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Community Focused Schools
Monmouthshire County Council
A Strategy for Development
2008-11
Contents
1 Vision Statement 2
2 Introduction 2
2.1 Purpose of document
2.2 Definition of a Community Focused School
2.3 Background: National Context
2.4 Background: Local Context
3 Principles for development 5
3.1 Ethos and Culture
3.2 Features of a Community Focused School
3.3 Strategic framework
3.4 Stakeholders and Partners
3.5 Integration in School/ Education and other plans
3.6 Commitment of support to schools
4 Funding/Resources 7
5 Monitoring and evaluation 8
6 Implementation of the Strategy 9
7 Appendix 1 15
Appendix 2 16
Issue Date: June 2008
1
1 VISION STATEMENT
We want to see in Monmouthshire that every school, as part of its school plan, becomes a
community focused school working in partnership with others to provide a range of
services and activities often beyond the school day, to help meet the needs of its pupils,
their families and the wider community.
We will encourage and support schools and partners to maintain and develop the widest possible
range of community focused schools that reflects the agenda for Wales and enhances
opportunities for the residents of Monmouthshire.
2 INTRODUCTION
2.1 Purpose
This paper sets out the legal basis for the provision of Community Focused Schools (CFS), and
Monmouthshire County Council`s (MCC) approach to CFS development and underlying
principles.
2.2 Definition of a Community Focused School
Wales Assembly Government (WAG) guidance states that:
‘A community focused school is one that provides a range of services and activities, often
beyond the school day, to help meet the needs of its pupils, their families and the wider
community. Across Wales many schools already provide some community services including
adult education, study support, ICT facilities and community sports programmes.’
[Community Focused Schools – Guidance circular, National Assembly for Wales, 2003 and
2005]
The Learning Country described how ‘We want to see a much closer relationship between
schools and the communities they serve. ..We want schools to act as a community resource –
not just in school hours but out of hours and in vacations as well.’
The Learning Country: a paving document, National Assembly for Wales, 2001.
In Monmouthshire we recognize that CFS development will be individual and diverse with small
rural primary schools and their partners working very differently from large secondary schools to
meet the needs of individual communities. With this in mind the MCC definition is a school
working in partnership and harmony with others to provide a range of services and
activities often beyond the school day, to help meet the needs of its pupils, their families
and the wider community.
2.3 Background
2.3.1 National
The Education Act 2002 clarified and strengthened the legal position of schools wishing to
provide services beyond the core task of educating pupils. Sections 27 and 28 of the Act, which
came into effect on 1 September 2003, give school governing bodies powers to provide services
for pupils, their families and the local community. It made clear that school governing bodies
can:
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Provide facilities and services which benefit families and the community as well as pupils.
Make agreements with other partners to provide services on school premises.
Charge for services
The Act does not alter the requirement that a school’s delegated budget may only be spent on
the education of pupils; additional activities must therefore be financed from other sources.
2.3.2 Welsh Assembly Government Rights to Action Seven Core Aims
The 2004 Welsh Assembly Children and Young People: Rights to Action identified seven core
entitlements:
A flying start in life
A comprehensive range of education, training and learning opportunities
The best possible health, free from abuse, victimisation and exploitation
Play, leisure, sporting and cultural activities
Treated with respect and have their race and cultural identity recognised
A safe home and community
Children and young people not disadvantaged by poverty
This strategy for development of CFS will actively support and help to deliver these core
entitlements for young people.
2.3.3 Welsh Public Service
WAG is promoting the vision that Welsh Public Service share common goals across functional
and organisational boundaries. The mission is to make public services:
More citizen focused
Responsive to the needs of communities
Driven by a commitment to equality and social justice
Deliver efficiency
The four main principles are:
Citizens at the Centre: services more responsive to users with people and communities
involved in designing the way services are delivered.
Equality and Social Justice: every person to have the opportunity to contribute and we will
reach out to those hardest to reach.
Working together as the Welsh Public Service: more co-ordination between providers to
deliver sustainable, quality and responsive services.
Value for money: making the most of our resources.
