Supporting pupils and families: A case study of two English extended secondary schools

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES 2005a) described an extended school as one providing activities and services, often beyond the school day to address the needs of its pupils, their families and the wider community. Such schools, it was anticipated, would address critical issues through providing a more collaborative service across agencies from differing disciplines in order to assure that the needs of young people and their families, many of whom perceive themselves as disenfranchised in respect of education and welfare. This paper reports research which investigated the efficacy of extended services provided by two secondary schools in an English Local Authority. A questionnaire survey was followed by the use of semi-structured interviews with teachers, pupils and professionals from a range of support services. The researchers report some inconsistencies of interpretation of the purpose of extended schooling. However, improved multi-agency working, the establishment of family liaison services and the provision of additional services to pupils and families have been well received