EXTENDED SERVICES
Lighting fires
“Good schools, like good
societies and good families,
celebrate and cherish
diversity.”
Deborah Meier
“You cannot teach a man
anything, you can only help
him find it within himself.”
Galileo Galilei
“If you can’t say something
nice, don’t say anything at
all.”
Thumper’s father (Bambi 1942)
“Education is the ability to
listen to almost anything
without losing your
temper.”
Robert Frost
“That is what learning is.
Extended learning: A student on the MESS
team-funded trip to The Mill Adventure
You suddenly understand
Base in Nottinghamshire (left), while
another youngster takes part in a summer
something you’ve
music-making workshop with ABC Arts.
understood all your life, but
The MESS team logo is also shown below
in a new way.”
extended services should consider allowing their ESC
to work in the same way.
Doris Lessing
MESS and Mansfield’s success proves that the
agenda has a future, if the powers that be continue to
“Every student can learn,
fund and believe in it. SecEd
just not on the same day, or
• Claire Brown is from All Saints’ Catholic School
and Specialist Performing Arts College and is the
the same way.”
development officer and extended services co-ordinator
George Evans
for the All Saints’ family of schools in Mansfield.
Extending
Headteacher's
the challenge
PA of the Year
Awards 2009
An opportunity to recognise and celebrate the people
who are at the heart of a successful school
community representing the school. There are few aimed at developing services for children and young
headteachers who would have the time to attend people appeared on the horizon.
One of the most vital jobs performed in
evening meetings in the local church hall, but the A few weeks, meetings and a proposal form later,
any secondary school is that of the PA to
ESC can, and the links developed at such events can £50,000 was ours, plus the huge remit of leading the the headteacher. The PA is invariably the
prove invaluable to the school. way on a multitude of initiatives. Summer was the first confidante of the head and a key link with the
And so we are brought nicely onto another buzz big challenge. After many meetings, ideas, and a few
staffroom, the governors, parents and pupils. Good PAs are
phrase – “partnership working”. It is easy to dismiss it heightened discussions – MESS Around Summer 2009
an invaluable asset and few schools can operate efficiently or
as more public sector speak coined to pay lip-service was born, taking £16,000 from the coffers.
effectively without them.
to government bods. However, it would be hugely The project would be twofold – first, a guide
difficult to be a successful ESC without it. for every family in Mansfield outlining what was
In acknowledgement of this essential and important role,
There is no doubt that the role of an ESC can be an happening in the town over the holidays, and second,
isolated one. More often than not they spend their time a series of small grants for community groups who
SecEd is proud to organise for the fourth year running, in
dashing between six or more schools, continually having wanted to run summer activities.
association with the DCSF International School Award,
to explain the role and wave the extended services flag. No organisation had tried either before. It was
which is managed by the British Council, the SecEd
However, there is a certain attraction to being partnership working at its height – 50 groups in a room
Headteacher's PA of the Year Awards 2009, which will
involved in the exciting and new aspects of school at Newstead Abbey for the official launch, all desperate
celebrate the achievements and success of the modern
life, and championing initiatives which bring positive to get their hands on the cash and some free advertising. headteacher's PA.
changes to the lives of young people. Thankfully, the reaction to MESS Around was
Working out in the community can be very fulfilling, fantastic from all quarters. Voluntary and community
Only personal assistants to the headteacher of a
as well as a productive way of bringing in investments organisations loved the idea, the people in suits at the
secondary school, state or independent, may be
and opportunities for schools. council were happy that the guide would prove there
entered. Nominations will only be accepted by the
In Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, six ESCs got is actually a lot to do for young people in Mansfield
head or deputy head. To enter, a statement
together in October 2008 to form an extended services – over 300 activities across the six-week break, and a
of not more than 700 words must be
support group. Think: “My name is Claire and I’m an huge chunk of them funded by the MESS Team.
extended services co-ordinator.” Projects with funding ranged from graffiti
written, explaining why the
From initially sharing ideas and workshops, to play schemes, to trips to Skegness to
nominated PA deserves
information, it soon developed into the a SureStart Pirate Party. Many of which could never
the award.
Mansfield Extended Services Strategy have happened without the relatively small £500 MESS
(MESS) Team. The name being a nod investment.
Nominations should be
the chaotic nature of the job. It was Evaluation, monitoring and consultation forms are
sent to Pete Henshaw by no
the best thing we could have done, and still coming in, but early indications point to a success,
later than October 15, 2009.
we are now all friends rather than just with hundreds of families benefiting. How to make next
For information and guidance for
colleagues. year’s bigger and better is already being talked about
nominators is also available.
The MESS team members represent – subject to funding, of course!
Email pete.h@markallengroup.com,
All Saints’, The Brunts, Garibaldi, Being a member of the MESS team makes sense
write to SecEd, MA Education, St. Jude's
Manor, Queen Elizabeth’s and South for everybody – being part of big projects that benefit
East Mansfield family of schools. every school, with the ability to share the workload and
Church, Dulwich Road, London, SE24 0PB
Towards the end of the year, a bounce ideas off other people.
or visit www.sec-ed.co.uk
Mansfield District Council funding pot Schools who are serious about their commitment to
pa 2009.indd 1 27/8/09 15:50:59
SecEd • October 1 2009 9
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