St. Paul's Community Development Trust - St. Paul's Community Trust

to achieve degrees, others are seeking to qualify at NVQ 4
and NVQ 3 levels. In-house training has been increased
and extended at the same time, to enable incoming staff
to receive good calibre induction and achieve essential
qualifications.
overlap between the aims and objectives of this programme
and those of the Children’s Centre. This makes it both
possible and desirable for Children’s Centre and Extended
provision to be managed and administered together. Both
programmes, for example, require early years services and
support for parents and families. Both call for Every Child
Matters targets to be pursued. Both depend on multi-agency
working and close co-operation.
Schools at all levels from nursery to secondary and sixth form
have worked jointly on this programme. Activities have been
legion, including: safety (through cycling proficiency, for
example); health (through gardening and sport); achieving
(Forest Schools, Girls in Action and drama); citizenship
(Youth Council) and enterprise education (Young Apprentice
Competition). There have been holiday programmes, after
school clubs, breakfast sessions and weekend events.
Parents and families have been included, with activities
ranging from English courses to trips and family fun days.
The volunteers programme which began under Sure Start,
now includes any and all parents, and offers a wide range
of opportunities to experience work in a variety of community
placements. A volunteer training programme supports this.
Primary Services and
Extended Provision
‘Extended provision’ is again a neighbourhood-wide
programme, involving all schools in the area working as a
cluster, to offer services and activities before and after school,
at weekends and in holiday periods. There is considerable
The Venture is the principal base for St. Paul’s own services
for children of primary school age and their families. A major
change took place here in the course of the year when, as an
aspect of the restructure, Val Hart relinquished her post as
Head of Venture. Over her twenty year tenure, the Venture
has grown to be the unique, kaleidoscopic, Aladdin’s Cave of
activities and facilities it is today. A party with many friends,
volunteers and colleagues - past and present – marked Val’s
move to Central and Community Services where she is still
pursuing her other St. Paul’s job as Deputy Chief Executive
for the whole Trust. The Venture’s integration into Children’s
Services is assured through new management posts with
responsibility for provision for children over five years old
and their families.
St. Paul’s Community Development Trust
5