Extended schools
An extended school works with the local authority, local providers and other schools to provide access to a core offer of integrated services designed to enrich and support the experience of children and young people, and remove any barriers to their achievement. The core offer consists of:
- a varied range of study support activities
- childcare in primary schools
- parenting and family support
- swift and easy access to targeted and specialist services
- community access to facilities.
Extended services can help to: improve pupils' attainment, self-confidence, motivation and attendance; reduce exclusion rates; and enhance children's and families access to services.
It has been recognised in recent years that supplementary education forms part of the wider extended services agenda. Supplementary schools are actively included in the planning and delivery of extended services across the country.
Supplementary schools can contribute to the core offer by, for example:
- providing study support activities, such as language classes, homework support, and holiday clubs
- delivering family learning sessions and parenting classes in partnership with local trainers
- providing advice to newly-arrived families and supporting newly-arrived children as they enrol into mainstream education
- supporting users with no or little English access services more effectively.
Some local authorities have trained supplementary school staff in making referrals to social care through the Common Assessment Framework (CAF).
Supplementary schools usually struggle to find affordable and suitable teaching premises; they would, therefore, always welcome the possibility of using mainstream classrooms and premises.
Case study
Case study to follow
