Extended SchoolsThe Extended Schools Programme The Extended Schools Programme is a government initiative that has been designed to address the Every Child Matters Agenda. This comprises of five main elements for every child to:
Being an extended school is at the heart of What is the Core Offer? This is a range of services that have been devised by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and are provided by working closely with the London Borough of Hillingdon to deliver: 1. High quality childcare from 8am to 6pm throughout the year 2. A varied menu of activities, including study support, such as homework, sport, music and other extra curricular activities 3. Swift and easy access to a wide range of specialist support services 4. Parenting support, including information sessions and family learning opportunities 5. Community access, enabling members of the local community to access school ICT, sports and arts facilities including family learning Our goal is to raise standards by supporting the whole individual, and to meet the needs of students, parents and the whole community. This can only be effectively achieved by consulting each of the above groups. As the Core Offer develops, we will signpost you on our website to different services. Please contact me if you would like more information now. Have your say Feedback from students, parents and community groups is important to the success of the programmes and opportunities we will be offering. By consulting regularly with you, we will be delivering an Extended Schools Service that directly reflects your needs and interests, and feedback is warmly welcomed. Be Involved! You may have skills (or know someone who does) that could support our students and at the same time, enrich the lives of everyone living in the community. We believe in life-long learning, and that everyone has something positive to offer; we invite you to join one of our activities and make a difference. Future Plans We will soon be installing a drama studio which will not only greatly support students studying theatre studies, but also appeal to travelling theatre companies and local amateur groups. Our grounds are going to be developed to create a Chefs Kitchen Garden, where we will grow food to use in our very popular Junior Chefs Club, and will include a composting site to develop environmental awareness. We will also have a pond and wild area to help us understand bio-diversity and encourage wildlife to thrive. A special tranquillity garden, for somewhere to relax and contemplate will complete our project, and we hope it will serve as a perfect tool to encourage the green-fingered among you, to help our ideas become a sustainable reality, as well as teach our students about the wide-ranging benefits that growing plants brings. If you have an interest in gardening, or would enjoy the opportunity to take part, we’d love to hear from you. As Ruislip High grows, so will our projects. Whether you are part of an organisation or formal group, or just have an idea that could become an exciting new joint venture, do make contact. I look forward to being part of the learning journey in our local community. Penny Maas Director of Community and Partnership Learning Tel: 01895 464064
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