At Key Stage 4, the number of pupils achieving five A* to C GCSEs increased by just over five per cent at extended schools between 2005 and 2006. This compares to an average national increase of 2.5 per cent during the same period. Schools in the first wave of full-service extended schools improved their Key Stage 2 average point score by 0.5 per cent, compared to a national increase of 0.2 per cent.
Last week the government announced that 7,000 schools are now offering extended services.
With almost a third of schools now providing these services the next milestones are for half of primary schools and a third of secondary schools to provide the full extended school core offer by 2008 and for all schools to provide it by 2010.
The Training and Development Agency will be working with schools and their partners to achieve these targets. Hilary Emery, executive director of development at the agency, said: "Developing and embedding access to extended services is a long-term agenda and is about putting in place services that will last."
First-year allocations of the £1.1bn previously announced by children's secretary Ed Balls to support the development of extended services will be given to schools and local authorities through their General Sure Start Grants and Standards Fund in the autumn. For the first time this money will support extended schools co-ordinators in secondary schools and clusters of primary schools to ensure sustainability.
- www.tda.gov.uk/extended schools.
