FROM: FRED CORBETT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES

Extended Services through Extended Schools and Children's Centres: The Next Step

Action Required by Schools

Please take the time to complete the self-selection proforma to indicate when it would be most suitable for your school to access the programme. Please click here to complete this by 31st January, 2006. Your participation will not only help your school to plan for the delivery of extended services but you will also be helping to shape the way in which extended schools remodelling is rolled out across the Authority.

Background and Context

As you will be aware, in June 2005, the Government published an extended schools prospectus: Access to Opportunities and Services for all, which detailed its vision for every school to offer a range of core extended services by 2010. This is an exciting and challenging agenda, which will build on the best work which schools in Norfolk are already doing.

In brief, the Extended Schools 'Core Offer' comprises five elements:

• High quality affordable childcare, available on site or through local providers: 8 am - 6 pm all year round


• A varied menu of activities , including study support, e.g. homework clubs, sport (at least 2 hours a week for those that want it), music tuition, dance and drama, arts and crafts, special interest clubs such as chess and first aid courses, visits to museums and galleries, learning a foreign language, business and enterprise activities


• Parenting support, including family learning, e.g. information sessions at key transition points, parenting programmes run in collaboration with other children's services providers, family learning sessions, etc


• Swift and easy referral to specialised support services, e.g. speech therapy, child and adolescent mental health services, family support services, sexual health services, etc. This element will be addressed as a County-wide issue by the Authority


• Community access, including adult learning, e.g. community use of school accommodation and facilities (such as ICT, sports, arts, library), adult education courses on non-parenting issues, access for youth organisations and services

The intention of the DfES is that 10% of schools will be offering the full core offer by July 2006; half of Primary schools and a third of Secondary schools (Special schools are included in this target) will be able to provide the core offer by 2008 and that all schools will be able to provide access to the core offer by 2010.

Within a local context, both extended schools and Children's Centres are key to the development of the Children's Services agenda and to delivering the Every Child Matters priorities and this links closely with workforce remodelling. Both initiatives put the needs of the child at the centre.

The Next Step in Norfolk

To support schools, a combined team from Early Years & Childcare, Extended Schools and Workforce Remodelling has developed an extended schools package of training, planning and development support. The package is designed to help you to work within your school and/or in partnership with others to produce plans for developing and delivering services or to build on the opportunities you already offer. The programme consists of three events, over a period of 12 - 14 weeks that are designed to support the implementation process in your school/cluster/community. These are free and there will be some support in helping with supply cover for schools.

The events will bring schools together with other agencies and organisations, opening up opportunities for collaboration on the development of extended services. You will also be invited to bring representatives of your existing partner organisations in order to work together on the implementation of plans.

Extended schools remodelling shares many of the characteristics of workforce remodelling but places a greater emphasis on: pupil/student outcomes and work beyond the confines of the school. It promotes engagement and consultation with the community about which services they would like to see.

In 2006 and in subsequent years, we will be running successive tranches of extended schools remodelling programmes. The first package will commence in the second half of the Spring Term 2006 and will be a pilot with 40+ schools and partner agencies taking part in a full day and two half-day workshops. There will be pre-briefing sessions for those schools selected to participate in the pilot.

Throughout the process, ongoing advice and support will be available from the Extended Schools Team and the trainers delivering the programme, together with access to additional training modules which may be appropriate (further information available soon).

Following this pilot and the subsequent evaluation, we plan to deliver further training packages throughout 2006, 2007 and 2008; aiming to have reached every school and community by 2008.

If you have any query, please contact:
Peter Simmonds, Extended Schools Remodelling Adviser, on 01603 638092 or peter.simmonds@norfolk.gov.uk
Deborah Duncan, Extended Schools Development Officer, on 01603 638006 or deborah.duncan@norfolk.gov.uk