Key ConnectionsKey Connections

Learning for familiesLearning for familiesin in

Wrexham settingsWrexham settings

Key Connections aims:Key Connections aims:to engage disengaged families with their to engage disengaged families with their

children’s learningchildren’s learning

to raise personal aspirationsto raise personal aspirations

to raise families’ aspirations for their childrento raise families’ aspirations for their children

to break entrenched cycles of intergenerational to break entrenched cycles of intergenerational non -participation in learning training and worknon -participation in learning training and work

Key Connections Key Connections objectives:objectives:

welcome families into schoolwelcome families into school

give families positive learning experiencesgive families positive learning experiencesto develop self esteem and confidenceto develop self esteem and confidence

provide a structure that will encourage provide a structure that will encourage families to take ownership of their own families to take ownership of their own

learninglearning

provide a learning community for all provide a learning community for all engaged in school lifeengaged in school life

The Need For The Need For Change!Change!Evaluation of the recommended BSC

8-10 hr Family Learning, Lap and Nap courses indicated that:

recruitment of the target group was difficult / impossible

provision was short

it was withdrawn at the very moment participants were beginning to engage

THE PROCESS:-THE PROCESS:-Families identify skills or activities they wish

to develop. These become Group Learning Targets.

Evidence of work is accumulated then submitted for individual OCN basic skills qualifications as and when appropriate.

This system is far less threatening and does not involve basic skills testing which was an

significant barrier for many.

Ideas to help Ideas to help your child at your child at

home home (cost little)(cost little)

School and School and your your

childrenchildren

Management/Management/behaviour behaviour

issues at homeissues at home

Learning for Learning for yourselfyourself

Recreation Recreation and leisure and leisure for yourselffor yourself

kite makingkite makinghow reading how reading

is taughtis taught homeworkhomework home home safetysafety

nail nail decorationdecoration

puppetspuppetsall agesall ages

intro to intro to Welsh for Welsh for childrenchildren

bedtimebedtime family family fitnessfitness

make-upmake-up

spelling spelling gamesgamesall agesall ages

role of the role of the governorsgovernors temper temper

tantrumstantrumscomputerscomputers hair carehair care

garden garden gamesgames

sex sex educationeducation

eatingeating maths maths todaytoday

family family cookerycookery

book makingbook makingall agesall ages

maths todaymaths today routines and routines and boundariesboundaries

family dietfamily diethealthy healthy eatingeating

face paintingface painting

accessing accessing free local free local activitiesactivities

bullyingbullyingdev speaking dev speaking and listening and listening

skillsskills

grow your grow your own foodown food glass glass

paintingpaintingnumber number

games for all games for all agesages

getting getting extra helpextra help sex educationsex education

genealogy -genealogy -family treefamily tree card makingcard making

WISH LIST

Numbers Numbers to dateto dateSchool based groups currently support 157 School based groups currently support 157

familiesfamiliesThe average group size is 13The average group size is 13

The community based group for families caring The community based group for families caring for ALN / SLCD children has been contacted for ALN / SLCD children has been contacted

by 185 families.by 185 families.The average group size here is 18-24 The average group size here is 18-24

To meet demand a similar group is due to start To meet demand a similar group is due to start in Ruabon High School in May 09in Ruabon High School in May 09

Current provisionCurrent provisionSelf fundedSelf funded programmes now programmes now

run in:run in:

Ysgol Heulfan Llay CP Ysgol Heulfan Llay CP

St Giles CP Rhosymedre St Giles CP Rhosymedre

Acrefair Chirk Acrefair Chirk Infants Infants

Full or Partial BSC Full or Partial BSC fundingfunding supports programmes in:supports programmes in:

St Mary’s SchoolSt Mary’s School in Brymbo in Brymbo

Brynteg CPBrynteg CP

Gwenfro CP Gwenfro CP

Gwersyllt CP Gwersyllt CP

Community Focussed Community Focussed Schools Schools support 2 pilot projects support 2 pilot projects

in :in :Ysgol GrangoYsgol Grango – 1 – 1stst high school high school

Ysgol Min-y-DdolYsgol Min-y-Ddol – Welsh medium – Welsh mediumand and

Ysgol Cefn MawrYsgol Cefn Mawr – English medium – English medium11stst shared provision shared provision

Prevention and Inclusion Prevention and Inclusion support 3 specialist groupssupport 3 specialist groups

Group PortugalGroup Portugal – EAL – EAL

Talk for TalkTalk for Talk x 2– Additional Learning Needs x 2– Additional Learning Needs

Youth Justice ServiceYouth Justice Service (currently staff training and support. (currently staff training and support.

Establishing a family work is the long term Establishing a family work is the long term goal)goal)

Why should Schools participate?

School Effectiveness Framework – “If schools are to deliver effectively for children and young people

they need to work with other schools, parents and the local community”“Schools are essential partners with other service providers..”

“ Opening doors to a full life....”

Basic Skills Primary Quality Mark – Element 9 Involving Parents and provide opportunities to become involved with the Basic

Skills at home

Estyn Common Inspection Framework – Key Question 3

“...the school ensures that learners needs and interests are enrichedby effective partnerships with parents, the local community and other

Schools.”

Activities fulfil CYPP Activities fulfil CYPP by by supporting a family’ssupporting a family’sLearningLearning and and achievementachievement

need to be need to be healthy lead an lead an active lifestyle active lifestyle andand sense ofsense of wellbeing wellbeing

sense of personal and community sense of personal and community safetysafety

opportunities to opportunities to participateparticipate enjoy enjoy and and feelfeel their contributions to school life are their contributions to school life are valuedvalued

The Parents’ ViewsThe Parents’ ViewsI’m learning

things I never thought I would

It is good to get together to share skills

This is giving me the

confidence to think about

going back to work

I feel more confident and can help my

children more

Really good, never thought I’d like coming

into school

A great opportunity to

relax have a lot of fun

We have enjoyed playing the games we

made

Hopes for the FutureKey Connections groups to become

embedded into all Wrexham schools in order to:

fulfil the requirements as highlighted in the CYPP and the School Effectiveness

Framework documents

raise parents’ aspirations for themselves and their children and

improve pupil attendance, performance and behaviour

Barrier to DevelopmentBarrier to Development- capacity- capacity

As Key Connections grows, it will As Key Connections grows, it will require extra facilitators to cope with require extra facilitators to cope with

the increasing demand for:the increasing demand for:basic skills teachingbasic skills teaching

monitoringmonitoringevaluatingevaluating andand

developing further developing further links with the links with the communitycommunity

Key Connections has:Key Connections has:proved to be cost effectiveproved to be cost effective

successfully engaged and retained successfully engaged and retained previously disengaged familiespreviously disengaged families

enabled schools to fulfil WAG targets enabled schools to fulfil WAG targets regarding working with families and hasregarding working with families and has

made many links with the wider made many links with the wider communitycommunity

To dateTo datenational interest in the Key Connections national interest in the Key Connections

modelmodel

cited as best practice by BSC and Estyncited as best practice by BSC and Estyn

replicated in Flintshire and Gwynedd withreplicated in Flintshire and Gwynedd withjoint staff training daysjoint staff training days

waiting list of schools ready to join the waiting list of schools ready to join the projectproject

Key ConnectionsKey Connectionsneeds support at strategic level to needs support at strategic level to

enable Wrexham to maintain its enable Wrexham to maintain its place amongst the best in Wales for place amongst the best in Wales for

innovative work with disengaged innovative work with disengaged familiesfamilies