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Extended schools practical know how

Guidance on this page includes good practice, case studies, hints and tips. Scroll down to the bottom to see links to current relevant DCSF consultations.

Read more examples of good practice in the Training Development Agency (TDA) case study bank and on the Together for Children website. These include case studies on governance, consultation, setting up childcare and other activities and have been developed in collaboration with DCSF and other partners.

Step by step guide — as a first step schools and other providers will find it helpful to contact the extended schools remodelling adviser within their local authority.

Governance

• TDA Governors' policy briefing, issue 1 (June 2007) — planning and funding extended schools.
  
• Governance guidance for Sure Start Children's Centres and extended schools (May 2007) — aimed at advisory boards of children's centres and school governing bodies — summarises models of governance for both standalone and co-located centres.
  
• A related Extended Services Toolkit for Governors (May 2007) — to help better equip governors in providing extended services.
  
• Extended schools guide for governors (March 2006) — useful introduction for school governors.
  
• Different models of governance (Sept 2005) — available in pdf or Word. Produced by ContinYou.

School improvement

• Extended services: supporting school improvement guidance (Dec 2006). Hard copies can be ordered from Orbital on 0845 6060323, reference: 280/01.07/FM.
• New — Revised School Improvement Planning Framework — revised guidance on school improvement

Health

• Extended Schools: Improving Access to Sexual Health Advice Services guidance (Jan 2007) — leaflet for secondary schools and their partners.

• Extended schools and health services: working together for better outcomes for children and families (Nov 2006) - leaflet for health professionals produced jointly with Department for Health and Care Service Improvement Partnerships.

Planning and funding

• Funding Extended Schools (September 2008) — DCSF guidance for local authorities, schools and their partners on availability and use of extended schools funding
  

• Planning and funding extended schools (June 2006)— a guide for schools, local authorities and their partner organisations.

• Extended schools: Access to opportunities and services for all — a prospectus (June 2005).

• Big Lottery funding for schools (July 2006) — a guide showing grants available for schools.

• 'Extended schools: Money Matters Manual' — advice on developing sustainable services — Children Now article — (March 2007)

School companies

• School companies (March 2005) — advice and tips about setting up and the pros and cons of using school companies to deliver extended services. You can download the detailed guidance here.

Use of premises

• Use of school premises by third party providers (March 2005).
  
• Health and safety implications (March 2005).
  
• Transfer of Control agreements -  Template and Guidance (Feb 2006) — transferring control of the premises to local providers can enable school facilities to be used without needing ongoing management or administrative time from school staff. Governing Bodies should talk to their LAs before entering into such contracts.
  
• Designing schools for extended services (June 2006) — advises schools on how best to use their buildings to benefit their wider communities and includes practical case studies. See publications page for details of how to order hard copies.

Consultation

Working with the voluntary and community sector

• Working with voluntary and community-sector organisations (VCOs) (March 2005) — looks at some practical points to think about in engaging and working with VCOs.  More information on the voluntary and community sector is available here.

Evaluating and monitoring

• Evidence and evaluation (May 2005) — looks at why schools need to evaluate their extended activities and offers some tips around evaluation.
  
• Ofsted framework for inspecting extended services (Sept 2005) — this briefing paper details practical considerations when inspecting an extended school provision.

Parenting support

• Parenting support know how leaflet (June 2006)— provides more detailed information about each aspect of the core parenting support offer through schools including case studies.

Study support/varied menu of activities

• Study support guidance (Oct 2006).

Providing services for the wider community

• Adding Value — adult learning and extended services (Sept 2006) produced by NIACE (the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education).
  
• ICT (March 2005) — looks at how schools can extend ICT to the community
  
• Neighbourhood management and extended schools — includes good practice tips, case studies and advice on filling in the self evaluation forms (SEF).

VAT

• VAT and extended schools (Feb 2005).

Links to related areas

• CRB checks — it is mandatory to obtain enhanced criminal record bureau disclosures for all new appointments to the schools workforce and those who have been out of the workforce for more than three months.
  
• Insurance — guide containing practical advice on insurance issues that might affect schools in the maintained sector.
  
• Schools land and property — teachernet
  
• Schools in special measures and extended services — teachernet
  
• Children's centres — Sure Start website
  
• NCSL 'Lessons from Extended Schools' publication — March 2006.

Look out for more guidance and leaflets in the coming months.

If you have any comments or have suggestions for future leaflets please email the extended schools team at extended.schools@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk 

Related consultation documents

NEW
Staying safe consultation — to support parents in striking the right balance between protecting their children and allowing them to learn and explore safely; as well as extending anti-bullying policies to children's homes, extended school services, and youth groups. 

Launch date: 18 July 2007
Closing date: 31 Oct 2007

Raising Standards, Improving Outcomes: Draft Statutory Guidance on the Early Years Outcomes Duty — seeks views on the draft guidance to support the new duty under the Childcare Act for local authorities to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities for very young children in their area from April 2008. The draft guidance sets out a framework for local authorities, primary care trusts, health authorities and JobCentre Plus to work together to meet this duty.

Launch date: 23 May 2007
Closing date: 3 Sep 2007

Last updated: 04 November 2008

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