Councillors will look at investigating how well schools have embraced key aspects of the extended schools agenda, covering the quality and take up of the basic out of hours provision, and the wider role they and the school facilities play in their communities beyond that. Labour's Children and Young People's Services spokesperson, Coun. Dave Merrett has registered the topic for scrutiny, and feels it's important that councillors consider the progress that's been made in more detail. He said:

"Labour's 2002 Education Act strengthened schools' positions in term of providing facilities and services to families and the community outside normal school hours, for which they are able to charge. The thinking behind this was that schools and their valuable facilities can play a much bigger role in meeting their pupils' and modern working families' needs outside the normal teaching day, and the wider community beyond that, tackling disadvantage and promoting social inclusion.

"The Government has provided additional funding to education authorities for the extended school agenda, which City of York Council decided to give direct to schools to use as they saw fit. York schools have responded well and embraced the core extended schools offer for their own pupils, but the Council has limited information about the quality, extent, and particularly the take-up of what's being provided, particularly by those on low or modest incomes.

"I'm also rather concerned the wider community use agenda has also not been properly embraced yet. Schools have a vast range of facilities such as gyms, sports grounds, drama and dance studios, IT suites to name just a few, which are often underused assets. There are obviously a number of challenges to their wider community use, but this is an important aspect of the extended school's agenda, and I'd like to see more happening on this front; it may be that the Council needs to take a more strategic approach to helping schools to tackle some of the obstacles".

Scrutiny is the council's mechanism for allowing councillors to review the provision and delivery of public services, which may involve one or more public body. It is anticipated this particular review would also include local employment services health service providers, as well as schools and potential users themselves.

"This review must involve local interested groups and individuals", said Coun. Merrett. "People must be given the opportunity to express how they feel schools can work to the benefit of local groups and the community as a whole. Clearly the extended schools agenda has required a major shift in thinking for many, but I don't want that to hold back what could be extremely positive activities which can help to provide many new opportunities for everyone in York, and particularly to reduce levels of disadvantage".