delivered at each
school on a rolling programme for seven weeks. The six
schools were divided into groups of two, enabling children
from East and West Middlesbrough to work together. The
project culminated in a week of day-long workshops at
the Dorman Museum, where all 50 children worked
together to produce their own documentary film and
artwork based on the information they had gathered.
At the end of the project, the pupils came together with
their families at the Dorman Museum for a celebratory
event to exhibit their artwork, showcase the documentary
and share their experiences.
The ES coordinators visited the after-school sessions and
holiday workshops throughout the project to track
progress and gather feedback. The pupils’ feedback was
very positive. Many commented that they did not think
history could be so interesting and fun and they wanted
to learn more. Teaching staff report a noticeable
difference in some of the pupils, who were generally
disengaged from learning. These children appeared to be
more enthusiastic about learning and showed increasing
levels of self-esteem.
Outcomes
• A positive example of collaborative working, bringing
together local schools and local partners to help
remove barriers to achievement and create better
opportunities for children and young people
• The project successfully encouraged integration
between different communities and raised the
confidence and self-esteem of pupils from
hard-to-reach families
• Pupils were able to learn new skills or develop their
interest in history and art
More information
Karla Huddart, Extended Schools Coordinator,
West Middlesbrough
Tel: 01642 201897
E-mail: Karla_Huddart@middlesbrough.gov.uk
13
Penn Hall School, Wolverhampton, West Midlands
“Stacey is a success story. We look forward to supporting her next year and enjoying being a small
part of her continuing achievements.”
“The school and its after-school clubs provide an oasis of activity and fun for children and young
people with physical disabilities from across the city. Attendance rates are excellent.”
Alun Stoll, Headteacher, Penn Hall School
Extended services (ES) at Penn Hall School, a special
school in Wolverhampton, reach out to the wider
community, enabling children with disabilities from other
local schools and organisations to take advantage of what
Penn Hall has to offer. A weekly disability sports club
provides facilities and opportunities for pupils with
disabilities in mainstream schools, particularly those for
whom PE as a subject is proving difficult in terms of
accessible sporting activities. The school’s outreach
service is freely available to support schools and the
parents of children with physical disabilities. The outreach
team offers site visits, assessments, equipment loans
and classroom support and advice on a range of
disability-related issues.
The outreach service was asked to provide advice and
guidance to support Stacey, then a year 7 student at a
Wolverhampton secondary school. Stacey uses a
wheelchair and her transfer to secondary school had not
gone smoothly. Issues relating to her mobility at school
and her inclusion in PE lessons were frustrating Stacey
and her parents.
A teaching assistant from Penn Hall’s outreach service
helped the secondary school by supporting its PE lessons.
Stacey’s school was shown how to adapt activities to suit
Stacey’s needs and Penn Hall loaned equipment to enable
her to take part in PE alongside her peers. The outreach
service made a successful application for a sports
wheelchair that has greatly enhanced Stacey’s
independence and access to PE activities.
Stacey also attended Penn Hall’s sports club every week,
which helped to develop her skills in a range of disability
sports. This culminated in Stacey taking part in the
regional athletics competition at Alexander Stadium in
Birmingham. She performed so well that she was selected
to represent the West Midlands in the National Athletics
Championships, where she won a gold medal and two
silvers and broke a national record for her age group.
Stacey has continued this success over the past three
years and her school has celebrated her achievements,
giving her a special award for PE and sport at a
presentation evening. Stacey was part of the winning
team in the prestigious Kielder Challenge in 2006 and
2007, a national outdoor adventure competition with
more than 2,000 participants. She has made it to the
finals for four consecutive years. The impact on her
self-confidence has been clear for all to see.
“Stacey is a success story,” says Alan Stoll, Headteacher
at Penn Hall School. “We were delighted to learn that she
recently gained an A* grade at GCSE for PE and received
the Princess Diana Award in recognition of the role model
she has become for able-bodied children at her school
and disabled youngsters from around Wolverhampton.”
Outcomes
• ES focuses on empowering children and young people
and encouraging their self-confidence
• The school is supporting mainstream students,
enabling them to make significant progress as a result
of specialist input
• Stacey was moved to top sets in English, mathematics
and science in year 9, which the school believes to be
a direct reflection of the improvement in her
motivation and self-confidence. She went on to
achieve 12 high grades at GCSE
More information
Alun Stoll, Headteacher, Penn Hall School
Tel: 01902 558 355
E-mail: a.stoll@pennhall-sp.lpplus.net
14
Weobley Extended Schools, Herefordshire,
West Midlands
“Being involved… helped me with my communication skills and made me feel more confident
about public speaking.”
Hope, student at Weobley High School
“We came to the bird-box workshop and I was quite nervous about going on to High School. But
at the end of the workshop, I realised that high school wouldn’t be so bad after all.”
Jason, year 6 pupil
Based at Weobley High School, the cluster that forms
Weobley Extended Schools has linked many of its
extended services (ES) activities to the Eco Schools
national initiative.
Through the Eco Schools programme, the cluster has been
able to offer children and young people, parents and the
wider community environmental-themed ES activities
such as hedge-laying courses for adults and bird-box
making workshops for families. Conservation work,
mountain biking and water sports have been delivered in
partnership with local organisations, including the British
Trust for Conservation Volunteers and Herefordshire
Youth Service. The cookery club for pupils and family
cooking sessions link ES to the Eco and Healthy
Schools initiatives.
For Hope, a student at Weobley High School, ES has
provided opportunities to raise awareness of
environmental issues at local primary schools. She was
involved in devising and delivering interactive assemblies
at local primary schools to exchange ideas about how to
make schools in the cluster more sustainable. This helped
to develop her communications skills and Hope now feels
much more confident about public speaking. She also
helped to devise a series of walks (with instructions, maps
and children’s quiz sheets for use by pupils and the local
community) and took part in a village ‘litter pick’.
“It’s really good because I’ve got loads out of it, like
getting muddy, having fun and learning lots of good
things,” he says. “The first time I came up here to the high
school was when I was in year 6 and I was with mum. We
came to the bird-box workshop and I was quite nervous
about going on to high school but, at the end of the
workshop, I realised that high school wouldn’t be so
bad after all.”
Outcomes
• Themed activities link ES with other national schools
initiatives and have contributed to the school
achieving the Eco Schools Green Flag Award
• Themed ES activities strengthen links between schools
and support transition programmes
• Weobley High School was the first secondary school in
the county to be awarded Herefordshire Council’s
Street Scene Charter Award for its environmental work
More information
Jane Denny, ES Coordinator, Weobley Cluster of Schools
Tel: 01544 318159
E-mail: jdenny@weobley-pri.hereford.sch.uk
Jason, a year 6 pupil at a primary school in the cluster,
was able to access a range of activities that helped
smooth his transition to secondary school. He tried
several activities, including mountain biking, sailing,
raft building and activity days, and he took part in the
bird-box making workshop and other family activities
with his mother.
15
Withernsea High School, East Riding of Yorkshire,
“From getting into trouble to helping people every day, the Scouts has changed my life... Now
that I am an Explorer, I really enjoy the extra responsibility in helping younger Scouts.”
Addison, student
“Since Addison has been attending Scouts, we have seen a tremendous improvement in his
learning, behaviour and confidence.”
Deputy teaching assistant manager
“He’s a different child. He’s calmed down significantly – he’s matured.”
Extended services project coordinator
For Addison, a year 9 student at Withernsea High School
in the East Riding of Yorkshire, joining his local Scout
group has brought huge benefits in and out of school.
Addison is looked after by his elderly grandparents and
has a younger sister with disabilities. He did not seem to
have a life outside school. After school he would go home
and get straight into his pyjamas, ready for bed. As he
moved into his senior years at school, Addison was
becoming increasingly isolated and his behaviour
was deteriorating.
With the offer of funding through the Me Too Fund (the
local name for the extended services disadvantage
subsidy), the extended schools coordinator was able to
suggest activities in which Addison might get involved.
A teaching assistant at the school, who is also a Scout
leader, thought that joining the Scouts might offer
Addison the range of activities, socialising and discipline
he needed.
Addison now attends Scouts every week. The Me Too
Fund covers most of the costs, including his weekly
subscription, uniform and extra activities such as
camping and a PGL holiday.
Since he joined the Scouts, Addison’s teaching staff and
family members have seen a significant difference in his
behaviour in and out of school. His grandparents report
that he has had opportunities to experience and develop
new skills, which he would not have been able to do
before the introduction of the Me Too Fund.
One of the most significant benefits has been the
development of his social skills and confidence, which
has helped reduce his social isolation. There has been a
marked decline in the number of times he has chosen to
leave school without permission. Addison admits that the
discipline he has gained from the Scouts has helped him
to settle down at school. He feels more comfortable
during and between classes and has made new friends.
Addison’s year tutor reports a significant improvement
in his behaviour in and out of the classroom, saying:
“Addison now has a positive outlet for his surplus energy
and is learning to build better relationships with his peers
and members of staff.”
Outcomes
• The extended services disadvantage subsidy offers a
timely and personalised intervention that links the
varied menu of activities to the swift and easy access
elements of the core offer
• Extended services enable the school to give the
student meaningful ‘additionality’ and personalisation
within his individual education plan
• Extended services offer more than just new
opportunities and experiences. The school believes the
student’s participation in extended services has
contributed significantly to his overall attainment,
achievement and behaviour. The number of his
unauthorised absences has fallen during the 2008-09
academic year
More information
Joanne Mudd, Extended Services Coordinator,
Withernsea High School
Tel: 01964 614708
E-mail: joanne.mudd@eastriding.gov.uk
16
Pear Tree Specialist School and Children’s Centre,
Lancashire, North West
“It is the best holiday club I have been to. There are brilliant activities and you are seeing life from
the different point of view of special-needs children.”
Jake, pupil
“The opportunity for children who attend mainstream schools to play and bond with
special-needs children, and vice versa, is invaluable.”
Parent
Pear Tree Specialist School is one of very few special
schools in the country to also operate as a children’s centre.
