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Extended Schools

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Barnwell School has been designated the hub School for South Stevenage Consortium of Extended Schools, the consortium consists of 13 schools and 2 children centres.

  1. Barnwell School Hub School
  2. Heathcote School
  3. Greenside School
  4. The Valley
  5. Peartree Spring Junior School
  6. Peartree Spring Infant School
  7. Peartree Way Nursery School
  8. Featherstone Wood Primary & Nursery School
  9. Roebuck Primary & Nursery School
  10. St Margaret Clitherow Primary School
  11. Shephalbury Park Primary School
  12. Longmeadow Primary school
  13. Ashtree Primary & Nursery School
  14. Shephall Children Centre
  15. Broadwater Children Centre

The extended school coordinator Shelagh Mackey is based at Barnwell School and is more than happy to talk to students, parents, governors, teachers and the wider community about how extended schools impacts on their schools and also discuss any services they would like to see offered at a particular school. In the meantime the following may answer some questions you may have.

What is an Extended School?

Extended Schools provide a range of services and activities, often beyond the school day to help meet the needs of children, their families and the wider community. The Department for Education and Skills want all schools, children and families to be able to access a core offer of extended services which are developed in partnership with others. For Primary schools this will mean working with a range of local providers to enable children and families to have access to extended services. For Secondary Schools the DFES wishes to see schools open from 8am-6pm offering a range of activities for young people.

What is the Core offer?

The DFES has set out a core offer of extended services which they want all children to be able to access by 2010.

The core offer for mainstream and special schools is:

  • High quality wraparound childcare provided on the school site or through other local providers, with supervised transfer arrangements where appropriate, available 8am-6pm all year round.
  • A varied menu of activities to be on offer, including homework clubs and study support, sport, music, dance & drama, arts & crafts, special interest clubs such as chess and volunteering, business & enterprise activities.
  • Parenting support including information sessions for parents at key transition points, parenting programmes run with the support of other children's services and family learning sessions to allow children to learn with their parents.
  • Swift and easy referral to specialist support services such as speech therapy, child and adolescent mental health services, family support services, intensive behaviour support and for young people sexual health services.
  • Providing wider community access to ICT, sports and arts facilities including adult learning.

Will all schools have to offer all these services?

As we work in a consortium all services may not be available in all schools but will be available to all consortium families in one or more of the schools. Schools will want to work closely with parents to shape these activities around the needs of their communities and may choose to provide extra services in response to parental demand.

Extended School is not a status that schools centrally apply for as there is no blueprint for the types of activities that schools may offer. How these services look and are delivered in or through a particular school will vary. Schools will actively seek parental and the wider community feedback to review and improve their services.

How much will we be expected to pay for these services?

Some of these services such as health and social care will be provided free of charge. These sorts of services will need to be funded often by local authorities and their children's trust partners such as Primary care trusts.

But for other services such as childcare, charges will have to be made, however the childcare element of the Working tax credit provides support for low income parents in meeting childcare costs.

In all cases where charges have to be made schools will look to provide the highest quality service at a sustainable competitive price.

How can I find out what is available at my School?

Look out for information from your schools in the form of notices, flyers and soon a termly newsletter or you can contact you school direct or Shelagh Mackey at the contact details below.

There are services I would like to see at my School, what do I do?

Simply contact Shelagh Mackey Extended School Coordinator for South Stevenage Schools.

01438 222500

s.mackey@barnwell.herts.sch.uk

To find out details of other Extended schools consortiums click here