Welcome to the Celebration of the Comenius Regio FASTER Project

1. Welcome to the Celebrationof theComenius Regio FASTER Project

2. Comenius Regio FASTER Project Radom – Poland and Sefton- UK 2010-2012

3. Where we are in Europe? Radom, Poland Sefton United Kingdom

4. Why are families important? The case for involving parents & families in pupil learning

5. “ Families are formative influences in people’s lives and places of deep learning” “Parents and carers are a child’s first and most enduring educators” Haggart,J.(2000) A Guide to Family Learning

6. Family Learning What are the benefits? • Well organised and carefully targeted Family Learning can play a part in furthering 3 key policy objectives for education • Raising achievement • Widening participation • Countering social exclusion

7. Evidence indicates that what parents • do is more important than who parents are. • Examples of a good Home Learning Environment include: • reading to a child, • teaching songs and nursery rhymes, • playing with letters & numbers, • visiting the library, • painting & drawing, • emphasising the alphabet

8. Research Findings The effect of early Home Learning Environment on pupils age 5 has an effect over and above parental background factors such socio- economic status, maternal education and family income. (EPPE Study 2004) Parental interest in their child’s education has four times more influence on attainment by age 16 than socio- economic background (Feinstein & Symons 1999) Parental involvement in their child’s reading has been found to be the most important determinant of language and emergent literacy ( National Literacy Trust 2007)

9. An example of family interventionwhich led to improved pupil learning 2002 -2006

10. Children’s Centres in Sefton Background The original Sure Start programme was based on evidence that effective early intervention can prevent costs to society later on. Evidence from community-based programmes, that are locally led, can help to engage those families who might not otherwise seek help

11. EPPE Study Findings This showed that integrated early years settings were particularly beneficial to children’s development. EPPE also shows that disadvantaged children who attended childcare settings with children from mixed social backgrounds made more progress than in settings serving mainly disadvantaged children 14 Sylva K, Melhuish E, Sammons P, et al. Effective Pre-school Provision. London: Institute of Education 2004, and Melhuish EC, Sylva K, Sammons P, et al. Preschool influences on mathematics achievement.

12. Support for Families in Radom Social therapy classes Parental assistance Free meals Free books

13. FASTER Project Families and Schools Together in European Regions Sharing good practice and developing strategies to support vulnerable families in Radom (Poland) and Sefton (UK)

14. What has been happening?Year One Radom Poland The School for Parents Sefton UK Parents’ Courses

15. Staff Evaluation

16. Year Two • Further work with Families • Eg: Language support • Use of experts eg: Speech Therapists • Structured programme to reach families with incentives for attendance • Record impact of family involvement through • Photographs/DVDs • Questionnaires to parents • Baseline assessments in order to measure improvement

17. Working together on Family Intervention Programme Radom Sefton Improved Pupil Life Chances

18. Improved Pupil Life Chances • Outcomes • Model which can be replicated in schools in the European region • Shared good practice by schools & personnel • New approach to learning and education - it does not just take place in school. + = Attendance at school Parental involvement in learning Improved parental & pupil attitude towards education Benefit to siblings & peer group