The Pear Tree Children’s Centre opened at the rear of the
school site in 2007. The children’s centre offers additional
facilities to encourage greater participation between
its pupils, who all have severe and profound learning
disabilities, and the families of pupils attending mainstream
schools within the local cluster of seven schools.
Extensive consultation of parents and the local
community revealed that, in addition to the after-school
care already available at neighbouring schools, many
families wanted greater access to holiday provision. Many
working parents were seeking help with childcare or
respite care and wanted greater stimulation for their
children during holiday periods.
Pear Tree Holiday Club is now open to up to 80 children a
day for nine weeks a year during the holidays. The club is
open to all local children and young people aged three to
16 and caters to all abilities, including complex needs
and profound and multiple disabilities. The cost is the
same for all children. To help sustainability and promote
inclusion, two thirds of the places are taken by children
who do not have special needs.
The club encourages all the children to play together,
helping to challenge prejudices about disability. Children
who attend mainstream schools have welcomed the
opportunity to get to know the children with special
needs. They have been learning to communicate with
those who have speech difficulties through electronic
means or gestures and sign language.
Up to 150 children have free swimming sessions each
week; the children with physical disabilities use the
school’s warm-water pool, while others swim in the public
pool next door. Most recently, two boys named Jake* and
Alex*, who made friends at the holiday club, competed
together in the school’s swimathon. Jake attends a
mainstream school, while Alex has cerebral palsy, Downs
Syndrome and uses a wheelchair. When they took part in
the swimathon, Jake swam seven lengths, towing his
friend along in a dinghy.
Jake’s mother wrote to the organisers to tell them how
much her son had benefited from the holiday club. “Jake
has thoroughly enjoyed attending the holiday club and, in
particular, the friendship he has developed with Alex,” she
wrote. “The opportunity for children who attend mainstream
schools to play and bond with special-needs children, and
vice versa, is invaluable to the social development of all. As a
working mum, knowing my child is happy to attend Pear
Tree Holiday Club and has excellent care is so important.”
Outcomes
• Extended schools activities are helping the school
become a “social anchor of the community”. The
school can make a positive contribution to the local
community, raising awareness and challenging
prejudices. “What’s important is that our children are
involved in positive activities with friends from their
local community,’’ says Lesley Koller, Headteacher
• Parents taking advantage of the extended services are
increasing in confidence and self-esteem. Meeting
others in similar positions makes them realise they are
not alone
• Increasing engagement with the local community.
Local families are visiting the children’s centre and
have begun to form a relationship with the school.
Open days are hugely popular
• The friendships between children of different abilities
make a positive impact on their communication skills,
emotional health and well-being
More information
Lesley Koller, Headteacher, Pear Tree Specialist School
and Children’s Centre
E-mail: head@peartree.lancs.sch.uk
*names have been changed
17
Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School,
Warrington, North West
“I love the Boiler Room so much because it’s a place where you can do homework, chat to mates
and just chill, you can go on the computers or on the Wii. It’s also getting gangs off the streets.”
Jess, student
“You can do your homework there, play games of any kind, you can have fun there and you don’t
need to pay to get in.”
Sean, student
“I love the Boiler Room because you can play on games, see your friends, watch TV, listen to music
and ask for help for any troubles you have.”
Edward, student
The Boiler Room at Sir Thomas Boteler CE High School
opened two years ago, making use of redundant space in
the school. This popular youth club is open every day
from 3pm to 6pm. While the Boiler Room does provide
structured games and activities, it offers a safe place
where students can spend time with their friends.
“The school offers plenty of timetabled extra-curricular
activities but was finding that students had nowhere to
go between or after sessions,” says youth worker Cliff
Jenkinson. “Some students were hanging around school
corridors, in the streets or the park.”
The Boiler Room – which derives its name from its
location and the idea that the students ‘power the school’
– is designed to fill the gap between the end of the school
day at 2.50pm and the early evening when many parents
return from work. Entry is free but the students must sign
in so the school knows where they are.
The three-room space has a 24-computer ICT suite,
games consoles, board games and a large area for
organised events, competitions and courses. Young people
can chat online, play games or watch television. Help with
coursework is available at the regular homework club.
“The Boiler Room is somewhere they want to be,” says
Cliff Jenkinson. “Even young people, who don’t usually like
being at lessons, enjoy attending and behave well.”
The emphasis is on relaxation and enjoyment but there
are still opportunities to learn ‘off curriculum’ and try new
things. The club recently obtained funding for a 15-week
music management course in partnership with a local
theatre. Participants learnt the skills needed to produce a
large music event, from handling tickets to managing
security. The course culminated with the participants
running a ‘battle of the bands’ at the theatre and gaining
a bronze Arts Award qualification in the process.
The youth worker is at school throughout the day so he
hears about students who may have problems and can
encourage them to attend the club. A year 10 girl, who
was experiencing difficulties at home, did not want to
seek formal counselling. However, she found it helpful to
be at the club every afternoon, where she could share her
troubles, and eventually built up enough confidence to
seek professional help.
Outcomes
• Between 30 and 90 students of all ages and interests
attend the club each afternoon. The figure rises to
between 60 and 90 in the winter months
• The Boiler Room is a safe place where students can
socialise while furthering their learning and trying new
experiences, if they wish
• The local member of parliament and a police officer
have visited the club and report that anti-social
behaviour and criminal damage have “plummeted”
since the club opened
More information
John Sharples, Headteacher, Sir Thomas Boteler CE
High School
Tel: 01925 636 414
E-mail: jsharples@boteler.org.uk
Cliff Jenkinson, Youth Worker, Sir Thomas Boteler CE
High School
Tel: 01925 636 414
E-mail: cjenkinson@boteler.org.uk
18
Three rural primary schools, Cumbria, North West
“I really don’t know what I’d do if you didn’t run this club.”
Parent
Three primary schools in south Cumbria have worked
together with a local childcare provider to develop a
flexible solution to delivering childcare.
Crosscrake CE School, St Patrick’s CE School, Endmoor,
and Old Hutton CE School are small primaries whose size
and rural locations meant that providing sustainable
childcare before and after school would be problematic.
While each school originally sought to develop its own
provision, it became clear that, despite support from
parents, the numbers of children able to attend would not
be enough to make each club sustainable.
By employing the same childcare provider in each school,
the schools have been able to merge their provision. All
three schools offer their pupils breakfast and after-school
childcare. After-school provision includes themed
activities, including French, cookery, computing, crafts
and tennis lessons. Provision is available at different
locations throughout the week, according to parents’
needs and local demand.
Outcomes
• The strategy is sustaining a key service across a wide
rural area
• The flexible model can deal with fluctuating
attendance and rolls
• The provision of transport between venues means
that pupils have wider opportunities for learning
and engagement
More information
Pauline Grabek, Team Leader Children’s Centres and
Extended Services, Cumbria County Council
Tel: 01539 713326
E-mail: pauline.grabek@cumbriacc.gov.uk
Transport is an issue when sharing services in a rural
community and the schools have been able to overcome
this problem by arranging for the childcare provider to
provide transport between the schools, sharing the service
to minimise disruption for parents. Parents have
welcomed the service and are willing to collect their
children from different venues in order to ensure the
provision can continue.
Such a flexible approach means that if pupil numbers
drop in one school, rather than lose its provision
altogether the service can be merged with clubs at one of
the other schools and transport provided for the children.
For example, on Fridays all three schools’ clubs are
merged and held at Old Hutton School, where the
childcare provider runs a very popular cookery club.
19
Cambridge School, London Borough of Hammersmith
and Fulham
“I have learnt a lot from my mentors. They have taught me how to calm down and manage my
anger. They have given me faith in myself and let me do things like football and music, which I
really like doing. I can make the right choices now – most of the time!”
Year 9 student
“The school provides stability for this student and he is now open and ready to learn.”
Learning mentor
Cambridge School caters for students aged 11-16 with
special educational needs. The students come from very
diverse backgrounds and an increasing number have
social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
swift referral. The student was diagnosed with attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder and his positive relationship
with the learning mentor meant he was supported
through the diagnosis and encouraged to take his medication.
The curriculum is enriched by wide extended services (ES)
provision. The learning mentors run a breakfast club,
which is open to students, their families and the local
community from 8am to 9am every school day.
Lunchtime clubs include tailored sessions for girls, a
maths club, art and music, mentoring drop-in sessions
and gardening. After-school sessions offer sports, media,
cooking and a film club. Learning mentors operate very
popular holiday clubs for two weeks in the summer and
one week at Easter, targeting the most vulnerable students.
The student was also encouraged to attend the
after-school and holiday clubs. He has discovered new
talents, joining the school’s football team and learning to
play the drums. He continues to receive close support
from his learning mentor to help him manage his anger
and reflect on his behaviour. Continued links with social
services, CAMHS and other agencies provide additional
support. His teachers report that he is better at managing
his classes, has made progress in all of his subjects and
has a more positive outlook.
The school has built partnerships across the local
community and uses the School Improvement Planning
Framework to structure its development plan. Specialist
services such as speech therapy and counselling can be
accessed through the school and there are close links with
local disability support networks and business and
mentoring schemes.
The student’s mother is delighted with her son’s progress
and has accepted support for her own problems. A
younger sibling has now joined the school and mentors
were quickly able to recognise some serious, unaddressed
medical problems and to organise relevant referrals. As a
result of ES provision, both students now receive
personalised specialist support.
When one student joined Cambridge School, staff quickly
noticed that he was very thin, unkempt and hyperactive.
The learning mentors invited him to join the breakfast
club, where he would eat before starting school and
where the learning mentors could forge a relationship
with him to better assess his needs.
Outcomes for the student
The mentors quickly realised that the boy should be
referred to social services and all three children in his
family are now on the child protection register. There
were issues of substance abuse and domestic violence at
home. While the mother was positive about accepting
help for her children, her own problems meant she found
it difficult to organise practical support.
