Fylde Coast

Education Partnership Officer

Andrea Sandiford

Period

Spring Term 2- March 2024

Priority

Reducing the number of young people Not in Education, Employment and Training

Intended outcomes- Linked to the EET strategy

  • To develop careers provision and conversations in primary schools to enhance children’s understanding and awareness of pathways into different careers, to increase ambition and goals for their education beyond primary school.
  • To form local networks of support; connecting schools and colleges to further develop careers provision
  • To identify young people at greater risk of becoming NEET, working with schools, colleges, and partners to further develop information sharing and transition procedures.

Activity last period

  • Revisited the Positive Footsteps offer, to access their Raising Aspirations Programme for Y5 and Y6 and Career Conversation online events through funding provided by Wyre Council.
  • Manor Beach shared their experiences of the Careers Conversation event organised through Positive Footsteps.
  • Discussions held with Fylde Council about funding to extend programme into Fylde, enquiries are ongoing.
  • Lytham St Annes High school headteacher has tasked his career lead with exploring feasibility of extending and enhancing their careers fair in collaboration with their feeder primary schools.
  • Linked in with Blackpool and Fylde College lead for Electively Home Educated pupils with a view to reaching out to these young people as they reach college age.
  • Fleetwood Town Community Trust, Fleetwood Hospital and AFC Fylde all approached about their careers work and being part of the wider conversation around careers development.
  • Opportunity for Y5 children to be part of the Buoyed Up Yacht Club initiative in 2025 shared with our most disadvantaged schools. (2-day experience through Fleetwood Nautical college and Sir Thomas Lipton Foundation including a day of sailing linked to ambition 'Throwing Attainment Poverty Overboard')
  • Career conversations and increasing ambition and self-worth discussions held in Fleetwood as part of their THRIVE network and development discussions.
  • Kay Vaughan from the Careers Hub spoke to the schools about the Start Small Dream Big initiative for Primary schools. Information shared amongst the Fylde and Wyre Primary Schools.

Planned activity next period

  • Meeting booked with staff from Blackpool and Fylde College exploring what careers provision they could offer both primary and secondary phases
  • Meeting booked with Blackpool and Fylde College EHE lead to look at joined up approach for our EHE population linked with the LCC EET Strategy including the transition into college
  • Meeting with Blackpool and Fylde College colleagues around their Transition programme so far
  • Further conversations to be held with Blackpool and Fylde College around extending a pilot they ran last year to Fylde and Wyre Schools
    • Partner agencies exploring funding opportunities to further career conversation provision
    • Exploration of local businesses and potential career links
  • Set up working parties between secondary schools, the McKee and Brookfield schools, and post 16 providers to agree information sharing and potential protocols around extending support into Year 11 and beyond to facilitate transition on leaving school  

Impact so far

  • We now have 16 schools signed up for Positive Footsteps, looking to recruit 9 more.
  • Fleetwood Town are looking at how they extend their careers fair to the Primary Schools in Fleetwood and the potential of creating a large town wide event bringing all the contacts and companies in house to one event.
  • The EHE lead from Blackpool and Fylde College and Sarah Hirst are in discussions about information sharing to facilitate contact being made with these young people by the college
  • Two Wyre schools have signed up to the Start Small Think Big Initiative, a third has expressed an interest.
  • Schools are now aware of the offer from the Careers Hub including a community of practice and resources schools can access free of charge including provision and brokering with local businesses.
  • Increased awareness and recognition from schools and partner agencies of the need to expand children's experiences of quality opportunities to drive ambition and a sense of purpose and self-worth.

Exit strategy

It is envisaged that the work will become self-sustaining through established links and networks around career conversations in primary schools and beyond.

There will be agreed protocols in place to identify and support those young people at risk of NEET with tailored programmes of support in place.

Priority

Develop a Trauma Informed approach to Y6 / Y7 transition to positively impact attendance, engagement, suspensions, exclusions, mental health, and wellbeing.

