BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
Be thnal Green Coll a b ora t i on Pr ojec t Aim To reduce the barriers to learning and achievement by: •
engaging children and families in community-based learning opportunities,
•
establishing a learning continuum through weekends and school holidays,
•
empowering children and families in the community to have a greater voice and influence over their communities to make them cohesive and resilient,
•
providing greater access to facilities and activities that contribute to a healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally,
•
improving access to digital inclusion ‒ tackling exclusion and promoting life chances.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
Be thnal Green Coll a b ora t i on Pr ojec t Key O bject i ves & Expected Outc omes 1. • • 2. • • 3. • • 4. • 5. 6. • 7. • •
•
Improve pupil motiv a tion a nd a t ti tud e to l e a rning By July 2010 attendance to National average level By July 2010 50% children attending weekend and holiday activities Gre a te r p ar en t a l eng ag eme n t By July 2010 30% parents have attended weekend/holiday sessions with their children By July 2010 10% parents have achieved a Skills for Life Literacy and numeracy or IT qualification Improve numer a cy / m a ths a nd liter a cy a nd scie n c e By 2010 Annual SATs scores at all schools will rise to average National Level By 2010 All primary children and families will have access to a variety of maths workshops Improved wri ting skills for c hildren and f a milies By 2010 All pupils will have writing skills at the average National level Enc our ag e a nd promote f amily le a rning S moo th tr a nsi tions be t w e e n primary and se c o nd ary school By July 2009 all pupils transferring to BGTC will have attended 8 Saturday transition Schools with their families S a f e a nd supervised environmen ts for c hildren during th e holidays a nd w e e k e nds By July 2010 there will be a full range of learning opportunities for children and families in the partnership schools at weekends and holidays. By July 2009 partner services such as the police, youth service, children s centres etc will be working with the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project to provide all the support the children and families need. By July 2010 10% of children in the partnership will have been away on a residential trip.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
C ontents Ac k no w l edgmen ts Exe c u tive S umm a ry 1.0
Introdu c tio n 1.1 Project Context & Background 1.2 Partnership Schools 1.3 Project Aims 1.4 Key Objectives & Outcomes 1.5 Principal Project Activities
2.0
Me thodologic al Ov ervie w 2.1 Evaluation Purpose 2.2 Methodological Approach
3.0
Key Findings & Analysis 3.1 Progress towards main aim of project 3.2 Progress towards key objectives of project 3.2.1 Improving pupil motivation and attitude to learning 3.2.2 Greater parental engagement 3.2.3 Improving numeracy/maths and literacy and science 3.2.4 Improving writing skills for children and families 3.2.5 Encourage and promote family learning 3.2.6 Smooth transition between primary and secondary school 3.2.7 Safe and supervised environments for children during the holidays and weekends
4.0
Par tn ership Wor king 4.1 Progress towards Developing Partnerships 4.2 Local Initiatives, Projects and Services
5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0
Con clusion Re c ommend a tions Appendic es Ref er e n c e s
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
Acknowledgments We would like to acknowledge and extend our gratitude to Shanaz Rashid, Senior Project Manager of the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project (BGCP) who has made the completion of this report possible. Apart from the efforts of Shanaz Rashid, the success of this project also depends largely on the support and partnership of many others. We take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the staff, pupils and parents from within the collaborative who have been instrumental in the successful delivery of this project to date. The Bethnal Green Collaboration Project wishes to acknowledge the funding received through Excellence in Cities without which we would be unable to deliver all the activities and programmes which has been tremendously beneficial to our families and schools. Furthermore we would like to acknowledge the following partner organisations for their contributions: Allen & Overy Apples & S n a k e Asian Wom en s Proje c t BBTi BRAC Bro k er ag e Citylin k Cambridge Universi ty English to English Extend ed S c hools Geffrye Museum Gorsefield Resour c e Ce n tr e Grand U nion Musi c Proje c t LBT H Par en t a l Engagem en t Te a m L e t m e Play London Z oo London Me tropolit a n Polic e London Me tropolit a n U niversi ty Mind Your L a ngu ag e (MYL Club Tambour) N a tur al History Museum O c e a n M a th s Ri ch Mix S c i en c e Museum S t Hild a s East Community Cen tr e S tr a tford The a tr e To w er H a mle ts CDA To w er H a mle ts Community H e al th Guides Wildlife Par adise Par k
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
Executi ve Summary The Bethnal Green Collaboration Project was introduced in September 2008 and consists of four partner schools that work collaboratively to enable parents and pupils achieve their potential by taking up opportunities to raise aspiration and further develop their learning and achievement. The aim of this project is to reduce barriers to learning and achievement by working collaboratively. The collaborative is made up of four schools within the Bethnal Green Area. These schools include; Bethnal Green Technology College (secondary school) and Virginia, St Matthias and Columbia Primary school. A number of activities were selected for the delivery of this project which utilised a variety of processes which in turn have reduce the identified common barriers to achievement to address the needs of specific groups of parents and pupils. In effect, the aim is to raise academic achievement, motivation and aspiration of children and families by adopting a collaborative approach to working between schools and external services and organisations. This evaluation seeks to determine the level of impact BGCP has had on parents, pupils and the schools across the partnership and measure the outcomes against the set objectives. To asses the impact, parental, pupil and staff surveys were administered to gather evidence to determine the impact and outcome of the project. Descriptive evidence based on parent and pupil responses to the BGCP activities and programmes have also used to determine impact. The following findings were derived from the main report which demonstrates how each of the objectives has been achieved through the implementation and delivery of programmes and activities for pupil s and parents.
