PAPER B

 

COMMISSION FOR CHILDREN AND SCHOOL RESULTS

 

Meeting of 5 October 2005

 

Agenda Item:   School Improvement Programme C1/05 – Extended Schools and the Healthy Schools Programme

 

Author: Keith Simmonds - Principal Inspector - Head of Learning Effectiveness

 

Report on the implementation of the Extended and Healthy Schools Programme in Island Schools

 

 

 


BACKGROUND

 

1.                  The Extended Schools programme is a national initiative, which supports the Every Child Matters (ECM) agenda of the Children's Act. It is intended to encourage schools to engage fully with their community in addressing the five outcomes of:

 

·         being healthy,

·         staying safe,

·         enjoy and achieve,

·         making a positive contribution,

and

·         economic well-being.

 

2.           Whilst many schools engage in a variety of activities, which meet the Extended Schools agenda they cannot be designated an Extended School without approval of the Local Authority.

 

3.                  The local Extended Schools programme started in 2003-04 with the designation of Downside Middle School as the Authority's only full service school. This was followed in 2004-05 with the development of an Extended School team as part of the School Improvement Services and a successful bid to the New Opportunities Big Lottery Fund (NOF) for support funding to establish fourteen further extended schools (21% of Island schools). From September 2005 these schools have become operational. By 2008 it is intended that all Local Authority Maintained Schools will offer the community some form of extended school activity.

 

4.           In developing the Extended Schools programme the Authority has successfully built upon the already established, and nationally recognised, local Healthy Schools programme. All Local Authority Maintained Schools currently take part in the Healthy Schools programme.     

 

RATIONALE

 

5.                  From the start the Authority has taken a commissioning approach to the implementation of the Extended Schools initiative. In establishing the first tranche of schools a bidding process against key criteria was adopted. Fourteen schools were selected from forty submitted bids. In selecting schools, there was a focus to providing a wide range of community coverage from the large urban areas to isolated rural locations. A full range of schools from the smallest primary, middle and one high school formed those in the first tranche. 

 

6.                  The extended provision offered by each school is determined against the five arenas designated by the DfES and the outcome of local consultation with pupils and parents. It is intended that an Extended school provides services, whether they be childcare or wider social or health provision, which meet the identified community needs and will impact upon the achievement of the community's young people. An Extended School will be at the heart of its community and be expected to engage with services and provision beyond the normal school remit. Close integration will be expected with provision such as Children's Centres, Neighbourhood Nurseries and wider service provision such as Youth Development, Parenting and Family Learning.  

 

7.                  The Authority has taken a strategic view to this development and has established a cross-service team to have oversight and commission services from schools. The effectiveness of this approach has been recognised nationally and the Authority has been engaged in providing partner advice and guidance to several mainland Authorities who have experienced difficulty in making progress. 

 

8.                  The Extended Schools initiative offers good opportunities for the development of coherent community services, for example in some of the rural schools the possibility of providing access to a range of Council services through the school site has been explored. Other opportunities exist in the way Extended Schools can impact on and support the achievement of the Authority's proposed Local Area Agreement targets and the more coherent support of locally commissioned youth and family support.

 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

9.                  All Extended School activity is initially supported by DfES grant funding to the Local Authority. Successful bidding and the recognition of the quality of the Authority's strategic approach has so far secured the following funding levels:

 

                                    2003-2004 - £182,000

                                    2004-2005 - £285,000

                                    2005-2006 - £330,000

                                    2006-2007 - £330,000

 

Currently this funding covers all Authority and school development costs. Further grant funding is anticipated for 2007-2008 probably at levels similar to 2006-2007. Long term it is intended that these services will become financially self-sustaining, either through charge, other community or grant funding.

 

10.         As part of the Authority's approval of Extended School status all schools must provide a five year business plan, which requires them to demonstrate how the services offered will become financially self-sustaining beyond the time of grant provision.

 

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

 

11.              Beyond the normal requirements upon the Authority, in respect of reporting and prudent administration of grant funding there are no direct statutory provisions in the Extended Schools programme.

 

12.              Schools, however, in achieving extended status must comply, and satisfy the Authority, with all relevant law. For example any new out of hours childcare provision must be appropriately OFSTED registered and all staff appropriately CRB checked. Similarly all health and safety legislation, which may be in addition to that normally applying to the school, must be complied with. The responsibility for meeting these legal requirements rests with the Governing Body of the school. The Authority gives appropriate support and advice.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

 

13.              That the Commission for Children and School Results endorse the Authority's current strategic approach to implementing the Extended Schools initiative.

 

14.              That the Commission for Children and School Results support the opportunities being created for the more coherent delivery of services at a community level and require services, for example the Youth Service, to fully collaborate with designated Extended Schools where appropriate to meet identified community needs.

 

15.              These recommendations be commended to the Cabinet Member for Children and School Results for endorsement.

 

 

 


Background Papers

DfES briefing papers on Extended Schools

ContinU - regional support programme for Extended Schools

Powerpoint presentation to the Commission for 05.10.05

 

Contact

Keith Simmonds - Principal Inspector

Tel: 823423

Email: [email protected]