Extended school hours

Government Response: Ruth Kelly, Department for Education and Skills

 

“This prospectus sets out how schools can develop additional services for families. Schools are at the heart of our communities, and it makes sense to extend the services they offer beyond the traditional school day. By 2010, all children under 14 who want to, could have access to breakfast and after-school clubs offering exciting activities from 8am to 6pm. These would give them the opportunity to keep fit and healthy, to acquire new skills, to build on what they learn during the school day as well as have fun.

 

“I want parents to shape how extended services develop in their child’s school and I want schools to ask for their ideas. We’re not expecting teachers to deliver these services but for schools to work with providers in the voluntary and private sectors, support staff and other children’s services to develop their local provision.

 

“Extended schools will not only help children in their education, but also support hard working families to manage their home and work life.”

 

Opposition Response: The Conservatives

 

David Cameron, shadow education secretary, said:

 

"We welcome the proposals for breakfast clubs and after school clubs - they can be real help to working mothers. The new system must be flexible, as the same one won't be right for every family. But the government has real questions to answer over funding. We've seen what happens before when they announce worthy initiatives without providing enough money to support them- resulting in a funding crisis and lots of broken promises.

 

Ruth Kelly has made changes to literacy teaching and special schools without any announcement in the Commons. She must now set out her stall properly, and make herself available for questions over these proposals."

 

Opposition Response: The Liberal Democrats

 

Responding to Ruth Kelly's 'Extended Schools Prospectus', Edward Davey, Liberal Democrat education spokesperson, said:

 

"After eight years in government, Labour has finally woken up to the needs of pupils and parents.

 

"These plans sound promising but Ruth Kelly will need to answer questions on whether this is real new money or whether schools will be forced to find these resources from other areas of their budgets.

 

"The extended school opening hours must not result in additional paperwork for head teachers."

 

Stakeholder Response: 4 Children

 

 

Anne Longfield, chief executive, 4Children, said: “We welcome the launch today of the government’s Extended Schools Prospectus. It is finally a clear indication of the government’s intention to deliver on the bold vision they have set out to make every school an extended school by 2010.

 

“Schools are well placed to be hubs for the community, opening their doors beyond the classroom. With the majority of mothers now working there is a desperate need for more childcare after school and during school holidays which extended schools have the potential to resolve. This will bring us in line with many other European countries. At the same time, children will benefit from safe places to learn, play and develop with friends. Investing our children and families has a positive impact on all communities creating healthier lifestyles, reducing poverty and crime and increasing employment.

 

“Providing support to schools on these crucial issues will, over the next five years, be an urgent priority if we want to make the extended schools vision a reality. We welcome the commitment to increasing funding for the programme which will increase the government’s commitment to £680 million. However we must not lose sight of the fact that it not only needs initial funding but a strong commitment to spending from government beyond 2010 to make the extended schools programme work.

 

“Now is the time and the opportunity to transform schooling and support children and families in a way that has never been seen in this country. Our goal must be to create inspirational places for children outside school hours that are consistent and reliable offering parents the support they need to work or train.  Momentum must not be lost to make this a reality.” 

 

Stakeholder Response: Professional Association of Teachers

 

 

Commenting on the initiative a PAT spokesperson said: “Ideally, this initiative should put schools at the heart of their communities by extending the concepts of ‘education’ and ‘school’. 

 

“However, if the scheme is to work in practical terms, the government must back its good intentions with the funding and training necessary to provide and equip the skilled education and childcare professionals needed to put these plans into action.”

 

PAT general secretary Jean Gemmell told ePolitix: “Extending school hours might help to counter the anti-social behaviour that occurs when children are footloose and fancy-free. 

 

“However, the details, such as who is responsible for buildings and equipment during the extended hours, will have to be sorted out.”