Key O b jective s
Ple ase r ef er to t abl e 7 in Appendix 1 for a list of all a c tivi ties implemen ted a nd delivered. Improving pupil motiva tion a nd a t ti tude to le a rning Since December 2008 to March 2010, the BGCP engaged children from the partnership schools in 32 activities to specifically address the above objective. Table 7 in appendix 1 lists and details each of the activities that have been implemented and delivered. Each activity was organised with the purpose of improving children s motivation and attitude to learning. In turn, this has had an impact on pupil s achievement, attainment and attendance across the schools. • Improving pupil motivation and attitude to learning is directly linked with pupil attendance. • The findings of the surveys indicate a very encouraging picture about pupil attitude to school and from these findings we are optimistic about the significant contribution that BGCP activities is having on pupil motivation and attitude to learning. • In comparison to the national average, the attendance level of each school is higher suggesting excellent attendance levels above national average. We can therefore suggest that the BGCP activities which used processes to develop motivation and positive attitude towards pupil s learning have contributed significantly to the attendance of each partnership school. Furthermore BGTC has the second highest attendance levels of all secondary schools in Tower Hamlets.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
Gre a te r p ar en t a l eng ag eme n t A significant proportion of BGCP s work has focused on achieving greater parental engagement. BGCP implemented and delivered a total of 85 programs and activities including children and family focused workshops and weekend trips out. • The findings from the surveys suggest that parental engagement is happening across the partnership and activities delivered by the BGCP have had a considerable impact on the engagement levels as it stands. • The impact of these activities has seen an increased understanding amongst parents on how they can better support their children s learning and development. However, more participation is needed by more parents to see better achievement in the longterm. This may involve further targeted promotion of activities which will engage parents to get more involved in their child s education. • As at February 2010, 20% of parents from within the collaborative have attended at least one weekend or holiday activity with their children. With the ongoing promotion of BGCP activities in all four schools, the BGCP anticipates that by July 2010, the number of parent s participating will increase to 30%. Improving numer a cy / m a ths a nd liter a cy a nd sci en c e BGCP has implemented and delivered a total of 50 activities, programs and workshops to engage children and parents in developing maths, literacy and science. • A total of 796 primary school children are part of the partnership and therefore have had access to a variety of maths workshops. Ocean Maths workshops have been particularly well attended and pupils and parents in the partnership are always encouraged to participate. • A wide variety of programs supporting and promoting literacy and science have been organised and well attended by parents and pupils. Activities range from a typical literacy workshop to trips out to the theatre and museums. • Research findings indicate that the GCSE and SAT results of all four schools have made progress over the last three years further suggesting the positive contribution of BGCP. Improving wri ting skills for children and f a milies BGCP therefore organised a total of 28 activities which uses a range of processes to enable children and their parents to improve and develop their writing skills. • Survey findings suggest that the BGCP activities have had a significant impact on children s level of interest and confidence in writing and in turn have developed their writing skills. This progress in developing their writing skills has been reflected in the SAT results across all schools on a year-on-year basis. Enc our ag e a nd promote f amily le a rning BGCP implemented and delivered 31 activities which offer children and parents a variety of activities and learning opportunities which the family do collectively in an attempt to encourage and promote family learning. • Survey findings suggest that a high proportion of children have agreed that they now enjoy doing activities with their families and that their parents are more involved with their learning. • This suggests that family learning has been well accepted and the activities have had an impact on learning together as a family. • BGCP needs to continue to promote and encourage more parents to be actively involved in their child s learning. Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
S moo th tr a nsi tion be t w e e n primary and se c ond a ry sc hool BGCP implemented and delivered 13 activities which offered year 6 and 7 pupils a variety of workshops and activities to prepare them for the transition from primary school to secondary school. • Activities ranging from information session to help parents choose the right secondary school, to facilitating visit to secondary schools, to summer transition camp and Saturday School have all been delivered and exceptionally well received by both parents and pupils. • Saturday school which commenced with the aim of easing the transition process from Yr 6 to Year 7 has been a huge success. • The transition programme utilised a range of processes to enable pupils to overcome some of the fears of starting secondary school and prepares them for the transition to the extent where they feel confident about making new friends and most importantly, where they develop further skills in some of the core subjects which they will continue to study in year 7. S a f e a nd supervised environmen ts for children during th e holidays and w e e k e nds BGCP implemented a total 23 activities which offered pupils safe and supervised weekend environments during the school holidays and weekends. • BGCP have a full range of learning opportunities during weekends and school holidays for all the children and families in the partnership. Table 7 in appendix 1 lists and details each of the activities that have been implemented and delivered. • A number of organisations have been working in partnership with BGCP continuously on a range of activities and programmes. • As at February 2010, 7% of children in the partnership have been away on a residential trip. In summary, it is clearly evident that BGCP has achieved all the objectives set out in the original proposal. The level of impact is transparent from the survey findings which are almost consistent with recent Ofsted inspection reports and with other statistical data. Each of the objectives has been achieved through the implementation and delivery of various activities which utilised a number of processes as described in the previous section. It is therefore encouraging to recognise that student learning and development has improved considerably which is also apparent from the increase in the attendance levels and SAT results of each school.
Partne r s h ip W o r k i n g
Partnership work has been inbuilt into the BGCP framework and is fundamental in the delivery and implementation of its activities. The recent Ofsted inspection report for Columbia school graded the extent to which the curriculum meets pupil s needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships as outstanding . Additionally, the Ofsted report for Virginia school indicated that the school has outstanding partnerships with external providers and parents that ensure pupils' well-being is fully supported.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 In summarising the progress made in developing partnerships and the benefits to pupils and families, the following positive outcomes have been identified through the findings of the survey and through the outcomes of the objectives: • Working in partnership has enabled schools to engage students and foster their aspirations by offering collaborative opportunities to meet the individual needs, interests and aptitudes of pupils; • Provided a range of opportunities to help prepare pupils for transition between primary to secondary by allowing information to be shared between BGTC and the three primary schools more easily. • Enabled the opportunity to share good practice to encouraging better attendance, intervention with pupil behaviour to prevent exclusions, enabling schools to manage excluded pupils outside the classroom. • A collaborative approach where the schools worked together to offer pupils a range of out of school opportunities to further develop their learning, which would not have otherwise been possible. • Improved standards of attainment. • Improved standards of service provision. • Improved behaviour and motivation of pupils. • Increasing levels of self-esteem and aspiration in both pupils and parents. • Increased better communication among the schools and families. The main aim of working in partnership with local initiatives, projects and other services enabled BGCP to bring in expert service provision for parents and children to add value to the school curriculum and children s learning opportunities.
C onclusion
The findings of parents and pupils survey have clearly demonstrated the positive impact and outcomes on children and families across the collaborative, which clearly is consistent with the statistical evidence and recent Ofsted inspection reports. The survey findings have considered the views of parents, pupils and staff on the impact of BGCP on themselves and their children. In the context of schools, this sees partnership working as an effective way to work and places particular emphasis on promoting the well-being of children and families.
