extended school - Doubled Up

Hoorah! The final part! Here it is. Happy reading...

20) Use of Premises: Governors of maintained schools have control of the use of the premises outside school hours, with some exceptions (eg community schools). Governors must be sympathetic to the needs of the local community, but any use by the community must cover its own costs and not be subsidised by the school.

21) Extended Schools: GBs may provide facilities or services that have a ‘charitable purpose’ for the benefit of pupils and the local community. Governors must consult with the LA, staff, parents and (if appropriate) pupils before offering services or providing facilities.

Any childcare provided by the school will be inspected by Ofsted as part of the school inspection. Any childcare not provided by the school must be registered with Ofsted.

22) Providing Information: GBs must provide their LA with information about their arrangements for pupils with special needs. In addition to this, Community and Foundation Special Schools must make information available to primary care trusts, parents and prospective parents.

• Each year, schools must produce a prospectus which must include the following:
  • arrangements for the admission of pupils with disabilities
  • details of steps to prevent disabled pupils being treated less favourably than other
  • pupils
  • details of existing facilities to assist access to the school by pupils with disabilities
  • the accessibility plan covering future policies for increasing access to the school by pupils with disabilities
  • information about the governing body’s policy on pupils with SEN and any changes to the policy during the last year

• Schools may include any other information in their prospectus that they see as useful to parents and prospective parents.

• In addition, schools must complete an online school profile yearly, and GBs should produce an annual report for parents – page 203 of the Guide to the Law gives details of exactly what should be included.

• The GB should have a written home-school agreement which explains the school’s values etc.

• The GB is responsible for ensuring that the school keeps a curricular record of all children’s achievements (both academic and other skills) and that these are updated at least annually. This must be made available to parents should they request it in writing, although some information can be kept by the school and this is listed on page 204 of the Guide to the Law.

• Maintained schools must provide an annual written report for all pupils.

• As of Sept 2008, schools should be moving towards online reporting. Secondary schools should be doing this by 2010 and primary by 2012. (I had no idea about this, so have had a brief look at Jim Knight’s letter to head teachers, panicked, and resolved to look at it another time. When I do, I’ll put more info in a blog!)

• GBs must act in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.

I’ve been reading a bit about FILMCLUB.

I came across it today when browsing the latest Governors magazine, under a heading; Free Flicks for Schools. Having looked at the website, it seems that FILMCLUB is just that. It is a huge on-line DVD library, offering a massive variety of films from around the world. Great. I love films, my kids love films and best of all, they love coming to the cinema with me and their dad – you know, those things most people call parents.

A few things worry me about this club. Firstly, it is funded by the DCSF. Yes, I know films are great and I know much can be learnt through them, but what I foresee is that some schools will use them as a great baby sitting device during extended schools hours, or as an easy means of raising money for the parent-teacher association. And I don’t really like that. I strictly limit television at home, both time-wise and content-wise. When my children are at school, I don’t want them looked after by an electronic babysitter. I want them to be interacting with other children, learning, thinking, playing.

A big irony of this film club is that one of the founders, Lindsay Mackie, is the Chair of the Readers and Writers Committee and was involved in setting up the national book club programme, Reading for Pleasure. Now she claims that; “Films have the power to raise your gaze and raise your game and give you a ticket to pleasure and enlightenment forever more....”

Looking at the list of movies for 5-8 year olds, I can’t help but wonder how A Bug’s Life, Chicken Run and Mr Bean, great fun though they are, are going to raise any child’s game.

Here’s a bit more from the website that, quite frankly, made me want to throw up. It is a quote from the Film Director, Beeban Kidron:

“I think that stories and the telling of stories are the foundations of human communication and understanding. If children all over the country are watching films, asking questions and telling their stories, then the world will eventually be a better place.

I completely agree – the telling of stories is the foundation of communication, but I think that they are best told by another human being. And I really think it is a bit rich to suggest that watching films is likely to make the world a better place. I think that telling stories, asking questions and philosophizing is far better done around the dinner table with the family, or at bedtime with a good book.

The website goes on to report that: “Teachers were taken by the opportunity to bond with their pupils in a different environment and pupils were excited by the opportunity to be transported to different worlds with their friends.”

For pity’s sake! If teachers want to bond with their pupils, how about going on an outward bound course? How about carrying out some team building activities on the sports field? Or having a discussion about something that is happening in the news that may be of interest to children and adults alike? And as far as being transported into different worlds with their friends is concerned – just because someone is sitting next to you while a big screen is moving in front of you both, doesn’t mean that you are doing something together. It means that you are both in your own little bubble with no chance of communicating with another human being because you don’t want to miss any of the film.

Don’t get me wrong. Of course there is a place for films. But at a time when watching television is sadly the top UK pastime and when there is an ever-increasing problem with obesity, I don’t think that that place is necessarily in schools.

Yesterday we went to see my 9 year old nephew perform in his choir. Three primary schools had each been given a section of a musical to practise, then they had come together for two rehearsals before putting on a performance. It was fantastic.

Aside from enjoying the singing, I was equally impressed with the teamwork between schools. Firstly the bringing together of three schools for the performance, and secondly the fact that the local grammar school had allowed them full use of their facilities on a Saturday afternoon.

The performance took place in the main hall and was followed by a BBQ in the school grounds. Soon all the children (there were about 90) and most of their dads had taken over the football pitch and were playing the most chaotic game of football I have ever seen.

Meanwhile, the smaller children were feeding the school sheep with dandelion leaves and pumping water out of the well.

When we left, a breakaway group of teenagers were still enjoying the lovely weather and had music playing while they chatted amongst themselves.

The sense of community was immense and there was absolutely no sign that the older teenagers were drinking too much or that there would be any kind of trouble. No one who shouldn't have been there tried to crash the party and the school gates (and back door) remained open all afternoon. And this school is situated in the centre of a (admittedly not huge) town.

It is as if, without even trying, the Germans here had already successfully achieved what we are aiming to do with extended schools.