Parents views on Extended Services in Nottinghamshire

1. Parents viewson Extended Servicesin Nottinghamshire Prof. Sarah Holloway & Dr Helena Pimlott-Wilson

2. Key themes • Parental attitudes • wraparound care

3. Key themes • Parental attitudes • wraparound care • enrichment activities

4. Key themes • Parental attitudes • wraparound care • enrichment activities • Parental support

5. The study • Parental attitudes • Questionnaire survey of parents • Y2 & Y6 parents in 26 schools • 8 higher income (FSM 2.5%) • 8 middle income (FSM 18.4%) • 10 low income (FSM 39%) • 1724 sent out – 42% response rate • Interviews with 45 parents

6. Wraparound care

7. Wraparound care …to be honest it’s just convenient more at school, you know he’s there and you know he’s getting what he needs, he really enjoys it. (MI) I think they would have to, if they want people to get back into work, they’re going to have to look at ways of supporting childcare, because without it people can’t afford to work. (HI)

8. Wraparound care Why do I work?! Because I think it’s good for the kids to see me working, because structurally when they grow up, that’s how life should be, you should work…. And I think it does the whole family good when you’re working…..you get more of a balance in life. (LI) That’s something that’s down to the individual parents to decide, because everyone’s circumstances are different. If somebody’s decision is that they want to stay at home with their children then I don’t have a particular view of what is right and wrong. (HI)

9. Wraparound care I don’t think those people would change their behaviours, therefore I think we have to put something in place to protect those children, which is providing them with some sort of breakfast to ensure they get a meal. (HI) At the end of the day it’s our job to feed them isn’t it, not anybody else’s….It’s like my friend, he had kids knocking on his door saying they hadn’t been fed for two days, that their mum hadn’t fed them…..it’s your own job to feed your kids isn’t it? (LI)

10. Enrichment activities Harriet: Dance x 6; Guides; drama; horse riding; swimming (HI, Y6). Lucy: Fencing; knitting; gymnastics (LI, Y6).

11. Enrichment activities

12. Enrichment activities It gives me a break as well! …. For exercise, variety, keep him occupied, keep him out of trouble, wear him out a bit, because he’s always full of energy….and I know he’s safe up there as well, he’s not walking the streets. I know where he is, I know he’s safe. (LI) I think they just need to be children really, and do the stuff that children do…. there is pressure on children to sort of grow up and not be children now. (HI)

13. Enrichment activities I think they need a balance really. I think they can be doing too much, you know, and not having time to be a child and do things that kids like doing! (MI) …it was too much because we couldn’t keep up…it was affecting our work …we got to the point where we were just thinking how on earth are we going to get all 3 children in different places throughout the week. (HI)

14. Parental support I think at [school], if they thought that it was going to benefit their child and improve their academic prowess, then yes….There is a little bit of competitiveness. (HI) It’s something that I need to do! They have had them at school but I’ve always been unable to go because I’ve been working. Because they teach maths completely different to how I was taught…(MI)

15. Parental support [I] always had somebody with me that I knew. But if I’d been going in cold, I wouldn’t have gone in, but that’s because of the way I am. (MI) No! I’d just start panicking because it would be all be over my head and… ‘Oh your mum’s a right thicko, she has to come’ … (LI)

16. Parental support I think the parents of the children that go to [school] are quite able to articulate the issues with teachers or other professionals; I think they’re the sort, a group of parents who would go and seek the help and know where to find it. (HI) They’ve had them at [school], but I always think that you know if you go there, people’s going to think ‘oh you’re a bad parent’…I think there’s a lot of stigma attached to them. (LI)

17. Parental support

18. Parental support I would imagine that most people don’t really need access to benefits, and are probably able to find out about healthcare themselves and whatever other information they need. (HI) And it saves you having to like drop them off at school and then traipse halfway over [place] to go somewhere, then you might as well like just, ‘oh I’m going to pop in and see Benefits lady’, or ‘I’m just going to pop in to see nurse because I’m a bit worried about something’. (LI)

19. Parental support …the school should immediately contact [Social Services], if they feel as though there’s something not quite right...(HI) they ought to have them there, because I’m always there, so I’d see it better there than if I go anywhere else. It’s like a second home to me. (LI)

20. Conclusions • Wraparound care • Important provider • Considerable public support • Differential use remains • Enrichment • HI children have more activities • School provision helps to even playing field • Parental support • Considerable public support • Demand significantly higher in LI areas • Mismatch between provision and intension