1. 0
Introduc ti on
1. 1
Pr oject C on text & B ack gr ound
Learning is the key to life success for all children and young people. Both Government research and that undertaken by charities such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation have all shown an ever increasing correlation between lack of academic achievement and poor job prospects and long-term poverty. Children growing up in poverty and disadvantage are less likely to do well at school. This feeds into disadvantage in later life and in turn affects their children. This cycle can only be broken by addressing the attitudes and experiences that lie behind social differences in education. This can be done by implementing programmes which can focus mainly on immediate social factors and the problems these cause directly for individuals and communities. According to the Tower Hamlets Local Area Partnership (LAP) Action Plan, Tower Hamlets has a huge number of children, young people and adults of working age in the area, most of whom need additional educational opportunities. This action plan also identified the low skill levels of the working age population, the unemployment and the lack of knowledge of English,
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 especially in the newly arrived immigrants, as factors that have an adverse effect on the learning of children in these families. The Bethnal Green Collaboration Project (BGCP) commenced in December 2008 and consists of four partner schools that work collaboratively to help parents and pupils achieve their potential by taking up opportunities to further develop their learning. This in turn will reduce barriers to learning and achievement and raise aspiration. The project adopts a whole child approach and engages with children and families to enable parents to play a pro active role in the learning and development of their children as well as themselves. A number of activities were selected for the delivery of this project which utilises a variety of processes which in turn will reduce the identified common barriers to achievement and address the needs of specific groups of parents and pupils. In effect, the aim is to raise achievement, attainment, motivation and aspiration of children and families by adopting a collaborative approach to working across schools and external organisations. Partnerships between schools have shown to have an exponential benefit for all concerned and this physically and philosophically close quartet of schools have the strengths and vision to be highly effective. When all four schools collaborate to work towards a common goal of learning and development for pupil and parent s, great strides can be made. The four schools in the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project (BGCP) include; Bethnal Green Technology College (secondary school), Columbia School, St Matthias Church of England School and Virginia Primary School. The OfSTED reports from all 4 of the partner schools in this project identified the following needs: • Raise standards in English literacy; • Improve writing skills especially in boys; • Raise standards in maths; • Provide academic challenge in Maths; • Raise standards in Science; • Provide academic challenge in Science; Each school has its own profile for ethnicity, free school meals entitlement, pupil mobility and so forth. However, the above points represent common themes running through their School Development Plans [SDPs] and Self Evaluation Forms [SEFs] as majority of children in these schools need to improve in these areas. Nevertheless, one of the limiting factors may be the lack of parental knowledge to engage in supporting their children s learning in the home. This collaboration project therefore provides the supported learning environment in addition to the school curriculum and extended services including weekends and in the school holidays to enable students to continually improve achievement and raise standards. Additionally, Bethnal Green Technology College offered its self as the main host for this project and has contributed its staff, resources and facilities to promote and facilitate many of the activities but more so it has been instrumental in providing a positive link for parents and pupils ensuring smooth transition between secondary and primary school. Furthermore, all the organisations representing this community have identified, through consultation with members of the community, the need for better IT access and better IT skills for children and adults to develop skills to be technologically prepared and meet the st technological demands of the 21 century. This partnership project also has the potential to help promote community cohesion and develop resilience in the community which is paramount to developing an engaged community Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 who can work and live together. This is particularly important as the collaborative schools in the partnership each have very different ethnic and cultural profiles e.g. Virginia Primary has 91% Bangladeshi children while St Matthias has 50% Bangladeshi children and all have a range of other non-English speaking groups as well as English speaking groups. The Extended Schools consultation for Hackney Cluster F [adjacent to Bethnal Green] found that parents of both primary and secondary aged children wanted similar things to those identified as needed by the Ofsted i.e. help with literacy, maths, access to books, access to and skills in IT and to have weekend and holiday learning opportunities. Parents specifically identified the need for support through transition from primary to secondary schools. Importantly, parents also wanted help and support in parenting so there are some real opportunities for engaging parents within the collaborative. The four schools in this partnership offers a comprehensive, whole-year service to all the children in the area of BGCP and are continuing to work with parents and families to tailor the programme to suit their long term needs. The whole-year approach to learning has been successful in a number of areas so there are good models to guide the process. The partnership offered some of the most challenging group s weekend schools, by offering weekend workshops and activities. This collaborative project can go beyond the scope of Extended Schools or After School Clubs with the funding that Excellence in the Cities has offered and has began to address some of the systemic causes of underachievement in the children in Bethnal Green and produce better outcomes for people and places. Finally, the key to successful partnerships is building and developing the project together. To ensure the BGCP is functioning at every level, the management committee oversee the delivery of the project outcomes and supports the Senior Project Manager in her work and strategic decision making. The management committee of the BGCP consists of a head representative from each of the partnership schools and they meet once each half term to discuss the progress of the project. BGCP is currently financed by Excellence in Cities funding through the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