This Council is actively working towards the above and CFS will enhance that work.
2.3.4 The Children Act 2004: Guidance on Local Co-operation
The Children Act also highlights the potential role of schools in providing a focus for community-
based services. The proposals are far reaching and will provide challenges concerning how
schools are resourced and managed. Extracts below from section 5 indicate clearly the
potential scope of community focused schools within the context of the Children Act:
5.5 Partnerships should plan to increase the extent to which services are delivered by multi-
disciplinary teams in easily accessible places. Local partnerships are encouraged, in line
with policy on community focused schools, to use schools as a base for locally delivered
family and child support, health services, youth services and adult education, and to act as
a delivery point for provision to those with specialist needs.
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5.6 The community focused schools initiative is exploring new ways of enabling schools to
build on local partnership across local authorities, partner agencies and local communities
to develop schools as community resources – not just in school hours but out of hours and
during vacations.
5.7 Schools are well placed to play a central part in community life and provide a base for
locally delivered family and child support, health services, youth services and adult
education. They can play an important part in delivery of Welsh medium provision in
particular communities. Schools can also act as a delivery point for provision to those with
specialist needs. This role is particularly important in deprived areas where alternative
facilities often do not exist and perhaps where local people are unlikely to take up
opportunities outside their immediate areas. For some schools, this may mean that one
multi-agency team serves a cluster of schools.
5.8 The role of schools is reinforced by the findings of Narrowing the Gap in the Performance
of Schools (October 2002) which emphasised need for schools in some instances to work
as agents for change in their local community. Provisions in the Education Act 2002 make
it easier for governing bodies to serve pupils, their families and the local community,
entering into agreements with other partners to provide services on schools premises and
to charge for some services.
2.3.5 Schools’ Reorganisation
Monmouthshire schools already have a significant and successful history of both joint use and
community use. Leisure, Culture, Adult Education and Youth Services have well established
partnership working in conjunction with schools. Many schools also have well developed
community partnerships within and outside of school hours. Through MCC’s primary re-
organisation process new schools are able to offer enhanced community facilities. It is clear that
WAG is encouraging the development of CFS as part of the wider enhancement of public
services in Wales and through this strategy MCC has the opportunity to further develop and
refine opportunities for its residents.
2.4. Local
2.4.1 Monmouthshire County Council’s Corporate Plan 2004-2009 has identified five over-
arching themes to determine its direction and the Community Strategy sets the context for all
organisations and groups within Monmouthshire in working towards the shared vision of:
a) A better environment - making Monmouthshire cleaner and greener
b) Health and well being -helping people enjoy healthier lives
c) Lifelong Learning and Experience - creating learning opportunities for all
d) Local Economic development - stimulating strong local communities
e) Stronger and safer communities- supporting safer and stronger communities
.
A number of educational outcomes are attributed to theme c) creating learning opportunities for
all.
i) A wider menu of learning experiences for individual young people
ii) Increased numbers of 15 year olds leaving full time education with recognised
qualifications
iii) Increased facilities for early years social learning
iv) Increased number of learning establishments that are accessible to disabled people
v) Increased number of adults attending literacy, numeracy and basic IT courses
vi) Increased use of e-learning opportunities for all learners
The Monmouthshire Community Focused Schools strategy, once established, will contribute
directly towards many of the outcomes above, especially (i), (ii), and (v).
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2.4.2 In the Single Education Plan 2007-8 (p 22) the Lifelong Learning Directorate identified the
development of community focused schools as a key driver for achieving the specific
objectives of:
a) Helping people find fulfilment through lifelong learning and feeling well and healthy
through:
high quality early years education
working with schools to raise standards of achievement
supporting children with special educational needs
a wide range of learning opportunities for adults
libraries and museums
promoting affordable sporting, cultural and recreational activities.
