The Community Schools Project

In 2023, Dr Sue Horder, Tomos Gwydion ap Sion, Karen Rhys Jones, Lisa Formby and Gillian Danby, along with colleagues from Bangor University, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Swansea University, and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) were commissioned by Welsh Government to investigate how schools in Wales currently compare to the practices, beliefs, and attitudes of community schools.

Building on this work, the Wrexham team, which now includes Nikki Ewing are leading on a proposed Community Focused Schools research bid, in collaboration with Swansea University, UWTSD and Welsh Government. Their plan is to apply for a large funding bid to conduct a 3-year collaborative research study exploring the wider topic of Community focused schools and the disadvantage faced by children and young people within these communities. The direction of the research will be influenced by the views, experiences and voices of the professionals that work with children, young people and families in schools and communities. The team were successful in being awarded the Learned Society of Wales research workshop grant scheme and the Faculty of Social and Life Sciences seed funding grant to put their plan into motion. Pre- research work is currently underway with the public to capture these views through workshops and a formation of a steering group to work directly with the research team.

This research is driven by the Welsh Government’s commitment to developing Community Schools as an integral part of its strategy for Educational Equity. Informed by academic and policy research from within the UK and internationally, this research will help enable all children and young people in Wales to receive fair and equitable provision that is equal to ability and potential, enabling them to become active, purposeful citizens and to grow-up healthy, confident, and resilient.