Abbs Cross School and Arts College

Abbs Cross School, Commitment to Opportunity and Excellence

Extended Schools

The Government intends that by 2010, all children should have access to a variety of activities beyond the school day. The vision is that well-organised, safe and stimulating activities before and after school provide children and young people with a wide range of experiences and make a real difference to their chances at school. It gives them the opportunity to keep fit and healthy, to acquire new skills, to build on what they learn during the school day or simply to have fun and relax.

Schools are located at the heart of the community and are therefore ideally placed to take up this challenge.

The Core Offer of extended services that all pupils will be able to access through the school by 2010 is:

  • High quality “wraparound” childcare provided on site or by local providers, with supervised transfer arrangements where appropriate, available 8am – 6pm for most of the year.
  • A varied menu of activities such as homework clubs, study support, interest clubs, arts, sports, ICT etc.
  • Parenting support including information sessions for parents at key transition points, parenting programmes run by support services or family learning sessions allowing pupils to learn with their parents/ carers.
  • Swift and easy referral to a wide range of specialist support services such as speech therapy, intensive behaviour support or sexual health services ( some delivered on the school site)
  • Provision of wider community access to ICT, sports and arts facilities, including adult learning. NB Not all of these services will be free.

We are already providing extended services beyond the school day and have been doing so for some time. We have breakfast clubs, behaviour support and advice and many after school activities.

We are currently actively involved with other schools and service providers in the London Borough of Havering in planning how we can together organise the services so as to best meet the needs of our local community. We have sent questionnaires to our pupils, staff, parents and governors to ensure all view points are heard.