Extended Schools
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Contact: Heather Connell Tel:0208 8583 2906 E-Mail: [email protected] Chiswick Area Committee (Monitoring) 12 December 2007 EXTENDED SCHOOLS Report by: Sue Hoad, Extended Schools Co-ordinator Brentford and Chiswick Cluster and Belinda Guthrie, Extended Schools Central Co-ordinator This report is an information item. It provides a brief overview of the Extended Schools Agenda An update on developments to date within the Chiswick Committee Area RECOMMENDATION That Committee Members: • Note the report • Provide support and encouragement where appropriate with developing initiatives Background Papers: Copies of the following documents are available on request Hounslow Extended Schools Strategy 2004 – 2010 Extended Schools: Access to opportunities and services for all (DFES 2005) Brentford and Chiswick Extended Services Family Survey July 2007 This report is relevant to the following wards/ areas Chiswick Area Committee BACKGROUND The Government’s Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners and the Every Child Matters agenda states the Government’s vision for delivering a range of integrated services for children and families at the heart of every community. Extended Schools provide one of the key vehicles for delivering this vision. Extended Schools integrate education, leisure, health, social care and other resources that are beneficial in meeting the needs of children, families and the local community. Their aim is to raise attainment and achievements, widen participation and enhance social inclusion. The focus of Extended Schools is to put the needs and wishes of children and families at the heart of service provision. The vision is for a range of universal services and targeted services for those most vulnerable, to be provided in the heart of the community through a multi- disciplinary approach to service delivery. The focus is on easy access, prevention and protection. The Government’s expectation is that a minimum of a ‘Core Offer’ of services will be available through all schools by 2010. Access to services will either be provided on school sites or through effective signposting to other local services. The Core Offer of services consists of a combination of the following: • high quality wraparound childcare for the primary aged children 8am to 6pm provided on the school site or through other local providers • a varied menu of activities for primary and secondary aged children such as homework clubs, study support, sport, music tuition, dance and drama, arts and crafts, special interest clubs, visits to museums, volunteering, business and enterprise activities (available 8am-6pm for secondary aged pupils) • parenting support – including information sessions and family learning activities • swift and easy access to a wide range of specialist support services • wider community access to school facilities and local – including ICT, sports and arts facilities and adult learning opportunities It is intended that elements of this core offer will be on offer all year round. In Hounslow six local Extended School Clusters have been established where local schools are working together in partnership with a range of other statutory, private and voluntary sector providers to provide the Core Offer within their local community. Each Cluster has established a local cluster management group to take overall responsibility for planning, monitoring and reviewing developments of Extended Services within each cluster. A local Extended Schools Cluster Co-ordinator has also been appointed by each cluster. The Co-ordinator is responsible for driving forward and supporting service developments on a day to day basis and for developing a comprehensive system for communications, consultation and participation within the cluster. The Cluster Co-ordinators were also charged with supporting the cluster’s schools in achieving the 5 outcomes of Every Child Matters: Be Healthy, Stay Safe, Enjoy and Achieve, Make a Positive Contribution and Achieve Economic Well- Being. CURRENT POSITION The Brentford and Chiswick cluster is made up of 14 schools (see below). 6 of these schools (in italics) are situated in the Brentford and Isleworth Area Committee. Brentford and Chiswick cluster Our Lady & St Johns RC Belmont Primary School St Mary’s RC Primary Primary School Strand on the Green Infants & Cavendish Primary School Brentford School for Girls Nursery School Strand on the Green Junior Grove Park Primary School Chiswick Community School School Green Dragon Primary St Paul’s Church of England Gunnersbury Catholic School School Primary School The William Hogarth Primary Lionel Primary School School The Extended Schools agenda continues to be developed by schools working in partnership with a range of services. There are now clear guidelines in place to enable comparative assessment of the status of the core offer in each school. Currently seven schools in the Brentford and Chiswick Cluster meet the criteria for providing access to the full core offer for Extended Schools. 3 of these schools lie in the Chiswick Area Committee (Belmont Primary, Strand on the Green Junior and The William Hogarth) There has been ongoing consultation with the community to inform the selection of activities and services being developed. An extensive family survey was completed in the Summer. The main findings from the report identified a range of activities as priorities for the Area namely, First Aid/ Family First Aid, Self Defence, Sport and Games, Helping with Homework, Learning with your children and Healthy Lifestyles (please see Appendix 1 for further details). The Cluster Management Team has met 6 times over the last year. The committee includes a range of partners – both statutory and voluntary. This group provides both strategic guidance for the activities being developed in the Area and fulfils a monitoring and evaluative role. Leaflets advertising local holiday activities and services have been made available to schools and have been provided in Libraries and other community buildings. Schools newsletters and several school websites are well developed and contain useful information for parents and children. Extended Services Bulletins are sent out electronically to a wide range of organisations working both locally in the Brentford and Chiswick area and across the borough. DEVELOPMENTS TO DATE The following outlines developments in the Chiswick Area as opposed to the Brentford and Chiswick cluster as a whole. PARENTING • Workshops for parents both on curriculum and non-curriculum themes have taken place in the majority of schools. This includes Family Learning courses in both Literacy and Numeracy.Excellent family learning events have been held eg Healthy Lifestyles and First Aid for Families at The Willliam Hogarth School • A new Children’s Centre has opened on the Cavendish Primary School site. A successful initiative has been the establishment of informal coffee mornings for parents. These are run jointly by the Extended Schools Co-ordinator and the Children’s Centre co-ordinator • ‘Learning through Play’ is being rolled out to all Primary schools COMMUNITY USE • Several schools have well established regular lets and are actively seeking additional opportunities. SWIFT AND EASY ACCESS • The Young Hounslow website is now operational. • Several schools have access to Behaviour Education Support Teams (BEST) • All schools have systems in place for referring pupils and parents to specialised services both within and outside of schools VARIED MENU OF ACTIVITIES • A huge range of after school activities are available in all schools across the cluster. Over 350 different activities have taken place in schools both during and after the school day and during holidays. This includes several ‘one-off’ events and trips. • Zig Zag dance equipment, an exciting computerised dancing system using interactive dance mats, has been purchased by the cluster. Students and their families at a number of schools in the Area have used the system and feedback has shown it to be both very successful and very enjoyable for all. CHILDCARE • All schools have access to quality childcare either on site or at a nearby location. Schemes operate before and after school and during the school holidays. • Holiday Care Schemes took place at Strand on the Green Junior and Belmont Primary schools • Secondary schools are open before and after school to provide a safe place for young people. Chiswick Community school has started a breakfast club. NEXT STEPS • Support targeted schools to provide access to the Full Core Offer by September 2008 • Act on findings from Family Survey –with a focus on more activities for teenagers • Develop a cluster initiative to address obesity issues • Finalise bidding process for commissioning and funding of activities within the cluster • Establish a communications strategy for the cluster to ensure access to information on activities and services available – to include increased use of IT (e-mail, websites and texting) and incorporating the Young Hounslow website. • Support schools to identify if and how they can provide wider community access to their sites during weekends and holidays • Develop community based partnership working eg through the Chiswick Youth Network, to deliver community events in the Chiswick Area CHALLENGES • Ensure all members of the community have access to current information on the range of services provided through the Extended Schools Agenda • Provide more support for families on low incomes • Develop participation strategies for the