b) Helping safeguard and improve the environment and assisting the sensitive
development of the local economy through:
enhancing the range of education and training through our schools
providing opportunities to enhance IT skills in libraries, youth centres and
community education centres
promoting a greater understanding of the environment among young people
through schools and the Youth Service
encouraging an awareness of environmental issues through our libraries and
information services
c) Providing local services and facilities for communities and engaging them in shaping
their future through:
improving local facilities including greater use of school buildings
providing computer access free of charges at libraries
maintaining and developing play areas
helping village halls develop
improving leisure facilities
supporting the Children and Young People’s Framework
Curriculum activities in schools provide an additional means to reinforce the corporate themes
through incidental and planned learning opportunities. Following the amalgamation of the Single
Education Plan process in 2008, MCC will ensure that the CFS strategy is clearly linked to the
Children and Young People’s Plan and identified within the core aims.
3. PRINCIPLES FOR DEVELOPMENT
3.1 Ethos and culture
The Authority is committed to developing and supporting the CFS strategy across the authority
and within schools. It also supports the belief that every school in Wales should be a community
focused school and should be able to demonstrate this in its practice, either individually or as
part of a cluster or family. This authority supports the view that CFS is not a project or initiative
but an opportunity to work in new ways to achieve our aims. Whilst funding can help to stimulate
some development, it is as much about ethos and culture through identifying existing and new
resources that can be used in new ways.
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The Authority is committed to developing this ethos and culture, building on existing good
practise and facilitating opportunities for schools to develop. We believe that the development of
community focused schools will help Monmouthshire to work towards achieving the County
Council Strategic Aims within the five themes of the Corporate strategy 2004-2009, the Single
Education Plan 2006-2008 and Welsh Assembly Government’s Rights to Action 2004 7 Core
Aims as embedded in the new Children & Young People’s Plan, effective from September 2008.
3.2 Features of a Community Focused School
The Authority recognises that a community focused school will:
• always be supportive of the core mission of schools – to improve pupils’ attainment and
achievement
• work in partnership with existing community links & providers to provide a range of learning
opportunities and activities outside of the school day
• provide, where appropriate to need, a range of additional services/opportunities and relevant
information
• be a sustainable community focused school
The Authority will encourage each school to play its part in the life of the local community and
wherever possible contribute to the development of a wide range of public services as part of a
cluster of public, private and voluntary service providers with the key long term benefit of raising
achievement levels amongst children and young people.
The Authority believes that a community focused school would provide additional services
beyond their core work of teaching pupils during the conventional school day. They would aim to
form an integral part of a range of complementary services aimed at raising attainment and
achievement of pupils whilst contributing to the development of community based services.
The challenge of this strategy is to support schools to be responsive to new priorities and be
confident in engaging with other organisations to plan and deliver new ways of providing
services. We want schools to embrace the positive cultures and resources of the wider
community and use them as a key driver to provide a rich and diverse curriculum that will to
provide the skills and confidence for pupils to play an active part in the life of their community.
3.3 The Authority will provide a strategic framework and appropriate support and guidance in
partnership with other Monmouthshire County Council departments and with statutory and
voluntary organisations outside of the organisation.
3.4 Stakeholders and Partners
The Authority believes that schools and the local authority cannot do all this alone and actively
promotes and supports working in partnership with other local, regional and national agencies,
individuals and organisations in the development of CFS. These could include, for example,
be other schools, the Local Health Board, NHS Trust, Social and Housing Services, businesses,
colleges, voluntary organisations and agencies. A range of key services and providers will be
fully involved in consultation and planning of future CFS development. Agreed services will be
delivered with, and via, a variety of statutory, voluntary and community organisations.
