Clusters in Pennine Lancashire and beyond

David Smith and Stephanie Hawke

Clusters in Pennine Lancashire and beyond

Summary
The impact of last years Comprehensive Spending Review has meant the dissolution of the extended services infrastructure within local authority. As a result it is the responsibility of individual schools to choose whether to continue to find funding to engage Extended Services Coordinators, whether to work together in clusters and which particular schools to partner with in this way. This report collates the findings of five interviews, four of which were conducted with Extended Services Coordinators and the remaining with a head teacher leading a cluster. What this report demonstrates is that there are more differences than similarities in the way that schools are working together. The waning emphasis on the achievement of an extended services core offer means that these initiatives are no longer the driving force for cluster working that they have been during the last six years. A headteacher of a Lancashire primary school flags up a number of ways in which schools are working together and their reasons for doing so, such as Local Childrens Trust Partnerships, Learning Trusts, and Sports Partnerships (all of which are summarized in Appendix 6.1 Glossary of terms). The interview is summarised in section 2.1. For Extended Services Coordinators, situations vary. One coordinator of a primary schools cluster (2.2), explains funding for her role is only secure until February 2012 meaning she is only able to plan for the next six months. For another interviewee, an extended services coordinator in the east of England (2.3), funding was cut in April 2011 but her cluster of schools valued her work enough to commit their devolved extended services budget to employing her on a freelance basis. She has already developed a range of exciting partnerships and projects to help meet the schools needs. Two interviews were conducted with extended services coordinators in secondary schools, in Pennine Lancashire (interviews are summarised in 3.1 and 3.2). In the last year, neither had developed significant work with their clusters, and they described a situation of isolation, with their energy focused on the attraction of exciting after school activities to appeal to their own pupils and their families. Funding for one of these posts is secure until August, whereas the others school has attached great value to his work and are committed to keeping him. Each of these interviews worked to foreground the importance of funding and of personal relationships. Clusters are formed around a funding purpose along with trust and individual personalities. If head teachers get along, they will work collaboratively. If they have developed a long and trusting relationship with their extended services coordinator, they will strive to maintain the relationship. Recommendations in section 4 suggest there is potential to galvanise schools into cluster working if it is possible to signpost available funding and inspiring projects from which a collaborative approach will benefit.

Contents 1. 2 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1 Primary Schools............................................................................................................................... 1 2.1 2.2 2.3 3 Headteacher............................................................................................................................ 1 Extended services coordinator for primary schools. .............................................................. 2 Primary school clusters beyond Pennine Lancashire .............................................................. 4

Secondary Schools .......................................................................................................................... 7 3.1 3.2 Extended services coordinator with a high school ................................................................. 7 Extended services and attendance officer at a local high school ........................................... 9

4. Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 11 5. Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................... 11 6. Appendices ........................................................................................................................................ 12 6.1 Glossary of terms ........................................................................................................................ 12 6.1.1 6.1.2 6.1.3 6.1.4 6.1.5 6.1.6 6.2 6.3 6.4 Extended Services ......................................................................................................... 12 Local Childrens Trust Partnerships ............................................................................... 12 Future Learning Trust .................................................................................................... 12 Sports Partnerships ....................................................................................................... 12 Disadvantaged subsidy.................................................................................................. 12 Local Area Partnerships ................................................................................................ 13

Interview Questions .............................................................................................................. 14 Local Area Needs................................................................................................................... 15 Letter from Mr Gove ............................................................................................................. 17

7. Other references .............................................................................................................................. 20

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1. Introduction
This report explores the motivations and limitations of schools working in clusters as funding for Extended Schools Cluster Coordinators ends or has ended. It draws on conversations with four Extended Schools Coordinators and one head teacher alongside desk-based research. The report sets out to: identify objectives of those working with Extended Schools Services and / or clusters identify why and how schools are coming together as clusters explore the relationship between extended schools and clusters and their Local Education Authority

Questions asked of those interviewed can be found in section 6.2.

2 Primary Schools
Conversations were held with a head teacher and two extended services coordinators. Each will be recounted below, with recommendations and conclusions to follow in sections 4 and 5 below.

