A successful community learning centre: a case study

scameron — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:39:14 +0100

Where we stand

Building school-community partnerships

scameron — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:24:57 +0100

Better Together
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Understanding ability grouping

scameron — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:31:42 +0000

Ability grouping is a generic term used to describe different types of organisation based on pupils’ perceived ability. One of the biggest areas of confusion in the field is the associated terminology – it is often the case that the same term is used to talk about different types of grouping or different vocabulary to talk about the same approach. The table below gives key terms and definitions as adapted from Sukhnandon and Lee (1998).
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Creating a primary school: amalgamation

scameron — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:30:56 +0100

We were two years into Hafise’s headship, having survived TLR restructuring, an Ofsted inspection under the new framework, and an Investors in People assessment. Hafise had completed the new heads programme, and we could have wondered what further demands could possibly arise for us, the headteacher and chair of governors of a primary school in Havering. We might have expected nothing more than having to keep up with new pieces of legislation, work creatively through the SEF and keep the school improvement plan on track. An amalgamation was not a challenge that we had anticipated!
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Extended services across a cluster

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:53 +0100
This case study outlines the work that has been undertaken to ensure that our extended schools provision is strategic and joined up in reality, not just rhetoric. It also explains what makes multi-agency collaboration work for us at Coleshill Heath and in other schools across North Solihull and looks at some of the innovative ways we have enhanced our delivery and ensured it is long term and part of a bigger picture. The box below sets out the background to the development of extended schools provision in North Solihull.

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Support for all: extended and outreach services

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:51 +0100

Priory School and the Borough of Barnsley
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Speaking school finances: business and education

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:51 +0100
A couple of weeks ago, I contributed to an online debate on the NCSL website about schools’ approach to financial management. The discussion focused on the relationship between headteachers and business managers, and on the level of understanding of finance required for the leaders of a school whose primary focus is on learning and teaching.

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Sustainable nursery schools: Environmental review at EYFS

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:50 +0100
Monkchester Road Nursery School and Family Centre is a local authority nursery school in Newcastle upon Tyne providing 104 full time places for three- to four-year-olds. More than half the children access free school meals and approximately 15% have special educational needs.

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Elective home education: parental rights and constraints

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:49 +0100

Human beings are often characterised by seeking perfect solutions to intractable problems. This is manifested in many forms according to the situation. It can range from looking for the crock of gold at the end of the rainbow to a Valhalla which will satisfy all needs and wants.

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Community learning in action

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:42 +0100

Mitchell High School

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Raising achievement through extended schools

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:41 +0100
Why do the overwhelming majority of schools run a manic day that finishes around 3.15pm? The succession of bells and queues leaves little time to talk and to think. And the shortness of lessons can easily create the feeling of a ‘conveyer belt curriculum.’ And what is the point of building schools with fantastic ICT facilities if students are sent home at the end of the day to places that do not have anything like the same resources, where they cannot access professionals able to help and support them?
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Making extended schools work

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:36 +0100
The Government's extended schools strategy requires that, by 2010, every state school in the UK is delivering at least the ‘core offer’ of extended services and, as this deadline approaches, the issue is moving higher up the agenda for many schools.

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Engaging governance: teaching and learning involvement

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:34 +0100
Perhaps one of the first things to consider when working with governors is not what they want from you, but what support they can offer to you and ultimately the learners. Governors bring a wealth of expertise from their life experiences and working environments, many of which are transferrable skills that you can utilise.
When working with governors on curriculum issues, it is important that you inform them of issues that affect your school at present, relative to the school improvement plan and in relation to national/government initiatives. These include:

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Extended services – the inside story

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:34 +0100

Hengrove Community Arts College is a mixed school for students aged 11-19. It is located in South Bristol and serves one of the most deprived areas in the country.

Just over three years ago (January 2004) it went into special measures. At that time the key issues facing the college included to:
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Vertical tutoring and the personalisation agenda

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:31 +0100

What’s long, strong and surprisingly popular? The answer, you may be surprised to hear, is a vertical tutor group. Having both worked as heads of year we had thought of ourselves as strong advocates of the horizontal, year-based pastoral system that still prevails in most schools in this country. However, we now look back on our move to a vertical system – within which tutor groups are equally comprised of students drawn from all year groups within the school – as one of the strongest school improvement measures that we have introduced to the school.

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A classroom of the future?

