| 1. | The Education Act 2002 gave school governing bodies the opportunity to provide community services. The following year the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) made funding available for full service extended schools (FSES). |
| 2. | The leadership and vision of headteachers are crucial to the effectiveness of the FSES visited for this report. In many of these schools, the headteacher is supported effectively by a co-ordinator who manages activities day by day. Although these schools are uncertain about future funding for this work, some are planning creatively to maintain their extended school services beyond 2006. |
| 3. | The best of these schools are focusing on pupils who have a history of poor attendance and attitudes to education; they give them good support. It is not possible to attribute improvements to FSES funding alone, as many of the schools are involved in a range of other initiatives, but they have seen significant improvements in pupils’ motivation and attendance. Pupils enjoy the increased number of activities in extended schools and participation in them means they are better motivated to learn. |
| 4. | Parents are similarly enthusiastic and there are examples of how life chances have been improved for vulnerable families and children. Many parents have gained qualifications and feel more confident in talking to teachers about their children’s progress. When external services, such as social care and family support, are based in the school, they can help parents more quickly without their having to wait for an appointment. The support which these services provide is better when they have clear protocols for working together. The effectiveness of extended school provision is increased when the local authority provides early support in planning and developing the provision in line with other local priorities. |