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News & EventsNewsletterIn This Edition
SRB6 CelebrationA Celebration of the Achievements of Family Learning in County DurhamThis event was held on Thursday 16 March 2006 at Durham County Cricket Club. It marked the end of the Single Regeneration Budget in County Durham. SRB6 funded a Family Learning partnership project which bought new initiatives into the county. The gathering was very well attended by Family Learning providers, managers, tutors and a number of learners. Everyone enjoyed a day of interesting speeches and displays of current Family Learning programmes and activities. The Sage Gateshead gave a display of Family Learning through music with a group of young children. The main speaker, Charles Desforges, emeritus professor at Exeter University, spoke compellingly of the impact of parental involvement in pupil achievement and put forward a sound case for well-funded Family Learning provision. His statistical research has shown that, to raise standards in schools, funding should target parents and programmes which involve them in their children’s learning and development. The day was chaired by Neil Charlton, Deputy Director of Education, who gave a brief history of the project and introduced the speakers. Jeanne Haggart of NIACE talked of moving forward and June Davison, project co-ordinator until September 2005, showcased some of the SRB funded projects and introduced the displays set up around the room. Read the final evaluation report of the SRB Family Learning Project. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this information.
Family Learning Residential WeekendResidential weekend in RichmondThe Family Learning residential weekend at Orchard House, Richmond, was a great hit according to seven families from Annfield Plain Junior School. Imagine designing, building and racing your own boats! Preparation was carried out in school beforehand and follow up sessions were held afterwards. The families, led by Return to Learn tutor, Audrey Scott, and teacher, Steve Griffin, produced excellent scrapbooks telling their stories of the weekend. Other activities in Richmond included orienteering, following a town treasure trail and enjoying a visit to the castle. Making Story Sacks at 80Story sack courses are always popular and a recent one held at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Esh Winning, proved a great success.Six volunteers worked with Focus on Learning tutor Sharon Stevenson to produce several sacks of very high quality. Taking the theme of developing young children’s language, the sacks provide games, tapes, dressing-up clothes and props to tell well-loved tales. Says Sharon, “These sacks are so good they should be on sale but I know the school will treasure them and use them a lot.” Taking part in the course was Betty Emery, almost 80 and a former pupil of the school. During her working life she became the school secretary and now, although having retired years ago, she maintains her links with the school through her grandchildren and as a volunteer. Her sewing prowess helped produce some wonderful results. Several members of the group, including Betty, are now also participating in a Family Learning computer course. Connect in TeesdaleAn Innovative and Exciting Project in 5 Teesdale CommunitiesA 25 minute documentary has been produced as a record of a Connect Family Learning project that ran in 5 Teesdale communities over 18 months in 2003 to 2004. A team of artists worked with tutors from LEAP Family Learning team to make a video with groups from Butterknowle, Hamsterley, Barnard Castle, Bowes and Cockfield. This DVD includes interviews with those who took part, responses from funding bodies and extracts from the videos as it maps out the progress of this innovative and exciting project. A full written report on the project is also available. For more information contact Rosie Cross on 01833 696280. Family Learning Facts and Figures
Brain TeaserSo you can read my mind, and you know my age?!Actually it’s not that difficult….when you know how.
Visit the Family Learning Website to Play GamesOur Website Development Team has created some interesting and useful content for our Family Learning website. These include an interactive shapes puzzle, brain teasers and challenges. Further improvements planned include an extension to our Who’s who gallery, more interactive games and the launch of Education in the Community's Staff Room, a password protected section which will include learning and assessment materials for family learning tutors.Top of Page |
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