Extended Schools

Active Norfolk has delivered an Extended Schools project focusing on community access to school sport and physical activity facilities. This is a pilot project being delivered in one urban and one rural cluster of schools in Norfolk. It aims to increase local access to sport and physical activity opportunities by supporting these schools to extend the use of their facilities.

The project's aims were to:

• Explore schools’ opinions and experiences on issues surrounding the extended use of facilities
• Identify shared concerns about barriers, challenges & risks schools face when extending the use of their facilities
• Develop practical strategies for schools to utilise to try and overcome common fears and concerns
• Identify local need via community consultations & audits
• Explore community perceptions surrounding access to school-based physical activity facilities
• Compare similarities & differences between urban and rural schools
• Develop a community use specific resource tool for schools to utilise
• Assemble recommendations and suggestions for funders and partner organisations that help inform future investment pathways surrounding community access to school sport & physical activity facilities across Norfolk

Click below to view the Extended Schools Video

We have created a Welcoming the Community booklet to help schools overcome concerns when extending the use of their sport and physical activity facilities.

Extended Services offer a variety of possibilities to schools that help them address the needs of their wider community, however often this highlights concerns and questions regarding the community access element of the Extended Schools core offer. A number of shared concerns regarding community access exist amongst schools and the booklet addresses these with accompanying tips.

It is hoped that if schools are encountering any of these barriers that some of the suggestions will help them to overcome these, or to at least consider the range of possibilities available when extending the use of their sports facilities.

The Welcoming the Community booklet can be downloaded by clicking the link on the left