Extended Schools Update

NEW Extended Schools Update offers extended school co-ordinators and those responsible for developing, coordinating and delivering core offer provision, the practical advice, support and reassurance which will help them with this important task.

Extended schooling is now a high profile policy agenda with all schools becoming extended schools by 2010. And in light of the recent announcement from Ed Balls on a huge investment injection in the extended schools programme certainly makes this one of the top priorities for schools.  Extended Schools Update will help you. Extended Schools Update offers extended school co-ordinators and those responsible for developing, coordinating and delivering core offer provision, the practical advice, support and reassurance which will help them with this important task. Indeed, the focus of this publication is on sharing good practice and the case studies and in-depth pieces from schools and other contributors will focus on pertinent issues for extended schools such as: ● collaborating with multi-agency partners; ● developing core offer provision; ● engaging potential service users; ● sustaining provision; ● embedding extended schooling; and ● avoiding potential barriers or overcoming barriers that you may face. Extended Schools Update will also help keep you up to date with key policy developments, research publications and relevant resources and will offer authoritative guidance on how extended schools might achieve learning and wider outcomes for students, families and the wider community and, of course, the all so important Every Child Matters outcomes. Summary of the latest articles Provision for parents: tried-and-tested engagement strategies Parenting support is one of the main strands of core offer extended schools provision. It involves, amongst other things, family learning, adult learning, information sessions and multi-agency provision tailored to meet the varying needs of different groups of parents. This case study article, written by an extended school that has received national accolade for their achievements in this area, offers advice on parental engagement strategies and on developing provision for parents. It is also helpful to other extended schools in providing a warts and all account of the steps involved in forming a family support team. Joined-up work: developing extended schools clusters This case study, written collaboratively by a local authority appointed extended services officer and the headteacher of a primary school, outlines the joined up work undertaken to develop clusters of extended schools in the authority. Drawing in particular on the development of an effective hub and spoke model, this article sets out what has been achieved and what important lessons have been learnt along the way. An alternative curriculum programme: facilitating learning Schools are increasingly recognising that in order for the most vulnerable students to fully engage in learning, a package of both personalised learning and support is required. This case study reports on an off site alternative curriculum programme which is being delivered in partnership between a full service extended school, the Education and Learning sector of the council in which the school is located and the Youth Service. Written by the Youth Services Manager, with excerpts from a lead learning mentor from the school, this article sets out what it has been possible to achieve through working in partnership and the factors which have facilitated the process. Pupil voice: engaging students in extended schools provision Student democracy, voice and enterprise are important elements of extended provision at many extended schools across the country. This case study focuses on such provision at a specialist and extended college and identifies how this work is helping the college to meet the Every Child Matters Outcomes around making a Positive Contribution, Enjoyment and Achievement and Economic Wellbeing. This case study attends to important issues around how best to engage all students in provision aimed at democracy, voice and enterprise rather than a select few and sets out how the College achieved this. Special schools focus: why they are well placed to offer extended provision Special schools, it can be argued, are well placed to offer extended provision. They have inclusion at their core, established working relationships with agencies beyond education and recognise the significance of parental/carer involvement. The extended schools co-ordinator from one such school gives an honest account of what it has been possible to achieve so far in terms of community and parental engagement and discusses the enhanced programme of out of hours provision at the school, outlining what he and the students feel are the key success factors. Editor of  Extended Schools Update: Colleen Cummings. Colleen is an educational researcher in the Centre for Learning and Teaching, University of Newcastle. Colleen has extensive research experience in community orientated and extended schooling. Most notably, she was involved in a study focused on the contribution schools can make to the regeneration of their areas and from 2003-2007 she was a key member of the team evaluating the Full Service Extended Schools and Extended School Pathfinder initiatives for the DfES.