The National Strategy for Extended Services
“Extended Schools are at the heart of the delivery of Every Child Matters, improving outcomes and raising standards of achievement for children and young people.”
Beverley Hughes,
Minister of State for Children,
young people and families.
THE ‘CORE OFFER’ OF EXTENDED SERVICES PROVISION
Extended services are a key vehicle for delivering the government’s objective of lifting children out of poverty and improving outcomes for them and their families. There is clear evidence that children’s experiences greatly influence their outcomes and life chances in later life.
Educational attainment is a powerful route out of poverty and disadvantage. A key priority and challenge for schools is to reach the most disadvantaged families within a universal framework of providing mainstream services for all families.
An extended school works with the Local Authority and other partners to offer access to a range of services and activities which support and motivate children and young people to achieve their full potential. Schools are required to provide access to the full core offer of extended services provisio by 2010.
“Developing extended services is not only about tackling underachievement, but about tackling the causes of underachievement.”
Head-teacher
EVIDENCE OF THE IMPACT OF EXTENDED SERVICES
- Pupils
- Fun activities, more opportunities, more sports and art
- Being with friends before and after school
- Parents able to help with homework
- Help with school work
- School safeguards pupils’ well-being
- Advice and help if they need it
- Personalised learning
- Parents / Carers
- Positive activities and study support
- High-quality childcare
- Parenting courses, advice and information
- Greater involvement in their children’s education
- Adult and family learning
- Use of school facilities
- Community
- Access to school sports and IT facilities
- Local base for further education courses, vocational courses and other learning opportunities
- Local access to health and specialist services, and information about other local services
- Promotes community cohesion
- Schools
- Improved standards
- School has a higher local profile
- Can help boost school rolls
- Helps schools meet their duties on well-being, ECM and community cohesion
- Opportunity for income generation
- Teachers
- More-motivated pupils
- Better attendance and behaviour
- Engaged parents
- Barriers to learning are more effectively addressed
- Classroom work boosted by study support
- Support Staff
- Opportunities for career and skills development
- Being part of the team around the child
- Greater scope for taking responsibility
- More jobs and new roles, eg. school business managers, parent support advisers
OFSTED’S KEY FINDINGS ON THE IMPACT OF EXTENDED SCHOOLS:
“The majority of the schools visited had compelling case-study evidence that extended services had made life-changing differences to pupils that had led to better attendance and attitudes”
“Almost a third of the schools visited had data illustrating improved attendance as a consequence of their extended provision”
“The schools with the most effective services had integrated the development of extended provision within their school improvement plans, with a clear focus on improving positive outcomes for children and young people”
