Learning Exchange Library
Working with the voluntuary and community sector
Resources and support for the voluntary and community sector A Children England briefing outlining the DfE's overarching strategic partnership for voluntary, community and social enterprise sector organisations that serve children, young people and families. The programme is led by Children England, which works with Community Matters, NCVYS, NAVCA, the Race Equality Foundation and Social Enterprise UK, and includes information, learning resources and opportunities, and peer support networks.
NAVCA Assistance for voluntary and community sector organisations; a site where you can find support for your actions aimed at bringing local people.
Tap into VCS strengths This document, written in 2005, still offers much useful advice to schools that want to strengthen links with the voluntary and community sector.
Partnerships beyond children's services We should be open not only to obvious and established relationships when developing extended services, but also to working with more unusual partners.
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Strengthening community cohesion around schools
Welcoming the Community - Overcoming Concerns A booklet from Active Norfolk on how schools can extend their sport facilities. Addresses specific concerns in turn and includes planning flowchart.
Co-Production in Neighbourhoods: the Neighbourhood Equity Model This is a new report on co-production in Birmingham’s neighbourhoods, which describes the Neighbourhood Equity Model. In this model, if government does things that assist communities to empower themselves by providing public services, the idea is that it can set up a 'virtuous cycle of wealth creaton', and also helps build social capital, particularly in poorer neighbourhoods.
School Leaders, Community Cohesion and the Big Society CfBT and the Citizenship Foundation's perspective report includes background on the community cohesion duty and insights from interviews with teachers and school leaders from three local authorities, as well as possibilities for future policy.
Teaching, Learning and Community Cohesion: a study of primary and secondary schools' responses to a new statutory duty This research report from CfBT and the Citizenship Foundation used research from schools across three local authorities to give detailed guidance for teachers and school leaders.
Promoting community cohesion: the role of extended services This 2010 document from the TDA and Institute of Community Cohesion has a clear definition of what community cohesion is and includes good examples of how schools in many areas, particularly disadvantaged areas, are using the extended services approach to help foster and build it in their communities by establishing links with individuals and groups beyond the school.
Is home really where the heart is? The Keighley Schools Linking Project aimed to promote more community cohesion through a range of activities that children from different schools in the Keighley area could take part in at various Keighley community venues. This report is a thorough-going qualitative evaluation of the learning that occured among participants as well as the changes in their perceptions and attitudes.
School leadership in promoting community cohesion A useful section on community cohesion in schools and children's centres on the C4EO website.
Schools and Communities: C4EO summary A concise breakdown of the key messages found in three of C4EO's knowledge reviews into school-based services. Sections include using the evidence to improve practice, and local practice that has made a difference.
Travelling Pantry workshops Free community-building workshops giving practical ideas for engaging local people and places. Book free and the TP team will come to your area.
Community cohesion in an era of super diversity A video of Ted Cantle from the Institute of Community Cohesion giving a lecture on how cohesion has emerged as a widely adopted policy and the key challenges ahead.
Neighbourhood Renewal & Extended Services Extended services in and around schools can be a vital element of neighbourhood renewal (particularly in neighbourhoods characterised by multiple deprivation). Schools are, after all, often the only truly universal service in an area for young people. This document will be useful for people interested in neighbourhood governance, management or local communities who want to develop links with extended services, or anyone working in a school or local authority whose work relates to extended services.
How are schools required to support community cohesion? This is an excellent article on www.usethekey.org.uk which explains the duty on schools to promote a common vision, sense of belonging and equality of opportunity under the Education and Inspections Act 2006. It outlines government guidance and links to an online resource pack for schools.
Community Cohesion planning framework Learning Exchange member Simon Bradley shares with us his valuable six point tool for approaching Community Cohesion. You can find more of his community cohesion guides on the member documents page.
Creating Communities for Learning A guide from the DCSF Innovation Unit for anyone who is interested in improving the life chances of people in their communities through learning. In the Next Practice learning project, which involved 20 schools, relationships between schools and their communities have begun to develop in which communities are establishing a sense of ownership over their learning opportunities.
Communities for Learning Case Studies From the Innovation Unit, a collection of case studies showing how some schools are creating communities for learning.
NCPTA Gold Star Rewards 2010: Finalists' innovative community ideas A summary of how the five finalists in this year's National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations awards have shown outstanding achievements in involving their local communities.
Institute of Community Cohesion A not-for-profit partnership that focuses on community cohesion on both a local and national scale. Their site hosts a number of resources including publications and toolkits.
Culture for all: integrating cultural opportunities into extended services and services for young people This is a guide from the Arts Council England, Museums Libraries Archives Council (MLA) and the TDA.
Calling communities together Babar Mirza Director of Educatio at the Nida Trust says that partnership with different communities can effectively help tackle underachievement.
The Cream Report A report from the School Development Support Agency on the curriculum needs and progress of African Caribbean and Muslim children.
Aston Pride Aston Pride is one of the second round of New Deal for Communities ( NDC) Partnerships and has a grant of £54 million over 10 years (2001 to 2011). The Delivery Partnership recognises that the Aston Pride local community genuinely wants to be part of the regeneration and localisation process. To underpin its work, Aston Pride consults, engages and involves its community in operational and strategic structures, focus groups and forums, community events, capacity building and in shaping and monitoring how services are delivered.
Aston Pride has won the Birmingham Mail’s Local Hero awards.