2.1 Headteacher
This conversation was held with a primary school headteacher, who said, In my experience the smaller clusters work best because they are more manageable in organisation terms. Faith school clusters in particular seem to be successful because of a shared belief and understanding but the success for all cluster work is heavily dependent on the personalities involved. A strong support structure is necessary whatever the cluster where support means commitment of staff time or the investment in a coordinator for whatever programme of work has been agreed For this interviewee, clusters tend to given purpose, meaning and life by the existence of external funding. Local clusters Local clusters were described. Those with an extended services focus were no longer functioning. An excellence in schools cluster existed but funding was limited to the current year. One cluster was led by the local high school as a family with head meeting one each half term for lunch paid for by the high school with a shared agenda. This cluster was described as having a team approach and no one school dominated its agenda. High value was attached to community profile of the cluster, with community based activity such as National Poop School Week becoming a driver for shared working.

The cluster worked to make the most of shared opportunities such as high school staff working with primary schools to support modern foreign language teaching. The high school also shared its minibus with the cluster.

Frustration can arise when schools are dealing with multiple agendas such as the Futures Learning Trust, Burnley Schools Sports Partnership and so on. A future Learning Trust (see Appendix 7.1, paragraph 7.1.3)) has been set up locally. The Trust partners include the Life Channel and the local Football Club and a regional University joined the newly established Trust this September. Each school is unique with significant strengths and qualities that the Trust will build on with a desire to improve aspirations to ensure each school reaches its true potential. Trust schools is the opportunity to sustain existing and develop new relations as well as bring a new perspective and dimension to what the schools are trying to achieve and the chance to do things differently. Projects underway include:

Developing an innovative educational approach to outdoor learning. The Life Channel is supporting all schools in developing their outdoor environment in a number of ways. One of these is for the children to invest their pocket money to purchase and plant a tree in order to offset their carbon footprint. This is a project introduced to the schools by Life Channel involving one of its partners, Toshiba. Futures Learning Trust Youth Parliament. Four members from each school council have been voted onto the new Trust Parliament to ensure the pupil voice, shape the activities, address issues and recommend solutions. Partners benefit too and the football clubs physiotherapist is lecturing University students with exciting plans to develop work on nutrition in support of pupils and partners.

A local Schools Sports Partnership operates as a set of six clusters with a coordinator in the base school responsible for its own family. In addition further education colleges have joined the cluster.

2.2 Extended services coordinator for primary schools.

This extended services coordinators brief comes directly from the Clusters head teachers. She is tasked with: Encouraging parental involvement in schools Developing activities supporting literacy and numeracy for children (a high priority) Developing a range of activities related to family learning, contributing to improvements in literacy and numeracy thereby allowing children to enjoy and achieve Developing activities to meet the same outcomes in school holiday times. Developing activities that relate to the childrens interests and uncovering those interests through surveys. Encouraging long-term parental involvement in childrens learning.

Engaging parents in school and in courses that invest in their long term ability to help their children with literacy and numeracy. Many parents struggle with language.

Consultation and planning In the short term, she has planned activities up to October Half term with a focus on after school clubs. The head teachers met to discuss the clubs they would like. A decision was taken to conduct surveys amongst children and parents to find out what they want. This consultation was initially begun eighteen months ago but over time the perception of what is needed can shift. The surveys ask children and parents about the kinds of learning and other activities they would like to have access to or see developed. As part of this consultation, respondents will also be asked where such activities should take place, whether in schools or community centres. Many families do have language difficulties. The basic questionnaire goes out in English but can be translated into Urdu and parents are asked to respond with straightforward box-ticking. This interviewee has not been in a position to plan beyond the short term, as her post is only secure until February 2012. Head teachers have not reached the point of long term plans and the extended schools work is only planned for six months ahead. Her relationship with the local education authority has changed over time. Initially there was a central team who sent funding ideas, evaluated and gave practical advice, such as health and safety. This team dissolved at the end of March 2011, and Extended Services Coordinators now work with their head teachers. Cocoordinators are appointed by the schools. This coordinator attends other local cluster meetings once a month with two other Extended Services Cluster Coordinators to keep in touch with what they are doing. At present there are nine coordinators for the LEA and at one point there had been fourteen. Some Coordinators have been given new roles that amalgamate different objectives for combining responsibility for Extended Services with Attendance Officer duties.

