November 2007

The start of a new challenge is always something that fills each of us with mixed emotions.  The change process is not always an easy one to make; particularly when we are forced out of our comfort zone. Certainly leaving behind my students and colleagues at St Vincent's College Outreach Centre has felt similar to giving up my comfort blanket.  During the past eight years or so I had combined a teaching career with motherhood - and somehow managed to squeeze in five years of study.  Over this time, my colleagues had become my close friends and strongest support network.

...and fortunately we even had our own Lucy, who'd regularly nag me to tidy my pigeonhole too! 

However, I received a wonderful send-off from my teaching post and plunged myself the next day into my exciting new role.  Perhaps the most unexpected news in those first whirlwind couple of days was that I was expected to set up a web-site in my first week.  Imagine my horror when my experience of web design amounted to - well not a lot really!!!!  I certainly found about the hard way about regularly saving your work (I lost count of how many times I told my students that very same thing)  when my computer turned itself off after an upgrade.  I lost half a day's work!  I must admit that it was almost tears before bedtime; but with Paul O'Beirne's at Fareham Community Action's kind patience - and without too many rude words - I rose to the challenge.  And this is what I eventually created!  It's not big and flashy (I am a beginner after all), but at least it does what it set out to do - which is to share information with the partnership.

This first month has been spent (when not creating web pages and trying to locate a large-scale map of Fareham) attempting to get out into the community meeting as many of you as possible.  If I have yet to contact you, please don't be offended as I was given a list of about forty people who I needed to meet and greet.  But for those individuals that I have met so far in my first month - thank you very much for the warm welcome.

My time dedicated to meeting and greeting was diluted somewhat when I was despatched to Winchester for Extended Services Cluster Manager Training organised by the Training Development Agency (tda).  This offered wonderful networking opportunities, and provided useful tools for consultation, action planning, facilitating meetings (which seemed to include an awful lot of brown paper and post-it notes) and even an opportunity to laugh together over some magnificent food.  One particular exercise that sticks in my mind was a post-lunch "wake-up" activity on the second day.  We were split into four groups and requested to design a 'Birthday Card' for one of our trainers.  Our small group card set our creative juices flowing and  designed our 'card' using flip chart paper and post-it notes - although I must admit that our birthday message was not as catchy as the one that said "May your Services forever Extend!"  We were then informed that we had actually been fed a barrage of half-truths (including that the trainer was an insect collecting shark fisherman, who had performed as a Pantomime Dame, with a liking for strong cheese and Kula-Lumpa!) 

On a personal level (as well as learning never to trust a tda trainer), it showed me how important the consultation process is when planning extended services required to support the children and young people in our communities.  We might think we know what they want or need - but is this based on palpable facts or simply upon assumption?

The tda training certainly was a useful reminder of why we are trying to achieve the objectives set out in "Every Child Matters" and the publicity surrounding the June 2007 Conference on Child Well-being.  It focused my mind upon who should  be placed firmly at the centre of these objectives.  I've posted a reminder above my desk in case I lose this focus when I get bogged down with trivialities. It simply states:

"At the heart of the educational process lies the child".

(Plowden Report 1967)

Education may have changed considerably during the past forty years (thank goodness the threat of 'the cane' from my rather barbaric French teacher was one of those positive changes), but the focus behind the educational process never changes. In the duration of my lifetime it has turned a full circle back to the child.

Anyway, I digress - we eventually reached the evaluation process of the three days training.  With our minds still buzzing and our bellies still full we were asked as a group what we had gained from three days at the hotel.   One delegate stonily replied "About a stone in weight!"

At the end of this busy month it was another trip back to Winchester to another workshop (with more magnificent food) organised again by the tda.  This time the discussion and exercises were around The School Improvement Planning Framework and how to facilitate a cross-county roll-out.  I can almost hear the collective groans from the head-teachers when I mention yet another initiative - but my personal view is that this one looks pretty good.

• Firstly it's non-prescriptive. 

• Secondly you can select which tools (or 'bits') you wish to use.

• Thirdly it can be carried out as an individual or a cluster school activity - you choose!

• But most importantly  - it enables schools to deliver and demonstrate standards and achievement through putting the child at the centre of school improvement planning.

We were lucky to be shown a video taken at the pilot schools across the country and had the opportunity to meet the individuals who co-ordinated the pilot scheme.  Many of them were sceptical about the programme at first, but they could demonstrate a significant impact of extended schools by a rise in achievement at KS2.  One such school for instance decided to operate a 'maths breakfast club' where the children carried out fun maths activities on computers. Despite requiring very little in the way of resources, the impact on the children's achievement was amazing (I'm sorry but I don't have the statistics at the moment; but I have asked for the tda to supply the video).  There should be more information about SIP in the new year, as discussion is still taking place at county level at the present time.  However - I am lucky to have a pack if anyone wishes to have a sneak preview.  Please feel free to ask!

I shall leave you this month with a picture of Linus - happily re-united with his blanket and looking peaceful.  Until my January Blog; may I wish you a Merry Christmas, and I look forward to working with you all in the exciting New Year ahead.