Extended Services And Community Cohesion[1]
- 1. The Core Offer and Community Cohesion Practical suggestions
- 2. the school community – the children and young people it serves, their parents, carers and families, the school’s staff and governing body, and community users of the school’s facilities and services; the community within which the school is located – the school in its geographical community and the people who live or work in that area. This applies not just to the immediate neighbourhood but also to the city or local authority area within which a school is located Focus on 2 DCSF defined communities:
- 3. The core offer for parents and families: to be in or accessed through all schools by 2010 Community access A varied menu of activities Parenting support Swift and easy access to specialised support services including family learning including adult learning Quality childcare All year round 8am-6pm on site or through local providers including study support Core offer Community access
- 4. consultation Consult with pupils, parents, families about the activities and services they need. Talk to local community groups to build stronger relationships with the community and increase the range of things they can offer. Establish a partnership group in order to promote joint working and sharing of information. Engage with your Local Assembly.
- 6. varied menu of activities Offer Citizenship activities as part of Out of School Hours Learning provision. Lunchtime ‘reading buddies’ and ‘numeracy buddies’. Run OOSHL activities which accept young people from other schools in your collaborative/federation
- 7. varied menu of activities examples Tidemill Heritage Project “Oh My Days” By working with Extended Services you can host a Summer or Spring Holiday Programme
- 8. community access Encourage a wide range of groups to use the resources of the school for their own activities Offer space and support to Supplementary Schools Remove, as far as resources allow, barriers to access and participation by people with disabilities
- 9. community access examples You can advertise your school’s community spaces on the Community Sector Unit’s database Lee Manor : Lee Fair Share Time Bank. Mainstream/Supplementary School Pilot
- 10. support for parents Engage with parents and others in the community through coffee mornings, cooking or arts-based activities, parent and child courses or other activities. Family Learning, Basic Skills, ESOL classes.
- 11. support for parents examples Cooper’s Lane school runs a Dads Group, Bring your Dad to School Week, Share and Share Plus courses, social events for parents and has a Parents Liaison officer Family Learning opportunities through partnership with the Workers Education Association (WEA) Raising Boys Programmes / Establishing Father’s Groups – Working with Men
- 12. swift and easy access Ensure that the information you provide to parents is provided in formats and languages that make it accessible for all. Make use of all the support around advice and guidance that is available locally and across the borough such as the Family Information Service, Lewisham Multi Lingual Advice Service and other community based services
- 13. swift and easy access examples Deptford Green has Somali and Vietnamese/Cantonese speaking workers to ensure information is accessible to parents from these groups. Social Worker in Schools Project
- 14. vision & planning Ensure that your plans for development of Extended Services are coherent with or part of your School Improvement Plan so that staff, pupils and partners are able to commit to a shared ethos and implementation. Promote the development of a Collaborative plan for ES through your collaborative co-ordinator
- 15. For more information contact