Feeling stumped? Looking for answers...? Try posting to this forum thread.

If you are stumped about something and need some insight, an answer, a resource or some suggestions about any extra-curricular or extended services questions or issues you are dealing with, this is a forum thread where you can ask your questions.

We'll try and get you a response to whatever you ask as soon as possible. 

Hi Elizabeth - about getting parents more involved in their children's learning, here's a start:

In December 2007, I spoke with a great learning mentor, Khaleda Begum, at Smithy Street School in Stepney Green, London about how the school was progressing its extended services. She said that the school has a strong policy about attendance and punctuality. So, every day, one of her tasks is to stand at the school gate just before school starts and also at the end of the day when parents are picking up their children. She speaks Sylheti, the Bengali dialect spoken by many people in East London, which helps a lot, of course. The main message I took from my conversation with Khaleda was that it takes a deliberate strategy sometimes for parents to absorb the message that their children’s education matters. As she says at the end of the article: ‘…the link with parents is so important – it’s like they are our partners – they are the primary educators – we come second. But we need to work together and be consistent for the children to succeed.’

So I've attached the article about Khaleda's work (from Schools ETC magazine) for you here.

Also, would it be useful to use a series of family learning sessions combined with study support or even maths homework. I don't think this forum facility allows me to upload TWO articles at once, so in the post below this one, I’ll attach also attach a useful article called Maths with Mum and Dad (unfortunately not in colour – but it was the exact version that went to press), which might help you to explore some options. A partnership with the organisation that runs the Ocean Maths Model, which is used in Tower Hamlets might be worth considering.

I guess it’s important, though, to canvas the parents carefully about what they might want or need at such sessions. But making that first contact and keeping it up is essential.

Work with the school leadership to help you make contact with parents and find out what they want - and tap into the ways in which the school may be encouraging parents' participation at the school in other ways. I'm no expert, but I hope that's useful as a start. And I’ll keep digging around for you!  

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Hi

I wrote a piece earlier about  being a new ESCO and it disappeared. I'll do it again, in a blog perhaps - but I'm relieved that there is a forum here for people like me.  I have to go to a meeting now but I will spread the word about The Learning Exchange to my fellow ESCOs.  Thank you for your help Paddy!

Hi, Which are is your school based.  There could be a possibility of linking up with an exsisting Supplementary School who may be able to help.  They often engage parents in order for them to run ie volunteers.  Also you could build a partnership with one which would look good on any reports and help improve links with the community.  If you drop me an email I'll have a look for you. Claire

Hello escojohnb: I don' know about other Eastern European groups, but I think there are sixty or so Polish supplementary schools now - not sure if any are in your area though. But, you might want to try sending a message on the members of Learning Exchange - either Pascale Vassie  or Claire Arthur could help you.  Also, have a chat with someone at the Polish Educational Society at 020 8745 1993 (they're based in Hammersmith, London). Good luck.

Hi Kaye - you might want to try Hamilton Community College in Leicester - a colleague recently suggested that they have a good policy and probably won't mind sharing it with you. Another member of the Learning Exchange, Chris Loach, has recently asked the same question. Go to the Members Hub and type 'Chris' into the Find (search name facility) and perhaps you might like to send him a message via the Learning Exchange - he may have struck other policies and forgotten to post them into his blog.  Let us know how you get on? Beauchamp College in Leicester may also be able to help.

Hi there

When I was a cluster manager of 14 schools, the money inituially was held by the LA and schools bid for funding, on a first come first served basis, that would develop activities to help deliver their core offer. After a couple of years the cluster collectively agreed that one school would hold the money which in our case was one of the secondary schools. At the annual development planning meeting it was agreed in principle to split the funding over the key areas of the core offer that needed developing across the cluster (they mostly think cluster wide not school focussed) . This wasnt set in stone but was an indication of where money should be spent. So for example the cluster felt that parenting support and community access were common areas that needed more resource so agreed that the PSA money would be spend on a cluster wide parent support worker as well as one based in the school it was felt had the most need. One of the scools expressed a desire to enhance their breakfast table tennis club and develop a community based club after school and so bid for funding to do this and worked with the primaries to maximise the opportunity.

As the ESCo I could give an overview of what access to ES activity looked like across the cluster and help idenify gaps, it was then the collective decision of the cluster (I didnt vote) as to what they went with. The decision makers were whomever was at the meeting that the decision was taken and that was written into the terms of reference. So for some schools attending it might have been the head but not always as they ofetn delegated ES to soemone else. In our cluster not only were the schools incolved in the decisions but the locality coordinator, youthe service and chidlerns centre.

We had a clear bidding process and asked for reports back on how money was spent. One school identified it wanted to run a breakfast club and bid for funding which the cluster agreed however the take up was nil and so the cluster took the money back and used it elsewhere!

Thank you Jo - your advice is really helpful and I will take it back to my Cluster.  I just want to help my Cluster to get the optimum use out of the ES funding.

Kind regards

Helen 

Hi everyone

Does anyone have any experience / feedback about using private organisations to deliver after school maths clubs? In fact, any good examples at all of school after school maths clubs?  [I am particularly interested in after school maths for primary schools].

Thanks for any information anyone has.

Susan

found it! here you go Susan - it's called Maths with Mum and Dad.

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