Peter Mayne 2008 1

Schools in the Community

• Session Outline

• The importance of the school being part of the community

• Promoting community involvement in school

• Government initiatives

Peter Mayne 2008 2

Schools in the Community

Being involved in the community is all well and good but I’ve got a school to

run!

Activity

Spend 3 minutes listing all your reasons why a school should be involved in the community.

Do this on your own.

Now share these with others.

Schools in the Community

Schools are clearly part of the community; notice the furore when

schools are threatened with closure. Schools use public money, and are a resource to serve the community.

Peter Mayne 2008 4

Schools in the Community

• The community is also a resource to enhance the opportunities the school gives its pupils.

Peter Mayne 2008 5

We can’t teach in isolation

• Schools are part of a partnership. • 8760 hours in a year, 1235 are spent in

school (15%) • 7525 (85%) outside school • 4015 hours asleep • 3510 hours (40%) of time influenced by

home and the community, so important to involve community.

Peter Mayne 2008 6

Promoting Community Involvement

• Family Learning

• Skilled parents and other adults

• Massive learning resource

• Older members of the community

• Learning by improving and using the environment

Peter Mayne 2008 7

Family Learning

• Involves LAs and their partners, schools museums, libraries, community and voluntary groups.

• Money has been provided for this in deprived areas, with broad objectives to raise achievement and widen participation in order to counter social exclusion.

Peter Mayne 2008 8

Family Learning

• School is seen as a safe place, but for many parents it may be associated with negative experiences.

Peter Mayne 2008 9

Family Learning

• Family Learning refers to • Learning within the family, • Learning to help people operate as or

within a family, promotion of lifelong learning.

• Family is deliberately not defined and should provide opportunities for intergenerational learning.

Peter Mayne 2008 10

Benefits

• Research supports fact that children do better if supported at home, or by community.

• Need to engage with parents so that they can help their children. We are not in a position to make judgements but have to understand the community the children come from.

Peter Mayne 2008 11

Benefits

• Sharing of knowledge benefits the children• Parents can gain skills in supporting

learning opportunities• Mistrust is minimized• Parent involvement in learning encourages

pupils to see value in learning

Peter Mayne 2008 12

Key Questions

• How can parents contribute to raising standards?

• What are the benefits for children? How can we use the community as a resource?

• How can a school ensure that all are signed up to this philosophy?

• What are the learning opportunities in the home and how can these be maximised?

Peter Mayne 2008 13

Skilled Adults

• Parents have many skills that can benefit the school.

• They don’t have to be academically inclined to be positively involved.

Peter Mayne 2008 14

Massive Learning Resource

• There is a rich learning environment waiting to be used

• By involving the community we can make learning have a ’real’ basis

Peter Mayne 2008 15

Older Members of the Community

• Recently retired

• Older peoples experiences

• Opportunity to build up trust.

Peter Mayne 2008 16

Learning by improving and using the environment

• Children taking part in community projects

• Local study

Peter Mayne 2008 17

Every Child Matters

• What does ‘Every Child Matters’ involve?• Closer co-operation between agencies

responsible for children’s well being such as schools, social workers, the police and health professionals.

• The national framework for change (Every Child Matters) is now underpinned by the Children Act 2004.

Peter Mayne 2008 18

Every Child Matters

• Why has it come about?

• It follows from the recommendations of the inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie.

Peter Mayne 2008 19

Every Child Matters

• What are the essential elements of Every Child Matters?

• The key is to it is meeting 5 stated outcomes which are regarded as vital to the children’s well being.

Peter Mayne 2008 20

Every Child Matters

• 5 Outcomes of Every Child matters• Be healthy• Stay Safe• Enjoy and achieve• Make a positive contribution• Achieve economic well being• All relevant agencies have a responsibility to

meet all 5 outcomes.

Peter Mayne 2008 21

Every Child Matters

• Safe

• Healthy

• Enjoy and achieve

• Economic well being

• Positive well being

Peter Mayne 2008 22

Every Child Matters

• Activity

• Using the information provided look at 2 outcomes and outline how schools might meet the outcomes. Be prepared to feed this back to other groups.

Peter Mayne 2008 23

A Major Development

Extended Schools• The notion of extended schools is part of the

Governments 5 Year strategy for Children and Learners and 10 Year strategy for Childcare.

• By 2010 all children should have access to a variety of activities beyond the school day (8.am to 6.00pm)

Peter Mayne 2008 24

By 2010, all children should have access to a variety of activities beyond the school day. Well-organised, safe and stimulating activities before and after school provide children and young people with a wider range of experiences and make a real difference to their chances at school. It gives them the opportunity to keep fit and healthy, to acquire new skills, to build on what they learn during the school day or simply to have fun and relax.

Ruth Kelly 2005

Peter Mayne 2008 25

Extended Schools

• What are extended schools?• What are the advantages?• What are the issues?• In your opinion does it add value to the lives of young

people?

• How does it relate to the key questions of the Primary Review? (Look at Children and Childhood and parent caring and education sections)

• How does it relate to Every Child matters?

Peter Mayne 2008 26

Extended Schools

• What does this mean for the primary phase?• A range of study support activities, sports, arts,

music, homework clubs, etc• Parenting support opportunities, including family

learning• Swift and easy referrals from school to

specialised support services• Childcare available at least 8am- 6pm term time

and holidays.

Peter Mayne 2008 27

Primary Review

Community Soundings

1. Children’s views (4 students) 2. Teaching Assistants Views3. Teachers Views4. Governors views5. Heads views6. Other community representatives views

Work in pairs to produce 10 bullet points which demonstrate key findings.

http://www.primaryreview.org.uk/Downloads/Int_Reps/1.Com_Sdg/Primary_Review_Community_Soundings_report.pdf

Peter Mayne 2008 28

References• DfES (2004) Every Child Matters London: HMSO• Kyriacou, C (1997) Effective Teaching in Schools Stanley Thornes• Preedy, M (1993) Managing the Effective School London,

Chapman• Sullivan M (1988) Parents and Schools Leamington spa Scholastic

• www.ofsted.gov.uk Office for Standards in Education• www.everychildmatters.gov.uk• www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications• www.teachernet.gov.uk/extendedschools• http://www.primaryreview.org.uk/Publications/Interimreports.html• http://www.primaryreview.org.uk/Downloads/Int_Reps/1.Com_Sdg/

Primary_Review_Community_Soundings_report.pdf