What schools are in the Southfields Cluster?

Childcare

Affordable pre-school and after school childcare is available in the following schools

•    Albemarle
•    Riversdale

Breakfast Clubs

Pre-school breakfast clubs where children can get affordable healthy breakfasts plus a variety of activities are available at all schools in the Southfields Cluster

A varied menu of activities

For children and young people to reach their full potential they need a positive approach to learning and to school. All schools in the Southfields Cluster provide opportunities before and after school to play sport, engage in arts and drama, volunteer and make creative use of ICT, these all help.
Study support, covering learning activities that take place out of school hours, helps to improve young people's motivation, build their self-esteem and help them to become more effective learners. Above all it aims to raise achievement. For these reasons all schools are committed to offering a varied menu of activities to their students throughout the year.

Parenting support

Schools in the Southfields Cluster offer access to:
•    Information sessions for all parents at key transition points in their children’s lives, particularly starting school, and moving from primary to secondary school.
•    Parenting groups, using structured, manual based parenting programmes.
•    More specialised support for parents who might need it, for example parents whose children have problems with attendance or behaviour at school and who need targeted support as part of a parenting contract.
•    Information on the advice and support available to parents – through national helplines and websites, and through local family support services.

Lifelong Learning

Specific schools in the Southfields Cluster provide literacy and numeracy support as well as other activities to engage adults in learning such as languages, arts and crafts, sport and other activities or qualifications.

A variety of family learning courses are also available locally.  Courses range from examined accredited courses to recreational activities.  Schools that provide Adult and Community learning are:

•    Albemarle
•    Ronald Ross
•    Southfields Community College
•    St Cecilia’s

Swift and easy referral (SER)

Swift and easy referral (SER) means schools working closely and effectively with local authorities, a wide range of statutory agencies, and the voluntary and community sector, to achieve the Every Child Matters outcomes for children and young people.  SER ensures the early identification of and support for a wide range of difficulties children and young people can face.  Depending on need, SER also can include timely assessment, referral and intervention.

The main aims of SER are to:
•    Improve the life chances of all children and young people by ensuring they have the support and challenge they need to achieve all five every child matters (ECM) outcomes.
•    Identify vulnerable children and young people earlier and provide more effective prevention, intervention and support in a systematic an coordinated way.
•    Build a personalised package of interventions and opportunities around the needs of each vulnerable child and young person.
•    Provide high-quality services in accessible settings and improve both standards of care and academic achievement by ensuring health, education and other services work effectively together towards common goals.

 All schools:
•    Ensure their present arrangements are effective in identifying children or young people in need of support and to review them regularly and assess their impact.
•    Consider how other services can contribute to parts of the core offer and curriculum where appropriate and signpost adults to services directly accessible where there is an obvious need and where there is a willingness to receive services.

Wider community access

Many of the schools in the Southfields Cluster have facilities suitable for use by the wider community and are available for the benefit of local people and community organisations.

Schools should carry out an assessment to see which facilities could be made available to the community and consult with them to establish demand.

Where there is demand, schools should open up suitable facilities to community users.  Arts facilities, sports halls and playing fields, ICT suites and school halls are the type of facility that communities could access – outside of school hours, and even during the school day, if practical.

Schools should also take a role in supporting the development of the youth offer in the community by opening up facilities to youth organisations and other services as appropriate.

Offering access to adult learning programmes – such as skills for life programmes – is also part of the core offer of extended services that schools should provide.

What does this mean for my child’s school?
A greater opportunity for you and your child to take in family learning, parents’ workshops, events and activities as well as information about potential access to activities during term time and in the school holidays.

Click here to go to the Parents’ Champion Page.