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:25 +0100

In September 2001, the then DfEE invited schools to bid for cash to build architecturally inspiring Classrooms of the Future ‘with the aim of challenging current thinking on school building design’. Over 90 local authorities and Education Action Zones (EAZs) put in bids and 12 were selected to share the £13m. Environmentally sustainable projects and those that incorporated wider community use were given precedence.
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Primary assemblies guidance I: Values

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:25 +0100

Assembly is a key event in primary school life. In most primaries it is possible to gather the whole community of children and staff together in one place. Quite often – weekly in many schools – it is also possible to include a number of parents and other community friends. This presents the school’s leadership with the opportunity to set out and reinforce, every working day, the school’s preferred values.
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Speaking school finances: extended schools

ewtemp — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:21 +0100

By Ruth Bradbury

At the conference, there were several mentions of the extended schools agenda – particularly in relation to fundraising issues – but also a number of more general points about the role of the extended school in the community. A couple of the speakers clarified and reinforced my own views about the initiative and the way that it fits not only into wider national agendas but also – ultimately – into the drive to raise standards of attainment in our schools.
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World heritage - examining the threats

ewtemp — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:20 +0100

One cannot fail to be inspired by the human effort it took to build the Great Wall of China; or to be awed by the sheer power of Victoria Falls in Zambia; or to witness the result of the most destructive force ever created by humankind at Hiroshima in Japan. The care and protection of these World Heritage Sites falls to individual nations that have ratified the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Nations have committed to protect, conserve and manage the sites for future generations. But despite all this, damage can and does happen.
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Making connections: networking to improve teaching and learning

ewtemp — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:20 +0100

Networks are an increasingly important feature of contemporary life. Modern organisations understand their importance for innovation and knowledge exchange, and within the education sector it is now understood that organisational isolation inhibits learning. There are now many schools, both in the UK and internationally, that are benefiting from working together as a network. These schools are harnessing the potential of collaboration, while reducing the damaging aspects of competition between schools.
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Networking for whole-school improvement: a case study

ewtemp — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:20 +0100

In 2003, Blackburn with Darwen’s secondary schools decided to apply to become one of the National College for School Leadership’s (NCSL) Networked Learning Communities (NLCs). John Westwell, Des Callaghan, Joanne Emberton and Jenny England describe the background to that decision.
Opportunities and principles
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Community cohesion - will history help?

ewtemp — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:19 +0100

‘Community cohesion’ may have gone into the Education and Inspections Act 2006 as an afterthought but we can be sure that Ofsted is even now planning how to enforce the obligation.
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Quality teaching and learning - one school's success

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:17 +0100

Few would doubt that secondary education is arguably the most challenging stage of education because students mature and individuate on their journey towards adulthood. Concurrently, society places increasingly high academic demands upon them. This situation creates a key question: how can a secondary school support the social and emotional development of its students, while having a climate for learning that promotes academic excellence? Some head teachers believe they have found the answer!
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Assessment for learning and cooperative learning strategies

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:16 +0100

This case study exemplifies how Fallibroome High School has completed an enquiry into the combination of cooperative learning strategies and assessment for learning with the aim of promoting feedback loops relating to assessment and reflective learning in the classroom.

The school
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Active community involvement

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:16 +0100

Volunteering is an enjoyable way of putting theory into practice and contributing to the community. Advantages include meeting people from a variety of walks of life, making new friends, working as part of a team, learning new skills, widening experience, enhancing employability prospects and achieving personal growth. On top of this, it can be great fun!

Youth-led volunteering
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Working with parents of students: a case study

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:15 +0100

It is in the unusual position of being on several county boundaries and influenced by all: Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and not far away from Cambridgeshire – all with their differing selection procedures, school structures and admissions policies.
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The importance of windows on the school

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:12 +0100

One might conclude from studying these that we had our finger on the pulse of schools: making key appointments, framing the agenda, monitoring standards, setting targets, promoting good behaviour and occasionally providing an informal ‘fair trial’ for staff and students in trouble. The reality for many typical school governors falls ludicrously short of this fantasy despite their goodwill, their commitment and the skill of their trainers.
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The impact of extended schools on G&T students

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:12 +0100

We have a long-standing tradition of wide-ranging extra-curricular activities that provide pupils with a wealth of new experiences, challenges and opportunities to develop and demonstrate new talents. This is especially true of G&T pupils who thrive on the additional opportunities and are frequently, as in most schools, the first to sign up for after school activities.
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Assembly: a chance to stress your values

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:11 +0100

Sometimes it doesn’t do to think too hard about why we do things in school. Remember the ‘sabre-tooth curriculum’? (I’ll tell you at the end if you’ve forgotten.) I have to say, though, that I’m perfectly clear about the core purpose of assembly. It is an opportunity to bring to life – to articulate and demonstrate – the core values of the school community.
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Communicating with parents: formal approaches

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:10 +0100

Formal communication tends to be planned in advance; is concerned with getting accurate information across and will often be written. Used appropriately, it can help you to successfully meet the needs of your organisation and those who use it.

Policy statements

Policy statements are a key feature of formal communication in early years settings. They should be drawn up in consultation with all stakeholders and be regularly reviewed. Key documentation will include:
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Community learning environments: a business manager's perspective

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:09 +0100

As a school situated in a socially deprived area, with students unable to experience wider opportunities, Withernsea Junior School is continually looking for new ways to enrich and promote the enjoyment of its students’ education. More recently, as the extended schools agenda has gathered pace, we have also considered what we might offer to our community.
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Introducing Every Child Matters - routes through the curriculum

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:08 +0100

Every Child Matters encompasses principles that few would argue with as being what all involved with the care and education of young people should strive for. But three years in, are schools succeeding in putting ECM into practice to full effect? This month’s Case in Point investigates.
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On course for delivering Every Child Matters