1. 2
Partnership Sch ools
The four partnership schools in the collaborative include; Bethnal Green Technology College, (secondary school) Columbia Primary School, St Matthias Church of England Primary School and Virginia Primary School. The Host school is Bethnal Green Technology College. The following are individual school profiles provide an overview of the school and its recent Ofsted inspection grades. Please bear in mind that since BGCP, only three of the four schools have had an Ofsted inspection carried out. St Matthias primary school is due to have an inspection in the next year and therefore the schools profile is mainly based on the School s Self Evaluation Form (SEF). Be th n al Gre e n Te c hnology College Be th n al Gr e en T e c hnology College is a sm a ller th a n av er ag e se c ond ary sc hool. A large m ajority of th e studen ts a r e boys. The sc hool serves a c ommuni ty subje c t to high levels of soci al depriva tio n. Almost a ll studen ts a r e from minority e th ni c b a c k grounds. About h a lf ar e of Asian or Bri tish /Asi a n origin a nd abou t a te n th a r e from Bl a c k or Bl a c k / Bri tish Afric a n h eri t ag e. The firs t l angu ag e for a l a rge m ajori ty of studen ts is no t English, but only a minority a r e a t th e e a rly stag es of le a rning English. The l ast Ofsted inspe c tion to o k pl a c e very re c e n tly in De c ember 2009 and graded th e over a ll eff e c tiven ess of th e school a s sa tisf a c tory . It fur th er graded th e sc h ools c ap a ci ty for susta in ed improvemen t a s good . Be th n al Gre en Te c hn ology College is a n i n clusive sc ho ol w hi c h is c on tinuing to improve. The relen tl ess e n ergy a nd drive of th e h e ad te a c h er ensur es th a t, despite a m ajor rebuilding programme, th er e w a s a n improvemen t i n exa min a tion r esul ts in 2009. The scho ol le ad ers h av e embedded ambitiou s expe c t a tions for th e sc hool, b ased on de t ail ed k no w l edge of th e progress of individual studen ts of a ll b a c kgrou nds. S c hool le a d ers h av e a n a c c ur a t e understa nding of th e str e ng ths a nd w e a k n e sses of th e sc ho ol. They h av e t a k e n c on c er te d a c tion to address sh or tc omings. For exa mple, w or k t o elimin a te previously w e a k te a c hing a n d to r a ise a t te nd an c e h a s be e n su c c e ssful. S t a nd ards rose in 2009 as a r esul t of th e system a ti c moni toring of th e progress m ad e by individual stud en ts. The m ajori ty of studen ts m a k e sa tisf a c tory progress. Although a t t a inm e n t is av er ag e, r esul ts in English and m a th em a ti c s h av e improved more signific a n tly th a n those in sci e n c e. S tud en ts enjoy th eir le a rning and m a k e sa tisf a c tory progress in lessons. The scho ol effe c tively monitors th e le a rning a c ross all c urri c ulum ar e a s. Althoug h studen ts' progress is improving in most subje c ts, th e r a te of improvemen t i n sci en c e is no t improving a t a f a st en ough pa c e. The progress m ade by B a nglad eshi stud en ts, par ti c ul arly in English, is improving but r em ains belo w th a t of o th er stud en ts. Though th er e is good provision for more able stude n ts, in terms of le a d ership opportuni ti es a nd e arly exa min a tion en try, th e per c e n t ag e of stud en ts g aining th e highe st exa min a tion gr ades is no t a s high a s i t c ould be. Consequen tly te a c hing over a ll is sa tisf a c tory. Wh er e te a c hing is mos t eff e c tiv e, studen ts a r e cl e ar ab ou t th e n e xt steps in th eir le ar ning.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Columbi a Prim ary S c hool This is a l a rge, urb an primary sch ool wi th l imited exte rn a l play ar e a. Th e sc hool h as N ursery a nd R e c e p tion cl a sse s fully in tegr a ted in a n E arly Y e ars U ni t. Th e scho ol serves a mixed communi ty th a t is diverse in its r a ci a l a nd cul tur a l heri t ag e. The B a ngl adeshi c hildren form the l arg est group and consti tu te just over 50% of th e sc ho ol popula tion. About a qu a r te r of pupils ar e from o th e r minority e thni c groups wi th abou t on e i n five of White Bri tish b a c k grounds. Almost t w o- thirds of pupils h ave English a s an addition a l l a ngu ag e. The numbe r en ti tl ed to fr e e sc ho ol me a ls is very high. The most r e c e n t Ofsted inspe c tio n w a s c a rried ou t in N ovember 2009 and grad ed th e ov er all effe c tiven ess of th e scho ol as good and th e s c hool s c a p a ci t y for sustai n ed improvemen t a lso a s good . This is a good school. Pupils a c hi eve w ell and enjoy th eir lessons b e c a use a ll sta ff c ar e very mu ch abou t e a c h individua l 's a c ad emi c progress and person a l developmen t. Th e sc ho ol enjoys a good re puta tion in th e lo c a l c ommuni ty a s a pla c e w h e r e pupils, p ar en ts a nd visitors a re m ad e to fe el very w el c om e. Pupils m a k e a n exc e llen t c on tribution to th e su c c e ss of th e sc hool be c a u se th ey ar e proud of being p ar t of i ts c ommuni ty a nd th a t of th e lo c ali ty. Over r e c e n t w e e k s, for exa mple, th ey h av e r a ised o ver ÂŁ1,500 to support th e hom el ess people of H a c k n ey. The extr em ely c a ring a nd supportive n a tur e of a ll th ose a t th e sc hool, and th e exc e ll en t rol e model provided by th e te a c h ers, resul ts in pupils feeling en tir ely saf e a nd able to fully con c e n tr a te on th eir w or k. The most vulner abl e pupils re c eive exc e llen t support in th e sc ho ol 's L e a rning S uppor t U ni t p ar ti c ul arly in th e 'nur tur e group' sessions. The sc hool h a s a number of ou tst a nding fe a tur es, on e of w hi c h is pupils' spiritu al, mor al, so c i a l a nd cul tur al dev elopmen t. The sc hool h a s w or k ed h a rd to improve pupils' a t te nd an c e a nd i t is no w av er ag e, bu t th eir effor t c on tin u es to be frustr a ted by th e p ersisten tly high number of un au th orised absen c e s. Par e n ts a r e of te n r eminded of th e lin k be t w e e n a t te nd a n c e a nd progress bu t some r em ain r elu c t a n t to follo w th e scho ol 's guida n c e. Pupils' good progress is l argely due to good te a c hing. All sta ff a r e very skilled a t r e c ognising and fulfilling th e n e eds of t he pupils. Te a c hing a nd non-te a c hing sta ff w or k very effe c tively as te a ms a nd the high investm en t in support sta ff is a k ey f a c tor in good provision a nd ou tc om es. Good le adership a nd m an ag em en t from th e h e ad te a c h er a nd senior st a ff h av e m ain ta in ed th e sc hool 's strong position fr om its l a st inspe c tion. Govern a n c e is ou tst a nding. With stro ng middle m an a g em en t a nd a de ep commi tm en t to improvemen t a mong sta ff, th e sc hool is w ell pl a c ed to sust ain i ts progress.