Organisation Head teachers meet once each term to discuss ideas and decide which should go ahead. The Cocoordinator then develops planning which is passed to heads by e-mail for checking. This is the system that has been used since the cluster was established. There are six schools and a childrens centre the head teachers from each meet with Karen once each term. The Co-coordinator communicates with schools by e-mail and visits each school once a fortnight. There is a contact within each individual school in addition to the head. This contact can be the homes-school liaison officer who speaks the language of the home. The officer works with families on attendance engaging with both children and parents and this is an effective link. This is the case in all of the schools in the cluster apart from two. The lead school holds the budget and the head there is line manager for the Extended Schools Cocoordinator. No one school drives the process. An idea is brought up and discussed on equal terms. The Cluster is still active, but after April it is impossible to predict and entirely dependent upon funding. At present funding for the cluster comes from the Disadvantaged Subsidy (see paragraph 2.5) which gels members of the cluster together but when it stops or is shared in a different way, then the Cluster may dissolve. The funding holds the cluster together. This interviewee felt that in 3

the end, schools work for themselves and are interested in engaging their own parents with their own school. Heads who do not manage to attend meetings tend to be happy with the decisions reached. They receive a copy of the minutes.

School improvement plans There is no formal requirement to base the work on individual school development plans. The last meeting focused on school priorities but only three heads attended. Those attending wanted the consultation survey to be carried out before planning priorities at the next meeting. The substance for the work has not changed. It has always been a core requirement to run a parent network group to persuade parents to come to regular meetings to get involved, to have a voice, to say what they want for their children. Parents will come along for a coffee and chat but they attend less when they realise they are being asked for a greater commitment or involvement. A parent group has been established for the whole Cluster to have one shared meeting in one school or community centre. After one or two coffee and cake afternoons attracted parents, the meetings were inundated but the most recent meetings have had poor attendance, again because parents are sensing that some commitment will be required of them. A member of the Neighbourhood Team attends these meetings to signpost learning opportunities, training such as first aid, literacy, ITC, job seekers information and help with CV writing. Parents are happy with this and take away information. As a result, courses have been set up including healthy eating and lunch box sessions. Parents often put their names down then fail to turn up which makes planning difficult particularly when eight people are needed to make sessions cost effective. The interviewee felt that the parents are interested, but that they are being asked to attend increasing numbers of events and sessions. Budget Budget for 2011-12: 68K excluding coordinators salary all spent for current year.

2.3 Primary school clusters beyond Pennine Lancashire

This conversation took place with a Freelance Extended Services Coordinator working with a cluster of schools in the east of the country. This interviewee feels there is diversity of approach amongst extended schools services and clusters. So for example, her LEA has a different organisational set up to its neighbouring authority.

Extended schools The interviewee had been Extended Services Cluster Coordinator for six years looking after eleven schools within a geographical area. Initially, the authority decided to split up into five Local Area Partnerships (LAPs). Schools were invited to sign up to be extended schools but it was suggested that many did not understand what that meant. Some were very proactive and wanted their Cluster Coordinator to sit within their school. This interviewee found herself based within one primary 4

school and line managed by that head teacher. Extended schools within the cluster were managed by that head. This evolved, after four years the Extended Services Cluster Coordinator was taken away from the schools, and a new management tier was introduced within the local authority.

Local Area Partnerships There are six LAPs within the LEA. These schools were pushed together for the purposes of Extended School Clusters, and initially were unhappy because the groupings had clearly been made by someone without any experience of the communities and based on their geographical closeness on the map. An individual who knew the area would realise where some areas simply did not link. Now the LEA is beginning to describe LAPs as neighbourhoods and have changed the boundaries.

Funding Now, the funding for Extended Services is going directly to schools. Funding is largely for extended services but schools will also be able to add to this with their Disadvantaged Subsidy (see 2.5). Different LEAs might manage this differently, the subsidy is calculated per head of those in school eligible for free schools meals (even if those children dont actually claim those free school meals). LEA will have a database of this information. Schools might choose to label this subsidy, so in this interviewees cluster it is described as the Can Do Subsidy. Schools have already received this subsidy for the year from April. But it is not ring-fenced, it can be spent on anything that the school wants there is no accountability. So for example, the interviewee had worked with one school that is redeveloping their playground with all this money. Bigger schools in more deprived areas are finding themselves cash rich this year. But next year, no one knows. Given this interviewee is now working independently she is hoping schools will continue to pay for her services out of their budget. The government wants schools to have more autonomy and their accountability will come through attainment, results and Ofsted (with questions relating to community engagement, and the expansion of horizons and raising of aspirations). But clearly some schools will be able to make a satisfactory account of their work towards these goals without spending all of the money allocated.

