Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes has called on all schools and local authorities to do more to develop out of hours activities for children and young people, and make sure that all sections of their communities are aware of what’s on offer.
Two reports on the Extended Services programme, show that there have been achievements with many schools offering a good range of services. But the picture across the
The government says it remains committed to ensuring that all families have access to extended services by 2010.
More than two thirds of schools now offer access to the core offer of extended services, and many more schools are in the process of doing so, according to government figures.
More than 15,000 schools in
The reports key findings include that:
• Nearly all (94 per cent) schools offer activities and/or childcare. In line with this, 88 per cent of parents are aware that activities and childcare are provided by their child’s school;
• to develop and promote extended services, the majority of schools consult with parents (86%) and pupils (73%), but less than half go so far as to consult the wider local community (43%);
• pupils appear to feel consulted: around seven in ten say their school consults with and listens to young people’s views about activities on offer, mainly through questionnaires or discussions in class/tutor group. However, more than half of pupils say they need more information about the activities their school offers out of lesson times.
The two reports published today are the latest in the Government’s continuing monitoring of the programme and the findings will be used to inform the way extended services are developed in order to ensure they meet the needs of all children and parents in every community.
Notes…
1. The two reports, Extended Schools Survey of Schools, Pupils and Parents by Ipsos Mori and
2. The TDA, in partnership with the National College for School Leadership, has produced a new edition of the School Improvement Planning Framework, a suite of tools and techniques that support school leaders as they design, develop and deliver extended services that meet pupil, parent and community needs. More information at http://www.tda.gov.uk/schoolimprovement
3. The Government has committed to having 100 percent of schools extended by 2010, and having already reached 65 percent, is well on course for meeting its target. Guidance on funding for local authorities and schools was published in September 2008.
This article originally appeared in Education Marketing news – a daily digest of news for companies that sell into education. If you would like to join the group (and it is free) just send an email to education-marketing-subscribe@yahoogroups.com