Filling the Jobs Gap: new report from new economics foundation explains why national insurance plans won't fill the jobs gap.

Parenting and Family Support: Guidance for Local Authorities in England   Order free or download the updated guidance on developments in parent and family services including 'Think Family' which aims to help children's and adult's services work together.

Positivity in practice: approaches to improving perceptions of young people and their involvement in crime and anti-social behaviour   An NFER study about tackling perceptions on both local and national levels.

A DCSF research brief, January 2009 DCSF-RB0689     Extended schools Survey of schools, pupils and parents: A quantitative study of perceptions and usage of extended services in schools.

Core Offer Toolkit   This toolkit offers guidance, support and resources for professionals involved in the delivery of the 'core offer' of  extended services in or around schools and children's centres. The toolkit introduces the core offer and includes sections dedicated to swift and easy access and parenting support.

The Disadvantage Subsidy   This subsidy is part of the Government’s commitment to extended services in and around schools and is designed to subsidise access to extended services activities for economically disadvantaged children and young people and children in care. In doing so, the subsidy aims to improve well-being, raise attainment and narrow the attainment gap.

Full rundown of ministerial positions related to children's policy   Includes all those responsible in the departments for education, justice, work and pensions, and health.

What are Extended services? Provided by the TDA. Updated April 2009

How Working Tax Credits can help families in your school   A report on how schools can help parents use WTC to enable them to work or train, thus helping to keep extended services more affordable and sustainable as a result.

Extended schools: A greater role in the community   A very informative Guardian supplement from 2007 in association with the TDA. Includes FAQs, interviews and ideas on empowering the community through extended services.

White Paper: 21st Century Schools: a world-class education for every child (DCSF) 448kb:   21st Century Schools is the government’s flagship consultation on how make schooling fit for the 21st century a reality for every child. 

Key Points in the 21st Century Schools White Paper   Simon Bradley and Corinne Cappell have summarized the key points, as they see them, from the white paper Your child, your schools, our future: building a 21st century schools system.

Children’s plan: executive summary (DCSF) 161kb:   The Children’s Plan aims to make England the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up. This is the executive summary of that plan. 

Children’s plan (DCSF) 637kb:   The children’s plan is the Government’s strategy for making England the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up.  This is the complete document.

Every Child Matters: Change for Children is a new approach to the well-being of children and young people from birth to age 19. Aims and outcomes (Every Child Matters website):

Extended schools - building on experience (DCSF) 682kb:   This document reflects on the experience gained of extended schools so far; it uses a number of case studies to show how these services can contribute to schools standards. 

Extended schools: London economics research (DCSF) 505kb:   This DCSF-commissioned report seeks to establish a baseline methodology to estimate the impact of the extended school services.

Extended schools – survey of schools, parents and pupils (Ipsos-MORI) 446kb:   This is a quantitative study, commissioned by the DCSF, of perceptions and usage of extended services in schools. 

Gaining ground strategy (DCSF) 771kb:   This document outlines the government’s strategy for improving progress in ‘coasting’ secondary schools.

National challenge: a toolkit for schools and local authorities (DCSF) 1.01mb:   The national challenge toolkit provides practical advice and guidance to those schools with the lowest GCSE results on how to improve their performance.

New opportunities: fair chances for the future (Her Majesty’s Government) 1.17mb:   This is the government’s White Paper on social mobility.

Promoting excellence for all (Department for Children, Schools and Families) 1.29mb:   Promoting excellence for all outlines the government’s school improvement strategy, which aims to support schools to raise their standards.

Why we need extended schools – evidence (Institute for Education) 1.13mb:   This is an overview of Leon Feintstein’s groundbreaking research on the need for extended services.

Evaluation of the full sevice extended schools project: end of first year report (RB680) dated September 2005

Extended Services Evaluation: Reaching Disadvantaged Groups and Individuals - Thematic Review   (Research Report DCSF-RR196, January 2010) by Colleen Cummings, Alan Dyson, Lisa Jones, Karen Laing, Karen Scott & Liz Todd

Evaluation of the full service extended schools initiative: complete final report: (Manchester University; Newcastle University); full copy of the DCSF-commissioned research evaluating the effectiveness of the extended schools programme.