Investors in Families Bedfordshire 7 May 08

1. Investors in FamiliesBedfordshire7 May 08 John Grainger Development Manager

2. IIF has given us a superb opportunity to celebrate how our staff, parents and governors work together to raise achievement, enjoyment and aspirations of families. We have joined together to decide a path forward I was very proud to lead the first submission by a school to gain IIF status. I sincerely believe that this is the only way to support children and their families who are disaffected and feel outside the mainstream routes to success to achieve john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

3. john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

4. john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

5. IiF is…. • a tool to enable schools to determine areas of development and • a framework within which to place new initiatives • a method for relating work with families directly to ‘core’ business john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

6. Who is it for? • Schools of all types and from all phases • Children’s Centres and nurseries • PRUs • Youth projects • Libraries • Any setting where children and young people’s learning is the main agenda john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

7. Feedback from pilot • Completion 5 July 07 • Broad range of schools • Evidence collection process trialled • Assessment framework tested • Positive feedback from schools john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

8. How does it fit with other initiatives? • Children’s Plan – ‘family centred children’s services’ ‘partnership with parents is a unifying theme of the Children’s Plan’ • Extended schools core offer advice and guidance for parents john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

9. Rationale • A national award – locally organised • Local assessment within national criteria - allowing for local circumstances • Rooted in Every Child Matters • Whole school commitment • Families recognised in every form, including corporate parents • Schools network locally and nationally john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

10. Investors in Families has been a fantastic resource to celebrate with parents how much 'impact' we are making on children's learning by working together in partnership Investors in Families has given me the opportunity to celebrate what we are already doing but also to consider where we are going john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

11. Structure of the award (1) • IIF will • provide a standards framework • train assessors • monitor and QA the scheme • accredit schools • manage the web site • The local authority will • implement the scheme locally • monitor standards locally • recommend schools for accreditation john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

12. Structure of the award (2) • Governing Body & staff agree commitment – whole school approach • School registers with local authority • School decides how it will put together portfolio and action plan - completion • Local Authority assesses school • Local assessment leads to recommendation for award john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

13. Process of collecting evidence • Opportunity for long term benefit • Involvement of key partners • Wider ownership of IiF award • Qualitative process • Not just another ‘badge’ to collect john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

14. Constructing the Portfolio • Generic evidence • 5 pieces of activity specific evidence from each of the 5 Outcomes ECM + assessment of impact* • Ideas for further development (Action Plan) * This is the minimum requirement. Many schools will have more pieces of evidence in their portfolio john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

15. Generic evidence • 1. The school should demonstrate its strategic commitment to and development of work with families by highlighting the relevant sections of its School Plan • 2. The school should detail the success criteria that it uses to gauge whether its work with families is successful or not and give some idea of its current assessment of its progress. • 3. The school should demonstrate the processes it has introduced so as to ensure that work with families is a ‘whole school’ approach rather than being fragmented and not wholly effective across all the school’s activities. john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

16. 4. The school should demonstrate how it strives to ensure that all families and all parents are included in its work, not only those easiest to engage with and to make contact with. • 5. The school should summarise those extended activities that enhance its work with families and specify those partner agencies that contribute to this aspect of the work. john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

17. Activity specific evidence The school should provide for each of the 25 activities: • the appropriate evidence of the success of the activity, and • an assessment of its impact on children and young people, families and the school. Evidence is acceptable in a variety of different forms: narrative, pupil’s work, photographs and video, testimonials, school policies and records, newspaper cuttings, and so on. Focus on what most clearly demonstrates effective practice and use that material. john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

18. The action plan john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

19. Assessing the Portfolio • The assessor will: • Check that school has included 5 pieces of appropriate evidence and its impact for each Outcome • Discuss that evidence with governors,staff, parents and students • Raise any issues for clarification • Discuss and agree areas for development • The assessor will provide a short written report, recommending approval or deferral pending further development john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

20. Investors in Families has given us the opportunity to acknowledge the "unseen" work that we do to engage and support families, and also the opportunity to reflect on how we can develop our work further Investors in Families has helped to validate our strong belief in, and commitment to, whole community cohesion. john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

21. Local customisation • Additional generic evidence • Specified activity specific evidence • Criteria for ensuring quality of process • Intervention model • Benchmarking model – local standards for work with families john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

22. Cost • £3,000 per year • £700 one-off assessor training • £50 admin fee for each school recommended for the award • Assessor time • Moderation of process john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk

23. Further information • Visit www.investorsinfamilies.org.uk • Email john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk john.grainger@investorsinfamilies.org.uk