Pupils supported by their parents heading back to school
The below news release was originally issued by Renfrewshire Council.
An innovative education project is helping Renfrewshire pupils to reach their full potential by inviting their parents to get back into school.
Parents of pupils in three secondary schools – Gryffe, Castlehead and Trinity High – were invited to take part in a pilot of the Parents in Partnership programme between August and October 2016 as part of a series of projects supporting Renfrewshire Council's ambition to close the poverty related attainment gap.
Pilot project
The pilot project - funded by Renfrewshire Council in association with CELCIS - assessed how a child's attainment might relate to parental or carer involvement.
CELCIS, who work with local authorities to make lasting improvements in the wellbeing of children and young people living in and on the edges of care and their families, looked at how the programme made a difference for parents and the benefits it had on pupils, with the results published in the report Parents in Partnership 2016 Evaluation.
Reaction from parents and teachers
Parents, who attended school one morning a week for six weeks, said that the flexible model of the programme meant their unique family circumstances were taken into account and they were supported by the Homelink service, who work with identified pupils and their families to improve achievement and attainment.
One parent explained that attending the sessions helped open the lines of communication, while another said it was now much easier to approach the school to ask for support.
Teachers also found that parents were able to read with their children more often once they realised it only needed to involve fifteen minutes of reading and a chat afterwards.
Linda O'Neill, Education Programme Lead from CELCIS, who developed this approach, said:
"We know that working with parents and carers in a meaningful way through school has the real potential to support family learning and improve the wellbeing of both children and their parents and carers. It's great to see Renfrewshire Council making a commitment to develop real and lasting partnerships between parents, schools and communities though Parents in Partnership."
Renfrewshire Council's Convener of Education and Children's Services Policy Board, Councillor Jim Paterson, said:
"Renfrewshire is ambitious for our pupils. We want all young people to reach their full potential, regardless of their background. We know involving parents and carers in school life is a great way to support pupils, with parents encouraging reading at night and that has a knock-on effect to how well the child does at school.
"The report by CELCIS shows good progress on supporting those who need that extra bit of assistance through school and reinforces that parents and teachers are all working together to provide the best opportunities for children."
All secondary schools in Renfrewshire, including the Mary Russell School, run similar parental engagement programmes.
Note to Editors
For more details contact:
Jennifer Connolly
Corporate Communications Team
0141 618 5793
jennifer.connolly@renfrewshire.gcsx.gov.uk
Mike Findlay
CELCIS Communications Manager
0141 444 8512
mike.findlay@strath.ac.uk