Audit Commission

The whole community has a role to play in school success, according to a new report published today by the Audit Commission.

More Than the Sum: Mobilising the Whole Council and its Partners to Support School Success looks at the positive impact the council and its partners can have upon local education provision. It features case studies of council departments, including housing, regeneration, and community safety, together with external organisations like the police, working with schools to drive improvement.

The report finds that better links between schools, local services and communities can be mutually beneficial - a theme which is also addressed in the government's Every Child Matters framework. Children's underachievement is often linked to deprivation, so improvements to the local community can help improve schools' performance. In turn, communities can benefit from better schools, both through the improved life chances of their children, and through new facilities or additional services that can be used by the whole neighbourhood.

The dramatic outcomes that partnership working can achieve are illustrated in the report; they include crime reduction, improved GCSE results, and mothers being helped to find employment. Councils are often well placed to act as the link between schools and other partners, and should take the lead by setting out a holistic vision in their community strategies and children and young people's plans, the report found.

Steve Bundred, Chief Executive of the Audit Commission, said:
'Government initiatives such as Every Child Matters have demonstrated the importance of delivering joined-up services for children, and this report suggests councils and their partners should work even more closely together to encourage school success. This report illustrates some excellent examples of local service providers working closely with schools to raise standards, and I hope it will inspire others to join forces within their community to help schools achieve their full potential.'

The report includes a self-assessment questionnaire which councils can use to help ensure they have the right frameworks in place to promote school success.

The case studies in the report feature councils, their partners, and schools in: Leeds, Kirklees, Portsmouth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Birmingham, Hartlepool, Norfolk and Blackpool.

Notes to editors

The Audit Commission is an independent body responsible for ensuring that public money is spent economically, efficiently and effectively, to achieve high-quality local services for the public. Our remit covers around 11,000 bodies in England, which between them spend more than £180 billion of public money each year. Our work covers local government, health, housing, community safety and fire and rescue services.

As an independent watchdog, we provide important information on the quality of public services. As a driving force for improvement in those services, we provide practical recommendations and spread best practice. As an independent auditor, we ensure that public services are good value for money and that public money is properly spent.

For further information about the Audit Commission, visit our website at www.audit-commission.gov.uk.