The school’s excellent relationship with the local child and
adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) enabled a
• Improved confidence and self-awareness
• The student is better able to manage his anger and
reflect on his behaviour
• The student has made progress in all subjects,
achieving a 12 per cent improvement in English in one
year and a 43 per cent improvement in PE and
personal, social and health education in six months
• He actively participates in after-school clubs and has
developed new interests
More information
Olivia Meyrick, Headteacher
Tel: 020 8748 7585
E-mail: head@cambridge.lbhf.sch.uk
20
Central Foundation Girls School, London Borough of Tower
Hamlets
“I wouldn’t have come to school at all if it wasn’t for the table tennis. Now I attend every day and
my grades have improved.”
Kelly Davis, student
Central Foundation Girls School in Tower Hamlets is a
large, oversubscribed secondary school. It is a performing
arts specialist college, with a second specialism in
citizenship and voice. Seventy-five per cent of students
speak English as an additional language. A high proportion
of students are eligible for free school meals and have had
multi-agency involvement since primary school. Many of
these cases have long-term social care involvement and
are known to the police.
The school has been a full-service school since 2007,
offering a wide range of activities including sports,
after-school study, dance, drama and music. A breakfast
club is having a positive impact on attendance and
healthy living, with sessions increasing from two to five
mornings a week in response to requests from parents.
Kelly’s achievements have had a very positive effect on
her self-esteem, social skills and participation in other
sports activities. Her coach has noticed a marked
improvement in Kelly’s attitude and commends her
commitment. Kelly aspires to achieve a coaching
qualification so she can work with younger players.
She has already encouraged her younger sister to join
the programme.
The table tennis programme is one of many individual
interventions offered through the school’s multi-agency
support panel. Many school staff develop relationships
with students to enable the panel to develop, monitor
and evaluate personalised interventions that improve
outcomes for students.
Outcomes
The school has two dedicated parent workers and
provides on-site learning for parents. Seventy per cent of
students are Bangladeshi in origin and the school has
established strong relationships within the community
and hosts many events. The school has a well equipped
sports centre and opens its facilities to the local
community for 25 hours each week. It offers accredited
training to help parents access employment and hosts an
inter-faith forum, helping to promote social cohesion.
A multi-agency support panel meets weekly to plan
targeted support for vulnerable students and their
families. Heads of year attend the weekly panel meetings
if a student from their year is to be assessed. Kelly, now in
year 10, was targeted by the team when she came to the
school in year 7. Kelly had very low self-esteem and did
not participate in any physical activity. The school invited
Kelly to join the table tennis mentoring programme. The
programme is run in-school in partnership with TTK
Greenhouse, a charity providing sports and performing
arts to help engage and inspire young people in secondary
schools and clubs in deprived areas.
Kelly now practises table tennis for 10 hours a week at
lunchtime and after school. She also attends
competitions at the weekends and training camps in other
areas of London. Kelly has responded so well to the
programme she is now ranked 146th in the country.
• Targeted intervention and mentoring programmes are
having a positive impact on student self-esteem,
attendance and attainment
• School attendance levels are improving to above the
national average. Attendance has improved from 92.9
per cent in 2006 to 93.2 per cent in 2008
• Extended services have contributed to a reduction in
exclusions. Permanent exclusions have fallen by 50 per
cent between 2006/07 and 2007/08
• Termly monitoring and evaluation and the use of
case studies show the impact of intervention on
individual students
• Parent support work is helping to free up teachers’
time and build positive links with parents
• The School Improvement Planning Framework is
helping to bring a disparate extended services
team together to work more effectively and meet
common goals
More information
Ben Cole, Head of Community
Tel: 020 8981 1131 (ext. 235) or 07816 675 297
E-mail: bcole@central.towerhamlets.sch.uk
21
Children’s outreach service, Nottinghamshire, East Midlands
“Stopped swearing, stopped kicking people, stopped being angry.”
Jake aged five
“He used to kick, punch, scratch and shout at me all the time. Now he seems to be getting back to
being a normal five-year-old boy.”
Karen, mother
Karen had been a victim of domestic violence. She sought
help through the children’s outreach services
commissioned through Nottinghamshire Children and
Young People’s Partnership for the problems she was
experiencing with her children, Jake and Christy*. Jake,
aged five, was acting out the violence he had witnessed
and was very angry. Christy was withdrawn and angry.
Karen felt the bond between them had broken down.
given to her family is helping them to rebuild their
relationships and she hopes that the insight her daughter
is gaining into domestic violence will help her avoid
falling into similar patterns of behaviour as she grows up.
Jake is still sometimes violent but his anger has reduced
significantly and he has learned techniques to focus his
anger elsewhere, such as on a football or a balloon,
instead of on Karen.
North Nottinghamshire Independent Domestic Abuse
Services (NNIDAS) has an excellent working relationship
with local schools. Referrals can come directly from
schools or through the MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk
Assessment Conference), a group that meets fortnightly.
Workers from NNIDAS’s youth project, Full Circle, also
attend Joint Access Team (JAT) meetings to discuss cases
(with parental permission). These multi-agency meetings
include representatives from a range of children’s and
young people’s services. Each family of schools has its
own JAT, which helps provide support and swift and easy
access to services as soon as children, young people and
their families start to experience difficulties.
“His attitude towards me was really bad. He used
to kick, punch, scratch and shout at me all the time,”
says Karen. “Now he talks normally to me and, although
he still sometimes hits me, he doesn’t do it half as
much. He seems to be getting back to being a normal
five-year-old boy.”
A children’s outreach worker from NNIDAS was able to
work with Jake’s school to give him one-to-one support at
the school. Schools often provide a safe and calm place
for children’s outreach workers to work with children and
young people and this was the case with Jake. The worker
gave Jake techniques to help manage his feelings and to
learn safe and positive ways to deal with his anger.
Christy attended the Kool Running programme for
teenagers, where she was able to talk in confidence to her
peers about her worries for her mother. She found the
group gave her confidence and Christy felt able to share
what she had discussed with her mother.
NNIDAS arranged for Karen to take part in a Positive
Relationship Programme, which enabled her to start to
regain her self-esteem. She has found that the support
Outcomes
• Targeted intervention is helping this vulnerable family
to rebuild their relationships
• One-to-one support has enabled Jake to learn positive
techniques so that he can manage his feelings more
effectively at home and at school
• Attending the programme for teenagers helped Christy
to address her lack of self-esteem and extreme anxiety
levels so that she can begin to deal with her feelings
about what happened to her mother and learn to keep
herself safe
More information
Paul Nicholas, Development Officer (Projects), Integrated
Services (Children & Young People), Nottinghamshire
County Council
Tel: 01623 433197
E-mail: paul.nicholas@nottscc.gov.uk
Rosie Jacklin, Manager, NNIDAS
Tel: 01623 6832350
E-mail: manager@nnidas.org
* Names have been changed.
22
CPR Learning Partnership, Cornwall, South West
“I’m not getting into so much trouble at home or at school.”
“I enjoyed it, especially the drama sessions. Now I think before I act.”
“I use the strategies we learnt out of school to keep out of fights.”
Pupils, years 5/6
“The children have strategies for managing themselves in unstructured times.”
Headteacher
“Far more settled in class and more accommodating to their peers.”
Class teacher
The CPR (Camborne, Pool and Redruth) Learning
Partnership is a multi-agency initiative working to deliver
support services to a cluster of schools in North Kerrier in
Cornwall. The Schools Multi-Agency Resource Team
(SMART) supports schools with the swift and easy access
element of the core offer of extended services. The early
intervention team includes representatives from
education, health and social care and has links to other
partner agencies. SMART focuses on providing support for
vulnerable children and young people, aiming to prevent
exclusions, improve social inclusion and reduce crime and
anti-social behaviour.
The team uses a variety of group-work techniques in its
interventions with children and families. These include
summer activities for more than 50 children, restorative
justice events aimed at helping pupils and students
resolve specific issues and group sessions for families.
Practical techniques
A recent referral from a local primary school led the team
to draw on its experience of restorative justice, personal
safety training and assertiveness training. The school
asked for help in managing a group of year 5 and 6 pupils
who were getting involved in regular serious playground
disputes. There was also concern about the children’s
behaviour outside school. Some of the boys were already
known to the local police and were associating with much
older young people in the town centre at night.
relationships. Role play helped the children focus on
different scenarios and think about how they could
respond to difficult situations. After completing the
course, all the participants were given certificates during
an assembly of the whole school.
Outcomes
• Playtime disputes have reduced dramatically. Two of
the boys, who were sent to the headteacher on a daily
basis before to the sessions, are now rarely referred
• Class teachers have commented that the group is less
disruptive in the classroom
• Although it is more difficult to measure incidents
outside school, staff are not aware of further dealings
with the police
More information
Gwen Gilmore, CPR Learning Partnership Leader
Tel: 01209 721 406
E-mail: ggilmore@cornwall.gov.uk
The team worked with the school to organise five group
sessions facilitated by the SMART police officer and a
family support worker. Each session adopted different
techniques to address issues associated with feeling safe,
dealing with anxiety, being responsible and managing
23
Servite Roman Catholic Primary School, London Borough of
Kensington and Chelsea
“When I saw how my issues were affecting my daughter, I knew I had to do something.”
Fiona, parent
Servite RC Primary School offers wraparound care to its
pupils and families. The school offers extended provision
from 8am to 6pm, with a breakfast club and a wide
choice of after-school clubs and activities. Using the
School Improvement Planning Framework has helped
keep extended services high on the agenda and enabled
the school to develop a strong partnership with parents.
The school team works with a multi-agency team of
professionals, including a social worker, clinical
psychologist, play therapist and family support worker,
who provide support on a daily basis and meet regularly
to discuss issues concerning individual pupils.
Fiona, the parent of a year 1 pupil, had been suffering
from depression. The family was living in poor housing
and was concerned about the imminent release from
prison of the pupil’s father. Teaching staff observed
that the girl was expressing a sense of neediness and
seemed unstable. She had some special educational needs
and was receiving speech therapy as a result of some
hearing difficulties.
Fiona had tried to get help from social services before but
with little success. Knowing that the school offered some
parental support and had a school-based social worker,
she approached the assistant headteacher. The assistant
headteacher quickly realised that Fiona was in a great
deal of distress and invited the social worker to join them
to help put a plan of support together for the family.
