Background
Full Service Extended School
Benefits

What is an Extended School?

The Education Act 2002 (sections 27 & 28) makes it easier for schools to offer a wide range of services and activities, often beyond the school day. These are intended to meet the needs of its pupils, their families and the wider community, the type of activities that schools might provide or how they could be organised very much depends on the needs of pupils, their families and the local community. At its simplest, it is about breakfast clubs and after school childcare. Schools may wish to work in partnership with other schools or different agencies, businesses or community groups (such as health, family learning, adult education and social care services) to provide services on school premises.

"An extended school is one that provides a range of services and activities often beyond the school day, to help meet the needs of its pupils, their families and the wider community. There is no blue print for the types of activities that schools might provide, or how they could be organised. Working with local partners schools can develop as little or as much provision as they think suitable for their communities".

(Extended schools; Providing Opportunities and Services for All : DfES 2002)

An extended school may be anything from a weekly letting for an adult education class to a "full service school" providing a wide range of student and community services and facilities before and after the normal academic day, at weekends and during school holidays.

What services could be offered from Extended Schools?

Extended schools could combine the following services to meet local circumstances and community needs:

• Adult and family learning/Lifelong Learning 
• Childcare 
• Healthcare and advice 
• Social Services 
• ICT access 
• Community use of sports and arts facilities 
• Connexions service 
• Study Support 
• Local police and Youth Offending Teams 
• Voluntary community groups and clubs 

Examples of extended school activities include:

• Putting the curriculum details, learning resources and mark schemes on line so that pupils and their parents can gain access to them at home
• Providing a room that can be used by health care, family support and other counsellors who can offer training, advice and personal help to pupils and adults
• Providing support for family learning
• Providing access to ICT equipment and software outside school hours for adults to use and also for young people to use for homework and investigations
• Providing breakfast clubs
• Opening up the school field for organised sporting activities outside the school day
• Working with local businesses to develop vocational courses and business challenges
• Organising summer schools and holiday clubs
• Developing improved facilities for play
• Developing artistic and drama activities