The Department for Education and Skills is working with children’s charity 4Children, the National Remodelling Team, Continyou and other children’s organisations to support all schools to offer a range of extended services by 2010. These services include childcare from 8am to 6pm on weekdays all year round. Half of all primary schools and a third of all secondary schools will offer this by 2008.

The importance of working in partnership with voluntary, community and private sector childcare providers, to bring together services for children, young people and families has been emphasised by the Minister for Children, Young People and Families Beverley Hughes MP.

Speaking to an audience of local authority Chief Executives and Directors last year, Beverley Hughes said:
“By building effective partnerships between schools and providers and harnessing both the experience of existing providers and the facilities and needs of schools, we can move more quickly towards developing wraparound childcare and other services. Securing the benefits of a mix of service provision, including private and voluntary sectors, is essential to achieving our objectives.

“I want to see local authorities stimulating innovation and diversity, ensuring that there are opportunities for non profit, voluntary and private providers, with a track record and commitment, to participate in the process of identifying needs, developing plans and managing services.
Planning should take into account the particular role of the voluntary sector in supporting disabled children, in particular with the development of the 8am – 6pm offer.”

Anne Longfield, Chief Executive of 4Children said: “Extended schools are at the heart of the Government’s childcare strategy, offering an important opportunity for existing and new voluntary and private sector providers, to extend and sustain their services. Working with schools can help providers access funding, premises, activities and expertise that will ensure more childcare providers can offer high quality, affordable support for children and families – whether childcare is run from the school or in the community but linked.

“At present over 50 per cent of childcare schemes for school age children operate on school premises with many more partnerships between schools and childminding networks, nurseries and community based clubs developing all the time. Linking provision in this way helps parents and children. It also helps ensure that providers are able to maximise their support and provide sustainable high quality care.”

To find out more, childcare providers should read the Extended Schools Prospectus from the DfES or contact the childcare lead officer responsible for their area. Copies are available at www.teachernet.gov.uk/extendedschools.
Further information and support for childcare providers is also available from 4Children - call 4Children’s Information Helpline on 020 7512 2100 or visit http://www.4Children.org.uk/extendedschools

Extended schools are supported by all national childcare organisations:

Purnima Tanuku, Chief Executive of National Day Nursery Association (NDNA) said:
“We fully support extended schools for children over five. A significant proportion of day nurseries are already working with schools to deliver out of school activities for children, and have been doing so for several years. It is important that schools, local authorities and day nurseries all work in partnership to ensure that we build on existing provision, rather than duplicating what is already there in the community.”

Liz Bayram, Chief Executive of the National Childminding Association said:
“We know that many parents prefer their children to be cared for in a home environment and for them a childminder is their first choice for childcare. This is why NCMA believes it is imperative that any school developing extended services does so in partnership with the registered childminders in their local area. Registered childminders are already offering high quality, flexible, inclusive home-based childcare for school age children and are ideally placed to play a key role in developing and delivering extended schools services.”

Steve Alexander, Chief Executive of The Pre-school Learning Alliance said:
“The Pre-school Learning Alliance strongly welcomes the commitment of government to involve voluntary providers in the extended schools initiative.  Pre-schools provide a diverse range of services and closer partnerships with schools can only be of benefit to our members and to schools.  We would however urge the government to ensure that local authorities have a duty to consider partnership working as a first option in providing these services.”

Chris Walton, Chief Executive of Daycare Trust, said:
"For children, the distinction between education and care is a meaningless one. Extended schools provide an exciting opportunity for schools and childcare providers to work in partnership to provide integrated services which bring education and care together. This will help give children a more rounded upbringing and be responsive to the needs of the local community. It also provides the opportunity for schools and other agencies to embrace a more holistic approach towards children’s development."

ENDS
For more information contact:

DfES public enquiries
08700 002 288
Info@dfes.gsi.gov.uk

4Children
Katherine Abbott
Tel: 020 7522 6928
Lara Gorman  
Tel: 020 7522 6925

Notes to Editor:

Extended schools will offer high-quality childcare from 8am to 6pm, all year round with a variety of activities. The Government wants all schools to offer extended schools services by 2010, with half of primary schools and a third of secondary schools doing so by 2008. By July next year 2,500 extended schools will be in place and by 2010 the Government intends that all schools will be working in partnership with other schools. To help make this happen, the Government has committed £680 million.

4Children is the national charity dedicated to delivering support and creating opportunities for all children and their families in their community. 4Children works on contract to the DfES to develop childcare in extended schools. 4Children provides an information line for parents and childcare professionals with advice and support on all aspects of childcare, including details of childcare and out of school activities in your area.  For more information call 020 7512 2100 or visit www.4Children.org.uk.

Daycare Trust is a national childcare charity, campaigning for quality, affordable accessible childcare for all and raising the voices of children, parents and carers. We advise parents and carers, providers, employers, trade unions and policymakers on childcare issues. We recognise that everyone is unique and we value difference in our communities. We listen to all views and are committed to act without prejudice. We oppose all discrimination and promote equality in all we do. Daycare Trust runs a childcare information line (020 7840 3350) for parents with access to Language Line interpreters for non-English speakers. Parents can also visit www.daycaretrust.org.uk for information.

National Childminding Association of England and Wales (NCMA) is a membership organisation and national charity, which promotes quality home-based childcare for the benefit of children, families and communities. It already speaks on behalf of home -based childcarers. NCMA has been supporting the development of quality home-based childcare on behalf of the 75,000 registered childminders in England and Wales and, now with a new membership package for nannies and other home-based childcarers, increasingly for other home childcare and promoting its benefits since 1977. For more information about NCMA and its work, visit www.ncma.org.uk

National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) is a national charity representing children’s day nurseries across the UK, giving them information, training and support, so they can provide the best possible care to young children. NDNA is the voice of the sector, an integral part of the lives of nearly one million children and their families. For further information please contact Julie Bower, Press Officer on T: 0870 774 4244 M:07718 803 652 or email julie.bower@ndna.org.uk. Visit www.ndna.org.uk
 
Pre-school Learning Alliance is a leading educational charity specialising in early years, with over 40 years experience of working nationally with children and families. The Alliance provides practical support to over 15,000 early years settings and makes a positive contribution to the care and education of over 500,000 young children and their families each year. We encourage and actively promote parental involvement and partnership-working in all aspects of our work. For further information please visit www.pre-school.org.uk

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