 

 

Stakeholder Response: The Association of Teachers and Lecturers

 

 

Welcoming the launch of the prospectus for Extended Schools, Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said:

 

“We applaud this government’s recognition that learning does not happen in a vacuum isolated from family, social and economic circumstances. Improving support for families will enable many more children and young people to become successful learners.

 

“ATL is committed, through the Workforce Agreement, to working with government to ensure that this important provision can be developed and sustained without demanding additional work from our members, which would take them away from their key roles of teaching and supporting learning.”

 

Stakeholder Response: NUT

 

 

Steve Sinnott, NUT general secretary, said:

 

"This sounds like new money but if it is for both primary and secondary schools, of which there are some 23,000 in England, it will be spread very thin.

 

"The emphasis given to the lack of pressure on teachers to deliver this scheme is welcome. They are already heavily overburdened and cannot be expected to take on more.

 

"Provision must be under the control of the school to ensure it fits with and does not undermine the delivery of the school's core educational responsibilities.

 

"But for many schools their ability to offer such activities will be constrained by the physical limits of their premises and lack of appropriate resources. Such problems cannot be overcome simply by wishing them away. They require significant investment in resources and buildings." 

 

Stakeholder Response: The Institute of Education

 

 

Norbert Pachler, associate dean of initial and continuing professional development at the Institute of Education, says:

 

“While the government’s commitment to offering high-quality childcare as well as to extending the services and learning opportunities available to young people are welcome, serious questions remain as to whether the proposals represent the best way of achieving these laudable aims.

 

“Apart from real concerns about the adequacy of the funding provided, a number of key issues appear unresolved.

 

“For example, the prospectus says that supervision would come from volunteers or private companies. While one can safely assume that few teachers would wish to add to their already heavy workload by taking on additional responsibilities, it seems crucial to build proper training and ongoing development opportunities for new staff into the scheme from the outset.

 

“Additionally, does the proposal to provide additional services without pay to those who offer them not ignore basic axioms such as the fact that quality costs?

 

“There are other fundamental questions. What is the purpose of school-based education if key curriculum areas such as foreign language learning become relegated to out-of-school activities provided mostly by unqualified and untrained staff? The role of parents and guardians in the education process is also unclear.

 

“It will be necessary for these issues to be tackled and resolved if the proposals are to bring about the desired effects.”

  

Stakeholder Response: NASUWT

 

 

Commenting on the government's announcement on extended school provision, Chris Keates, general secretary of NASUWT, said:

 

“The announcement confirms the proposals made prior to the general election.

 

“NASUWT has been consulted on the arrangements and is supportive of the concept of schools at the heart of the community being utilised fully as a community resource.

 

“NASUWT sought, and was given, categorical assurances that extended schools will not mean extended hours for teachers and headteachers. This is confirmed in the prospectus the government has issued.

 

“In addition, we welcome the recognition by the government that many schools already meet the definition of extended schools.

 

“It is also pleasing to note that the proposals do not envisage every school making an extended offer. This should alleviate any concerns that the extended school strategy would be prescriptive and place additional burdens on schools.” 

 

Stakeholder Response: Secondary Heads Association

 

 

SHA welcomes education ministers’ announcement on extended schools, but stresses that they must be given adequate resources in order not to increase the workload burden on school leaders.

 

SHA general secretary Dr John Dunford says: “For a long time, SHA has stressed the important role schools play in the local community so we welcome the aim to give extended provision to all schools.  

 

“However, to implement extended schools effectively will cost many millions of pounds and the government must make sure there are adequate resources to do so. This initiative, more than any other, carries enormous risks of increasing workload for school leaders and drawing them away from their core responsibility of teaching and learning.

 

“Heads must continue to be in charge of schools and resources must be used to ensure adequate support is available to provide these wider activities. Entrusting the leadership of extended schools to other professionals is not an option.

 

“There is already a lot of good practice in the large community schools which were established by some local authorities in the 1960s and 70s and which are still flourishing. The government should draw on their experience as it develops its plans for extended schools.”