Summary The impact of last years Comprehensive Spending Review has meant the dissolution of the extended services

infrastructure within local authority. As a result it is the responsibility of individual schools to choose whether to continue to find funding to engage Extended Services Coordinators, whether to work together in clusters and which particular schools to partner with in this way. This report collates the findings of five interviews, four of which were conducted with Extended Services Coordinators and the remaining with a head teacher leading a cluster. What this report demonstrates is that there are more differences than similarities in the way that schools are working together. The waning emphasis on the achievement of an extended services core offer means that these initiatives are no longer the driving force for cluster working that they have been during the last six years. The Head Teacher of a Lancashire Primary School flags up a number of ways in which schools are working together and their reasons for doing so, such as Local Childrens Trust Partnerships, Learning Trusts, and Sports Partnerships For Extended Services Coordinators, situations vary. One coordinator from Blackburn Oasis, explains funding for her role is only secure until February 2012 meaning she is only able to plan for the next six months. Whereas an extended services coordinator in North East Lincolnshire, funding was cut in April 2011 but her cluster of schools valued her work enough to commit their devolved extended services budget to employing her on a freelance basis. She has already developed a range of exciting partnerships and projects to help meet the schools needs. Two interviews were conducted with extended services coordinators in secondary schools. In the last year, neither had developed significant work with their clusters, and they described a situation of isolation, with their energy focused on the attraction of exciting after school activities to appeal to their own pupils and their families. One coordinators funding is secure until August, whereas the other coordinators school has attached great value to his work and are committed to

keeping him. Each of these interviews worked to foreground the importance of funding and of personal relationships. Clusters are formed around a funding purpose along with trust and individual personalities. If head teachers get along, they will work collaboratively. If they have developed along and trusting relationship with their extended services coordinator, they will strive to maintain the relationship. Recommendations suggest there is potential to galvanise schools into cluster working if it is possible to signpost available funding and inspiring projects from which a collaborative approach will benefit.