Following the death in February 2000 of eight-year-old Victoria Climbiė after the appalling ill treatment by her great-aunt and her great-aunt’s boyfriend, and the subsequent Lord Laming’s Inquiry’s uncovering of how many services had failed the child, the Government wants to see professionals who work with children pulling together, to better protect the most vulnerable. 

The Green Paper 'Every Child Matters' on which the new Children's Bill is based makes specific reference to the importance of extended schools as a means of providing integrated child focused services, integrating education, health and social care services around children's needs. The Paper sets out plans to reform children's services, establishing a clear framework of accountability with services for children and young people integrated under new Directors of Children's Services. 

The Government's aim is to see more schools at the heart of their local community, providing learning and cultural experiences for all and offering help and Extended Schools

The plan is that by 2006 every local authority will have at least one full-service extended school, offering health and social care, family learning, sports, arts and ICT. 

This aim is consistent with the City of Sunderland's 'PeopleFirst' Strategic Change Management Programme, which is investing in the future of Sunderland, bringing services together and working with other partner organisations for the benefit of everyone.

Following a review of primary places which has been completed and the PeopleFirst initiative has provided a unique opportunity for Sunderland to develop an innovative extended schools model which links the benefits of extended schools with those resulting from Service Integration in the PeopleFirst Programme. 

A Strategic Extended School Partnership Group has come together to drive the partnership working required for extended schools. Key partners include Health, Social Services, Sure Start, Children’s Centres, Early Years and Community and Cultural Services.