Proposals to enable schools to offer multiple services for children of all ages were unveiled in the Government's Education Bill last week.
Under the proposed legislation, the governing body of a maintained school could offer community facilities for the school's pupils and their families or for people who live and work locally. The school could charge for these services, but the Department for Education and Skills envisages that they would be run on a not-for-profit basis.
Schools would also have more flexibility over opening hours, so potentially they could stay open from seven in the morning to seven at night, offering breakfast and after-school clubs and creches. Nursery schools, primary schools and secondary schools would all be eligible to offer childcare facilities.
A DfES spokeswoman said a school could also contract external partners to run services, such as a private nursery chain or a voluntary out-of-school care provider. She said, 'You could also open a school up for a local community nurse to come in and run a mini-surgery for parents of young children, for example. Opening up links with the local community will increase links with parents, which could lead to more becoming involved as volunteers, such as learning mentors or as governors.'
Eva Lloyd, chief executive of the National Early Years Network, pointed out that the new legislation would make it possible for schools to run breakfast and after-school clubs themselves, a 'necessary step'. At present, although much out-of-school care is provided on school premises, schools are not allowed to run services directly and many clubs are run by other organisations.
'Primary schools are very difficult to turn into suitable buildings for young children,' Ms Lloyd said. 'The debate as to what we should do with very young children continues.' While some schools might not be appropriate buildings for the care of young children, maintained nursery schools could be ideal settings for creche services. In last week's Nursery World, National Day Nurseries Association chief executive Rosemary Murphy expressed grave concern about the prospect of schools offering on-site care for babies and under-fives, which had been outlined at a Daycare Trust conference. She said that the concept of 'extended schools' took childcare choices out of parent's hands and put them into the control of schools, 'which are not the best places for young children and babies to receive the care they need'.
Ms Lloyd pointed out that Baroness Ashton, the early years minister, had sought views on whether schools' governing bodies should be able to provide family and community services in the recent 'Better Beginnings' consultation on improving quality and increasing provision in early years education and childcare. The National Early Years Network had responded by pointing out that this would require proper support for governors, who already faced a demanding task, in order to safeguard quality.
The Education Bill also states that the Foundation Stage for three- to five-year-olds should end at the end of the school year in which a child passes his or her fifth birthday.
Ms Lloyd said, 'The issues remain of four-year-olds in reception classes and how the literacy and numeracy strategies are introduced. This Bill is not going to tackle the question of whether the Foundation Stage should be delivered continuously in the same setting, by appropriately qualified staff, and whether we should look to change the school starting age. It is not going to give us the outcomes we are looking for - for that we need another Bill.' The Bill is published on www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/pabills.htm .
