Ruth Kelly to re hash plans for extended school hours

Ruth Kelly, who was educated at the very expensive Westminster School , ("Old Westminsters" include Tony Benn, Martha Lane - Fox, Matt Frei, Helena Bonham Carter etc. etc.,) will announce (again) plans on for an extended schools hours scheme on Monday, under plans which could see English state day schools staying open for pupils from 8am to 6pm.

The £680 million Government programme would enable all children under 14 to join in extra- curricular activities by 2010.

Primary and Secondary schools will be required to provide activities to pupils which may include sports, language tuition, music and art groups and breakfast clubs.

Teachers would not be required to supervise activities outside lesson time, with responsibility instead falling on volunteers or private companies.

The Education secretary will visit a London primary school (Not thought to be the Junior Westminster Scool) to announce these measures and has released a statement carried by the press on Sunday. "The best schools are delivering extended services already."

"They know that children will be better placed to achieve their full potential if they are in child care that allows them to complete their homework, keep fit and healthy and have fun."

This is of coure a re-run of the pre election claims of Ruth Kelly on April 27th when she told an election Press conference that providing "extended schools" would be a duty on local education authorities. At the time she mentioned the figure of £680m for the scheme in England. She told journalists (BBC report ) one block of £250m over the next 2 years would be spent, she said this was in the Budget last month on further questioning it appears that this money is “money direct to the school and the head teacher to spend on the school's priorities".

Helped by a spin doctor it was pointed out that the full Budget document had said this extra was specifically "to help schools meet the challenges that provision of extended services involves in the shorter-term".

Ruth Kelly (members of Opus Hey! — the support group for Government ministers with special needs) also told reporters there would be another £430m, between 2006 and 2008, if Labour were re-elected: "new money, that we are allocating now to extended school provision" and outlined the details to be announced again tomorrow.

Asked who would run extended schools, she said "we are not talking about teachers - this is not something extra that we are imposing upon them". It might be, for example, a French assistant taking a French group or a university teacher showing a science club how to make nuclear weapons.

It would be "an explicit duty on local authorities" to secure the necessary facilities.

"They will want to work with schools and it will be up to schools to volunteer for that," she said - perhaps working as a group locally to offer a range of clubs.

But if they chose not to, it would be up to the local authority to find other providers.

The pledge was that all children would have access to the activities - "no more latch-key kids" - rather than that all schools would offer them.

The Teaching Unions response will be interesting … especially to the concept of handing over teaching and care activities to volunteers and third party companies.

Steve Sinnott, the general secretary of the National Union of Teachers is already on record saying that insufficient funds are available.

Shadow education secretary David Cameron also welcomed the plans but expressed concern over how they would be funded.

“We’ve seen what happens before when they announce worthy initiatives without providing money to support them – resulting in a funding crisis and lots of broken promises.

Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Edward Davey said the Government had “finally woken up to the needs of pupils and parents”.

“These plans sound promising but Ruth Kelly will need to answer questions on funding"

For anyone interested, the fuelling requirements of Westminster School pupils are as follows ...
7.50 am Breakfast is served in College Hall (originally the dining room of the Abbot of Westminster c. 1600).
Lunch (organised by Houses).
During the lunch hour only pupils in the two final years are free to leave the precincts without permission. Otherwise there are various activities, orchestral and choir rehearsals, and an opportunity to meet with Housemasters, Tutors and other teachers.
4.15 pm Tea is available every day for boarders and day pupils in College Hall or Grant’s Dining Room. Between tea and supper time most of the Lower School Activities take place and meetings of Upper School Societies are arranged.
6.00 pm Supper.

Fees ? Well.... £18,000 a year for starters ...out of taxed income plus. plus, plus...