The doors of Alloa Academy don’t shut at the end of the school day.
Fun events in the evenings continue to enhance relationships with our wider community and bring people in after school hours. You can hear a pin drop when the numbers are called at our “bingo, tea and books” events, and the donated prizes and book gifting are always well received.
Other regular events include concerts, art exhibitions and pantomimes. Our Alloa Community Empowerment group - staff and parents working together - has added community singing, pottery and craft groups to the literacy, food hygiene and cookery programme that’s now in its third year. This latter group also provides activities for children and young people in the school holidays, such as cookery and art sessions during the October break.
At the heart of this approach is an awareness of what is important to people in our community and what needs to change in order for everyone to flourish. As well as our family programmes, support is provided through our pre-loved uniform and supply shop. For our wider community, we’ve introduced a “one-stop support shop”, which consists of after-school sessions with the likes of Citizens Advice, Social Security Scotland and the Clackmannanshire home energy advice team.
Again, our school doors are open in the evenings to encourage people to come in for a hot drink, a chat and support to fill in referral forms or benefit applications.
These are just some examples of our Community around the School approach, part of the Clackmannanshire Family Wellbeing Partnership formed in 2020. This involves education, social work, housing and employability colleagues from across Clackmannanshire Council - Scotland’s smallest mainland local authority, which has three secondary schools - working together with partners to tackle poverty and inequalities.
So far, we’ve drawn together more than 30 partners and programmes around Alloa Academy. These include university projects, NHS workshops, art collaborations and local work experience. Many young people have also enjoyed Columba 1400 values-based leadership experiences - which are great opportunities to reflect on values, discuss what people need to flourish and what they want for their community.
Our young people and their families actively shape Community around the School and there are regular opportunities for their voices to be heard. Some 80 young people participate in our school pupil parliament and some also joined Clacks Youth Council. Recently, one young person became a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament.
Volunteering at breakfast clubs, primary-to-secondary transition sessions and fundraising events all contribute to young people’s Saltire Awards for volunteering. We’ve also raised the profile of wider achievement by adding community awards to our annual “celebrating success” events. For our wider community, we’ve recently introduced What Matters to You, an initiative bringing people together for community action.
We’re already seeing the benefits of Community around the School. Our young people are more confident and engaging more fully in school life. Attendance is improving and many are moving on to positive post-school destinations. People of all ages are getting involved in programmes, groups and activities of their choice during the day and after school hours.
By thinking differently about what a school day involves and what a school can offer its wider community, we are focusing on what matters to people - in the school and beyond - and what is needed to make sure every individual flourishes.
Dr Janet Adam is a secondary school faculty head of English and modern languages at Alloa Academy, currently seconded to the role of Community around the School lead for the Clackmannanshire Family Wellbeing Partnership. She has also been acting depute headteacher
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