What are the benefits of extended schools?
How will my children benefit?
They will have the chance to enjoy experiences and activities beyond the school day, including opportunities to learn together as a family - perhaps including grandparents and other family members, and there will be opportunities to develop their learning in other places outside school.
There is strong evidence that in extended schools:
- pupils become better motivated and more confident
- pupils show improved behaviour and attendance
- pupils have higher expectations and raised attainment
- pupils benefit from better and more coherent support, provided by agencies working together.
How will I, as a parent, benefit?
You will have access to a range of support services and learning opportunities, and you will know that your children have the opportunity to enjoy a wider variety of activities and experiences which will help their motivation and their achievement.
Your children won’t have to start school earlier in the morning and stay later in the evening than they have been used to, but the opportunity to access childcare, or activities in a safe place, will be there if you need it and they want it. Childcare will not generally be free, but you may be able to claim support to pay for it and help it to be sustainable into the future – for example, from Working Families Tax Credit.
Many schools will be working together in geographical groups often called ‘clusters’, ‘pyramids’ or ‘localities’, and extended services will be planned and delivered through these partnerships. This is because some schools will not have the staffing or premises to be able to provide everything themselves, and they can offer a greater range of better quality services if they work together. Some services and facilities will be available through other local providers working closely with the school.
There is strong evidence that in extended schools:
- parents are better placed to help and support their children’s learning
- parents’ learning is also enhanced as they help their children.
How will our school benefit?
The school will have the benefit of the experience of other community groups, services and providers, and of working closely with other schools and sharing their resources and expertise.
Extended services help to remove barriers to learning and encourage children to succeed, and will therefore give support to school staff, pupils and families, allowing teachers to concentrate on their main tasks of teaching. Happier and more fulfilled children mean happier schools!
The government’s Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) expects extended services to have a positive impact on a number of areas of children’s learning, in particular:
- PE and sport
- performing and visual arts
- information and communications technology
... and there is already considerable evidence that this is happening.
How will our community benefit?
The community will have more access to facilities and resources, and greater involvement and partnership with the school, often with different generations engaging with one another. This will strengthen families and local communities.
Schools will also make full use of the expertise and experience of other services and community groups, by working collaboratively, towards shared objectives, in order to enhance the opportunities for young people and the wider community.