Outcomes
• Access to a multi-agency team enables the school to
provide a swift, targeted approach to supporting pupils
and their families
• The school observes that parents feel that the
stigma once associated with referrals and
intervention has gone
• On-site wraparound care has enabled some of the
school’s lone parents to return to employment
• Attendance is the second highest in the local
authority area
• No exclusions at the school during the past four years
• Access to the wide range of professional support
means teaching staff feel supported and are learning
new strategies and skills, for example, the play
therapist’s behaviour-related activities are being used
very effectively in the classroom
More information:
Maureen O’Donoghue, Assistant Headteacher,
Access and Inclusion, Servite RC Primary School
Tel: 020 7352 2588
E-mail: maureen.O'Donoghue@servite.rbkc.sch.uk
An understanding of Fiona’s troubles gave an insight into
the behaviour the girl was demonstrating at school. The
school team provided advice and guidance and made
contact with external agencies to help Fiona access
services. They encouraged the pupil to join the
after-school and holiday clubs to give her mother time
to take up offers of support and reach her goals.
The family has now been re-housed. They are much
happier and more confident and the girl is doing very well
at school. Fiona has been very impressed with the way the
school supported her and is even considering becoming a
support worker herself.
24
Sittingbourne Community College, Kent, South East
“Reintegration back into school was hard for me but, with the help and support of the college
intervention officer, I did it.” Year 11 student (excluded from college for a total of five months)
“The support I got was very helpful and I don’t think I could have got through a difficult stage
without it.”
Year 10 student
Sittingbourne Community College is part of the Swale
rural cluster of schools and serves a deprived catchment
area. The college offers a range of extended services,
including a thriving healthy eating programme, mediation
and counselling, family well-being sessions and childcare.
was referred to Swale Mediation Service and took part in
six sessions, after which she returned home. Her
attendance returned to normal, she resumed her
GCSE studies and has now taken a place on a further
education course.
It has also set up a Young Person’s Multi-Agency Support
Centre (YPSC) to provide targeted support for students.
The service has been shaped by consultation with parents,
students and partner agencies. Through the centre, the
college works closely with the primary care trust, Swale
Mediation Service, the police, counsellors, psychiatric
experts and others, including the school nurse.
A year 11 student on a personalised curriculum seemed to
be heading for permanent exclusion. His mother rang the
college to say he had left home. YPSC staff immediately
held a one-to-one session and found that the student had
left home to avoid his violent stepfather. His mother
agreed to meet Swale Mediation Service. It emerged that
her new partner was jealous of the boy. Following the
mediation, the mother asked her partner to move out.
The boy is now living with his mother again and has done
well enough in his GCSEs to secure a place at college.
Students can be referred to the YPSC by the college or by
external agencies and are encouraged to refer themselves.
The aim is to keep students in college and help them
progress educationally and socially, to raise awareness of
health, fitness and emotional well-being and to provide
support for families.
Outcomes
The YPSC is constantly improving its services. Recent
changes include a confidential booking system for the
sexual health nurse and a better venue for clinics.
Programmes are offered at strategic times: for example,
sexual health is targeted before the main summer holiday
and alcohol abuse just before the Christmas holiday. Year
11 pupils can take part in a stress management workshop
in the run-up to exams.
• Awareness training equips staff to recognise early
warning signs
• All staff have been trained in emotional intelligence
• Staff now sit on council working groups in recognition
of their expertise in working with hard-to-reach groups
• Sittingbourne is piloting the Mind, Exercise, Nutrition,
Do It! (MEND) project, which gives students and their
parents/carers advice on diet and exercise
• The YPSC team now includes a student social worker
• A new young active parents group offers information,
advice and education opportunities to teenage parents
• Students are appearing in a film to highlight the
benefits of a school-based sexual health service and
share good practice with other schools and colleges
• Staff well-being days are giving employees the
opportunity to form effective working relationships
with partner agencies
Success stories
More information
After a violent incident at home, a year 11 student had
gone to stay with a friend and her attendance and
attitude were deteriorating. She and the police approached
YPSC staff, who contacted social services. The student
Alan Barham, Headteacher, Sittingbourne
Community College
Tel: 01795 472 449
The YPSC hosts a number of programmes, most of
which involve services working together and sharing
information. Ongoing dialogue helps speed up responses
to individual cases. Partner agencies meet twice a term to
share information and maintain strong working relationships.
25
Barking Abbey School, London Borough of Barking
and Dagenham
“I felt shameful of my son’s behaviour in school and now he seems like a different boy because of
the help he is receiving. Things are much better now he is getting help.”
Parent talking to PSA
“It was because of you coming around to keep spirits up and sticking on to work with Dad that now
he has a chance to get back into school.”
Family friend talking to PSA
Barking Abbey School provides the full core offer of
extended services and was one of the first schools to be
awarded specialist sports college status. A £2.1m grant
enabled the building of a large leisure centre with a fully
equipped dance studio, which provides extensive sporting
facilities for the school and the local community.
Direct work with students and their families is only part of
the wide-ranging parenting support on offer. Parents are
encouraged to participate in a variety of activities to
increase their engagement with the school. Workshops
cover difficult subjects such as sexual health, knife crime,
drugs and alcohol to help parents discuss such issues with
their children.
The parent of a year 9 student asked the parent support
adviser (PSA) at Barking Abbey for help to address the
imminent permanent exclusion of his son, who was
displaying difficult behaviour and had some
psychological problems.
The family (a father and three sons) had recently lost
their wife and mother and were finding it very difficult to
cope with their grief. After struggling for months to make
contact, the PSA managed to arrange several home visits
to address the family’s needs. These included a joint home
visit with the primary mental health team to undertake
an initial assessment of the young person in the comfort
of his own home.
The PSA’s successful engagement with the family is
making a positive impact upon the student and is
boosting his self-esteem. He has agreed to sign up for
after-school and holiday activities – including the newly
developed Box It Out boxing training programme for boys
and their fathers, funded by the Youth Sports Trust – and
is starting to develop friendships within his peer group.
Outcomes
• Parents are more engaged with the school,
increasingly attending meetings, activities and courses
• The PSA has improved links with external agencies,
which facilitates early intervention for students
and parents
• Parents are helped to speak to their children about
difficult subjects, such as sex, knife crime, drugs
and alcohol
More information
Chris Linnell, Child Protection Coordinator and Line
Manager, Barking Abbey School
Tel: 020 8724 1351
The PSA completed a common assessment framework
with the family to facilitate access to multi-agency
support. This helped put in place a range of support
services, including a home visit by the PSA to gain the
father’s consent for the boy to be assessed by the local
authority’s educational psychologist plus bereavement
counselling and family therapy for the father and his sons.
26
Bexhill parent support adviser team, East Sussex, South East
“This student had the potential to be a child that refused to attend school. He has made excellent
progress and his family are delighted that he has settled so well.”
Tina Frost, Bexhill PSA Team Manager
Based at Bexhill High School, the Bexhill parent support
adviser (PSA) team serves the 10 schools and one college
that form the Bexhill consortium. Team members are
attached to individual schools and offer services such
as working with families referred by schools, running
weekly parent drop-in sessions and delivering parent
support programmes (including STOP, for parents of
challenging teenagers, and the Webster-Stratton
parenting programme).
The team attends a monthly network meeting to share
information about extended services and link up with
other local agencies. As a result, the extended services
offered by one school can be made available across the
consortium. For example, Bexhill High offers after-school
activities to primary school pupils and a consortium
sports coordinator works with schools to ensure a variety
of sporting activities are on offer across the town.
The PSA team has also forged an important link between
parents and schools and is helping schools to handle
sensitive issues. The team uses the common assessment
framework (CAF) and undertakes home visits. “Parents
are increasingly engaging with our services without fear of
stigma,” says Tina Frost, PSA Team Manager. “Building
parental self-esteem was initially a new idea to sell to
schools, which wanted to ‘fix the child’, but they are
beginning to see that working with parents has a longterm positive effect. The most powerful work happens
in the home.”
Supporting transition at Bexhill
High School
Bexhill High has a higher than average proportion of
students with learning difficulties and disabilities and the
PSA team is involved in facilitating their smooth
transition from primary to secondary school. A current
year 8 student with Asperger’s Syndrome was referred to
the team when he was in year 6 at primary school. The
student is very bright but finds friendships difficult. He
was worried about spending time in the playground and
was at risk of refusing to come to school.
The PSA team already knew his family and arranged for
the student to visit the new school site weekly,
accompanied by a PSA. He was able to meet his form
tutor and other teachers and to visit the canteen and
independent learning centre. As a result, the learning
centre was identified as the ideal place for him to spend
his breaks and lunchtimes. The PSA arranged for the boy
to have a lunch pass so he felt reassured that he could go
home for lunch. When the student had to transfer to the
main school site for year 8, the PSA team arranged
another set of visits.
The student has settled into school well and his
attendance is excellent. His parents are particularly
pleased with the way he has settled in to year 8. “He’s so
much more confident,” says Tina Frost. “His mother now
feels she can look for work and is taking part in training
offered by Bexhill College. She’s also going to share
her craft skills with other parents at our next parent
activity day.”
Outcomes
• Successful transition and regular attendance of a
student who was at risk of refusing to attend
secondary school
• Parent now has time to train and is considering
returning to work
• Cluster-wide swift and easy access to targeted and
specialist services ensures the student will continue to
receive support at each transition stage
• Schools have responded positively to the PSA team,
providing funding for additional team members
• Stronger multi-agency partnerships and links between
schools and other agencies
More information
Tina Frost, Bexhill PSA Team Manager
Tel: 01424 730722 ext 221
E-mail: tfrost@bexhillhigh.e-sussex.sch.uk
27
Byron Primary School, London Borough of Croydon
“Being a part of the ‘bring a family man to school’ day and then joining the Byron School
Association and the parent-teacher association has made a huge difference to my life and to my
children’s lives. It has meant that my children see me in a positive way, being involved in their
school. I feel like a dad all of the time, rather than some of the time. I know I speak on behalf of all
of us when I say that this has made a real impact on our lives and the lives of our children.”