Extended Services Cluster Coordinators The LEA had eight Cluster Coordinators, but on April 30th all but one were made redundant. The trouble with this situation was that whilst schools had their budgets to start on April 1st, they are often not told what their budget will be until later in April or even May, then they have to meet with the finance department, and since there will be several schools and only a few finance staff, the process of holding these conversations takes longer. Some head teachers are more independent, but others take direction from the LEA into the way that the budget should be spent. These conversations might for example, involve a head teacher asking for advice on how to get extra money to develop the playground.

The Extended Schools Cluster Coordinators hoped their roles would be left alone until the summer, giving schools time to digest their budgets and time for the Authority to develop an offer that schools would take up in the summer to start in August. However, the money ran out in April and the schools had not got to grips with their budgets. This also meant the LEA had no capacity to consult with schools and therefore the Traded Services Offer that schools might buy into was not quite what schools wanted.

Freelance Coordination When this interviewee was offered redundancy, the ten primary schools and one nursery in her cluster were firm that they didnt want her or her colleague to go. The 11 schools decided they would buy in the two coordinators on a freelance basis. From there, the coordinators arranged meetings with individual schools. This contrasts with the authoritys offer which presents a somewhat unwieldy and confusing package with sections that schools can dip into. The authority has not considered how schools will be charged for the services, for example a school might want help with a funding bid, but if the bid was not successful, they would not get back the money they had spent on the application. The full offer from the local authority is in the region of 8000 per school and only four schools have as yet accessed any of this Traded Offer. The interviewee felt schools are keen to work with individuals with whom they have built a relationship and rapport. By buying into the Traded Offer, schools could just get anyone when what they actually need is a personal, bespoke service with a known person. The Local Authoritys Extended Schools Services do not offer the full range of possibilities to schools. Clusters have changed, the secondary schools have become preoccupied with academy status, lots of the LAPs have dissolved, and those which have survived are based on friendship and trust groupings between the head teachers (for example one group of male head teachers have naturally gravitated together into a cluster simply because they have bonded over shared interests). Secondary schools are completely different and take a different view. There is a sense that secondary schools are only interested in the primary schools when the children are in year six. There is huge potential to develop transition but is not sure the secondary schools are interested. The bottom line is that clusters depend entirely on schools and their priorities.

Motivation for collaborative initiatives For this interviewee, ultimately all the cluster initiatives are about attendance, aspiration and behaviour and that these are the kind of soft outcomes that are difficult to measure. She is developing a project around mental health and emotional wellbeing as her schools want a package of workshops on this theme. She has drawn together youth workers, sports based team building experts and a local arts organisation.

3 Secondary Schools
The situation for secondary schools seemed very different as Extended Services Coordinator for a local High School suggested: Were very much isolated really as a school we do our own thing and I dont know if thats common in other places.

3.1 Extended services coordinator with a high school

This interview was conducted with an Extended Services Coordinator based in a local high school. In the past the extended schools work had some government funding behind it and this meant there were strategic extended schools managers at local authority. These individuals had a low profile and were based at the LEA and the roles were dissolved with the end of funding for this work. The people on the ground doing grass roots work were those employed to work in the schools. This interviewee was employed by the school. Initially the school had direct links with the strategic managers at the Local Education Authority, who took responsibility for ensuring each school achieved the core offer (see Extended Services paragraph 2.1). These officers at Local Authority might work with a number of schools and would be tasked with ensuring they achieved the core offer by 2011. Funding was available for the schools to employ Extended School Coordinators. Funding came from central government to the LEA then it was allocated to schools. The Extended Services Coordinator then had to look for funders and partners.

