Conference

2008 Safe Internet Use

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Highlights of previous SSBA conferences :-

2007 Developing a Parent Council and Encouraging Parental Involvement

2006 The Way Forward for Parental Involvement

2005 Parents in Partnership

2003 Partnerships and responsibilities

2002 SSBA is fit for the future

2001 Roadshow

2000 International
and published book
available here online

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Workshops
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Approaches to Working With Parents of Children
in the Early Years in Dundee

Introduction

Two initiatives in Dundee have specifically focused on work with parents of children in their early years. These have developed diherent ways of promoting partnership with parents and have been influential in shaping ideas to take forward policies arid strategies in this important area of work.

READ (Raising Early Achievement in Dundee)

This project was launched by the City Council in August 1996 and was then expanded as part of the National Early Intervention Programme in 1997. The initiative is now established within 20 primary schools and focuses on strengthening the learning opportunities of children as they begiri their primary school education. The role of parents is seen as central and a Home School Link Coordinator has been in post since 1997.

READ aims to ensure that all children can achieve early success. This will create a strong foundation on which to build children's confidence, self esteem and enthusiasm for life long learning. This is particularly relevant in areas where the lives of families may be challenged by poverty, disadvantage and unemployment and where parents' experiences of school may have been negative. READ has worked to ensure that a wider range of approaches are developed to ensure a better balance of parerit's and school's agendas.

PALS (Parents Altogether Lending Support)

PALS is a parenting programme that brings together groups of parents to talk about the job of being a parent, share common experiences, and explore and try out new ways of overcoming the problems that everyone faces in bringing up children. Participation in a PALS group builds up parent's confidence and increases their sense of efficacy for helping their children learn. Groups promote communication and continuity between home and school and have often been a starting point for closer home school working. This has been built on and developed In initiatives like READ.

Presentation Proposal

Our presentation would shows how these initiatives have developed two quite different

approaches to building home school partnerships. READ seeks to improve parental involvement in supporting children as learners, particularly in relation to literacy and numeracy. Howd'ver, we are aware that before this agenda can be addressed meaningfully, schools must develop better understanding of the community and home contexts of children and their families. PALS has helped us to develop our thinking and practice. Parents are reached on their home bases, often before children have started to use format education services. The content of the programmes aims to strengthen parents' capacity to advocate on behalf of their children. These skills can then be used to support the establishment of relationships with professionals such as teachers. In addition school staff have benefited from the perspectives highlighted by PALS work.

We believe that the two initiatives together have a strength that has enabled us to further our agenda to build meaningful partnership with parents.

The presentation would include information on the two approaches by the READ Home School Link Coordinator and the PALS Development Officer. It may also be possible to include the perspectives of a parent who has participated in these initiatives.

For further information, please contact Christine Riach, Acting Early Years and Childcare Partnership Officer, Dundee City Council, Educat'ion Department, Tayside House, Crichton Street, Dundee DD1 3RJ, phone 01382 433950.

October 1999

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