Paul Movel, father of three
“I liked having lunch with Dad and Grandad.”
Pupil
When the extended services (ES) teams at Byron Primary
School attended a ContinYou training course on
developing men-friendly organisations, they realised that
actively engaging male family members could have a
positive effect on the school and its pupils.
“We are delighted with the success of the project so far
and are developing plans for it to continue,” says Clare
Wingrave, Acting Headteacher at Byron Primary.
“The children really enjoyed having their dads and uncles
sharing some time in school with them.”
The school is a single-form-entry primary school on a
social housing estate with many lone-parent families. A
high proportion of pupils (27 per cent) is eligible for free
school meals. The school has a children’s centre on site
and offers the full range of ES, including breakfast and
after-school clubs, adult learning, parenting support
and childcare.
Outcomes
“We were amazed when it became apparent that we
were not as ‘men friendly’ as we thought,” says Sharon
Marett-Gregory, ES Manager for the Coulsdon and
Woodcote cluster. “Some pupils lack male role models in
the home and there are very few at school, so we have
planned activities that will encourage fathers to take an
active interest in their children’s development.”
The ‘bring a family man to school’ day invited male family
members to spend the morning at school with their
children, taking part in games and family learning
activities and having lunch together. Thirty-two men,
many of whom had never engaged with the school before,
attended the event. Some of the men who do not live
with their children particularly welcomed the opportunity
to spend time with them in school.
Paul Movel attended the event and has subsequently
become actively involved with the school and the
parent-teacher association (PTA). He lives apart from his
three children and found it difficult to become involved in
their schooling. Paul Movel thinks the project came at just
the right time for him and it has helped involve him in his
children’s education.
• Greater parental involvement. Many parents have
since become involved with the school in other ways
• Pupils were very enthusiastic about the morning and
were proud to have taken part
• Twenty-six men continue to be part of the Byron
Family Man Group. The group has elected its own
coordinator and is running an after-school film club
at the school
• Four men have joined the PTA. Others volunteer at
school events, for example, by helping at the summer
and Christmas fairs, coaching the football team and
running events during Croydon’s Family Learning Week
• Monthly family school dinners, when children can
bring a family member to school for lunch, are
proving popular
More information
Sharon Marett-Gregory, Extended Services Manager,
Coulsdon and Woodcote cluster
Tel: 07915 242 914
E-mail: sharon.cwest@hotmail.co.uk
Clare Wingrave, Acting Headteacher, Byron
Primary School
E-mail: clarewingrave@byron.croydon.sch.uk
28
Carlton Primary School, London Borough of Camden
“I wouldn’t have done this without encouragement [from the school]. It has given me the
determination to go on to do other things in life.”
Tracie Davies, parent
When parent Tracie Davies first visited the Family
Learning Centre at Carlton Primary School, she was
lacking in confidence and had lost sight of her
childhood ambitions.
“I left school with GCSEs and then went on to do a
general national vocational qualification in arts and
design. I had lots of confidence and wanted to be an
interior designer,” she explains. “Once having children,
I became less confident and stayed at home, putting my
life on hold.”
Carlton Primary School serves an area with very high
levels of social deprivation and more than two-thirds of
its pupils are eligible for free school meals. The school
encourages parents to get involved in school life wherever
possible. Regular coffee mornings run by the family
support worker offer parents and carers an opportunity to
meet and to access information and advice.
The school’s new Family Learning Centre forms the base
for many of the school’s extended services and has been
particularly successful in encouraging parents to get
involved in their children’s learning. The centre offers a
range of services designed to help build a partnership
between home and school. The centre has developed
positive links with Camden’s Family Learning Service and
City Lit, the local adult education college. Other activities
include popular and well attended parenting programmes,
family learning activities, a crèche and guest speakers
from Jobcentre Plus, Sure Start and the local police and
health services.
Carlton’s family support worker encouraged Tracie to
participate in some of the learning opportunities available
at the Family Learning Centre. As Tracie began to attend
regular sessions, her confidence grew and she realised
that she had knowledge and experience she could share
with other parents and families.
Tracie went on to complete work placements in Carlton’s
nursery and year 2 classes. While bringing up her five
children, she has continued with her learning, completing
courses in literacy, basic IT and jewellery making. She
now makes jewellery and plans to set up a website to sell
her designs. Tracie also aims to boost her skills by taking
up silversmith’s training.
“I’ve made some really good friends at the Family
Learning Centre here at Carlton,” says Tracie. “We support
each other and the school has helped give me the
determination to go on to do other things in life. And I
am now chair of the parent-teacher association!”
Outcomes
• The school has formed much stronger and
collaborative relationships with parents and the local
community: it has established its first PTA and has a
full quota of school governors, with six parents joining
six members of the local community
• The family support worker provides a link between
home and school, promoting early identification and
enabling the school to take a more targeted approach
to supporting families
• The emphasis on early identification, prevention and
working with parents has resulted in a reduction in
child protection referrals
• Attendance has risen by seven per cent as a result of
targeted work
More information
Mandi Howells, Deputy Headteacher (Inclusion), Carlton
Primary School
Tel: 020 7485 1947
E-mail: m.howells@carlton.camden.sch.uk
“My tutors encouraged me to go on to take the Helping in
Schools programme, with the idea of going on to further
training to work in a childcare setting,” says Tracie.
“I wouldn’t have done this without their encouragement.
I wouldn’t have put myself in that situation before.”
29
Cuckoo Hall Primary School, London Borough of Enfield
“This is one of the best schools; there’s so much for us to do. The coffee mornings are really good
for meeting and getting to know parents and teachers. I’ve done an IT course, which really
benefited me. The school is always ready to do things to help parents. You are invited to see how
they teach maths, phonics and different ways to help your child learn. You can observe how the
children learn. This has helped with our own learning.”
Atike, parent
“The ESOL has been very good. I’ve learnt all my English here.”
Magdalena, parent
“Parents are the backbone of our school and its success.”
Sarah Oliver, Deputy Headteacher
Parents Atike and Magdalena have become active
members of the school community since their children
joined Cuckoo Hall Primary School in Enfield. The school is
based in a multi-cultural area of north London, where 47
per cent of pupils speak English as an additional language
and 40 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
Cuckoo Hall has an open-door policy that encourages
members of a hard-to-engage community to access
services in and around the school. Parents are encouraged
to participate in a range of adult learning classes, English
language courses and family workshops.
surgery’ mornings, which offer parents a confidential
opportunity to discuss matters concerning their children.
In addition, there are English for speakers of other languages
(ESOL) classes for parents, community members and pupils.
These take place at the school so the children see their
parents as learners.
“Parents are the backbone of our school and its success,”
says Sarah Oliver, Deputy Headteacher. “The fact that the
school shares information freely and regularly with
parents is a strength of our partnership. Parents have a
first-hand experience of the school’s systems. This has
been particularly important for parents who may have
had a poor experience of formal education themselves
and for those parents who have arrived at our school with
little or no knowledge of the English education system.”
Outcomes
Children joining Cuckoo Hall are well below average
language and literacy and many of their parents have low
academic achievement. In special measures in 1997, the
school has since prioritised raising standards and it has used
extended services (ES) to build bridges with parents. ES
provide important avenues for engaging parents in their
children’s learning.
Parent-focused activities include: regular coffee mornings
for parents with children at foundation stage, weekly
workshops and family learning sessions to improve
parents’ skills in supporting homework; a weekly ‘meet
and greet’ for parents who are new to the area and ‘open
The school’s focus has created a highly committed
community of parents, who have high aspirations for their
children’s achievements. This has had a significant impact
on the school’s attainment results.
• Ofsted rated Cuckoo Hall “outstanding” in May 2009:
“Parents attend weekly coffee mornings, such as the
one visited by an inspector, who was pleased to hear
from parents of Turkish heritage that they valued
these opportunities to meet other parents and on this
occasion, to share a coffee and delicious baklava!”
• Rising levels of attainment, with a marked
improvement year on year in key stage 1 and key
stage 2 standard assessment tests
• Pupils have made rapid improvement in their
language proficiency
• ESOL and other classes for parents have enhanced
communication opportunities between home and school
• Parents are committed to and engaged with the
school and believe their children are happy and,
consequently, learn well
More information
Sarah Oliver, Deputy Headteacher, Cuckoo Hall
Primary School
Tel: 020 8804 4126
E-mail: soliver@cuckoohall.enfield.sch.uk
30
Deptford Green School, London Borough of Lewisham
“Volunteering for Deptford Green School, doing something you enjoy, can really help your CV and
you meet some great people, too. When my son started at Deptford Green, I was keen to do as
much as I could for the school. Doing voluntary work with the parent support team has helped me
get back into full-time paid work after having children.”
Sue Clarke, parent
Deptford Green School offers the full range of extended
services (ES) and has many links with the local
community. Services include sports, arts and ICT facilities,
family learning, a school counsellor and a drop-in clinic
run by the school nurse. Learning mentors work with
Vietnamese, Chinese and Somali students and their
families and an integrative arts therapist works two days
a week to help students with special emotional needs
settle into the school. Innovative projects include the
Truancy Challenge, designed to improve attendance,
and Roots and Wings, which arranges business mentoring
for students.
Parent support services are particularly successful.
Danielle Heath, Parent Outreach and Liaison Officer,
encourages parents and carers to get involved with the
school. Deptford Green has used the Training and
Development Agency for Schools’ School Improvement
Planning Framework to establish its priorities and ensure
that parenting support links with other school strategies
to raise standards. Parents are encouraged to give their
children a positive attitude to learning, which creates a
more positive environment around the school.
Danielle Heath runs coffee mornings and a forum for
parents and offers confidential one-to-one support and
advice. She has worked with parents to set up a fathers’
sub committee, an online parents’ forum and parent-led
cultural events. A trained careers adviser is available on
site to give parents vocational advice and guidance on
finding work, returning to education/training or taking
up voluntary work.
with the school helped to build her confidence and she
started to apply for jobs again. Sue now works as a
training officer for an international development
organisation. “It’s the kind of job I’ve wanted for ages and
never thought I’d get,” she says.
