An extended schools subsidy pathfinder involving 18 Local Authorities was launched in June 2008. The purpose of the extended schools subsidy is to help ensure that children from disadvantaged backgrounds and children in care are not excluded from out-of-school provision due to financial reasons. Funding has been provided to 18 Local Authorities (LAs) to encourage schools to commission a range of activities externally as part of developing new services to enrich the extended schools offering. It is expected that around £300 will be spent on each targeted child over the course of a year. LAs involved in the pathfinder can combine the additional subsidy with other funding also ring fenced for positive activities for young people. It is intended that young people and their parents in the target group will be fully involved in making best use of funding available so that activities are attractive and relevant to them.

It is intended that the subsidy is rolled out nationally in Spring 2009.

There are 7 main guiding principles for the subsidy. These are: entitlement; participation; additionality; involvement; relevance; demand and open to all.   

 The evaluation, commissioned by the DCSF, aims to identify how best to implement the subsidy and engage the target group (of economically disadvantaged children and children in care) so that additional funding results in additional access to activities. The subsidy is being managed in one of two ways: 1. ‘Fixed’ or ‘defined’ model using percentage of entitlement to fsm and children in care as the criteria for identifying the target group. Also offer of a fixed number of hours of provision (around 2 hours per week and 30 hours over holiday periods) for the target group. 

2. ‘Flexible model’ where LAs and schools have the flexibility to define the target group using local definitions of economic disadvantage to determine eligibility for the subsidy. They will also have the flexibility to offer provision in a way that best meets the needs of the target group so long as activities are sustained over time.   

  

The research will explore which of the two models is most effective. In the case of the flexible model, the team will explore how the LAs and schools defined disadvantage. Other factors to be investigated include; how to consult and engage with the target group in a way that avoids stigma; how best to facilitate good take up; how to most effectively engage partners and commission services. 

 

We have adopted a multi-strand evaluation process. This involved initial visits to 4 LAs (2 fixed model and 2 flexible model) and schools within them (to talk with LA leads, extended school cluster leads, headteachers and other key 

 

Lucy Tiplady, CfLaT Research Associate • Email: lucy.tiplady@ncl.ac.uk

• Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 7449

Professor Liz Todd, Prof of Educational Inclusion • Email: liz.todd@ncl.ac.uk

• Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 6572