http://www.hertsextendedschools.org.uk/hatfieldandrural/

Extended schools provide access to a range of services and activities, often beyond the school day, to help meet the needs of children, families and the wider community.

Schools are not expected to deliver these services and activities on their own but to work with other schools and with external partners and providers – for example, the health service, the local college, private and voluntary organisations.

Groups of schools can work together in groups (called Consortiums or Clusters) and they do not have to deliver all of the services and activities on each school site.

Many schools are already providing some of these opportunities and have been doing so for some time.  But now all schools are being encouraged to offer an even wider range over the next four years.