chExs
Extended Schools Consortium

Co-ordinator: Pete Maiden
Tel: 01992 308333 Ext:215 / Mob:07974262875

email: peter.maiden@turnford.herts.sch.uk

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Welcome to the website of the chExs Extended Schools Consortium, based around the Cheshunt and Waltham Cross Areas

Extended schools aims to provide a range of activities and services that allows both schools and the community to benefit from a wider and broader access to learning and life.

What is an extended school?

Extended schools provide access to a range of services and activities, often beyond the school day, to help meet the needs of children, families and the wider community.

Schools are not expected to deliver these services and activities on their own but to work with other schools and with external partners and providers – for example, the health service, the local college, private and voluntary organisations.

Groups of schools can work together in groups (called Consortiums or Clusters) and they do not have to deliver all of the services and activities on each school site.

Many schools are already providing some of these opportunities and have been doing so for some time.  But now all schools are being encouraged to offer an even wider range over the next four years.

There is a core offer of extended services that the Government wants all children to be able to access by 2010. These core services are:

• childcare
• a varied menu of study support activities
• parenting support and family learning
• swift and easy referral to a wide range of specialist support services
• community access to ICT, sports and arts facilities, including adult learning
  

These are linked directly to the ' Every Child Matters ' document and draw on the knowledge and expertise of a wide range of professionals from different agencies and services.

Benefits of Extending Schools Activities

For pupils and schools:

• Higher level of pupil achievement
• Increased pupil motivation and self esteem
• Specialist support to meet pupils wider needs
• Additional facilities and equipment
• Enhanced partnership working with the community
• Better school security

For families:

• Improvements in child behaviour and social skills
• Greater parental involvement in children's learning
• More opportunities for local adult education and family learning
• Greater availability of specialist support for  families

For communities:

• Better access to essential services
• Improved local availability of sports, arts and other facilities
• Local career development opportunities
• Better supervision of children outside of school hours
• Closer relationships with the school