Schools need funding for extended schools agenda

Schools must receive an adequate level of direct funding for the
extended schools agenda to succeed, delegates warned today at a
conference in London, writes Amy Taylor from the
conference.

Speaking in response to a presentation by Ann Gross, divisional
manager for extended schools and child care at the Department for
Education and Skills, delegates said that without the funding
schools would not be able to push ahead with creating extended
services.

Gross, who was speaking at the conference on extended schools
ran by children’s charity 4Children, said that £250
million was going directly to schools as part of the schools grant
in 2006-2008.

She added that £430 million was going to local authorities
for the same period for extended schools as schools had to work
with councils to ensure services responded to local needs.

Gross concluded that extended schools were going to be a major
point of discussion in the 2007 comprehensive spending review.