Article: Extended schools and services for children and families Article Body Extended schools and services are at the heart of delivering the Every Child Matters agenda, improving outcomes and raising standards of achievement for children and young people. Every Child Matters recognises extended services as a key delivery mechanism for ensuring that each child achieves their full potential and has the best possible life chances. The extended services agenda provides a 'core offer' of services designed to bring together a range of different services and providers who work to support children, young people and families to help remove barriers to learning and in turn raise aspirations and achievement across the borough. Extended services are not an extension of the school day, but look at the needs of the whole child and their families to improve pupil wellbeing and offer extra support, where necessary, through a range of professional services outside those of the traditional school support system. Schools play a pivotal role in supporting and delivering extended services as they are well positioned to identify the additional needs of children and their families from an early age. The core offer includes the following key elements: high quality wraparound childcare available from 8am - 6pm, five days a week, 48 weeks per year, provided on school site or through other local providers, with supervised transfer arrangements a varied menu of activities such as sports, arts, visits, enterprise activities and a range of study support for schools work including homework clubs, Aim Higher and gifted and talented programmes swift and easy access to a wide range of services, including health services such as mental health, speech therapy, behaviour support and social care parenting support, including information sessions for parents, information advice and support available through local services and national helplines, and access to parenting groups and family learning opportunities community access to school buildings and resources such as ICT, sports and arts facilities. Barnsley's Extended Services Strategy has been developed in consultation with key partners to ensure that within each of the borough's localities, there is a local extended services infrastructure based on the needs of each individual community. Barnsley's strategy and core offer are closely aligned with children's centres and Surestart programmes, healthy schools, youth services, play and Families Information Service, as well as a range of other third sector providers to ensure that all our services are working together to promote positive outcomes for children, young people and their families. You can find out more information about extended services and positive activities provision for specific age ranges through Early Childhood Services, Barnsley Children's Centres, Families Information Service and BMBC Youth Service. Locally, the thingstodoin.org.uk website publicises positive activities provision for children and young people. Alternatively you could visit the Department for Children, Schools and Families website. You can access these from the links below. Related links Thingstodo Children's centres Families Information Service Youth Sport Trust BMBC Youth Service Training and Development Agency (TDA) Department for Education Play England Direct.gov Legislation The Children Act 2004 Every Child Matters Green Paper Statutory Duty to Promote Positive Activities Statutory Duty to provide Extended Schools and Services Youth Matters How to contact us Positive Activities Service Manager Directorate for Children, Young People and Families Postal address: PO Box 634, Barnsley, S70 9GG Telephone: 01226 281961 Monday to Thursday from 8.30am to 5pm and Fridays from 8.30am to 4.30pm Direct line: 01226 720346 Email: longcarpdc@barnsley.gov.uk This may vary during peak periods of extended service activity, for example, during summer holiday period. Please call Longcar PDC reception in this instance on 01226 281961 to obtain mobile telephone numbers for relevant staff.