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3.5 Integration in School, Education and other Plans
Whilst we believe that the development of CFS is important in its own right we are also
committed to developments that complement and support other priorities and plans. There is a
proliferation of plans and strategies within Monmouthshire other than those specifically
mentioned above and rather than list them all, this document will highlight a sample and we will
ensure that CFS development is given due consideration in the following key plans as well as in
relevant other plans:
Community Learning Plan
Basic Skills Strategy
Children and Young People’s Plan
Individual school Educational Plans
Single Education Plan
14 – 19 Strategy
Communities First strategy
Play Strategy
Youth Service plan & strategy
Out of School Hours Learning plan
Cymorth Plan
Child Care & Early years plans
Social Inclusion plan
Special Educational Needs policy
Re-modelling/workload
PSHE, Citizenship & Schools Council plans & policies
Healthy Schools strategy
PE and School Sport/Dragon Sport
Economic Regeneration plans
Police & Youth Offending strategies
Libraries, Museums and Cultural Services plans
Health and Social Services plans
3.6 The Authority expects a commitment to the development of community focused school
activities which reflect the needs of the school, its pupils, families and the wider community to be
recorded within individual School Educational Plans. The Authority will undertake, whenever
possible, to appointment appropriate support for schools, clusters and partners in this
development. Governing bodies will be encouraged to take an active role in the development of
CFS. The Authority will provide support and awareness-raising to governing bodies through the
governor training.
4 FUNDING & RESOURCES
4.1 The Authority is committed to CFS development under the funding provided by the Welsh
Assembly Government (WAG) and within the guidance offered by WAG. It will use the WAG
funded CFS grant to develop the strategy and vision for CFS, and provide a framework of
support for schools.
4.2 The Authority recognises that the development and sustainability of CFS is not simply about
funding and resources. It is also about the ethos and use of existing funding and resources in
new ways.
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4.3 However, the Authoirty recognises that some additional funding to implement and support
programmes and activity is necessary for the longer term. The authority will work with partners
and other services towards identifying internal and external funding sources such as trusts and
charities to ensure continued development and sustainability.
5. MONITORING AND EVALUATION
Responsibility for the Community Focused Schools strategy development and sustainability lies
within the joint remit of the Community Learning and Education Departments, sections of the
Lifelong Learning and Leisure Department.
5.1 The Operational Framework described in figure 1 provides a delivery and monitoring process
for the operational implementation of the CFS grants. An Operational Team will liaise with
schools within their cluster groups to establish base-line material and gather mid- term and final
annual information. A report will be produced.
Examples of information that will be used for monitoring and evaluation purposes include both
qualitative and quantitative data:
Number/frequency of sessions
Percentage attendance within school population
Attendance at CFS activities
Improvement in skills/knowledge
Improvements in self confidence, self-esteem, & behaviour
Improved attendance in school
Number of awards/certificates
Improvement in tests, exams
Improved personal and social skills
Range of partner organisations involved in delivery.
Range of activities
5.2 Working on a regional basis, the officers will report regularly to a CFS Partnership Board,
brought together to oversee the Monmouthshire CFS developments, at times agreed by the
Board. Besides monitoring progress, the Board will identify areas for development and
recommend policy action. This board will meet termly for the duration of grant funding and as
required thereafter. It will consist of a range of representatives from schools; health, Social and
Housing Services, voluntary agencies; business; Children and Young people’s partnership and
elected members. The exact make-up of this group will be informed by the outcomes of the
consultation. Annual reporting on CFS will feature on the agenda for the C F S Partnership
Board. Reports from this Partnership Board will then be fed back to the Children and Young
People’s Partnership in the first instance and other partnership groups and elected
members/Committees as required.
5.3 The authority will also use existing procedures and data undertaken by school improvement
officers to monitor and evaluate CFS activity in schools.
5.4 Schools will monitor their CFS provision within the School Development Plan /School
Improvement Plan and report regularly on CFS to parents’ and governing bodies.
5.5 Self evaluation of CFS programmes should be undertaken with regard to the Estyn Common
Inspection Framework for Education and Training in Wales (CIF) and Standards Key Question 3
in particular. The Authority will encourage schools/clusters to use self evaluation methods to
support CFS development and delivery, using a model such as that designed by ContinYou
Cymru.
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5.6 The Authority will undertake to provide reports as required by the Welsh Assembly
Government.
5.3 The authority will also use existing procedures undertaken by School Improvement Officers
to monitor and evaluate CFS activity in schools within the School Development Plan /School
Improvement Plan and report regularly on CFS to parents’ and governing bodies.
