The Barking Cluster

PSTT Cluster Programme commenced 2016

The Barking Cluster was established through a number of network meetings and collaborative projects. There are three schools participating in the first instance and all schools have completed a level of the PSQM award. Two schools are significantly large and the PSTT programme has been extended to include a second member of staff from each school.

Cluster Lead: Kulvinder Johal

Northbury Primary School (Lead School)
Northbury Close
Barking,
Essex
IG118JA

St Margaret’s C of E Primary School
15- 19 North Street
Barking,
Essex
IG11 8AS

Grafton Primary School
Grafton Road
Dagenham,
Essex
RM8 3EX

The vision of Barking’s Cluster Network has been described by Kulvinder Johal, the Cluster Lead, below.

“The vision of our group is to move science forward at our schools by making improvements. Although we are PSQM schools, we are very clear that the journey has not stopped and there is always more to do. We would like to work on areas of improvement that may then also support schools in our borough and wider afield. The two silver schools wish to work towards a gold PSQM. We would like to learn from each other’s expertise to provide support, develop and facilitate moderation, assessment and developing an outdoor learning environment . Our vision is to then be a beacon of good practice so we are able to support other schools in the area.”

Key achievements:

• Meeting to share and ‘magpie’ ideas; learning from each other.
• Validation what we were doing in our schools.
• Being awarded Eco school status; one school has the Green Flag Award, one had the Silver award and the other Bronze.
• Developing a range of planning and assessment through sharing approaches.
• A major success was getting our outdoor spaces working well.
• Visiting other local schools and seeing what is achievable, sharing of ideas / practice.

Key Areas of Impact:

• Working closely with other schools.
• Supporting each other.
• Celebrating and seeing our ideas develop in our schools.
• A second person on the programme for the two large schools has been very beneficial.