New report identifies schools and nurseries as integral in providing community support to children and their families

The joint report by Child of the North and the Centre for Young Lives - Building the foundations of a new ‘Sure Start’: An evidence-based plan for connecting and coordinating support and services in and around education settings - calls for schools to be at the centre of a ‘fresh start for Sure Start’ by ensuring joined up support around schools to boost school readiness, reduce absenteeism and tackle the impact of poverty. It proposes a national network of ‘hubs’ in educational settings to provide safe places for children to play and learn, and to provide childcare needed to help working parents.

The report’s three key recommendations for government are to:

1. Commit to a national strategy that puts schools at the heart of connected and co-delivered services for children and families.
2. Create a strategic and governance framework with adequate ringfenced funding so UK schools can lever and access the programmes, activities, and services that meet the needs of their community.
3. Encourage holistic and collaborative working by co-producing connected services with children, young people, families, and the wider community.

The report shows how bringing schools together with services, the community, and other organisations (including voluntary groups, local service providers, local business, faith groups, and others) is already working in some parts of the country, but it is ad hoc and reliant on forward thinking multi-academy trusts, local authorities, or charities who already recognise the crucial role schools play in building strong communities.

It also provides examples of where innovative, creative approaches to early intervention around schools are having tangible results.

Read the report

This report echoes what Beth Perry highlighted in the evaluation of An Even Better Arbourthorne – where it was demonstrated how schools  can play critical roles as community infrastructure, bringing together physical and social infrastructures and networks of care and connection in the community.

A short film has also been produced by local filmmaker Sean Lovell.