Case study
Key theme: role of cluster co-ordinator
Extended services co-ordinator helps extend trust within a trust
Trusting relationships create a strong cornerstone for collaboration for Bedfordshire schools.
Summary
<p>Six out of 19 Bedfordshire schools in a newly formed trust use their recently appointed extended services co-ordinator to help them reach out into the community and build trust amongst various stakeholders around extended services provision.</p>
Key learning/outcomes
<ul><li>Good relationships and trust between schools, services and community are vital.</li>
<li>Communication channels need to be varied and effective.</li>
<li>The skills and attributes of the extended services co-ordinator are vital to making connections and negotiating possibilities.</li>
<li>Larger trust, of which the Lincroft cluster is a part, enables broader access to funding streams and activities.</li>
<li>The co-ordinator&#8217;s relationship with the community, built upon consulting, listening and delivering, is key </li>
<li>Local authority support for the co-ordinator, especially when new to post, enabled a swift and effective induction. Ongoing support includes networking with co-ordinators from other clusters. &#160;</li></ul>
Background
<p>The Lincroft cluster of six schools has a history of collaboration based on curriculum and sharing good practice. The collaboration predated the formation of the trust of 19 schools - centred around Sharnbrook secondary school. This historical collaboration enabled the trust to engage with extended services provision as a natural extension of its work. </p>
Key challenges and issues
<ul><li>Geography: some schools are isolated and their communities cannot readily access provision based at other sites.</li>
<li>Funding: difficult for individual schools to provide services alone.</li>
<li>Buy-in to the National College project: the headteacher who initiated involvement moved on before the start of the project.</li>
<li>New extended schools co-ordinator in place from September 2008.</li></ul>
Solution or approach
<ul><li>Strong support from the secondary school and the wider resources of the newly formed trust of 19 schools has enabled the cluster to create a strong package of extended schools provision for its communities. This includes access to a minibus provided by the secondary school.</li>
<li>The National College consultant accompanied the cluster co-ordinator on visits to every school in the cluster. This, coupled with support from the local authority, regained the commitment of the cluster to the project early on. </li>
<li>The extended schools co-ordinator has a diverse skill set and has developed:
<ul><li>very strong links with other extended school co-ordinators</li>
<li>a high awareness of whom and what is on offer in the locality</li>
<li>good relationships with the schools across the whole trust</li>
<li>strong partnerships with other agencies</li>
<li>training opportunities across the cluster</li>
<li>strong communications with all stakeholders</li></ul></li></ul>
Next steps
<p>The Lincroft cluster currently represents approximately one third of the trust. Each of the three clusters has similar challenges and successes and all schools have a local authority accreditation mark for achieving the extended services full core offer. As a result of the National College&#8217;s project the cluster will continue to improve and develop strong communication channels and multi-agency links. </p>
<p>An extended services co-ordinator has now been appointed a trustee, with responsibility to explore and develop the remit of the trust and to liaise with local early years providers and children's centres to ensure effective collaboration and inclusion. The aim is to extend provision from ages 5-19 to ages 0-19.</p>
<p>Furthermore, a parent support assistant has been appointed to support the schools in their delivery of services and information to parents.</p>
<p>This project has spanned a significant time of change for the cluster. During this time:</p>
<ul><li>three of the seven schools in the cluster have had Ofsted inspections</li>
<li>two schools have formed a federation along with another middle school &#160;(Sept 2009)</li>
<li>the local authority has changed</li>
<li>the new authority is currently consulting on moving from a three-tier to a two-tier schooling system</li></ul>
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