Meet the community: Extended Schools Manager - part 2

Part 2 of our interview with Vanessa Forbes from Sir Christopher Hatton school, working with the artist-in-residence.

'The Hemmingwell estate has really improved over the last five or six years,' Vanessa, whose own children went to Hatton school, continues. 'Things are improving. The artist-in-residence is part of that ongoing improvement. We all feel it is necessary to have something of real quality at the centre of the estate. We hope this is it.'

As part of the work with Kay, our artist, Sir Christopher Hatton school organised an 'Art Morning' (see Creative Kids parts 1 & 2 blog posts). The children talked about designs, made drawings and played around with scale.

'The kids that were chosen to participate all came from the Hemmingwell,' remembers Vanessa. 'At first, they couldn't understand why they'd been chosen - they didn't see themselves as the 'best' artists, but they soon got into it. Many hadn't realised the streets were named after birds. It was fun for them to see pictures of the birds their streets are named after. The children had a great time.'

'We're all looking forward to the installation of the artwork,' continues Vanessa. 'I hope the artwork will be a centre-piece for the estate to be proud of. It will be good for the children to remember they were a part of making that and involved with the project, as they grow up.'

Extended Schools co-ordinators are part of a government initiative, linked to the Every Child Matters agenda. All schools are due to have one in place and to be part of a Community Cohesion Plan. Vanessa was part of a pilot scheme at Sir Christopher Hatton. She was so successful, Vanessa was invited to stay on and is now a permanent member of staff.

Upcoming events at Sir Christopher Hatton school include a free computer training course for parents and members of the community. Runs on various dates after school and on Saturday mornings throughout the school year 2009/10. School and home partnerships are particularly important and the school runs a Parents Forum.

For more info on any of these, contact Vanessa Forbes, Extended Schools Manager, Sir Christopher Hatton school - forbesv@hattonschool.org.uk or 01933 226077. More info on Sir Christopher Hatton can be found on their website.

For further information on Children's Services in Northamptonshire, go to Northamptonshire Children's and Young People's Partnership.