Cash for extended schools drying up

Extended schools may be unable to continue providing extra services
if long-term guaranteed funding is not provided, according to a new
report.

The research by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies think-tank
states that, despite ministers’ support for extended schools, a
lack of long-term funding could result in the initiative failing to
fulfil government expectations.

It explains that, although many schools began providing community
facilities with funds from area-based initiatives, this money is
starting to run out. Subsequently, some extended schools are
finding it increasingly difficult to raise funds for their
services.

This is a particular problem in more affluent rural areas with
pockets of deprivation that fail to attract money from regeneration
and social exclusion initiatives and have no local businesses to
sponsor projects.

The research also calls for schools’ extra services to be “properly
funded” at the start and in the long-term, particularly for
services with no obvious link to mainstream services.

– Regenerating Communities: The Role of Extended Schools
from 0161 236 7036.