5.4 Self evaluation of CFS programmes will be undertaken with regard to the Estyn Common
Inspection Framework for Education and Training in Wales (CIF) and Standards Key Question 3
in particular. The LEA will encourage schools/clusters to use self evaluation methods to support
CFS development and delivery.
5.5 The LEA, will provide such reports as are requested by WAG.
6. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY
Using the principals described above, this Authority has taken a measured, three phased
approach to the development of the Community Focused Schools strategy..
6.1 Phase One 2006- April 2008: Awareness raising, research & pilot projects
The Authority brokered the deployment of ContinYou Cymru with the initial purpose of pump-
priming auditing existing CFS activities, overseeing the allocation of grant funding for a range
pilot activities in schools and delivering awareness raising.
Within the authority aspects of CFS have already been undertaken by a number of schools and
are well embedded in some, including:
Out of school hours learning including sport and leisure activities
Family learning and support
Adult education courses
Health services
Community activities
Intergenerational activities
Multi/cross-agency approaches
Outcomes of the audit, monitoring of pilot activities and consultation events with schools and
partners have been used to devise the operational framework outlined above, and will be used to
inform future developments and the implementation of Phase Two.
6.2 Phase Two: 2008-2009: Embedding the framework & strategy
The Authority recognises that there will be challenges for staff within the local authority, schools
and the community in leading, managing and delivering CFS activities. It is our intention to
provide a framework which enables even the smallest rural school to begin to develop a
flourishing CFS programme which is appropriate to the needs of the locality and achieves the
primary long term aim of raising achievement levels in our communities.
Using the models in and Figures 1, 2 and 3 & 4 below, (pages 11-14), the authority will act as
facilitator to:
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Support schools on a cluster basis to develop a range of CFS activities (Fig 2)
Provide a team of staff to co-ordinate the CFS activities on a cluster group basis ( Fig 4)
Provide information and guidance on grants
Link with voluntary and statutory agencies and services to act as brokers
Liaise with schools to identify further support requirements
Encourage and assist schools to develop CFS activities on a three- stage basis ( Fig.1)
Assist in the development of a CFS school network
Facilitate a programme of staff Continual Personal Development and training
6.3 Phase 3: 2009 onwards: Planning for sustainability
Using the model in Figure 3, the authority will work with schools to further develop a fully
sustainable community integration model.
Whilst recognising the importance of CFS development we also have to recognise that there are
likely to be long term constraints on funding and resources. Informed by the outcomes of phase
Two, we will encourage and support schools and partners to maintain and develop the widest
possible range of sustainable Community Focused Schools development for children, young
people, families and the wider community.
Local hub for full Selected schools
service provision for able to host, plan,
children, families develop & provide
and community full service
services. provision.
CFS
Level 3:
A range of CFS Cluster model with
services provided high level of
in partnership with Level 2: community
external agencies. Baseline plus involvement and
planning.
CFS Level 1:
Study support
Childcare
Out of School Hours Learning
Family Learning Programme
Community Learning Programme
Some input from Baseline for all
Health & other Community
agencies to target Focused Schools in
approach to support Monmouthshire.
specific need
Fig. 1 Model of Development
of Development
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Early Years
& Childcare
Flying Start
Childcare & Play
Community Schemes Out of School
Enrichment Hours Learning
Culture, Arts Children’s
Museums University
Libraries Young Enterprise
Environmental Youth Service
Community
Focused
Health, & Well- School Partner Agencies
being Staff pupils Community Police
Child & Family Governors Social & Housing
Support Services
Health Services Regeneration
Leisure & Sport Vol. Agencies
Lifelong
Learning
Family Learning
Community Learning
Figure 2: Model of Community Focused Activity themes
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Full integration
Schools working towards
becoming learning campuses or
satellites, with multi-agency
teams on site, providing a range
of child, family and community
services from ages 0-90
Schools working in Community
improvement Partnerships’ to
deliver a joint core offer of
activities and services, bringing
in multi-agency teams and other
partners
School focus Community focus
Schools working in cluster
arrangements with local schools
and multi-agency partners to
deliver a core offer of activities
and services
Schools working independently
to deliver a core offer of
activities and services
Collaboration
Figure 3: The integration Model for Community Focused Schools
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Figure 4 OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK
Children
and Young People’s
Partnership
CFS
Partnership Steering
Board
CFS
Operational Team
School Cluster & School Cluster & School Cluster & School Cluster &
Development Officer Development Officer Development Officer Development Officer
Appendix 1
Criteria to be applied when seeking funding or other support
1. Commitment
The school is committed to actively involving the community in the life of the school and the
school in the life of the community.