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:08 +0100

Ninestiles School has had notable success in implementing the Every Child Matters (ECM) agenda in difficult local circumstances. While that agenda is delivered formally through planned lessons, these are located in a wider school context that promotes high expectations and supports maximum student achievement.
School context

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The art of getting real

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:08 +0100

Being real

For some time now, our education system has been in thrall to a doctrine that education is about the transfer of officially-approved knowledge through officially-mandated teaching methods. As a result, teacher training focuses more and more on major learning objectives and assessment for learning rather than on how people develop, communicate, learn and make sense of things.
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More encouragement for extended schools

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:05 +0100

Planning and funding extended schools, follows on from the prospectus, Access to services and opportunities for all, issued in June last year.
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The value(s) of community

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:55 +0100

In the National Curriculum both the guidelines for PSHE and the programmes of study for citizenship see individuals as members of communities. To summarise, students should:
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Schools and the 2012 Olympics

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:54 +0100

Addressing the International Olympic Committee before the announcement of the city that would host the 2012 Olympic Games, Lord Coe said:
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Together We Can - an active citizenship initiative

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:54 +0100

I think I’d describe myself as an optimist, if by an optimist you mean someone who believes that willing something to happen will make it happen. For years I’ve argued that if the people who have an interest in citizenship education got their act together, there’d be no stopping us!
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Extended schools and the community schools movement

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:52 +0100

A man goes up to a bar. He asks for six pints of bitter. The barman says: ‘Do you want a tray with these?’ The man says, ‘For goodness sake, I’ve got six pints of beer to carry.’

Does this extract from a BBC broadcast sound familiar? The extended schools idea could be a tray…

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Eco-school project at Kirkley High School

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:48 +0100

The main aim of the project is to establish Kirkley High School as an Eco-school. To achieve our aim, local and global environmental issues have to be developed through discrete curriculum time, through cross curricula links and through extra- curricula activities. To be successful, a whole new area has to be developed throughout the school.
Priorities
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Global Citizenship across the curriculum at Chantry High School

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:48 +0100

At Chantry High School we were excited to be involved in the Developing Citizenship project. Our intention was to develop a curriculum that provides students with the opportunity to explore their role as social beings and increase their awareness of the ethics and values which underpin a well-run global community.
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Global citizenship and healthy schools – Manchester Healthy Schools Partnership

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:48 +0100

What is a Healthy School?

A healthy school is one that is successful in helping pupils to do their best and build on their achievements. It is committed to ongoing improvement and development. It promotes physical and emotional health by providing accessible and relevant information and equipping pupils with the skills and attitudes to make informed decisions about their health. Such a school will work in partnership with the local community to create an ethos of shared learning and development.
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Fair Trade Day at Congleton High School

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:47 +0100

This helped to address both the development of citizenship in the whole school development plan and to further embed the awareness of global citizenship within our school community.
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Multi-cultural Arts Day at Congleton High School

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:47 +0100

The day involved an experience of the art and music of a different culture. It links with the citizenship scheme of work in which we look at and celebrate diversity. This activity helped to address both the development of citizenship in the whole school development plan and to further embed the awareness of global citizenship within our school community.

Congleton is a small rural Cheshire town that has very little cultural diversity and therefore we felt that it was a particularly enriching experience for our students.
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Working with the media to promote your school

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:45 +0100

Main points for positive results
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Organising a school event?

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:42 +0100
The National Curriculum has given us a balanced but predictable diet, but we could all do with additional nutrition from time to time. Schools can be a bit like supermarkets - giving us what they feel we should like regardless of the season. Whilst some events work well which may have been hastily put together, those that bear fruit have contextual / seasonal relevance. So how should you start to plan for a special event?

Once you've had the go ahead for that bright idea, engage other interested parties.

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Family learning

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:32 +0100

At our family learning event were 16 students and 16 parents. There was a vibrant, positive and fun learning atmosphere from the parents and students working together on many different activities. The ultimate aim of the morning was to provide a joint learning venture, allowing parents and children to understand each others' learning styles and multiple intelligences, as well as demonstrate and practice learning together with new ideas and materials. It is hoped some of these new ideas will allow new shared learning at home.
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Changing culture: improving curriculum leadership

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:30 +0100
When Ofsted inspectors walk into a school they usually have two issues uppermost in their mind. They will be thinking ‘value for money’ and ‘quality of teaching and learning’, but unquestionably the issue of ‘school culture’ will emerge during conversations with the senior management team (SMT).

While school culture is an enigmatic concept applied with wilful lack of precision by many in education, it is an issue that is of great importance to school leaders and middle managers.
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Transforming the culture of Prince Henry's Grammar School Specialist Language College

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:30 +0100

School culture has become an important focus of recent research (Prosser, 1999; Dimmock and Walker, 2005; Wilson, 2005). In as much as it encapsulates the ‘values, norms, beliefs and customs’ of the school as an organisation it is seen as crucial to the closely related issues of school effectiveness and school improvement.
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Web review: Building learning communities

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:30 +0100

www.continyou.co.uk
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