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 S t M a t thi a s Chur c h of England Primary S c hool S t M a t thi a s Chur c h of England is a sm al l primary sc hool si tu a te d in a n a r e a w i th f e a tur es of signifi c a n t so cio-e c o no mic disadvan t ag e. Over a h alf of th e pupils ar e from minority e thni c b a c kgro unds and m any h ave English as a n addi tion al l a ngu ag e. The sc hool underst a nds its mission as embodied in serving th e lo c a l c ommuni ty through providing exc ell en t edu c a tion, promo ting th e w e llbeing of children and th eir f a milies. The sc h ool is th er efor e privileged to serve a c ommuni ty w i thin w hi c h levels of d epriva ti on a r e high. The sch ool depriva tion indi c a tor for S t M a tthi a s is in th e top 2% n a ti on ally. Fre e sc h ool me a ls a r e in th e top 5 % n a tion a lly and th e number of children for whom English is an addition a l l angu ag e is in th e top 7% n a ti on ally. The w a rds in whi c h th e c hildren live all h ave ov er cr o wd ed household r a te s a mon g th e highest n a ti on ally. Over 50% of th e sc ho ols children c ome from f amilies th a t ar e B a ngl adeshi in origin, wi th w hi c h som e f amilies a r e n e w ly arrived in the c ou n try and o th ers a r e se c ond or third gener a tion. The se c ond biggest group of children is w hi te English c hildren. The sc hool provides a sa tisf a c tory edu c a tio n wi th m a ny good fe a tur es. Pupils' good beh aviour a nd positive a t ti tud es to le a rning ar e indi c a tiv e of th eir good person al a nd spiritu a l, mor al, so ci al a nd c ultur al developmen t. M any c hildren a rrive no t ye t spe a k ing a ny English. The expr essive l a ngu ag e skills of those w ho do spe a k English ar e freque n tly no t good. There a r e high numbers of children wi th spe e c h del ay a nd / or disorder. The person al, so ci a l a nd emo ti on al dev elopmen t of m a ny c hildren is lo w on en try. Although th e sc hool is mixed e thni c all y, prior to en try, very fe w English heri t ag e c hildren h ave experi en c e of mixing wi th B a ngl adeshi h eri tag e c hildren a nd vic e versa. R a c i al te n sions a r e high w i thin th e lo c a l c ommuni ty a nd of te n c hildren c arry this in to sc hool on e n try. The sc hool is c ommitted to sc hool improvem en t a nd understa nds th e n e ed for this to be d a t a driven. Ther e is a stro n g c ommitm en t to st a ff profession a l developmen t. Providing high qu ality exte nded servic e s forms an importa n t p ar t of scho ol s mission to c hildren and th eir f a milies and is aimed a t promo ting being, confiden c e a nd self a c c ep t a n c e a s w ell a s suppor ting, enri ching exte nding le a rning. The qu ality of te a c hing is sa tisf a c tory over a ll, al though in ye ar 2 and ye ar is al w ays a t le a st good and ofte n ou tst a n ding.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
Virginia Primary S c ho ol This slightly belo w av er ag e siz ed prima ry sc hool provides for pupils wh o primarily com e from th e B a ngl ad eshi com munity and ar e of th e Muslim fai th. A mu ch l arg er th a n av er ag e number of pupils ar e a t a n e a rly stag e of l e ar ning English. The number of pupils eligible for f re e s c hool m e als is mu c h higher th a n av er ag e. The pupils join a nd le ave th e sc h ool mu ch more fr equen tly th a n usu al . The number of pupils wi th spe e c h a nd lan guag e, moder a te le a rning difficul ti e s or disabilities, is slightly belo w av er ag e, a l though th e proportion w ho h av e a sta te m en t of spe c i al edu c a tion al n e e d is higher th a n av er ag e. A n e w he a d te a c h er h a s be e n in pl a c e f or just over a y e a r h aving ta k e n over from a n interim h e ad w ho h a s be e n in pl a c e for tw o terms. The l ast Ofsted r epor t from July 2008 an d graded th e ov er all effe c tiven ess o f th e s c hool a s sa tisf a c tory '. The sc hool provides a sa tisf a c tory edu c a tion fo r pupils and w or k s h a rd to support th e n e ed s of its c ommuni ty. The le ad ership of th e n e w h e ad te a c h er is inspir a tion a l and she h a s high expe c t a ti ons. Importa n tly, she h a s ensur ed th er e is n o w a cl e ar er vision for improvemen t th a t pu ts pupils' a c hi evem en t a nd th e r a i sing of sta nd a rds firmly a t th e top of th e a g end a. S c h ool initi a tives a r e beginning to t a k e hold resul ting in improved provision and pr a c ti c e . This is positively enh a n cing pupils' a c hi evem en t a nd person al d evelopmen t. For e xample, in m any ar e a s, th e moni toring and a ssessm en t of pupils' progress is no w being eff e c tively a n alysed to iden tify pupil under a c hi evem en t a nd initi a te support str a tegi es. Ho w ev er, this informa tion is no t ye t being used consisten tly by te a c h ers to ensur e th er e is suffici en t progression and c h a lleng e in pupils' le a rning. Whole s c hool ev alu a ti on a nd moni toring of provision is no w eff e c tive a nd th e sc ho ol kn o w s w h a t i t h a s to do to improve. Ho w e ver, as ye t, th er e a r e insuffi ci en t opportu ni ti es for all ma n ag ers to ta k e fu ll responsibility for monitoring pupils' a c hi evem en t a c ross th e sc hool. This results in a n un even pi c tur e of pupils' progress a c ross a ll subje c ts. S in c e M a r c h 2009 th e s c hool h a s dev eloped ou tst a nding par tn erships wi t h exte rn a l providers a nd par e n ts th a t ensure pupils' w e ll-being is fully supported. The sc hool m a k e s very su c c e ssful effor ts to suppor t th e diverse n e eds of th e ever- ch a nging school popula tio n. Par e n ts re c ognise th e s c hool 's c ommi tm en t to in c luding all pupils, and a r e very h appy wi th th e support th a t th ey a nd th ei r c hildren r e c e ive. O n e p ar e n t, r efl e c ti ng the vie w s of m a ny repor ted, 'I am very h appy wi th th e edu c a tion th e sc ho ol is providing for my children a nd th e progress th ey ar e m a king.'
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
1. 3
Pr oject Aims
•
eng aging children a nd f amilies in c ommuni ty-based l e a rning opportu ni ti es; est ablishing a le ar ning co n tinuum through w e e k e nds and scho ol holidays; empo w e ring children a nd f amilies in th e c ommuni ty to h av e a gre a te r voic e a nd influen c e ov er th eir c ommuni ties to m a k e th em c oh esive a nd resilien t; providing gre a te r a c c e ss to f a c ili ti es a nd a c tiviti es th a t c on tribute to a he a l thy lifestyle, both physic a lly and men t a lly; improving a c c e ss to digita l in clusion ‒ ta c k ling exclusion a nd promoting life ch a n c e s.
