Post September 2011: Exit Strategy for

Extended Services Cluster(LAP 5 and 6)

Introduction:

In January and February 2011 the Extended School Cluster Coordinator for LAPs 5 and 6 arranged meetings with the Headteacher and Extended Schools Coordinator for all 19 schools in the current Cluster partnership. The aims of the meeting were to evaluate the success of the present Cluster model for delivery of Extended Services, and to discuss future models of partnership working, in line with changes to Extended Services delivery within the Authority from September 2011. 18 meetings with schools took place, and written feedback was collected from all 19 Schools.

Views on current cluster partnership (LAP 5 and 6)

All schools felt that the key strength of the current Cluster partnership had been the information-sharing opportunities that have become established over the last three years, promoting joint service delivery, holiday activities and staff training opportunities. It was recognised that the Extended Schools Cluster Coordinator had been effective at filtering information, making sure it reached appropriate contacts in schools, and reducing the duplication of information being sent to individuals in schools by differentLondon Borough of Tower Hamlets agencies. Someschools identified a range of future staff training needs, around project/budget management and (parent) volunteering.

Many schools felt that the annual audit process, which then fed through into the Cluster gap analysis, had also been an effective tool, particularly in keeping Extended Services on the agenda with School Governors, and they would like this exercise to continue through the restructured Extended Services Advisory Team.

The majority of schools, however, did not view the termly Cluster Network meetings as a success. Many respondents felt that many of the meetings were chiefly a roll-call of third sector providers promoting services, and there was only a limited focus on agenda items linked to the specific delivery of extended services within schools. It was suggested by some schools that it would be more effective to host borough wide meetings for third sector organisations to promote their current support services. Many schools also felt that the Cluster Network meetings had been hosted at times inconvenient for staff, due to teaching commitments.

Most schools felt the Cluster model had helped them deliver effective joint delivery of extended services. Some projects were viewed more favourably than others. All five schools where part-time Parent Support Partner posts had been funded from the cluster budget, for example, felt that these posts had been extremely successful, and in many cases are planning to increase the posts to full-time.

Opinions on the success of the mini-Cluster Social Care offer were more mixed, although most schools felt that the role of the three lead schools in managing the individual Social Workers’ time allocations had been reasonably effective. Smaller-scale projects, such as the welfare/benefits advice programme, were viewed as being more successful than some of the larger commissioned projects, such as the Community Cohesion and Adult Learning projects.

Views on future mini-cluster working

From the responses of the 19 schools, two mini-Clusters have emerged, involving 15 Schools. The remaining four schools would prefer to work independently, or align themselves with Clusters in other LAP areas.

Mini-Cluster (1) East London Schools Partnership (5 Schools)

The majority of schools within LAP 5 are currently part of the East London Schools Partnership. Schools involved are Central Foundation Girls’ School, Olga, Malmesbury, Chisenhale & Phoenix. There are also two schools within the partnership from LAPS 3 and 4: Halley and Sir William Burrough. The partnership links are currently stronger with Halley than with Sir William Burrough.

This partnership has been running for over ten years. This partnership currently involves:

  • All the schools within the partnership meet on a half-termly basis. Headteachers attend these meetings, which rotate between schools. Schools currently provide the necessary administrative support for these meetings.
  • Funding is disbursed to each school within the partnership each year. Part of this funding is as a direct grant. The remainder is for joint project working with the other Schools, joint projects include Ecology and Creative Arts, and a collective link with seven schools in South Africa.
  • Activities listed above run as lunchtime/after-school sessions.

Of the five Schools in this partnership in Laps 5 and 6, all five schools expressed an interest in developing a more formal partnership structure to coordinate delivery of Extended Services., although not to the extent of developing a formally constituted body. All the schools would be prepared to continue to host meetings. Central Foundation Girls’ School would be prepared to manage a budget. Malmesbury may be prepared to write joint fundraising bids, as long as there is a clear benefit to their school. Finally, Central Foundation Girls’ School, Chisenhale & Malmesbury would be prepared to co-ordinate service delivery.

Beyond this partnership some of the schools would want to develop looser links with other LAP 5 and 6 schools, including Central Foundation Girls’ School with Bow Boys, Wellington, and OldPalace. Malmesbury want to develop links with Guardian Angels.

