Longlands Primary School Community Plan 2024 - 2026

2024 - 2026 Community Plan

Community within the Trust

The Marches Academy Trust’s vison is ‘Achievement Through Caring’. We believe that our children are part of our community of learners and as such we work hard to create a sense of belonging and connection in our family of schools. Our staff across the Trust work hard to form effective partnerships within each of our communities; it is this work that makes each school unique as each community has its own character

I have put together examples of how each of our schools are building strong foundations in their communities that will help the school community to evolve and best serve the children. We also do all that we can to support all our children and young people to contribute and strengthen their own communities.

The Trust has strengthened Local Governing Bodies (LGB) and built upon the lines of communication so that our Governors from all schools in the Trust feel connected and more importantly an integral part of the journey of the Trust.

Our Trust has connected with Health, Police and Social Services in Shropshire to ensure that our children and communities are getting the support they need to thrive.

The Trust has a successful partnership with Shrewsbury school. We are sharing good practice in maths, careers, Sixth Form, ExpertEd and the development of talented sports people.

All schools are looking at ways to connect with their communities from open days at Longlands Primary School where the community were invited in to spend time in the social farm to the Marches School holding a kindness week, where they took cards with messages of gratitude to members of the Oswestry community.

We are fortunate that the Rotarians based in each of the areas that our schools are located in are proactively involved in supporting our schools through mock interviews, mentoring and fundraising to support special projects

Our schools continue to play a vital role in collecting and distributing food parcels to their communities.

The Trust has setup a connected charity, the 4 All Foundation to support our communities.

Sarah

Sarah Finch CEO, The Marches Academy Trust

At Longlands Primary school, we recognise the importance of strong community links. Through our curriculum, each child can find their talents and achieve their full potential, giving them a sense of moral and charitable purpose that is linked to where they live. School provides a wide range of enrichment activities, which take the children into the community and bring the community into the school

Family, school and community relationships directly affect student outcomes which is why our connections with the local neighbourhood are of paramount importance to the success of the school.

We aim to be a genuine part of our locality where all are valued and respected for who we are, where we build meaningful relationships that are based on nurture and support, where we build a sense of belonging and trust, and where we uphold respect and equity as students grow to be valued members of their community

Lisa

Lisa Millington Headteacher, Longlands Primary School

Working today to protect tomorrow

Marches Academy Trust is committed to creating schools of the future that promotes learning for life by ensuring we deliver our Trust core values of excellence, equality, integrity, empathy and creativity in everything that we do. An important part of this pivotal role includes the way we engage with our communities to ensure a sustainable, ethical and inclusive future.

Our Trust recognise it is critical to deliver inclusive education, sustainable environments and healthy spaces for all of our children and young people, staff and communities whilst minimising our impact on the environment and protecting the future of our planet.

We embrace our social obligation and recognise that as global citizens, we have a moral responsibility to contribute to the wellbeing of our environment and wider society. As such our Trust seeks to actively make socially responsible decisions in all it does so that together we can grow.

Our Community Plan

Action / Aim Time Frame

Engaging with Elderly Residents of Hatton Court Care Home

Organise open events at the school where elderly residents from Hatton Court Care Home are invited. These events can include performances, art exhibitions, or interactive sessions.

Establish a buddy system where Longlands pupils connect with elderly residents Regular interactions can include reading together, sharing stories, or participating in joint activities.

Collaborate on projects that involve both students and elderly residents. For example, joint gardening sessions, art workshops, or reminiscence activities.

Ongoing

Ongoing

Ongoing

Continuing Collaboration with Freehold Borough School, New Jersey

Arrange virtual exchanges between students from Longlands and Freehold Borough School. This can involve sharing cultural experiences, artwork, or collaborative projects.

Set up a pen pal programme where students exchange letters or emails with their counterparts in New Jersey. This fosters cross-cultural understanding and friendship

Ongoing

October 2024

Further Developing Wraparound Care Support for Parents

Extend the availability of wraparound care services (Breakfast Club and After School Club) to accommodate parents’ needs Ensure flexibility in drop-off and pick-up times.

Review in December 2024

Organise workshops for parents on topics such as parenting skills, stress management, and child development. Invite guest speakers or collaborate with local organizations. Ongoing

Developing Links with The Zone for In-School and Out-of-School Events

Partner with the 4 All Foundation to organise joint events. Examples include holiday clubs and community service projects. Ongoing

Explore opportunities to share facilities. For instance, the 4 All Foundation could use Longlands’ hall for after-school activities, and Longlands students could participate in programmes at The Zone Community Hub.

January 2025

Improving Transition Links with Grove School

Casestudy

The project aimed to foster social cohesion between younger people and older adults within the community through physical activity and wellbeing initiatives.

The residents of Hatton Court Care Home met with the Year 4 pupils from Longlands to take part in a range of activities.

These activities included Boccia, parachute games, javelin and bowling and were chosen to be fun and inclusive. The activities also encouraged engagement and communication between the residents and pupils promoting coordination and teamwork with all participants benefiting from the social activity.

The benefits to Residents have been social interaction, physical activity, a sense of fulfilment and verbal engagement.

The visits provided an opportunity for residents to interact with young pupils, reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness. Engaging in sports activities improved residents’ physical health and mobility. Residents felt included and fulfilled, with some even discovering their competitive side and, previously silent residents began participating and communicating during the sessions.

These visits also brought many benefits to Pupils, such as community connection, overcoming shyness, increased activity and learning from elders.

Pupils learned about the importance of community involvement and developed empathy. One pupil mentioned that participating in these sessions helped them overcome shyness around new people. Pupils became more active through the sports and games and interacting with older adults provided valuable life lessons and wisdom.

Overall, this intergenerational project successfully bridged the gap between generations, fostering a sense of community and well-being for both residents and pupils.