The overall aim of the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project is to work collaboratively t o redu c e th e b arri ers to l e a rning a nd a c hi evem en t by:
• •
• •
1. 4
Key O bjec ti ves & Expected Out c o mes
The key objectives and expected outcomes for pupils and families, as identified in the project proposal are: 1. Improve pupil motiv a tion a nd a t ti tud e to l e a rning • By July 2010 attendance to National average level • By July 2010 50% children attending weekend and holiday activities 2. Gre a te r p ar en t a l eng ag eme n t • By July 2010 30% parents have attended weekend/holiday sessions with their children • By July 2010 10% parents have achieved a Skills for Life Literacy and numeracy or IT qualification 3. Improve numer a cy / m a ths a nd liter a cy a nd scie n c e • By 2010 Annual SATs scores at all schools will rise to average National Level • By 2010 All primary children and families will have access to a variety of maths workshops 4. Improved wri ting skills for c hildren and f a milies • By 2010 All pupils will have writing skills at the average National level 5. Enc our ag e a nd promote f amily le a rning 6. S moo th tr a nsi tions be t w e e n primary and se c o nd ary school • By July 2009 all pupils transferring to BGTC will have attended 8 Saturday transition Schools with their families 7. S a f e a nd supervised environmen ts for c hildren during th e holidays a nd w e e k e nds • By July 2010 there will be a full range of learning opportunities for children and families in the partnership schools at weekends and holidays. • By July 2009 partner services such as the police, youth service, children s centres etc will be working with the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project to provide all the support the children and families need. • By July 2010 10% of children in the partnership will have been away on a residential trip.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
1. 5
Principa l Pr ojec t Ac t i vi t ies
The following is the list of activities which were designed to achieve the objectives originally set in the project proposal. 1. Improve pupil motiv a tio n a nd a tti tude to le arning • Offer a wide range of activities for children at weekends and holidays from September 2008 • Encourage families to bring the children, make the families welcome, ask what we can do for them and offer them activities too from September 2008 • Identify children who are experiencing difficulties at school and offer them the opportunity to attend activities in the school holidays 2. Gre a te r p ar en t al eng ag em en t • Offer parents/family various workshops e.g. Literacy/English, Maths, Science, IT, cookery, skills for life, parenting. • Invite families in for the Saturday Transition workshops [8 Saturdays form March to July] 3. Improve numer a cy /m a th s a nd liter a c y a nd sci en c e • Offer Saturday and holiday workshops in numeracy/maths, literacy/English and Science • Offer girls only classes weekends and holidays • Offer maths workshops to all families in the partnership • Offer maths and chess clubs at weekends with help from university staff and doctoral students 4. Improve wri ting skills for children a nd fa milies • Offer writing workshops for all children and families • Produce a recipe book from the cookery class • Produce weekly articles for the schools newsletters from the writing class 5. En cour ag e a nd promote f a mily le arning • Offer children and parents family learning days 6. Smoo th tr a nsi tion be t w e e n primary and se c ond ary sch ools • Offer 8 Saturday workshops for the students and their families between March to July each year. 7. S af e a nd sup ervised environmen ts f or c hildren during th e holidays a nd w e e k e nds • Offer the years 6 and 7 the Allen and Overy Diploma course • Offer residentials at Gorsfield for children and families [targeted group] • Encourage other agencies and organisations who work with the children and families to deliver their services at the weekend and holiday workshops • BGTC open all weekend and holidays for hire by local groups to encourage families to use these facilities. Advertise to the families the local sports associations and clubs, dance groups, arts groups etc that use the school facilities. • BGTC to offer Saturday classes all year round to all students and families in the partnership.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
2. 0
Method ol o gi ca l O ver view
2. 1
E va luati on Purp ose
The purpose of this evaluation is three-fold: • To evaluate the impact of the project to date on pupils and parents; • To evaluate the partnership approaches to working in schools as an effective way of working; • To secure third year funding for the continuation of the BGCP. In our attempt in evaluating the impact of BGCP, individual activities will be assessed against the aims and objectives as set in the initial proposal of the project. This will further allow us to illustrate the processes used and measure outcomes which in turn will determine the impact the BGCP has had on pupils, parents and schools across the partnership. Inevitably, this will provide the basis for suggesting recommendations to sustain, further improve and develop the project for the continuity of the benefits it has on the schools, pupils and parents. The evaluation and the findings will have a direct correlation with the aims and objectives set out in the initial project proposal. This evaluation report will further emphasise the value and effectiveness of using a collaborative approach in schools. The report will use information collected from school staff and external agencies who have been working in partnership with BGCP to determine the effectiveness to date. We will further draw on the various processes used to develop partnership working with schools and partner organisations. Consequently, this will promote the need to have partnership working between schools and other agencies which as a result can have a significant impact on schools and the learning and development of pupils and parents. Additionally, the processes used offer the schools an effective way to sustain the work and to develop the partnership between the schools and external partners. The report will also propose the need for further funding to be secured for the third year. This will enable the project to sustain its work across the partnership and provide an opportunity to notice more positive outcomes in terms of long-term achievement and development.
2. 2
Method ol o gi ca l Appr oach
In an attempt to generate relevant and valid information which allows the evaluation of the aims, objectives and outcomes of the BGCP and its impact on schools and its pupils, a variety of research methods were adopted. For the main findings of the report, the following methods were undertaken to determine the progress towards the main aim and the key objectives of the project. • Pupil questionnaire • Parent questionnaire • Staff questionnaire • Parent case studies • Collection of statistical data • Letters of support from partner organisations and agencies The process of gathering information included a qualitative approach to obtaining data directly from parents, pupils and internal staff from each partnership school. This was done in the form Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 of a questionnaire where each question examines how strongly respondents agree with set statements. This allowed us to assess parents and pupils feelings towards learning and development since the BGCP. The first questionnaire was intended for pupils who have been participating in BGCP activities. This was carried out following an activity where pupils were asked to complete the questionnaire. A total of 32 questionnaires were completed and returned. On the same scale, a parental questionnaire was also distributed to parents who have been actively participating in BGCP activities. This was carried out at the end of specific activities where parents attending these activities on a regular basis were asked to complete the questionnaire. BGCP has a large number of parents and pupils who actively participate in the activities and therefore it has not been practical to include feedback from all of them in this report. Additionally, please note that although the findings were largely based upon qualitative research and also upon relatively small numbers, they do provide useful information to ascertain the level of impact it has had on pupil s and parents. In terms of evaluating how well activities and programmes are performing, due consideration should be given to the fact that many activities are still emerging and many of the outcomes/ benefits will only be seen over a longer time frame. In addition, there were 4 case studies selected from the parent respondents of the questionnaire because of their positive experience of BGCP activities. These involved open discussions which evidences parental views and opinions on a number of issues relating to the BGCP. This includes own learning and development as well as their child s learning and development since the BGCP. This method was chosen in order to gain a broader understanding of the reality of participating in and being involved in the BGCP and the impact it has had on individual families and children. Furthermore, to measure outcomes per objective, attendance, school roll numbers, SATs results and other statistical data was collected and compared against the national averages. This was done in an attempt to ascertain the level of progress made since. It has also been problematic in disentangling factors impacting on outcomes. However, outcomes to date are encouraging and lead one to the conclusion that some of the longer term aims for BGCP in terms of raising academic achievement, supporting children and their families, promoting and supporting effective and coherent partnership working has been measurable. The information gathered from the above processes was then collated into the main findings of this report. Information is attributed to each objective which has allowed us to evaluate the objective and related outcomes. For the partnership working section of the report, the following methods were undertaken to determine the progress made towards developing and sustaining partnerships with schools within the collaborative and with external agencies, services and organisation. The process of gathering direct information from staff, teachers and head teachers who have been involved with the BGCP, involved the distribution of a questionnaire of which 10 were completed and returned. Questions were designed to examine how strongly staff agreed with set statements on partnership working. This allowed us to evaluate the extent to which schools have developed relationships with each other and the impact of working in partnership on the school and pupils. Additionally, letters were sent to external partners, organisations and services requesting to provide supporting letters and feedback on their involvement with the BGCP. Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
The findings gathered from this process were then collated into the section 4.0. Information is attributed to the before and after account of the BGCP project. This enabled us to evaluate the extent to which BGCP has achieved and enabled progress in terms of achievement, developing partnerships, sharing resources, ideas and expertise and how this in turn has benefited the pupils and parents.
