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Summary

The impact of last years Comprehensive Spending Review has meant the

dissolution of the extended services infrastructure within local authority. As a resultit is the responsibility of individual schools to choose whether to continue to find

funding to engage Extended Services Coordinators, whether to work together in

clusters and which particular schools to partner with in this way.

This report collates the findings of five interviews, four of which were conducted

with Extended Services Coordinators and the remaining with a head teacher

leading a cluster. What this report demonstrates is that there are more differences

than similarities in the way that schools are working together.

The waning emphasis on the achievement of an extended services core offer

means that these initiatives are no longer the driving force for cluster working thatthey have been during the last six years.

The Head Teacher of a Lancashire Primary School flags up a number of ways in

which schools are working together and their reasons for doing so, such as Local

Childrens Trust Partnerships, Learning Trusts, and Sports Partnerships

For Extended Services Coordinators, situations vary. One coordinator from

Blackburn Oasis, explains funding for her role is only secure until February 2012

meaning she is only able to plan for the next six months.

Whereas an extended services coordinator in North East Lincolnshire, funding

was cut in April 2011 but her cluster of schools valued her work enough to commit

their devolved extended services budget to employing her on a freelance basis.

She has already developed a range of exciting partnerships and projects to help

meet the schools needs.

Two interviews were conducted with extended services coordinators in secondary

schools. In the last year, neither had developed significant work with their clusters,

and they described a situation of isolation, with their energy focused on the

attraction of exciting after school activities to appeal to their own pupils and their

families. One coordinators funding is secure until August, whereas the othercoordinators school has attached great value to his work and are committed to

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keeping him. Each of these interviews worked to foreground the importance offunding and of personal relationships. Clusters are formed around a funding

purpose along with trust and individual personalities. If head teachers get along,

they will work collaboratively. If they have developed along and trusting

relationship with their extended services coordinator, they will strive to maintain

the relationship.

Recommendations suggest there is potential to galvanise schools into cluster

working if it is possible to signpost available funding and inspiring projects from

which a collaborative approach will benefit.