Schools as Community Platforms
Schools as Community Platforms
The integrated model that Colman Education Foundation and The Bryan Foundation are implementing incorporates central features that reflect a core purpose of improving education success and long-term sustainability. The overall strategy is a collaborative approach between a range of service providers to improve education outcomes by reducing or eliminating barriers to accessing key services and opportunities that build the capacity of families and enhance social capital.
The central aspects of the model are that:
- A school site is enhanced by the inclusion of additional services and learning opportunities including early learning in the same location and there is seamless access between the services and opportunities for families.
- The collaboration is governed and implemented in partnership with key stakeholders and there is a shared action plan that all partners are accountable for.
- It is seeking to work with the existing service system and resources so that these are utilised more effectively for families rather than just increased or new funding.
- Core health and wellbeing services that connected to the existing service system are provided from a school site. This includes Maternal and Child Health, Family Support and children’s health.
- It is built on partnerships between organisations that have existing and ongoing responsibility for the delivery of key services to the community and engages in cross sectoral planning based on family priorities, available data, evidence of what works and impact on learning.
- While partner organisations retain their autonomy, the focus goes beyond co-location and includes service delivery, service coordination and alignment of practice and there is a commitment to measuring impact and testing new ways of working with families.
- There are dedicated resources to drive ongoing engagement with families, partnership development and collaborative practice.
Establishing Schools as Community Platforms does have implications for school building design, but that is only one of many aspects that contribute to implementing the approach.
For readers looking for advice on how to establish a single Hub on a school site without the integrated service delivery or primarily to grow engagement of families on a school site, considerable good advice exists in Community_Hubs_Guide_Live.pdf (communityhubs.org.au) and Parents Victoria Family-School Partnerships Framework - Parents Victoria
Three Broad Archetypes used in this resource.
These definitions are used for convenience in the context of a resource to guide pre-establishment considerations for establishing Schools as Community Platforms model and an integrated approach to supporting children and families address barriers to education success.
School led within existing footprint
Where a school or school and partner is seeking to have space on site for group activities that support community connection, information provision and adult learning. There is minimal additional space for co-location of other services beyond as visiting service. There is minimal shared governance and some allocation of resources (person) for community coordination.
Hybrid
Where there is larger scope for community activity, some on site partners and co-location of core services. There would be joint governance with some partners and shared planning happens. There is allocation of a resource (person) for community engagement and partnership development.
School as Community Platforms
There are multiple services and learning opportunities, with seamless access for families. Stakeholders collaborate and share responsibility for a clear action plan. Existing resources are utilized effectively, providing core health and wellbeing services. On site services working within a common practice framework. Partnership development and integration is supported with specific resources.