Extended schools
Evaluation of the full-service extended schools initiative
(June 2007)
Click to download the report or
read a press
notice.
Schools located at the heart of the community are well placed to take up the challenge of making Every Child Matters a reality for children, young people and communities.
The publication Extended Schools: Building on Experience sets out a core offer of services that all children should be able to access through schools by 2010.
The core offer includes:
- A varied range of activities including study support, sport and music
clubs, combined with childcare in primary schools
- Parenting and family support
- Swift and easy access to targeted and specialist services
- Community access to facilities including adult and family learning, ICT and sports grounds
Schools will need to work closely with parents, children and others to shape these activities around the needs of their community and may choose to provide extra services in response to demand.
Click to read more about the offer on the extended schools page of the TeacherNet website.
Progress in delivering extended services
Over 8,000 schools - one in three - are now providing access to extended services in partnership with voluntary, private and independent providers.
Every Child Matters and high educational standards
High educational standards and pupil well-being go hand in hand. Children succeed best when they are healthy, self-confident and well-motivated. Extending the range of services that schools can offer is crucial to making sure children and families are given the support they need to thrive.
How do schools benefit from extended services?
Evaluation of the second year (2004/5) of the national evaluation of full service extended schools, published on 19 September shows that extended services can have significant positive effects on children, adults and families. These effects can also benefit schools - improving pupil attainment and exclusion rates.
This follows an Ofsted evaluation (July 2006) which suggests that extended services are helping to enhance self-confidence, improve relationships, raise aspirations and produce better attitudes to learning.
How do parents benefit from extended services?
Parents will have greater choice, flexibility, convenience and accessibility to help them balance family and work commitments. The 8am-6pm offer allows greater flexibility for full or part-time employment. Some parents may choose to use home-based carers who can also be part of the extended schools offer. Working parents on lower incomes, who are accessing childcare through their school, can benefit from claiming the childcare element of the working tax credit which can cover up to 80% of the costs.
How do teachers benefit from extended services?
Teachers will not have to deliver extended services themselves. It is about working well with existing private and voluntary sector childcare providers, and with support staff want to get involved. Extended services can help remove barriers to learning and give support to pupils with problems outside their academic work, helping teachers focus on their core job of teaching. Everyone who works in schools should enjoy a reasonable work-life balance.
Working in partnership
Many schools will choose to develop the core offer by working in partnership with existing local private and voluntary sector providers, or by building on existing links with other local schools and working as a cluster.
There is no expectation that teachers will deliver childcare, though it may
be appropriate for a member of the teaching staff to undertake a coordination
role. The Training and Development Agency is taking a lead role to ensure that
there is no increase in teacher workload.
Local authorities are key partners in supporting the development of extended
services across communities. It is crucial to the success of the extended
schools programme that there is close cooperation at local level between
partners working in education, childcare, children's centres, health and
other children's services.
Providing quick and easy access to services such as health and social care means that problems affecting children's learning can be more easily dealt with. Where families are involved in activities such as family learning, they become more involved in their children's education, embrace new learning opportunities and encourage their children to learn.
Funding extended services
To support schools in setting up and embedding their services, the government has committed funding of £840m over 2003-2008. This will be made available through each local authority alongside funding direct to schools. The funding can be used flexibly to support schools to develop a sustainable model and overcome potential barriers to developing extended services.
In addition, £1.3 billion has been made available over the period 2006-08 for schools to support personalised learning during and beyond the school day. This will support access to extended services, especially for children from disadvantaged areas.
Developing and embedding access to extended services is a long-term agenda. This is about putting in place services that will last and provide continual benefits to children, young people and families over time. Services should become sustainable by charging for services such as childcare, and working with the local children's trust to develop links to appropriate agencies and professionals who will deliver services in new ways through schools.
Supporting extended services
The Extended Schools Remodelling Adviser is the strategic lead for developing the extended schools vision within each local authority. The adviser is supported by the Training and Development Agency (TDA), which is helping local authorities ensure that at school level teachers are not taking on additional responsibilities and that the most appropriate person is engaged in developing and delivering extended services. The TDA has been working with governing bodies and others on workforce reform, and will also be providing support and guidance for governors.
ContinYou and 4Children - both charitable organisations - provide support to the extended schools agenda. ContinYou provide technical support through the Extended Schools Support Service, including advice on health improvement, community regeneration and study support. 4Childrenprovides expert advice on all aspects of childcare linked to extended schools, including delivery models and quality assurance programmes. Both organisations bring expertise and skills, and complement each other to support schools through the process of developing extended services.
Further information
For more in-depth information see the extended schools area on TeacherNet, which includes research and evaluation, practical know-how, case studies, and details of funding and support.
Documents
Governance
of Sure Start Children's Centres and Extended Schools (May 2007)
Extended
Schools: Building on Experience (July 2007)
Extended
Schools: Improving Access to Sexual Health Advice Services (January
2007)
Extended
Services: Supporting School Improvement (December 2006)
Extended
Schools and Health Services: Working Together for Better Outcomes for Children
and Families (November 2006)
Planning
and Funding Extended Schools: A Guide for Schools, Local Authorities and Their
Partner Organisations (June 2006)
Extended
Schools - A Guide for Governors I (March 2006)
Choice
for Parents, the Best Start for Children: A Ten-Year Strategy for
Childcare (2004)
This page was last updated on 26 October 2007