3. 0
Key Findings & Analysis
3. 1
Pr ogress t owards main aim of pr oject
The overall aim of the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project (BGCP) is to adopt a collaborative approach between schools, pupils, parents and the wider community to developing services across four schools in the Bethnal Green Area to reduce barriers to learning and achievement . Learning and achievement is the key to a better future for all children and therefore every child should have the opportunity to achieve their full potential. However, for many children and families barriers to learning and achievement can impact on their opportunity to fulfil and reach their potential. This is particularly relevant for families experiencing poverty and disadvantage as well as specific ethnic groups including the Bangladeshi and White working class communities. The focus of BGCP has not only been on improving the academic performance of students but using a model which focuses on the whole child. Evidence suggests that a strong foundation in reading, writing, maths, and other core subjects is as important as ever, yet insufficient for lifelong success in the 21st century. Change and innovation have become the new status quo and these demands require a new and better way of approaching education policy and practice. BGCP therefore has adopted a whole child approach to learning, teaching, and community engagement that promotes the development of children who are healthy, safe, supported and challenged. In an attempt to achieve this aim, BGCP has therefore implemented and delivered a number of programmes within the collaborative with the aim of reducing barriers to learning and achievement. The proceeding section of this report summarises the progress made towards this aim. Eng aging c hildren and f amilies in communi ty-based le ar ning opportuni ti es According to the Department for Children, Schools and Families, engaging children and families in community based learning opportunities can create a climate of learning to enable families to have the support they need to help children be successful. Accessing learning opportunities within the wider community can help to improve learning and achievement for children through effective parental engagement and quality out-of-school activities. Prior to the BGCP, the schools in the collaborative did not have facilities, community contacts and resources to offer children and families additional community based learning opportunities particularly during the school holidays and weekends. Since December 2008, BGCP has engaged children and families in a variety of organised community based learning opportunities with the intention to increasing participation which in turn will support children to learn and prepare for successful achievement. These opportunities were possible due to the partnerships developed via BGCP with external services and the partnerships between the schools. Please note, details of partnership organisations and services are further detailed in section 4.0.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 In addition to the opportunities offered through BGCP, there are ample learning opportunities within close proximity of Bethnal Green which can be easily accessed by families. However, our research shows that parents are unaware of these services, lack confidence in approaching external organisations and are not familiar with the tools to find out about local community based service provisions.
My children are always complaining that they are bored and I am too busy looking after the family to take them out. However since BGCP came along I have found out about lots of local places which have lots of activities on offer in the holidays and weekends (Azizun Nessa, Virginia School) BGCP has been working closely with many community based organisation in the local area including Rich Mix, St Hilda s East Community Centre and Friends of Arnold Circus to name a few. Additional details of all organisations who have been working in partnership with BGCP can be found in Appendix 2. Engaging children and families in community based learning opportunities has been very successful to date. Pupils and parents have shown a great deal of interest and the participation levels have been high, although some activities are better attended than others. Parents have shown a positive attitude to these opportunities and have acknowledged the direct benefits it s had on themselves and their children. The impact of these activities is transparent in pupil improvement which has been clearly identified in recent Ofsted inspections reports and latest SATs and GSCE levels, as detailed in Section 3.0. The following case study reflects the impact of community based learning opportunities organised by BGCP. N a m e: Gill H e w i tt Mother of 7 children, Gill actively participates in many of the activities organised via the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project. At 49 years old, her approach is friendly and she can easily engage in the conversations with other parents. She is open in sharing her experiences of child birth, marriage and life experiences and is fascinated by the stories of the other women and cultures. She has 2 children attending Columbia School and the other 5 have all attended Columbia school are now at college, university and working. Gill enjoys the activities organised via BGCP including all the creative art classes and the holiday and weekend activities. Gill feels that BGCP has added an extra dimension to the school curriculum and thinks it s very important in promoting children s achievement both academically, emotionally and socially. She particularly values the parental engagement aspect and thinks it is paramount to supporting children s development. Gill loves participating in community based learning activities as she feels that it enables parents and children to come together to share stories, ideas and life experience. Some of the women speak in Bengali and Gill feels s that everyone should speak one language so they can all take part but understands that many parents don t speak English. She wants a wider range of parents to engage in the programme, particularly from the white community. Columbia school is ethnically diverse and she feels that communities need to interact and learn and work together to create a more cohesive community and further break down barriers. She s always been involved with her children s education and the school but feels much more confident in approaching teachers and staff as well as parents. She is also much more aware of the school curriculum and how to better support her children with their numeracy and
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 literacy. Gill also stood for parent Governor this year. She attended the trip to Colchester Zoo which was a really nice treat for her family as they wouldn t otherwise have been able to afford to go on their own. The entire family enjoyed the experience so much that they want BGCP to organise more trips. Gill really enjoys being pampered and being creative so she would really like more activities organised in that area. Gill also would like to see more of the work which is done via BGCP showcased to parents and children to break down misconceptions and bring communities together. Furthermore, community based learning opportunities has been effective in promoting and encouraging greater social mobility. Activities arranged through BGCP are delivered in all four partnership schools as well as a number of other locally based organisations. This process allows parents and pupils to mobilise between various locations which have significantly contributed to increased confidence and awareness in utilising external services in their local community. Families are able to meet other families from across the collaborative enabling them to make friends and develop a wider social network therefore contributing significantly in increasing social capital. Additionally, by mobilising between places, parents feel more confident to take their children out and about more often and access services independently. Prior to BGCP, most parents certainly did not visit any of the other partnership schools, but since the inception of BGCP, it has been found through monitoring that parents are travelling to the other schools and community facilities to access services. This suggests that BGCP has certainly made a significant contribution to facilitating greater mobility across the collaborative. Developing strong contacts within the community and enabling families to engage in community based learning opportunities is fundamental in sustaining the work developed through the project. This process will ensure that schools and families are able to access additional services beyond the lifetime of the project to continue to remove barriers to learning and achievement. BGCP utilises a process to familiarise parents, pupils and schools with local initiatives to enable them to eventually access these services independently. The project also focuses on making links between school staff and external organisations to facilitate a transparent communication process which can be accessed confidently with ease. Details of individual activities and the impact it has had on schools, children and families will be described in the section 3.0 under specific objectives. Establishing a le ar ning co n tinuum through w e e k e nds and scho ol holidays Weekend and school holiday programs are a significant opportunity to improve learning for children and a key aspect of the BGCP programme. Our research shows that many children participate in few or no structured activities during weekends and school holidays. There are some key issues identified through our consultation which prevent families from engaging in activities; including economic reason, lack of confidence, unaware of services, additional domestic and family responsibilities and social and cultural reasons. Establishing a learning continuum through weekends and school holidays has been particularly effective due in part to the successful partnerships which BGCP has established with external community based organisations. BGCP is limited in relation to accessing the partnership schools during holidays and weekends as both Virginia and Columbia School are Privately Financed Initiatives thus access in the weekends and holidays are restricted and BGTC is currently undergoing a Building Schools for Future initiative and St Matthias School is also
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 undergoing major renovation work. However, despite these restrictions since December 2008 the project has successfully implemented a variety of weekend and school holiday programmes to encourage children and families to take up opportunities which can increase their participation in further developing their knowledge, understanding and skills. Examples of successful weekend and holiday activities include Saturday school, which commenced in November 2009 and will continue to run every Saturday at BGTC up until July 2010, with plans to continue this post BGCP. The French Clubs was also extremely successful and delivered in partnership with St Hilda s East Community Centre, Extended Schools and Mind Your Language. We have also organised family outings during the holidays and weekends.