Phoenix would continue to develop their links with Morpeth in LAPs 1 and 2 in developing joint provision of after-school activities for children with autism.

Three schools in LAP 5 would not be part of the partnership, these are Guardian Angels, Bow Boys & Old Ford.

Mini-Cluster (2) Mile End & Bromley-by-Bow Schools (10 Schools)

The majority of schools in LAP 6, plus Guardian Angels and Bow Boys from LAP5, see the value in sustaining a very loose network consisting of information-sharing, and in the longer term, continuation of, and development of, new joint project activity between Schools.

Within this loose partnership of 10 schools there are likely to be subject and activity-led clusters between smaller groups of schools, reflecting the different priorities for different groups of schools.One grouping is likely to consist of curriculum development led by St Paul’s Way around different subject specialisms, eg the Faraday (Science) mini-Cluster, linking St Paul’s Way with Clara Grant, St Paul with St Luke, Stebon, Marner & Mayflower (LAP 7).

Guardian Angels and Stebon have worked together developing links around Community Cohesion. Wellington would like to continue links with both Bow Boys and Central Foundation Girls’ School around support for children from the traveller community. St Agnes shares places on collaborative INSET with Wellington and Guardian Angels.

A number of schools would be willing to host, and possibly provide administration support for meetings. These areSt Paul’s Way, Clara Grant, OldPalace, and St Paul with St Luke. St Paul’s Way may be prepared to take a lead in developing joint fundraising. Many Schools see the value in sustaining joint project delivery, including Stebon, OldPalace, St Paul with St Luke andSt Paul’s Way.

Mini-Cluster (3) Poplar Partnership : MarnerSchool

MarnerPrimary School, which is already in the Poplar Partnership, would like to formalise its links with this group. Marner may be willing to coordinate limited joint project delivery, and in the longer term, fundraise in partnership with the other Poplar Partnership Schools.

Mini-Cluster (4) : Old Ford & Culloden Partnership

These two schools, which share an Executive Headteacher, wish to formalise a partnership. One identified priority for the two schools is to expand (parent) volunteering to support staffing of after-school and holiday provision.

Schools Working Alone

The remaining three schools within Lap 5 and 6 are all Special Schools and share the belief that they would prefer to work independently on the delivery of Extended Services. Bowden House School is located in Seaford, East Sussex, although would like to continue to work with the Central LBTH Extended Services team to develop its Community Access provision, based on redevelopment of the school site as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme, which should be completed by April 2012.

CherryTreesPrimary School has identified its priority to identify new funding streams to support the continuation of its after-school provision.

Finally, IanMikardoHigh School would also like support to develop its Community Access provision around its return to its rebuilt site in May 2011.

Mini-Cluster (1) East London Schools Partnership / LAP
Central Foundation Girls’ School / 5
ChisenhalePrimary School / 5
MalmesburyPrimary School / 5
OlgaPrimary School / 5
PhoenixSpecialSchool / 5
SirWilliamBurroughPrimary School / 7
HalleyPrimary School / 7
Mini-Cluster (2) Mile End and Bromley by Bow / LAP
BowBoysSchool / 5
St Paul’s WayTrustSchool / 6
GuardianAngelsPrimary School / 5
WellingtonPrimary School / 6
StebonPrimary School / 6
St Paul with St LukeCEPrimary School / 6
St AgnesRCPrimary School / 6
OldPalacePrimary School / 6
ClaraGrantPrimary School / 6
Children’s HouseNursery School / 6
Mini-Cluster (3) Poplar Partnership / LAP
MarnerPrimary School / 6
BygrovePrimary School / 7
LansburyLawrencePrimary School / 7
ManorfieldPrimary School / 7
MayflowerPrimary School / 7
St Saviours Primary School / 7
WoolmorePrimary School / 7
Mini-Cluster (4) Old Ford/Culloden Partnership / LAP
OldFordPrimary School / 5
CullodenPrimary School / 7
Schools Working Alone / LAP
IanMikardoHigh School (Special) / 6
CherryTreesSchool (Special) / 6
BowdenHouseSchool (Residential, Special) (based in Seaford, East Sussex) / 6

* Schools in Italics are not in Laps 5 and 6