Outcomes
• In 2008, the school achieved its best GCSE results
to date, with 68 per cent of students achieving five
A*-C grades
• The most recent Ofsted inspection (June 2007) noted
the school’s “excellent communication with parents”
• Parenting support services are helping to build
confidence and self-esteem so parents feel they can
ask questions or seek support
• Greater parental involvement in the school
demonstrates an integrated approach to education,
encouraging a more positive attitude to school
and to learning
• Increased parental engagement has helped improve
student attendance
• The staff recognise the value of parental involvement
and have noticed that the parent liaison officer has
helped to resolve issues quickly
More information
Danielle Heath, Parent Outreach and Liaison Officer,
Deptford Green School
Tel: 020 8694 2753
E-mail: dheath@deptfordgreen.lewisham.sch.uk
When Sue Clarke’s son joined Deptford Green, she was
finding it difficult to get permanent employment. She was
doing part-time freelance work in communications after
being a full-time mother for eight years. She regularly
attended the parent coffee mornings and volunteered to
help the parent support team. Sue produced Catch Up, a
termly parents’ magazine, which shares information and
publicises events relevant to parents, and was involved in
setting up the parents’ forum. Her voluntary experience
31
Glenbrook Primary School and Hadden Park cluster,
Nottingham, East Midlands
“Extended schools gave me choices. Now I have a well-paid job and it has had a huge
impact on my family.
“It’s had a remarkable effect on James. He’s much better at mixing with other children.”
Lisa Meakin, Extended Schools Coordinator and parent
Lisa Meakin, Extended Schools Coordinator for Glenbrook
Primary and the Hadden Park cluster of schools in
Nottingham, has first-hand experience of the positive way
in which extended services open up opportunities for
parents and pupils.
Lisa was at home looking after her three children when
she offered to volunteer at Glenbrook Primary. As her
children began to participate in after-school activities,
Lisa was able to take advantage of the taster courses
offered through the school’s extended services adult
education programme and she eventually gained
childcare qualifications, which helped her return to work.
Two years on, Lisa is working as part of the extended
services team in the Hadden Park cluster, providing
holiday and term-time activities for pupils from nine local
schools and support to the wider community.
A broad range of opportunities
The cluster offers pupils and parents a broad range of
opportunities, including after-school clubs and activities,
breakfast clubs and adult education. The lively holiday
programme accepts children from 34 different local
schools. Lisa’s three children, especially James, 11, who is
autistic, have benefited from the range of activities on
offer. Attending after-school and holiday clubs has helped
James overcome his low self-esteem, which is gradually
improving his confidence and social skills. “He’s much
better at mixing with other children. It’s had a remarkable
effect on him,” says Lisa.
For Lisa, the real benefit of extended services is their
potential to give families greater choice. “Extended
schools gave me choices,” she says. “Now I have a
well-paid job that I love and it has had a huge impact on
my family.” Lisa also believes that extended services are
changing the relationship between schools and parents.
“Schools are definitely changing how they relate to
children and the wider community,” she says. “Parents
can come into school and be part of school life and feel
that they are part of the community. They know that
their children can build their social skills and take part in
stimulating activities. Extended services can open many
doors for families.”
Outcomes
• Attendance at breakfast clubs and out-of-school
activities is improving school attendance, increasing
concentration levels and improving attitudes towards
school in general
• Increasing numbers of parents are taking advantage of
adult learning opportunities and some have gone on
to volunteer at school or to gain employment
• Extended services are helping to address negative
attitudes to school by encouraging children to
socialise with others and learn from positive
role models
• Holiday clubs may be contributing to reducing crime
figures in the locality
More information
Lisa Meakin, Extended Services Cluster Coordinator,
Glenbrook Primary and the Hadden Park cluster
Tel: 0115 9155709
E-mail: lisameakin@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
32
Grove Road Community Primary School, Harrogate,
“I think English class is very important for me because at every class I gain new information. I have
made a new step in my education.”
Inna
“I love this class and I am sure that it helps me to learn English. I have got lots of important
information that I can use in my everyday life. Thank you very much for the possibility.”
Zhne
“I’ve got more confident if I have to speak to somebody. I can use the grammar much better and
have learnt lots of new words as well.”
Parent
Over a third of the 170 pupils at Grove Road Community
Primary School in Harrogate speak English as a second
language. Many come from eastern Europe. To support
this new community, the school has developed its extended
services provision to assist parents who are new to the area.
Grove Road identified that a large proportion of parents
had limited skills in the English language, which was
having an impact on their children’s learning. Many
parents had little contact with the school and
communication was proving problematic.
Through working in partnership with adult learning
services, the school was able to offer English for speakers
of other languages (ESOL) classes at no extra cost to the
school. The classes operate from a dedicated English as an
additional language (EAL) room within the school.
Sessions are attended by an minority ethnic worker, who
offers parents additional support and can signpost them
to other local services.
“ESOL classes have had a very positive influence on
aspects of school life,” says Tony Winfield, Headteacher.
“The people who have been drawn into school to take
part in the classes have invariably been ‘hard to reach’
parents, who have gained confidence, not only because
they now have a better command of English but also
because they feel more involved in the school
community. This increased confidence has produced a
tangible benefit in terms of increased engagement.”
Grove Road’s extended services offer was recognised by
Ofsted during its most recent inspection in May 2008,
when the school was judged to be ‘outstanding’. A diverse
range of activities – from sports and music to homework
clubs and healthy eating sessions – are offered to pupils. A
breakfast club is open from 7.30am and after-school and
holiday provision is available through local private
partnerships. Other services include adult learning
sessions in ICT, parenting support sessions and family
learning workshops.
“The provision of ESOL classes means that the school is
delivering a much needed service for new arrivals to the
country, who can sometimes be overwhelmed by a
completely new language,” says Tony Winfield. “This is
encouraging them to see the school in a very positive
light and, as headteacher, I feel that I am providing a
crucial service for this group in our society.”
Outcomes
• Feedback from participants is overwhelmingly positive
• Classes will continue for as long as there is demand.
They have also been opened up to the local community
• The whole school community supports the provision –
100 per cent of parents agreed the classes were
worthwhile in a parent survey held in November 2007
• Hard-to-reach parents are increasingly involved in the
school community
• The improvement in parents’ confidence is having a
positive impact on their children’s learning
• The school is looking at ways of securing funding to
support free ESOL lessons for beginners and regular
drop-in sessions to keep parents who do not speak
English as a first language engaged with the school
More information
Tony Winfield, Headteacher, Grove Road Community
Primary School
Tel: 01423 506 060
E-mail: admin@groveroad.n-yorks.sch.uk
33
Halesowen Partnership at Caslon Primary School, Dudley,
West Midlands
“I didn’t think I had it in me. I’m so proud of what I’ve achieved.”
Parent and adult learner
“Now I tell my grandchild even nannies go to school.”
Grandparent, parent and adult learner
Family learning forms a key part of Caslon Primary
School’s extended services provision. The school serves a
deprived area of south Dudley, where levels of adult
education are in the lowest 10 per cent nationally. The
school is working hard to raise aspirations and improve
pupils’ life chances by forming partnerships with parents.
The family won the 2008 National Family Learners of
the Year Award, sponsored by the National Institute of
Adult Continuing Education and the Learning and Skills
Council. They are the first family from the Midlands to
pick up the award.
Outcomes
Caslon is working with other schools within the
Halesowen Partnership to create a network of community
learning partners (CLPs) to support extended family
learning across the local area. The project aims to get
hard-to-reach families involved in their children’s learning
by offering them extended learning opportunities based
on their own interests.
Learning for all
The project has made an exceptional impact on an
extended family with a long history of disengagement
from education. The three Bloomer sisters (Sam, 41,
Helen, 39, and Eve, 35) have 18 children and five
grandchildren between them. Many of these children left
education early without qualifications and their younger
siblings looked likely to follow their example.
• Caslon parents studying through the school have
gained more than 35 qualifications in 2008
• Much higher levels of parental engagement in
children’s learning
• Early indications suggest this is making a positive
impact on pupils’ motivation, attitudes to learning
and attendance
• Standards are rising, with the school’s aggregated key
stage 2 scores increasing annually over the past four
years from 160 to 240
More information
Jim Randle, Headteacher, Caslon Primary School
Tel: 01384 818875
E-mail: jrandle@caslon.dudley.gov.uk
Recruiting Sam to the first phase of the project led to the
whole family becoming involved in adult learning and
taking a completely new approach to supporting their
children at school. Initially put off by the idea of returning
to education after so many years – “I wasn’t any good at
school stuff as I never went” – just two years on, the
family has gained a range of qualifications, including level
1 and 2 literacy and numeracy, level 1 classroom assistant
and level 2 teaching assistant. Sam has worked for the
past 12 months as a CLP, working one to one with other
families, while all three sisters now volunteer in the
school, helping out with after-school activities and
actively encouraging other parents to get involved in
family learning.
34
Kingsbury High School, London Borough of Brent
“I’ve gone from a 3a to a 5a in maths. It’s because I’m trying harder and I’m more organised now.”
Somali student in year 9
“We have to support other [Somali] parents when they need to communicate with the school
about their child’s progress or other issues that arise... we need to be supportive of each other.”
Member of the Somali parents group
Kingsbury High School in Brent identified the need to
engage students and families from the Somali
community. Five per cent of its students are Somali in
origin and the school felt they were underperforming and
their community was disaffected from the school.
Kingsbury had previously organised proactive intervention
activity with other community groups but had not sought
to engage Somali families before.
As a result of the parents’ feedback, the school organised
extra English support after school for 17 students in
year 9. Most attended regularly and at least nine students
improved their attainment in literacy, one by an
impressive six sub levels. “He has started to ask questions
in classes for the first time and his behaviour has
improved,” comments a teaching assistant.
Outcomes
Ita McNamara, the Assistant Headteacher, the locality
team manager, and a family worker from local charity
African Child began to look at ways to target the Somali
community. The school managed to obtain a £25,000
grant from the local authority for a room that would
provide the base for a Somali parents group.