Intended outcomes

  • To develop agreed information sharing protocols and content to ensure secondary schools receive information in a timely manner to plan a more informed transition programme
  • To use the voice of the child to develop transition programmes further
  • To use the principles of a Trauma Informed approach to develop and enhance approaches to transition

Activity last period

  • Primary schools contacted about information sharing and the purpose behind the new form
  • Contact made with wider secondary school staff to be part of the project.
  • Plan created in partnership with Headstart (FTFC) for resources to support the transition at a universal level and further development of the Universal, Targeted and Specialist approach from their perspective.
  • Emerging themes identified in terms of the higher levels of support needed with potential solutions / next steps identified.

Planned activity next period

  • Secure commitment from primary schools about data sharing in a more timely manner
  • Linking in with CFW colleague around their offer
  • Violence Reduction Network colleague exploring community approach to information gathering and sharing around wider determinants impacting Y6 to Y7 cohorts.
  • Mental Health in Schools Team (SHINE) to share results of their consultation with young people pertinent to transition.
  • Meeting planned with Targeted Youth Service to update on progress and how they will work with secondary schools to enhance the transition offers in place.
  • Ongoing development of a layered transition approach, Universal, Targeted and Specialist support.
  • Develop method of measuring impact, including checks and balances throughout the transition period– incorporating good practice from Headstart and wider partners
  • Meeting planned with PMHW, SHINE and MH services to look at their offers and where they fit into the triangle of support.
  • Discussions to be held with Red Marsh Special School around potential resources, support, CPD that may be available to soften the transition for children needing higher levels of intervention.
  • Distribution of Inclusion Hub offer for transition.
  • Headstart looking at developing a suite of videos to support understanding of school life, familiarising students with building, routines, key staff.
  • Exploring the support for parents around transitions with Shakespeare Primary School

Impact so far

  • Agreement on data to be collected/ shared
  • 50% schools have agreed to share data earlier to enable more effective transition
  • Young people identified for work with Headstart in 5 schools and additional support offered to a further school.
  • FTCT looking at developing the transition work further.
  • Commitment secured from partner agencies to support the transition process over a longer period and to adopt the 'triangle, tiered model of support'
  • Commitment secured for partner agencies around collection of impact measures

Exit strategy

Once agreed protocols in place and networks established, it is envisaged that the work will be sustained by the schools and partner agencies themselves

Priority

Trauma Informed approach to behaviour, attendance, and inclusion

To explore the potential for Fylde and Wyre schools to become Trauma Informed (interlinking with MH priority)

Intended outcomes

  • To raise awareness of the Trauma Informed Lancashire work
  • To strengthen understanding of the impact of adopting a Trauma Informed approach on MH, attendance, behaviour, attainment, parental engagement, resilience of staff etc
  • To open / widen the discussion around a Trauma Informed approach for children and young people, parents, and staff
  • To raise awareness of training and support available to develop schools and settings as Trauma Informed
  • To identify schools and partners to take the TI approach forward as a learning tool/ to identify best practice

Activity last period

  • Meeting with Siobhan Collingwood and Sgt Dan Whittaker from Violence Reduction Network to discuss next steps and identify pathways
  • Exploring TI training with agencies involved
  • Explore TI training for parents / carers
  • Individual conversations with schools around TI impact and identify a way forward for individual schools

Planned activity next period

  • From conversations with schools and partner agencies, this priority is being continued on an individual school basis. Work will continue through the Fleetwood Y6/Y7 Transition Programme.
  • Promotion of the Trauma Informed Lancashire work and opportunities available will continue.
  • Promotion of training with the Virtual Reality Headsets
  • Promotion of TI Leadership training and the impact of language will continue
  • Individual school conversations around the Trauma Informed quality mark will continue.

Impact so far

  • District 4 Inclusion Hub holding a Trauma Informed INSET day through the VRN, all Fylde primaries invited to send 3 members of staff, Headteachers, Early Years and Pastoral Leads/DSL

Exit strategy

Schools and settings wanting to progress a TI approach will have been identified and will be engaging on a pathway to becoming Trauma Informed