Children and Young people have the right to an education appropriate to their needs and aptitudes. They should be able to develop skills that will help them to contribute effectively to their community, achieve their full potential and have their achievements valued.

Schools have a key role to play, and Sandwell Children's Fund helps to raise attainment levels and develop life skills within schools through constructive partnership working.

Sandwell Children's Fund has supported a number of iniatives to raise the attainment levels in schools. The funding provided has been used in many different ways.

Book Quiz

The book quiz was initially funded by Sandwell Children’s Fund for children that went to school in Tipton. The success of this project has led to it being extended to encompass all children’s Fund schools. The  service offers children the chance to be involved in reading for fun by providing an incentive to do so, prizes! It is hoped that the book quiz will increase uptake at both school and public libraries.

Contact Details:

Sandwell Schools Library Service
Ms. Judith Bird

Training and Development Centre
Popes Lane
Oldbury
B69 4PJ

Telephone: 0121 569 4415

Breakfast and After School Clubs

Breakfast Clubs provide extra support time for education and have improved attendance levels by some pupils. The Clubs have been well received by working parents who value the provision of a safe and creative environment for their children.

Breakfast and After School Clubs also have a positive impact on attainment levels. The after school science club at St Mary Magdalene Primary School has improved the level of attainment to such an extent that the school gained a 100% pass rate at KS2.

Community Mentoring

The Sandwell Volunteer Bureau Community Mentoring Service gives  children the skills that can help them through the transition from primary to secondary education. Mentoring can improve self-confidence and self esteem, increase motivation and raise achievements and aspirations within this service. Mentors are volunteers drawn from throughout the community, valuing the opportunity to develop new skills and understanding as part of their own personal development, and taking pride in putting something back into the community.

This service aims to ensure that all children have a seamless supported transition from primary to secondary school and as such ensure that their education is undisrupted. It also contributes to building postive relationships between the schools and the local communities.

Contact Details:

Sandwell Volunteer Bureau

Freeth Street
Oldbury
B69 2AB

Telephone: 0121 544 8326

Curriculum Enhancement

A Language and Curriculum Enhancement Programme has run in all Children’s Fund schools to help make the curriculum more exciting and bringing it ‘to life’ for pupils. Schools have been able to take children on offsite visits, bring specialists into schools and enhance their resources by purchasing artefacts.

All activities were linked to specific areas of the curriculum and work being undertaken by the children.

Drug Concern

Young people, and those responsible for them, need to be prepared both to resist drugs and handle drug-related problems. Sandwell Children’s Fund aims to provide opportunities for parents and carers to learn about drugs, building their skills and confidence to talk to young people about the issues.

Drug Concern provides drug education programmes and related services to the communities in the Children’s Fund areas and can support organisation in delivering drug education by training staff to deliver it themselves.

Contact Details:

Drug Concern
Ms Sue Creston

2nd Floor, West House
Lombard Street
West Bromwich
B70 8EG

Telephone: 0121 200 2000

Language Classes

Sandwell is a multi cultural borough and as such has people that are from diverse back ground with a diversity of languages. In recognition of this fact George Salter High school has rapidly developed its extended schools provision and the way it engages with parents.

Sandwell Children’s Fund has provided funding for Language Classes that encourage children to take formal qualifications in their mother tongue but also supports children who are not confident in their use of English. A Saturday school operate to encourage parents to join their children in acquiring basic English skills.

Contact Details:

George Salter High School
Mr Jon Nicholson
Extended Schools Manager

Claypit Lane
West Bromwich
B70 9UW

Telephone: 0121 553 4665

Raising Educational Attainment - Grace Mary

Grace Mary primary schools are working together to deliver a mentoring scheme in each of the school. Three mentors deliver a range of activities to support children in school and help them reach their full potential.

Mentoring can cover a whole range of activities and the Grace Mary cluster group exemplifies this. At present the mentoring scheme involves literacy improvement, out of a school activities, attendance and punctuality improvements and one to one mentoring.

Contact Details:

Oakham Primary School
Mr Phil Jones
Head teacher

Darbys Hill Road
Tividale
B66 1SG

Telephone: 01384 254368

Raising Educational Attainment - Great Bridge (Newtown)

Mentoring helps children with problems that can occur in the transition from primary to secondary education. To deal with this George Salter High and Alexandra High School support children through the transition and after through home school partnerships. The service also works to improve attendance of children through first-day calling and monitoring attendance levels as well as targeting specific problems.

Contact Details:

Alexandra High School
Mr Cliff Buckle

Alexandra Road
Tipton
DY4 7NR

Telephone: 0121 557 4146

Fax: 0121 522 2264

Hall Green Primary

Improving the attainment and supporting the development of children is not solely reliant on providing academic support but can also be supported through other avenues.

Hall Green has recruited a worker to engage with children during the break and lunch periods to facilitate play and in particular target children that would not otherwise engage. The worker carries this support into the classroom by working with targeted pupils who have difficulty concentrating after periods of play.

Raising Educational Attainment - Menzies High School

A full-time behaviour mentor works to remove barriers at the school and reintegrate disengaged children into learning, bridging the gap between home and school through regular contact with parents and other agencies.

The mentoring focuses on raising self-esteem and confidence, and improving of social and academic skills. Targeted pupils receive one-to-one and group support and evidence shows a real improvement in the performance of children who have been supported by the service.

Contact Details:

Menzies High School
Ms. J Clair

Clarkes Lane
West Bromwich
B71 2BX

Telephone: 0121 588 8384

Fax: 0121 567 5284

Raising Educational Attainment - North Smethwick

There are a number of models that can be adopted in delivering mentoring, of the available models the schools in North Smethwick decided to adopt one of cooperation and transition. The mentoring Cluster group is from four schools, one secondary and it"s three main feeder primaries.

The focus of the mentoring may differ from school to school but it deals with the common factor of problems that occur in the transition from primary to secondary education.

Mentoring can cover a whole range of activities and the Holly Lodge cluster group exemplifies this. At present the mentoring scheme involves literacy improvement, out of a school activities, attendance and punctuality improvements and one to one mentoring.

George Betts Primary offers mentoring to vulnerable pupils at Key Stage 2 and preventative work at Key Stage 1. The mentoring focuses on raising self-esteem, confidence and improving social and academic skills.

Targeted pupils receive one to one and group support and there is a noticeable improvement with children who have already accessed the service.

Contact Details:

Albion Junior School
Miss S Greaves

Halfords Lane
West Bromwich
B71 4LG

Telephone: 0121 5532148

Fax: 0121 525 4389

Transition Support

To improve educational performance among African Caribbean and Dual Heritage children, Sandwell Children’s Fund is funding service to support personal and social development. Through one-to-one mentoring with young people, and work with parents and schools the service is proving successful in preventing school exclusions and improving performance and behaviour in school and at home.

Contact Details:

ACESS
Ms Margaret Morrison

West House
Lombard Street
West Bromwich
B70 8EG

Telephone: 0121 525 9177

Virtual School

Many children who are looked after by the local authority under perform academically due to their circumstances and the uncertainty it brings. The virtual school was set up within Education and Children’s Services to cater for the educational needs of these children and try to give them the same opportunities as other children. The virtual school supports them within mainstream schools works with the agencies that care for them and provides tutor time.

Contact Details:

Education and Children's Services
Ms Kathy Ross

Sandwell Council

Telephone: 0121 588 8337