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As of April 2009 there are more than 50 schools and children’s centres with the award and the original pilot group from Buckinghamshire are approaching re-assessment for the first time. 20 local authority areas in England and Wales, in part or wholly, are now participating.
Following a successful pilot phase Bradford is offering a greater number of settings the opportunity to work towards the award this year.
Having participated in the pilot in 2007 Bucks has now made the opportunity available more widely for its settings to participate. Two briefing sessions have been held, one for the north and another for the south of the county. Assessor training has taken place; the county has adopted a peer assessment model along with some advisers to ensure quality.
The special schools in Dorset play a lead role in resourcing extended schools clusters and they are being given first opportunity to gain their Investors in Families award.
Settings in Basingstoke are being encouraged to gain IiF, including a heritage centre.
The second awards ceremony is scheduled for 5th June where the next phase of schools to gain IiF will be presented with their awards. Luton’s officers have been actively promoting IiF with colleagues in the region and wider afield.
A pilot phase of around 20 settings is well under way and 2 schools have already gained the award (including the first forest school to get Investors in Families status). The lead advisers are particularly keen to assess the impact of gaining IiF on the school or children’s centre’s work generally.
The Northolt cluster are well on the way collecting evidence and have arranged a sharing session to check out evidence and share ideas for mid May before being assessed later in the summer term.
Three clusters in Oxfordshire are being encouraged to participate in Investors in Families. It is hoped that these settings will be assessed around the end of 2009.
Hulton EAZ is considering how it will engage with Investors in Families and involve its schools and children’s centres..
A briefing for schools is being held on 21st May in Weston super Mare.
It is hoped to roll out IiF to all schools and children’s centres over the next three years and to create an assessor resource of parent governors
Following assessor training the schools and children’s centres in the north Stevenage extended schools cluster are busily constructing their portfolios of evidence.
Thurrock is the latest authority to take on Investors in Families following lobbying from schools. Assessor training will be offered next term.
The first two schools to gain the award – the smallest primary and the largest secondary schools - were recently presented with their certificates at a county function attended by the press.
Following assessor training in February colleagues are in the process of inviting settings to participate.
The schools that participated in the pilot were presented with their certificates by Jane Hutt, the minister responsible for children’s services in the Welsh Assembly at a celebration event organised by ESIS (the shared advisory service working with the five authorities on the pilot).
Ynysawdre School in Bridgend was both the first school to be assessed and the first to be subsequently inspected by Estyn where the lead inspector stated in his report
There is a firm focus on engaging parents in all aspects of school life. This is an outstanding feature. They are consulted at all levels. Parents appreciate the opportunities to contribute to school life. The school is the first in Wales to gain the Investors in Families Quality Mark, showing the school’s full commitment to supporting pupils and students, their families and the community.
Each of the five authorities is now rolling IiF out to further schools. Caerphilly, for example, intends that all of its schools will have the opportunity to gain the award over three years.
The Association of Directors of Education in Wales has asked for a presentation to its May meeting on Investors in Families.