What is the Extended Services Core Offer and its benefits?

For primary schools:

The school provides access to childcare, 8am-6pm, five days a week, 48 weeks a year, in accordance with its community’s need.

The school provides access to a varied menu of activities which include:

• 'Catch up' and 'stretch' activities i.e. homework clubs
• Art activities e.g. dance, drama, arts, crafts
• Sport activities (at least 2 hours per week)
• Other recreational activities, e.g. special interest clubs, music tuition, modern foreign languages, volunteering, business and enterprise activities and visits to museums and galleries.

For secondary schools:

The school is available as, or has arrangements to provide access to, a safe place to be before and after school hours and offers access to a varied menu of study support and enrichment activities outlined as above.

For all schools:

The school provides access to parenting support which includes:

• Information sessions for parents/carers of pupils joining Reception and on transfer to secondary school
• Information about nationally and locally available sources of information, advice and support
• Access to parenting groups using structured evidence based parenting programmes, e.g. Pippin or Share programmes, as well as more informal opportunities for parents to engage with the school and each other
• Family learning sessions to allow children to learn with fathers and mothers where there is demand shown through consultation.

Schools, working closely with other behavioral services and the voluntary and community sector, should have a focus on early identification, support and intervention for children and young people with additional needs and at risk of poor outcomes. This includes those with behavioural, emotional, health or other difficulties. This should be well embedded within and supported by the strategic planning and commissioning of the local authority and other Children’s Trust partners including the Primary Care Trust.

Where the school has facilities suitable for community use, it should look to open these up, where possible, to meet wider community needs. The school should take a role in supporting the development of the youth offer in the community by opening up its facilities to youth organisations/services as appropriate. The school should also provide access to adult learning programmes.

Benefits of extended services

There are numerous benefits to be gained from providing access to extended services.  These include:

• Motivated and enthusiastic pupils
• A reduction in the gap between those children who reach their full potential and those who don’t
• Parents are able to support their child’s learning
• Children arrive at school ready to learn
• Meeting the five Every Child Matters outcomes
• Re-invigorated local communities.

Ofsted will report during school inspections on how extended services are contributing to improved outcomes for children and young people.  Find out more about the benefits on www.teachernet.gov.uk/extendedschools.

To find out more on how to establish extended services in and around your school