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Oak Tree Getting School Ready

The Oak Tree Getting School Ready initiative brought together cross-sector partners, parents and carers from an under-served community in Mansfield, to co-produce a plan to address the persistent issue of high numbers of pupils requiring significant extra support to thrive.

Creating key priorities

Using Collective Impact and Systems Thinking approaches, five key priorities for action were identified and formed the pillars of a long-term plan:

  1. To build better connections between services
  2. To foster social cohesion and community resilience
  3. To facilitate access to support
  4. To foster better relationships between service and families
  5. To build system leadership capability.

Working on these priorities, the steering group have:

  • Amplified community voice on school readiness issues.
  • Strengthened collaboration across family services in Oak Tree.
  • Created an inclusive space for parents and professionals to work together without judgement.
  • Supported the growth of a Warm Welcome group hosted by and welcoming local parents, carers and their children.
  • Co-created a toolkit for school readiness called Roots to Readiness designed to strengthen family foundations while preparing children and parents for positive learning, wellbeing, and life outcomes.
  • Enabled parent partners to showcase initiative work at multiple conferences.
  • Explored options for an Oak Tree Community website, for the community, by the community.
  • Secured £25k from Active Notts for SEND equipment at Oak Tree Primary.

Impact of Oak Tree Getting School Ready

Through the initiative, we have seen a wide array of positive impacts, including a better understanding of community needs and relationships. These impacts are outlined below.

  • Oak Tree primary school's Ofsted rating jumped from Inadequate in 2018 to Good in 2023. School leaders acknowledged the Getting School Ready initiative as a contributing factor.
  • Key Stage 2 outcomes in reading in 2022 are the highest they’ve ever been, matching the national average for the first time.
  • Oak Tree primary school has constructed a sensory playground that will be used by children during the school day and accessible to the community out of school hours.
  • There has been a marked increase in parents attending assemblies and parents' evenings at Oak Tree as well as improved parent participation in school governance.

  • A clear and accessible ‘theory of school readiness’ has been created which will be adopted by partners from the local Early Years workforce and community.
  • Place Matters, an internationally recognised place-based change accelerator, has built systems change capacity among partners and community members.
  • A newly established project team has been created, made up of parents, educational psychologists and school staff who aim to co-create a better system of inclusion.

  • The Warm Welcome group has been created, providing a safe space for residents to meet to talk about early years parenting.
  • The Warm Welcome group have developed a parent-led ‘stay and play’ session in the local Children’s Centre alongside delivering hugely popular seasonal community events.
  • The initiative supported the recruitment of two community-based volunteer Health and Wellbeing Champions to deliver support in the community.
  • Connections developed through the project have led to the re-emergence of adult education opportunities in the Oak Tree community.

Recognition

The innovative working taking place in Oak Tree has led to the initiative being recognised nationally.

  • Awarded Bronze in the 2023 Social Mobility Awards for community programme innovation.
  • Shortlisted for the Smarter Working Lives ‘Building Collaborative Communities’ award.
  • Shortlisted for the Times Higher Awards Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community.

Scaling up the initiative

As a result of the impact of the Oak Tree Getting School Ready Initiative, CenSCE was awarded £250,000 by Mansfield District Council to expand this work across the district through the Levelling Up partnership. A 'backbone' team has been recruited to take this work forward and the Mansfield Getting School Ready Initiative has been formed.

Mansfield Getting School Ready

Visit the Mansfield Getting School Ready page to learn how you can get involved as this work expands across the district.

Mansfield Getting School Ready