Developing Childcare Within Extended Schools

What is an Extended School?

An extended school is one that provides a range of services and activities, such as health and social, sport, adult learning, study support and ICT facilities, to help meet the needs of its pupils, their families and the wider community.

Changes in the Education Act 2002 means that schools can now be direct providers of childcare.

What types of childcare provision are there?

· Day Nurseries provide care and education for children from around six weeks up to school age. Opening hours tend to match an average working day.

* Private Nursery Schools are owned privately and can offer sessional or full day care to children aged two to five.

· Pre-schools offer play and education through sessional or extended day care normally during term time for children aged between two and five years old.

· Out-of-school hours childcare provides care for school-age children.

Out-of-school clubs, holiday play-schemes and wraparound care provides childcare closely matching the working day, for example by ‘wrapping’ a breakfast club and after-school club around the school day or by providing childcare in addition to a free early-education place (consisting of five 2.5 hour sessions a week in term time) at a pre-school or nursery/nursery school.

Childminding Networks are groups of childminders who have joined together to provide a high quality care and education service that is regularly monitored and assessed by a designated coordinator.

Advantages of Including Childcare within Extended School Services

For the school…

· Improved relationships with parents and greater parental involvement

· Even stronger links with the local community, with the school as a focal point

· Recruitment and retention of school staff

· Reduced late arrivals, poor attendance and under-performance of pupils at school

· Improvements in motivation and behaviour

· Increased pupil numbers as a result of attracting parents to the school

· An easier transition from nursery/pre-school to the reception class and increased educational continuity

For children and young people…

· Access to activities which widen and enrich their experiences.

· Higher achievement, confidence and self-esteem and improved social skills

· Developing positive relationships with others

· Developing responsibility for themselves and others

For parents…

· Single point of access for an integrated range of family services, including childcare, healthcare and adult education.

· Peace of mind, less travelling for parents and reduced disruption to family life

· The opportunity for parents to start or return to work or to extend their working hours

· Access to training or further education based at the school with on-site childcare, thus strengthening the bond between parents, the wider community and the school

· A solution to the problem of children’s ‘staggered entry’ admission to school

For the community…

· A major contribution to social inclusion

· More people in work, education or training, improving the community which can impact on school standards

· Reduced traffic levels at peak times

· Fewer unsupervised children on the streets.

Consultation and Research

Schools wishing to introduce childcare services have three options:

1. They can offer childcare services directly and be responsible for the management of such provision.

2. Schools can work in partnership with existing (or new) voluntary, charitable or private providers.

3. Governing bodies can delegate the delivery of childcare services to an outside organisation.

Schools have a statutory duty to consult:

· Parents and children – all provision should be aimed at meeting their needs and they must be involved right from the start.

· Employees of the school – teaching and non-teaching staff.

· Local childcare professionals and other local childcare providers and organisations. (Contact Opportunity Links on 0800 2989121 for further information).

The provision of childcare by schools should link into existing provision in the local community. Schools should represent a new source of childcare, rather than undermining or replacing existing community or voluntary groups.

Schools wishing to extend their services to incorporate childcare provision need to consider the following:

Location of site for childcare facilities

1. What impact will it have on the local community?

2. Does the route of access to the provision overlap with that of the school? If so what are the traffic implications?

3. Can access continue when the school is closed?

4. Is the site subject to any protection regulations prohibiting building?

5. If the school was to expand would it need this plot to build onto?

6. Does the plot of land encroach upon Green Belt land?

7. Is there ease of access to mains services for the new building?

Type of building

1. Does it blend in with the surrounding school buildings?

2. If it is a temporary building, what is its life expectancy and likely approval for planning?

3. The operating times of the childcare provision

Parking facilities

What, if any, are the schools financial commitments vis-a-vis the childcare provision?

If the school contracts childcare services out to a third party, then the lease is a contract between the County Council and the third party. However the lease can include a memorancum addressing any issues the school may have.

How can the Early Years and Childcare Service help?

We can guide you and provide appropriate support through the process of developing childcare provision on site, for example:

· Provide you with model questionnaires to assess the level of need for childcare and type of provision required in your local community

· Assist you to inform local childcare providers of your interest in developing childcare facilities on site

· Provide a link between you and the Local Authority

· Assist with grant applications (Funding is currently available)

· Assist with queries over premises, health and safety registering with the Early Years Directorate at Ofsted and preparing for inspections

· Provide targeted help to overcome any obstacles encountered

If you would like to discuss the development of childcare to support your extended school programme contact the Early Years and Childcare Development Team on 01954 283373 or e-mail: childcaredevelopment@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

The information in this booklet is taken from the publication “ Childcare in Extended Schools” from the Department for Education and Skills.

Developing Childcare within Extended Schools (Pdf version)

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