www.hants.gov.uk/school-landscapes
SCHOOLS
LANDSCAPE
PROGRAMME
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Residency Top Tips

Plan your day well in advance. Six weeks is not unreasonable and gives plenty of time to
secure attendance of any external invitees

Example timetables can be found on the Resource Area of our web pages
(www.hants.gov.uk/school-landscapes) They provide a framework for you to adapt them to suit
your school and specific circumstances

Develop the timetable in discussion with the Landscape Architect . They have much
previous experience and will want to comment on a draft and contribute to the planning of the day

Think carefully about the order of the day. For instance hearing from pupils early on can be
a good way of ensuring their perspective is brought to the fore. If there are any very strong or fixed
comments coming back from certain groups they may be better programmed towards the end of
the day once a range of views have been expressed

Include the names and roles of each Steering Group member on your timetable. Some
members of the group, including the Landscape Architect, may only have met each other briefly at
this stage

Conclude the day with a Steering Group meeting and include the agenda as part of the
timetable. The Landscape Architect will help you prepare the agenda. Circulating it in advance will
give everyone a clear idea of what they can expect to cover at the meeting

Ensure the timetable is circulated well in advance to everyone involved and use this
opportunity to remind them of the purpose of the residency and the need to summarise what they
have discovered

Involve external advisor and experts to bring information you may be unaware of to the
investigation. Where they are unable to attend, invite them to make comments in advance and
timetable an opportunity to review these as part of the day. This could apply to your; Property
Manager (PBRS); Strategic planning officer (Children’s Services) Grounds maintenance manager
(PBRS), School Travel Plan advisor School, Catering manager

Work with the Landscape Architect throughout the day Ensure that the schools lead
person or another member of the steering group is available to attend each of the meetings and
join in discussions thorough out the day. The residency is a real opportunity for reciprocal learning
and you will get the most from it by being involved in most if not all of the meetings

Build in reflection time - Discuss with the Landscape Architect what reflection time they will need
and when.

Feedback at the Steering Group meeting - Ensure at least one or two areas of feedback
from the school are given during the Steering Group meeting

Include key times of school day i.e. start, finish, breaks, lesson changeovers. The
Landscape Architect and others unfamiliar with your school will find this particularly useful
April 2009