Extended Schools
An introduction to Extended Schools
Simon Bradley
Extended Schools' Support Officer
E.Y.E.S.
(Early Years & Extended Services)
Blackfriars
Blackfriars Street
Hereford
HR4 9ZR
Telephone:
Landline: 01432 383498
Mobile 07792 881022
FAX: 01432 260891
What are Extended Schools?
Extended Schools provide a range of services and activities, often beyond the school day, to help meet the needs of children, their families and the wider community. Many of our schools are already providing some of these services and it is the government’s intention that they will all offer extended services by 2010.
What do Extended Schools look like?
Extended Schools respond to the needs of their community and work in partnership with other agencies to raise standards for their students. In doing so, they also aim to improve the quality of life for everyone associated with them. Extended Schools integrate this wider working into their school improvement development plans and Ofsted will look for their contribution to the Every Child Matters agenda.
How are we Extending Schools in Herefordshire?
The Government believes that Extended Schools will increasingly act as hubs for Community services, including children’s services. By 2010 all schools will be expected to provide the following services:
- high quality 'wraparound' childcare provided on the school site or through other local providers
- a menu of activities to be on offer such as homework clubs and study support, sport, music, dance and drama, arts and crafts, clubs, visits to museums, volunteering, and enterprise activities
- parenting support including information sessions for parents
- swift referral to a wide range of specialist support services such as speech therapy, child and adolescent mental health services, family support services, intensive behaviour support, and (for young people) sexual health services
- community access to ICT, sports/arts facilities, including adult learning.
In order to support this development and growth, Herefordshire will be using DCFS standards funding to employ a team of Extended Schools Coordinators (ESCOs), based in each of the clusters. The ESCOs work with schools, their communities and partners to:
- provide detailed advice and guidance
- Help to draw up and implement a development plan for the school cluster which reflects and supports local needs and priorities
- create links and partnership working with other local professionals and service-providers in the public, private and voluntary sectors
- promote sustainability by identifying and securing on-going funding streams for extended services and activities
- ensure effective communication within school clusters and between the cluster and the wider community
- they do this partly by facilitating the Children’s Futures Cluster Steering groups
- identify, promote and disseminate good practice for the benefit of other schools and clusters.