Cluster working Working with a cluster was not explicit in the core offer. The interviewee explained that with a changed agenda, the core offer no longer exists. When working as a cluster, the primary schools involved were all partner primary school for the high school so the work built on existing relationships. The cluster was less collaborative than others, and each school focused on what the Extended Services Coordinator could add value to their existing work. Their needs were all slightly different. On his work with the cluster the interviewee said, I didnt find it difficult, just a little bit different, it was like having four jobs to be honest with you. It ended up being three partner schools, one high school and three primary schools:

Each school benefited but they asked for something different. For example when (one of the primary schools) had Ofsted, one of the issues was the community cohesion side was a bit weak. We got some funding through the council, applied for some funding and we did a 12 week community cohesion programme which involved Arabic Calligraphy, Polish dancing, a Masala project where they worked with herbs and spices to produce art. We brought artists in and we did Samba drumming.

(another primary school) had issues regarding space, so we managed to get 10,000 worth of funding and they had an annex building that we could renovate and create that space for extended schools, for their after school clubs. With good relationships between the head teachers in this cluster, the potential remains to work collaboratively, but the interviewee suggests caution, its about giving it enough time. If I popped in next week and said, right, were going to do something in October, it would be difficult. Because theyre quite heavy in terms of their timetable. If an idea is attractive however, the primary schools are keen to be involved. The interviewee however, felt he had to work hard to interest them, sellable sometimes youve got to be like a salesman, and its about believing in the project really. Youve got to believe in the project and youve got to believe the project will benefit the kids.

Current objectives The interviewee finds himself in a new position in which he is tasked with tailoring extended services to the schools specific needs. He spent around three months when he took up post in consultation with parents, children and the community and now he is in a position to build on these findings to better tailor extended schools to the schools needs. He is clearly well thought of by the school has rapport with the children and this success means he now has some autonomy in the direction in which he chooses to take his offer for children and their families. His more successful projects are now embedded into the curriculum and planning cycle, for example he has developed a school radio station and accompanying projects such as radio advertisement competitions and monthly topical live shows which now run regularly. This year has meant blending the extended services offer more closely with the curriculum, bringing a different dimension to the classroom with visitors from outside of school bringing new ideas and creativity. With the radio project this will involve bringing members of the community in for interviews, discussing hot topics and preparing shows based objectives within the curriculum for example from the literacy or RE syllabus.

Impact In the past, the interviewee has been tasked with meeting community cohesion objectives through his extended services work, but largely the impact of the work relates to the raising of self-esteem, development of personal and transferable skills, broadening friendship groups. When we do the projects we work with all the departments, SEN department, high achievers, the Aim Higher, pastoral staff so in terms of the kids were getting sent, its a variation. So therell be a project where youre working with pupils who are A star level and come from affluent backgrounds, to people who are from, not affluent backgrounds. Some people have you know, issues, social issues, self-esteem issues, all those people are blended in into one project. And how they come out of that journey is clearly visible.

3.2 Extended services and attendance officer at a local high school

This interview was conducted with an Extended Services Coordinator and Attendance Officer at a local high school. She has not met with other extended services coordinators for around a year and says, I just kind of get on with what I have to get on with. Her post has been funded for three years, with some of her salary made up of attendance improvement funds and the rest from extended services. Her contract for the extended services work ends in August.

Clusters The interviewees work with the cluster was limited to a simple invitation to primaries to access activity taking place at her school. To this extent, she continues to work in this way, but focusing more specifically on partner primary schools. This would mean individuals would have to make their own financial contribution to the activities taking place, but some would be offered help from the Disadvantaged Subsidy money (see paragraph 2.5). She explained that the Extended Services Cluster did not include many of her schools partner primary schools but she could not explain where the original cluster had come from.

Funding There is no funding for Extended Services and any money that the school has received has contributed to the Coordinators salary. The disadvantaged subsidy is ring-fenced and audited, so she explained that it contributes to her programme of work but she has to use it with caution. Why not? The most useful networking activity in which the coordinator engages is to meet with the Why Not? board. This is a charity for young people with an agenda to prevent youth offending and antisocial behaviour. The regular monthly meetings provide the coordinator with an opportunity to meet with other Extended Services Coordinators. Other representatives at Why Not? meetings include those from the health sector, police and social services so projects can be planned that benefit from the signposting, connections and partnership presented by this network. Why Not? provide activities during the holidays and evenings ranging from drama to multisports. Working in partnership with Why Not? can mean in-kind contributions such as the loan of a school sports hall. Current objectives The interviewees objectives are to try and establish youth provision in the evening for young people in the local area. Her long term focus is to develop the library as an after school drop in that is more accessible, open to parents and suitable for less academic activities like computer gaming. This would help to better engage the community with the school as a local institution. Ultimately she would like establish a youth club open to all local young people. In the short term, she is about to distribute a leaflet promoting the extended services offer and signposting other young peoples services to students. The coordinator presents a development plan each year to her line manager,

