In Practice: Case study - The path to extended services

Objectives Churchill Community College in North Tyneside is a full-service extended school and will act as a pathfinder in commissioning extended services for the Wallsend area. It already works closely with many local schools but will now be responsible for extended services covering two secondary schools, 12 primaries and two special schools.

What was done North Tyneside Council staged meetings to establish what services were needed in the area and drew up a brief.

Key responsibilities include supporting all local schools to achieve the extended services core offer, developing joint work with partners such as health and specific priorities including better holiday provision for children with ADHD and autism.

Churchill Community College will receive about £187,000 funding a year for the next three years to deliver extended services. "A lot of it will evolve from the pathfinder work," says Churchill's director of extended schools Alan Strachan, who is heading the project.

"We're doing a lot of things that have been very successful and some things that haven't been so successful, so we have a good idea of what we can and can't deliver on."

The issues One of the biggest challenges will be offering effective parenting support, believes Strachan. "It's a big issue, particularly in secondary schools. You can come up with hundreds of brilliant ideas but do parents want to engage? It is trying to find what parenting support parents want and asking what the barriers are."

The plan is to take a family learning approach and offer lots of taster sessions alongside more targeted parenting progammes that support parents with teenagers as well as younger children.

"Getting people working together is always challenging," adds Strachan. That includes addressing tricky issues like information sharing.

Outcomes The school has produced an action plan that will build on existing partnerships. "I think it is going to be really difficult for schools starting from scratch," says Strachan. As a specialist sports college Churchill has good links with providers of everything from kickboxing to skateboard training. It also has a good relationship with the local child and adolescent mental health service and sexual health services.

One health goal is to work with partners to establish a chlamydia testing programme for young people. The school will also work with play and youth services to boost youth provision.

TOP TIPS

DO:

- Use the many resources that are already there, including the expertise of people at your local authority or other agencies and organisations

- Talk to young people but remember they're bound to get fed up if they are consulted but nothing happens

- Get head teachers and caretakers on side

DON'T:

- Promise things you can't deliver

- Get too hung up on funding. Services must be properly resourced but a little money can go a long way.