The Somali parents group ran for six weeks initially. The
school enlisted a respected member of the Somali
community to offer the parents support and
encouragement. The sessions were intended to support
and empower parents to give them the confidence to help
their children reach their full potential. The African Child
family worker is fluent in Somali and English and was able
to challenge and encourage attendees to communicate
how they felt about the school. The sessions were
followed by a six-week parenting class run by
Parentline Plus.
“When I attended one of the parenting classes, the group
was discussing how their children could not understand
what was going on in classes and how they were having
problems with other students,” says Ita McNamara.
“These parents had never come into school before but, as
the parenting classes went on, they became more willing
to come and see me to discuss such issues.”
• Increasing engagement of Somali parents in and
around the school
• The parents group continues to meet and is growing in
membership
• Students are increasingly enthusiastic about the
classes and other opportunities available to them
• The school now offers extra English tuition for
students in other year groups
• The school is planning to appoint a female Somali
worker so that female students can more easily
approach her
• Parents are to run Somali cultural classes for a wider
group of pupils and parents
• The success of the project has led to a similar project
being started in another Brent school
More information
Ita McNamara MBE, Assistant Headteacher, Kingsbury
High School
Tel: 020 8206 3030
E-mail: imcnamara20@kingsbury.brent.sch.uk
35
Thrumpton Primary School, Nottinghamshire,
East Midlands
“The course provided me with a safe learning environment, where it doesn’t matter if you get
things wrong.”
Gary Peel, parent
“I’ve found out I know more than I thought I did.”
Toni Shaw, parent*
Parents of pupils at Thrumpton Primary School in Retford
have been participating in adult learning courses at the
school, run in partnership with Nottinghamshire County
Council’s Adult and Community Learning Service (ACLS)
and North Nottinghamshire College.
Keeping up with the children
Gary Peel joined a six-week ‘keeping up with the children’
course so that he could support his daughter’s learning.
“The course provided me with a very safe learning
environment, where it doesn’t matter if you get things
wrong,” he says. “Doing it is 20 times easier than thinking
about having a go.”
Gary went on to complete a 12-week family learning
course on which he gained a level 2 literacy qualification
and a GCSE in maths. Gary was looking for a change of
career and began to help out at the school on a voluntary
basis as a teaching assistant, developing children’s
reading skills.
After completing a teaching assistant course, Gary now
has a paid position at Thrumpton Primary School. He will
continue to study and extend his skills and has started
working with students at a local secondary school on a
voluntary basis. His success was recently recognised
when he won a regional award as part of Adult Learners
Week 2009.
Parent Toni Shaw had no qualifications when she left
school. Her self-esteem and confidence levels have
soared since she took the ‘keeping up with the children’
course and she is now taking an active part in her
daughter’s education and volunteering for a school
reading project. “I’m more confident now and I’m not
scared of having a go in case I get things wrong,” she says.
“At one time I wouldn’t have done that. I’ve found out I
know more than I thought I did.”
The ACLS works closely with local partners to ensure
high-quality learning opportunities are available to the
local community. The service works with extended
services coordinators in schools to identify local needs
and interests, which enables it to offer appropriate
courses in more than 50 schools in the county. Classes at
Thrumpton Primary School currently take place in one of
the school’s classrooms outside the school day.
In addition to adult learning, the school offers a wide
choice of extended services. Thrumpton Kids Clubs is
privately funded and operates on the school site. It offers
a range of activities, including breakfast, lunchtime and
after-school clubs, a holiday club and a pre-school
playgroup.
Outcomes
• Parents are increasing in self-esteem and confidence
and are more involved in their children’s learning
• Parents are becoming increasingly involved in school
by volunteering to help in the classroom or with
other activities
More information
Elaine Allen, Headteacher, Thrumpton Primary School
Tel: 01777 702 092
E-mail: office19@thrumpton.notts.sch.uk
* Quotations supplied by Nottinghamshire County
Council and NIACE
36
Turlin Moor Community School, Poole, South West
“These mums have flourished and they are repeating the activities with their own families.”
Jo Beach, Family Outreach Worker
“It has been a great way to connect with the school and to get to know other parents.”
Lorraine Wright, parent
“Our children see their parents being active and it encourages them to get involved in healthy
activities too.”
Helen Mulford, parent
Turlin Moor Community School serves a very deprived
and isolated community. Its vision is to be at the heart of
the local community and it is well on its way to achieving
this ambition. Turlin Moor already provides a breakfast
club, a range of after-school activities, a community room
and on-site adult education, including basic literacy and
numeracy courses. It has strong links with the outreach
worker at the local children’s centre and with the local
playgroup and provides a great deal of support to parents
at transition stages.
Jo Beach, Family Outreach Worker for the locality, works
with 14 schools in the Poole South Cluster, including
Turlin Moor. She works closely with Porche Churchouse,
the pastoral care worker at Turlin Moor, and together they
have developed a programme intended to engage parents
in healthy activities.
“We originally started sessions for mums to encourage
them to feel good about themselves,” says Jo. “We
organised a ‘pamper evening’, which was very successful,
and we have arranged informal coffee mornings where
parents can listen to guest speakers and find out more
about leisure services available within the borough.”
Healthy activities programme
In January 2009, the school launched a 12-week
programme of healthy activities targeting mothers.
Childcare was offered through the local church and
sessions included walks around the local area, a fitness
session delivered by a former marine, cricket sessions,
keep-fit and dance. Raffle tickets were offered as an
incentive to attend, with prizes including swimming
vouchers, haircuts and even a bike. “Feedback has been
really positive and the mum who won the bike has
already been seen out shopping on it!” says Jo.
The intention is to introduce activities that are already
available, often free of charge, in the local community so
families can continue the activities at their own pace if
they wish. Parent Helen Mulford particularly enjoyed the
keep-fit workout and plans to attend the sessions the
instructor is setting up locally. Parents taking part
in a bike ride talked about doing the ride again with
their families.
The programme is ongoing and has been extended to
include healthy cookery sessions. There are also plans to
link the project to activities at another local school.
Outcomes
• The school is helping to build social cohesion
by creating opportunities for parents to meet
and socialise
• Parents are encouraged to take up healthy
activities that will, in turn, have an impact on their
children’s health
• Parents are excited about the programme and
are repeating many of the activities with their
own families
• Sessions are helping to break down barriers between
home and school so parents feel they can approach
the school for further assistance should they need it
• Turlin Moor is considering setting up a group
for fathers
• Other local schools have expressed an interest in
delivering the programme to parents
More information
Jo Beach, Family Outreach Worker, Poole South
Tel: 01202 261 968
E-mail: j.beach@poole.gov.uk
37
Woodlands Junior School, London Borough of Redbridge
“I had never been [to the] theatre in England. This is a whole new experience for me. Often poor
families like me haven’t had the chance to visit the theatre with our children.”
Mohamed Afrah, parent
“Me and my child had a very exciting day out. I would love to have something like this again.”
F Afridi, parent
Woodlands Junior School offers the full core offer of
extended services (ES). The school is a large primary in a
socially and economically deprived area, where nearly half
of the pupils are eligible for free school meals.
Woodlands provides a wide variety of activities, which
ensures pupils have access to something they enjoy.
After-school and lunchtime clubs offer sports and games,
music, dance and drama, languages and homework
support. Some clubs target specific groups of children, for
example, there is a computer club for girls. The school’s
programme of study support has achieved the
‘established’ level of the Quality in Study Support (QISS)
recognition scheme.
The school’s parent support adviser (PSA) has organised a
range of activities designed to support parents and involve
them in their children’s learning. Recent initiatives have
included Healthy Schools, literacy, numeracy and science
workshops, cookery classes, visits to the library and
work-related skills sessions such as dressmaking. A
significant number of pupils are at an early stage of
learning English and English for speakers of other
languages (ESOL) classes for their parents have been
very popular.
The school identified a need to encourage Somali parents
to interact with the school to address underachievement
by pupils from that community. The PSA set up a group
for Somali parents, offering them an opportunity to
participate in workshops, visit the theatre and take part in
other activities. Twenty-five parents joined the group.
Consultation and evaluation are important to running
activities at the school and consultation with the Somali
group led to the setting up of ESOL classes, which are run
in conjunction with Redbridge Institute.
Mohamed Afrah, a Somali father whose daughter attends
Woodlands, has become involved in many aspects of ES
activities. He particularly welcomed the opportunity to go
on a theatre trip with his daughter, which was the first
time he had visited a theatre in England. He has since
volunteered to act as an interpreter at the school and
helps to write letters for other parents, working with
Somali families at the school two days a week.
Outcomes
• The school’s monitoring processes show that parents
are attending more events and are more engaged in
school activities
• Communication between the school and parents is
improving and the school receives positive feedback
through regular consultation and evaluation with
parents and children
• Parents are learning new skills and gaining confidence
in using other services or asking for help with personal
or child protection issues
• The PSA’s success in engaging parents and helping to
resolve issues has helped to reduce the pressure on
teaching staff
• Increased parental involvement with the school is
having a positive effect on pupil behaviour, attendance
and attainment, particularly for targeted groups
of children
• Pupil attendance has increased from 92.97 per cent in
the autumn term 2008 to 94.59 per cent in the spring
term 2009
More information
Ghazala Navaid, Parent Support Adviser, Woodlands
Junior School
Tel: 020 8478 4612
E-mail: ghazala.navaid@redbridge.gov.uk
38
Yeading Junior School, London Borough of Hillingdon
“I think that the best thing is I was helped and can now help others.”
Parent
“Thank you for giving me my wife back.”
Parent
Yeading Junior School is the extended schools hub for a
collaborative group of 10 schools. There are 42 different
ethnic groups speaking 37 languages at the school.
Seventy-eight per cent of pupils speak English as an
additional language. The collaborative group has
developed a wide network of community contacts and
relationships and has been able to access a range of
funding to enable it to offer an extensive range of
activities. Extended services include breakfast and afterschool clubs. Activities available during and after school
hours include: ICT for parents and children, family fitness,
a targeted homework club, English for speakers of other
languages (ESOL) classes for parents, facilities to
practice and take the citizenship test and even driving
theory sessions.