the schools Business Manager, but she is not sure whether these objectives are included in the schools improvement plan. Day to day service: extra-curricular PE every evening as well as team sports animal club in science astronomy in science allotment club / gardening club animation every Thursday school reporters every week working on stories for a newsletter gathering information by visiting other clubs they went and did something with the BBC, its like a journalist club library drop in on a Wednesday evening cooking maths puzzles club but this is on a lunchtime before school the dining room is open, like a breakfast club looking to make that more interactive, but just staffing at the moment sports hall is hired out every evening to different sports groups in the area and on a Friday night given free to the Why Nots, they do multisports for local children to get them off the streets

Fundraising The coordinator plans to work with the community and local housing associations when she begins fundraising. The housing associations provide homes for many of the children attending the school and are interested in helping to provide youth club facilities by supporting a bid to Awards for All. The Why Not? team will also support applications. This is the route Im going down, any bid I put in, I want to work with others.

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4. Recommendations
4.1 From conversations with the primary school headteacher, it is recommended that a pitch be made to the active cluster through the identified lead. 4.2 From conversation with extended services coordinstor, it is recommended that a meeting be set up in her local area inviting extended services coordinators from each of the schools and representatives. Without a strong network, there is a clear need for leadership and focus, any ideas suggested would be openly received and interested subgroups could then choose to work together. 4.3 It is recommended that a meeting be arranged with the local primary school extended services coordinator interviewed, who from there, can facilitate a meeting with the head teachers in her cluster. 4.4 Given the emphasis within these interview accounts on the importance of purpose in cluster working, it is recommended that Curious Minds identify funding sources and invite schools to meet and consider collaborative working to achieve successful funding bids that will allow them to access Curious Minds Services to Schools.

5. Conclusions
This report has presented the findings of five interviews, four of which were conducted with Extended Services Coordinators and the remaining with a Head Teacher leading a cluster. It demonstrates that there are more differences than similarities in the way that schools are working together. Extended services initiatives are no longer the key driving force for cluster working in the way that they have been during the last six years. Each of the interviewees stressed the centrality of funding and of personal relationships in driving schools to work together. Clusters are formed around a funding purpose along with individual personalities. If head teachers get along, they will work collaboratively. If they have developed a long and trusting relationship with their extended services coordinator, they will strive to maintain the relationship. The interviews suggest there is potential to galvanise schools into cluster working if it is possible to signpost available funding and suggest inspiring projects from which a collaborative approach will benefit.

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6. Appendices
6.1 Glossary of terms
6.1.1 Extended Services

A programme of work formally launched in 2006 to deliver the policy set out in Extended Schools: schools, families, communities working together. In 2010 the school circular Extended Schools Building on Good Practice refreshed policy and disseminated good examples. Extended Schools -schools, families, communities - working together PDF 1,010 KB Extended_Schools_Circular_2010 English PDF 190KB School were encouraged to deliver a Core Offer which combined: a varied menu of activity (catch up and stretch activities, arts activities, sports activities, and other recreational activities such as special interest clubs) parenting support (information for parents, access to parenting groups and family learning sessions) community access to school facilities swift and easy access to targeted and special services (children with additional needs or at risk of poor outcomes)

