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Step 4. Encourage schools to join
- Ask your LEA contact for advice on the best way to approach
head teachers. Each LEA will have a variety of communication routes,
some of which are listed below. Try several, don't just rely on
one and remember it takes time to get schools involved - don't
be deterred by slow responses.
- If the LEA has a bulletin newsletter for schools ask them
to include a feature outlining your project and seeking interest
from schools.
- If the LEA has an internal mailing system ask if you can
use it to send schools information about your project.
- Most LEAs have meetings of primary heads each term. Ask
to attend one to seek interest in your project. You will need
to approach the secretary of the group to get permission.
Don't ask for too much time, suggest 10-15 minutes maximum.
Try to get the item on the agenda before coffee break, then
you can use the break to talk to interested head teachers.
Take a supply of information/enquiry forms to hand out.
- If you are unable to use any of the above communication
routes, send information/enquiry forms and a covering letter
direct to schools by normal post.
See section G for a sample communication flier with a tear off
'request for further information' slip. It can be copied direct
from this publication or downloaded from the website, photocopied
and sent to schools and/or taken to meetings.
- Decide how many schools you can support with your project.
The number you decide on will depend on your capacity (time and
funding), and how much support you want to offer to the schools.
The amount of support an individual school will need will vary
greatly and is difficult to predict. Details of the numbers of
schools involved in the Grab 5! pilot project along with what
support was offered to them are given on page 20. This may act
as a guide for you to decide how many schools to support.
- If more schools are keen to participate in your project than
you are able to support, decide, with the help of your steering
group, whether you can locate more funding and coordinator time
to expand the project and support them, or, if not, what criteria
you will use to select which schools to work with. Your criteria
may be based on geographical considerations, participation or
not in the National Healthy Schools Standard, degree of deprivation
(greatest need) or other. Evidence shows that children from low-income
families have the lowest consumption of fruit and vegetables and
there are strong arguments for focussing efforts on these children.
Establishing the number of children entitled to free school meals
in a school is a crude yet quick way to give you an idea of need.
- Having selected the schools for your project, arrange to visit
the school to explain it to the head teacher and other interested
people, e.g. a school governor, in more detail. Confirm their
commitment to the project. We recommend you choose to work with
schools that are keen to participate, acknowledging this may exclude
some schools in most need. Note that it is essential you get the
head teacher's commitment.
- Once the schools to be involved have been confirmed ask them
to identify a school coordinator. This will be the key contact
for the project but they will ideally work on the project as part
of a team. The key contact may be the head teacher, the deputy
head, a class teacher, a subject coordinator (typically science
or PSHCE), a learning mentor or a member of support staff. Schools
that identify a small team to work on the project, rather than
a single individual, tend to have the greatest success. For example
a learning mentor may carry out the majority of the practical
work, having greater flexibility and time in their job, but be
regularly supported by a teacher, deputy head and/or the head
teacher who can take the lead and use their greater influence
to make things happen. Perhaps the most important feature of a
school coordinator is that they are motivated and committed to
the project and so will persevere even if there are occasional
setbacks.
- Offer to present talks about your project to teachers, governors
and parents. Schools appreciate the opportunity of outside speakers
because it helps raise the profile of the project and bring everyone
on board.
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