Yeading Cluster Schools House was formerly a caretaker’s
residence, which has been converted into a ‘safe space’
for parents. The house was conceived as a way of
addressing the isolation and loneliness experienced by
many parents from diverse ethnic backgrounds. It offers a
wide range of activities, with regular sessions on health
matters, weekly drop-in counselling sessions, a parenting
programme and a family support worker, education
welfare officer and police liaison officer.
One parent, who speaks English as a second language, has
become very active in the school since taking part in the
activities available at Yeading Cluster Schools House.
The parent felt depressed as a result of her overcrowded
accommodation and approached the headteacher in a
very distressed state. The headteacher contacted local
housing officials. She arranged for the family support
worker to attend a meeting with the parent at the local
housing office because the mother did not have the
confidence to go on her own. While her accommodation
problems have yet to be fully resolved, they are being
tackled and, in the meantime, the parent has become
actively involved in school activities and has developed
her resilience. As a result, she feels better able to support
her children’s education and their standard assessment
test results have improved markedly.
“I have learnt so many things: how to solve things for
other women, how to listen to them and help them with
their problems, marital difficulties, problems with children
– from sleeping to school work,” says the parent. “I have
improved my English so much. My children are happy and
surprised at how many things I know. I think they are
doing well at school.”
Outcomes
• A high level of parental engagement at weekly
assemblies and school activities
• More than 1,000 visits have been made to take part in
activities at the house
• Children’s and parents’ self-confidence
is “phenomenal”
• The ESOL programme has resulted in some parents
securing employment as a result of their improving
English skills
• Children’s average point scores have increased
• Enhanced community engagement and cohesion is
helping to break down cross-cultural barriers
• Pupil and staff motivation is high
• The partnership between the school, parents and
children is highly evolved and a high level of trust has
been built
• Four peer mediators have won a national award that
will soon be presented to them at Downing Street
More information
Carole Jones, Headteacher, Yeading Junior School
Tel: 01895 671956
E-mail: cjones5@hillingdongrid.org
39
Abbs Cross School and Arts College, London Borough
of Havering
“If anyone had said to me I’d lose five stone... I’d never have believed them. What I really like
about this gym is the friendliness – all the staff make you feel welcome. You feel you are part of a
close-knit community.”
Michelle Grover, health and fitness centre user
“You never feel out of place. This gym is very accessbile for the people around here.”
Keith Whittingham, health and fitness centre user
Abbs Cross School and Arts College has opened its
extensive leisure facilities to the local community.
The school’s health and fitness centre was funded
from resources generated by the disposal of the
school’s unused sports fields and was created on the
understanding that the whole community would benefit.
The popular – and very busy – fitness centre comprises
a gym, sports hall, exercise studio and a 25m swimming
pool. It is used by a number of local community
groups, which offer sports and social activities such as
after-school gym and martial arts clubs, a summer-term
fitness programme for children and self-defence for girls.
Community users like having sports facilities on their
doorstep. There is no other leisure centre in the area
of a comparable standard and the reasonably priced
facilities have encouraged many people to take up
fitness-related activities. Others value the friendly,
welcoming environment that gives them the
encouragement they need to get take up exercise.
Michelle Grover has a daughter at Abbs Cross and
started using the school’s sports facilities 14 months ago.
The sports club’s convenient location and low cost
encouraged her to become a dedicated member and she
has managed to drop five dress sizes through regular
attendance and healthy eating.
Christopher Ward, a parent governor at Abbs Cross, has
been attending the sports centre with his wife for
three-and-a-half years. “It is within easy walking distance,
which is more of an incentive to get here after a long day
at work,” he says. “The people who use this facility are
local. I meet a few friends here whom I have met through
our children attending the school. Some of the staff
previously attended Abbs Cross as pupils, so not only is it
looking after the health of the local community but it is
also providing jobs.”
Outcomes
• Offering local facilities at affordable prices provides
easier access to sports and fitness activities
• Pupils and parents have a high regard for the school
and for its philosophy of promoting sport and leisure
in the community
• Using local facilities enables local people to socialise
together, helping to build community cohesion
• It provides a location for local clubs, for example, it
offers swimming lessons at a time when other local
pools are closed
More information
Wendy Washington, Assistant Headteacher, Abbs Cross
School and Arts College
Tel: 01708 440 304
E-mail: wwashington.abbs-cross.havering@lgfl.net
“The benefit of having this facility close to where I live is
that it is so convenient,” she says. “It has been fantastic.
I’m completely different and my confidence has grown so
much. What I really like about this gym and its facilities is
the friendliness – all the staff make you feel welcome.
When I started I was overweight but you feel you are part
of a close-knit community.”
40
Carter Community School, Poole, South West
“I wanted to do something sporty and to get to know other people locally. The school has been
very accessible and has constantly tried to help.”
Tamar Spooner, Lilliput Netball Club
Three years ago, local parent Tamar Spooner approached
the extended schools team at Carter Community School
in Poole to explore the idea of setting up a ladies’ netball
team using the school’s facilities. “I wanted to do
something sporty and to get to know other people,”
she explains.
Extensive leisure facilities form part of the school’s
strategy to bring local people through its doors. These
include a sports hall, a multi-use games area, six floodlit
tennis courts and a Shokk gym designed specifically for
young people. “We always try to accommodate
community groups if possible,” says Sean McCrory,
Carter’s School and Community Manager. “We can offer
new clubs space free of charge to allow them to build up
their membership.”
Carter Community School was able to offer assistance to
the new netball team, advising it on sources of funding
and equipment. The school also offered a court in a
secluded part of the school site to encourage some of the
more self-conscious players. Lilliput Netball Club started
with seven members and now 30 members train regularly
at the school and play league matches in Bournemouth.
“The school has been very accessible and has constantly
tried to help,” says Tamar Spooner. “It started as a great
opportunity to meet other mums and get involved in
something healthy. Now we have two teams playing
league netball.”
While GCSE results are on an upward trend at Carter
Community School, it has had to work hard to challenge
old prejudices and perceptions. Bringing members of the
community on to the site is helping to rebuild the school’s
reputation locally.
Carter Community School provides access to the full core
offer of extended services, with after-school activities,
clubs and popular holiday activities. The Hamsworthy
Children’s Centre, which offers full daycare facilities, is
located on the campus, as is a vocational learning centre
and a new beauty salon that offers adult education
courses in partnership with Poole Adult Learning and
Bournemouth and Poole College.
Some clubs and sports teams have established permanent
homes at Carter Community School. These include
Wessex Volleyball Club, which plays in the national
league. Clubs with a permanent lease arrangement
regularly meet the head of PE to explore opportunities for
linking activities with curriculum work. Clubs that get
involved in school activities pay a reduced rent. The
Model Car Racing Club, for example, has worked with the
design and technology team to help GCSE students
create a design based on the club’s model car chassis.
The wide variety of clubs and activities now on offer has
increased sports and leisure opportunities for students.
Some of the clubs have trebled their membership through
their links with the school. “The ripple effects of opening
up the school are huge and we don’t always see them
first hand,” says Sean McCrory. “Not only are students
becoming more engaged with their school community,
the wider choice of activities encourages older students
to stay involved in healthy activities after they have
left Carter.”
Outcomes
• Rising standards: GCSE results are on an upward trend
• Rates of punctuality and attendance are rising and
students are increasingly returning to school to
participate in clubs and activities
• 1,800 people use the school site every week and the
four-court sports hall is fully booked Monday to Friday
between 5pm and 10pm
• Applications to the school are increasing year on year
• Getting people though the door is improving the
reputation of the school
More information
Sean McCrory, School and Community Manager,
Carter Community School
Tel: 01202 339239
E-mail: s.mccrory@poole.gov.uk
41
Resources from the Training and Development
Agency for Schools
The following free resources are available to order and download
The School Improvement Planning Framework
Developed in partnership with 200 schools, the School Improvement Planning
Framework is a suite of tools and techniques designed to help schools take
their planning, strategic thinking and implementation to the next level.
Produced by the TDA and the National College for Leadership of Schools and
Children’s Services, the framework can help schools use extended services to
make Every Child Matters a reality, raise standards of attainment and promote
pupil well-being.
www.tda.gov.uk/schoolimprovement
Extended Services: a Toolkit for Governors
School governors have an important role to play in planning, developing and
implementing extended services that reflect the needs of pupils and the wider
community and make a real impact on standards and achievement. This
toolkit is designed to help governors support their schools in developing
effective extended services.
www.tda.gov.uk/extendedservicesforgovernors
Activities for All – Financial Support to Make Out-of-School-Hours
Activities a Reality for Everyone
From April 2010, all schools and school clusters will have access to the
extended services disadvantage subsidy. This funding is designed to subsidise
access to extended services activities for economically disadvantaged children
and young people and those in care. The TDA has produced a range of
resources to support those leading and managing the subsidy in local
authorities, schools and school clusters, including this introductory leaflet.
www.tda.gov.uk/subsidy
Extended Services Sustainability – a School Cluster Development Tool
This development tool is designed to help cluster managers/coordinators, local
authorities or locality-based staff to assess the sustainability of the extended
services offered through individual schools and the school cluster.
www.tda.gov.uk/extendedservices/sustainability
Transforming Lives – Extended Services and Special Schools
This report shows how special schools in a range of settings and contexts are
using extended services to improve outcomes for pupils and support for
parents. The supplement also looks at how special schools are using
consultation techniques to design services for maximum impact and how they
are accessing funding and overcoming challenges.
www.tda.gov.uk/extendedservices
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The TDA is committed to providing accessible information.
To request this item in another language or format, contact
TDA corporate communications at the address below or
e-mail: corporatecomms@tda.gov.uk
Please tell us what you require and we will consider with
you how to meet your needs.
Training and Development Agency for Schools
City Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester, M1 4TD
TDA switchboard: t 0870 4960 123
Publications: t 0845 6060 323 e publications@tda.gov.uk
www.tda.gov.uk
TDA0711/10.09/
© TDA 2009

Transforming lives - Lancashire County Council

Transcription

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