Commitment is backed by evidence of existing or planned community involvement in the
school.
2. Consultation
The school has consulted or has plans to consult with existing community groups regarding
the use of the school.
3. Cooperation
The school is able to agree with the community specific and achievable goals as part of its
community plan.
4. Credible
The school’s proposal is credible in terms of practical and financial management and is either
sustainable or has a time bound exit strategy.
5. Complementary
The school has demonstrated how the proposal is complementary to other strategies, e.g.
Flying Start, Foundation Phase, Youth Work,
Appendix 2
Lifelong Learning & Leisure Directorate
An opportunity has arisen for two Community Focused Schools Cluster Development
Worker posts within the Lifelong Learning and Leisure Directorate.
Duties will include ensuring that the MCC Community Focused Schools Strategy is
implemented and assisting schools to develop community focused schools activities.
In return we offer a competitive salary of SCP 29 pro rata and excellent terms and
conditions of employment.
Post is subject to continued Welsh Assembly government funding and job evaluation.
Staff secondments will be considered subject to in-line manager approval.
An enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check will be required for this post.
Closing date for applications
MONMOUTHSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
DIRECTORATE OF LIFELONG LEARNING AND LEISURE
Post Community Focused Schools Cluster Development Officer
Based at: Usk Community Education Centre
Post ID:
Grade: SCP 29 £23,749 subject to job evaluation & continued Welsh
Assembly funding
Hours: 37 hrs per week
st
Duration: Fixed term until March 31 2011
JOB SPECIFICATION
Main Purpose of the Post
To support schools in extending community focused activities in the
cluster areas and across the county in order to implement the Welsh
Assembly Government and Monmouthshire County Council strategies
for Community Focused Schools.
Key duties
To consult with relevant parties within schools and the local community, including
students, parents, staff, members of the local community and partner agencies.
To support the development of multi-agency activity between core services of
education, social work, health and other relevant services which support the needs of
young people, and their families and the community.
To support and co-ordinate the development and implementation of a local cluster
action plan for quality services in schools.
To liaise with relevant agencies in respect of development and implementation of
locality-based services.
To seek opportunities for additional funding to support the implementation and
development of Community Focused Schools.
To monitor, review and evaluate developments and provide statistics and monitoring
information to enable tracking and evaluation of the effectiveness of the progress in
the delivery of the Community Focused Schools agenda.
To facilitate training, briefing and advisory sessions as appropriate.
To attend and organise meetings in relation to Community Focused Schools as
required.
To increase the number of CFS opportunities for pupils, family and community in
partnership with other providers.
To manage correspondence and advise on meeting actions/recommendations as
appropriate, and produce reports for relevant parties as required.
To support and promote quality assurance schemes across CFS service provision.
To ensure that Health and Safety requirements are adhered to, and that appropriate
risk assessments are undertaken.
To attend local, regional and national meetings as required.
Person Specification
Requirements
1.A teaching qualification.
2.A minimum of two year’s experience working in partnership with or in a school based setting.
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3. A minimum of two year’s experience working within a community based service developing a)
activities designed specifically for young people engaged in Out of School Hours(OSHL) or b)
formal and informal learning activities with families and adults.
4. A full driving licence and ability to travel independently.
5. Working knowledge of WAG drivers for change with regards to school improvement and the
Community Focused Schools Strategy.
5. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
6. Experience of working with partnerships involving statutory and non-statutory agencies.
7. Knowledge of grant applications and basic budget monitoring.
8. Good IT skills using Microsoft Office Word and Excel
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