6.1.2 Local Childrens Trust Partnerships Setting out to address particular needs. These local area needs are set out in appendix 2. 6.1.3 Future Learning Trust A trust school is a state funded foundation school supported by a charitable trust and made up of

the school and partners working together for the benefit of the school
http://trustschools.ssatrust.org.uk/schools/trust_schools.aspx 6.1.4 Sports Partnerships Sport Partnerships were familiar to the Hyndburn and Burnley interviewees, and are partnerships with the aim of achieving high quality sport and physical education. See for example http://www.burnleyssp.co.uk/ 6.1.5 Disadvantaged subsidy The Additional Standards Fund Grant or Disadvantaged Subsidy Grant is available to support children and young people to access extended services. In the past it had been proposed that schools manage these resources in partnership, but now the funds go directly to the individual school. This finance is to provide support for economically disadvantaged children and young people 12

to access extended services which would not be available to them without financial assistance. These children are identified according to their entitlement to free school meals. The sum is calculated per head, with the assumption that only 60% of those eligible for free school meals will actually access the provision. The overall aim of this subsidy under the last government was to narrow the gap in attainment and wellbeing. 6.1.6 Local Area Partnerships Local Area Partnerships are geographical groupings of schools for the purposes of extended services provision. The often match the area organisation of other children and family services and sometimes a wide range of community services.

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6.2 Interview Questions

Extended schools clusters

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Whats your brief for extended schools this year? What do you expect to be doing in the short, medium and long term? How do you plan this work? (Who sees that plan?) How is it different from last year? What objectives are you tasked with achieving?

6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

Which schools are part of the cluster (or have been)? How do you communicate do you meet (did you meet)? Who represents (represented) each school (head, teacher...) Is one school a particular driver of extended schools cluster projects? If the cluster is no longer functioning why not? In what circumstances might you work together again?

12. What has been your relationship with the local authority and how has this changed? (e.g. were you appointed by the LEA, are you now appointed by the school?) 13. Do you work with other extended schools coordinators locally who and how?

14. Are there elements of the school improvement plan that you are tasked with achieving through extended schools work? How does / did this work when part of a cluster?

15. Are you aware of Curious Minds? What do you know of their work? 16. What are your perceptions of the services Curious Minds can offer to you? 17. If CM wanted to tell you more / open a dialogue, what in your opinion would be the best way to do this?

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6.3 Local Area Needs Each area of Lancashire has its own characteristics and specific areas of need. This is a summary of agreed priorities to meet local needs. These priorities will help us to commission services together for children, young people and their families.

Burnley - Foundation learning and parental support at Early Years - School attendance - Drugs and alcohol abuse - Domestic abuse Emerging issues: - Child obesity - Teenage conceptions Chorley - Early Intervention - Reducing the number of NEET - Things to do / places to go - Reducing risk taking behaviours Fylde - Persistent absence - Emotional health and wellbeing - Child obesity Hyndburn - Child sexual exploitation - Drugs and alcohol misuse - Domestic abuse Lancaster - Improving the health and wellbeing - Reducing the number of NEET - Improving outcomes for vulnerable groups (16-17 year olds) - Things to do / places to go Pendle - Narrow the gap in educational attainment - Reducing the number of NEET (16-18) - Infant mortality - Health - reducing child obesity 15

- Safeguarding Preston - Supporting parents and families in priority areas to reduce neglect - Reducing teenage pregnancies - Reducing the number of NEET - Reducing child obesity Ribble Valley - Family/parenting issues - Emotional health and wellbeing - Places to go / things to do - Personal safety / risk taking behaviour Rossendale - Provide support to family victims of domestic abuse - Reducing risk taking behaviours - Improve outcomes for 16 -17 year olds moving to independent living - Narrow the gap in educational attainment South Ribble - Early Intervention - Things to do / places to go - Risk taking behaviour West Lancashire - School exclusions - Narrow the gap in educational attainment - Improving breastfeeding - Reducing child obesity - Things to do / places to go Wyre - Volunteering and community involvement experiences for those at risk of becoming NEET or involved in criminal activity - Develop the Fleetwood Integrated Services Model - Support for parents / carers to help them enhance the emotional / physical wellbeing of their children - Promoting emotional health and positive perceptions of young people across Trust activity

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6.4

Letter from Mr Gove

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7. Other references
Department for Education, 2011 Extended services evaluation: The role of local authorities. Thematic review available at https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR088.pdf Childrens Trusts in Lancashire, 2009 Lancashire children and young peoples plan 209-2012, LCC, Preston Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2009 Your child, your schools, our future: building a 21st century schools system, The Stationary Office, Norwich. Lancashire County Councils Extended Services available at http://lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/web/?Extended_Services/26063

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