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Despite a rocky start and perhaps more negative press than they deserved, children's centres are succeeding well, according to Ofsted. But, as with all reports, there is still some room for improvement. Just two years ago, reports were rife of how ‘flagship' children's centres were failing to help the most needy, didn't identify disadvantaged families in their areas, and more than half of local authorities in charge of the centres failed to monitor performance. There were also concerns that the number of children's centres planned by former prime minister, Tony Blair, – 3,500 by 2010 – were nowhere near on target to be in place. But a survey conducted by Ofsted between September 2006 and April 2007, which saw inspectors visiting 30 children's centres and 32 schools in 54 local authorities that had established or were developing extended services, found quite a different scenario. Positively, the report, How well are they doing: The impact of children's centres and extended schools, revealed that more than three-quarters of children's centres inspected offered ‘good or better' services, almost all of them provided a varied menu of activities out of school hours, allowing children and young people to develop new skills, and inspectors discovered children's progress was ‘good' in monitored sessions. Schools also reported that children joining them from children's centres had positive attitudes, and ‘were well prepared for and enjoyed learning', and in schools inspected, the extended provision was having a ‘positive impact' on children's and young people's achievement and personal development, especially among the more vulnerable. Despite the overall achievements and positive contributions the children's centres and extended schools services are having, the survey identified key areas where more could be done to improve on the overall success. Children's' centres and schools are benefiting from councils' strategic guidance when developing extended services across an area. But, the report states: ‘The local authorities rarely knew if these services provided value for money, since only a small minority of schools and children's centres were gathering and using evidence to judge whether outcomes had improved for children, young people and their families. Support from local authorities for monitoring and evaluating impact was also limited.' The majority of the extended schools were finding it difficult to provide year-round care, or to support families in finding such provision, inspectors found. Children's centres were failing to monitor, effectively, the impact of their provision on children's longer-term development, and the result was ‘it is not possible for either inspectors or the centres to judge how well children had progressed from their starting points'. Children's centres and schools were also found failing, in some cases, to reach out to groups not using the provision, including fathers, ethnic minorities and groups with learning difficulties and disabilities, and were not highlighting the benefits available. ‘It's encouraging to see extended schools, and the children's centres, in particular, are making good progress in the range of services they offer for children, young people and their families,' says Christine Gilbert, chief inspector for education, children's services and skills. ‘However, monitoring and evaluating the impact of these services is an area for improvement – especially in relation to the academic attainment of children and young people. And schools and centres need to do more to attract those families and individuals who are not yet using the services, to make sure they have the opportunity to benefit too.' With the positives so clearly highlighted and the change in results over the past couple of years evident, the recommendations laid down by Ofsted, will surely be acted on in a bid to keep things moving in the right direction, and continue to provide extra services for children, young people and their families. Ofsted recommends local authorities should: support schools and children's centres in strategic planning and in monitoring and evaluating the impact of their services ensure that training is available for managers of children's centres to develop self-evaluation support children's centres in improving the link between assessment and planning for children's learning and development. The Department for Children, Schools and Families should: clarify long-term funding arrangements with other partners to promote the sustainability of services and staffing. Children's centres and schools should: evaluate the impact of their services on the achievement and attainment of children and young people seek to broaden participation.

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WHITEHALL

Why children's centres are positively thriving

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