My child has attended French Club during Easter and summer and has loved it. It gave me a break at home and also gave them something to do in the holidays as well as have an opportunity to develop language and literacy skills. They had so much French fun they can t wait to do it again (Mr & Ms Lobbo, St Matthias School) The project has arranged and delivered 25 weekend and school holiday activities since December 2008 to date. The participation levels have been high and during evaluation, parents and pupils have clearly identified the learning which both parents and children have developed and stressed the need for more weekend activities. The weekend and school holiday programmes have been a great success and the BGCP intends to continue to provide pupils with more opportunities to learn and achieve in a different structured settings in a fun and innovative way. Details of individual weekend and holiday activities are described in section 3.0. The following case study indicates one parent s experience of the activities organised by BGCP. N a m e: T aslim a Kh a tun Mi ta Taslima, 30, is mum to two girls who attend Columbia School. She arrived in London 10 years ago and went to university in Bangladesh. One of her daughters has special educational needs and requires more help then the other but she has high hopes for both to do well in school and go on to further education. She is keen on developing skills to enable her to better support her children but also develop her own confidence and understanding of the British Education System. She has attended many of the activities organised by BGCP. The coffee morning sessions, Cake and Bake classes, reading workshop, Ocean Maths, weekend trips and card making workshop to name a few of her favourites. Over the last 13 months she has learnt new skills and made many new friends across the collaborative. More importantly, it got her out of the house and she feels that she was doing something worth while and constructive which will help her and her family. Taslima s dad and brother are engineers and she feels that she has disappointed everyone by not getting her medical degree. She feels that her daughters should have their own identity and will only do so if they do well in school and go on to have good professions. She takes an active role in the school to enable her to help her children at home as her schooling in Bangladesh was very different to schools in the UK. By taking part in the BGCP activities, she has developed a better understanding of the school and her daughter s school work. Taslima and her daughters really enjoyed the trip to Cholchester zoo which she knows they couldn t have done on their own. The trips really helped her bond with her children and spend
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 some quality time together which made the children very happy. She also took her dad, who was visiting from Bangladesh, to the theatre and he really enjoyed himself. These are moments she and her family will remember forever. She has also recently completes the 12 week strengthening families course which has enabled her to develop better parenting skills and develop approached to better manager her own emotions too. Taslima is now more confident in reading and listening to her children and understands when and how to help them. The project has helped in advising her and keeping her informed of their progress. Although, she has really enjoyed all the classes she has attended, she would really like more exercise classes, help and advice on how to access training and education courses, international cuisine cooking classes and day trips to local places. She feels that all parents should speak English at the sessions so they can practice and crèche should always be provided. Empo w ering children a nd f amilies in th e c ommunity to h av e a gr e a te r voic e a nd influen c e over th eir c ommuni ties to m a k e th em c oh esive a nd resilien t Empowering children and their families and the wider community to come together is crucial for a cohesive community to effectively communicate and live together. Engaging families in activities which remove barriers to enable communities to have a greater voice and facilitate a process to influence their communities is paramount to ensuring communities living in and around the partnership schools can become more cohesive and resilient. To commence, the project has incorporated an open consultation process which engages with families to find out their needs and aspirations to ensure that they are built into any proposed programmes. Thus ensuring that services reflect the needs of the community it serves and adopts a bottom up approach to service delivery. Utilising a collaborative model to working has significantly contributed towards breaking down residential boundaries by developing activities across the collaborative which enables greater mobility. Families are able to meet other families removing misconceptions and cultural, social, physical barriers. This process has enabled families to extend their social contact and meet families with similar interests. Many of the activities developed through the project further encourage communities to have a greater voice. For example, the Parent Voice sessions delivered in partnership with the Parental Engagement Team have facilitated a process to consult parents about their school, the way they feel, perceptions, experiences and school processes. This has enabled schools to develop greater working relationship with parents and listen to the views, experiences and aspirations and ensure that the School Improvement Plan reflect these aspirations. Bethnal Green is one of the poorest areas in Tower Hamlets, and is one of the most ethnically diverse with a large minority being Bangladeshi s. It has therefore been imperative that the project develops activities which can harbour the benefits of living in such an ethnically diverse area to remove cultural barriers and misconceptions to enable families and schools to celebrate diversity and culture. The Cake and Bake sessions have been particularly effective in achieving this. The project has used food to bring together different communities to share ideas and recipes and raise awareness and understanding of different ethnic foods. BGCP has been instrumental in developing and facilitating effective communication between schools and families. Encouraging parents to understand the various communication processes and working with schools to develop clear transparent communication processes to
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 ensure that both parties are able to communicate effectively. For example, through the Transition workshops we able to identify that many year 7 parents did not know who or how to contact the relevant persons in BGTC to discuss any issues or concerns. As a result a list of contact names was prepared for all year 7 parents and discussions took place around how and when to contact the school. This has enabled parents to gain and develop confidence to approach their school as and when required but also understand the significance of their influence in school policies and procedures. Furthermore, three of the parents whom the project has worked with very closely have applied and been accepted to become parent Governors at their school. Suhana Hussain is a parent Governor at both St Matthias School and has also just recently been appointed as a Governor at BGTC. Vasuolla Savidouu has also just been elected to stand as Parent Governor at BGTC. Both Suhana and Vosoulla have children in year 7 who have just started at BGTC and actively participate in the programme. Mahmooda Jaigidar is a parent Governor at Virginia School.
I was so worried about my daughter starting secondary school at BGTC. The project supported me to find out everything about my concerns and this really helped me understand the transition process and everything else about BGTC. I am now a Parent Governor at BGTC as I understand how important it is to be involved the school. (Suhana Hussain, St Matthias & BGTC) BGCP works to equip families with the knowledge, skills and strategies to think for themselves and build resilience from a young age in order to build a more cohesive and resilient community. The project therefore designed activities where children can understand each other and value diversity, fulfil their potential and succeed at the highest level possible, with no barriers to access and participation and to have real and positive relationships with people from different backgrounds and feel part of a community. Alongside this, parties to celebrate significant religious festivals such as Eid, Christmas and Easter were organised and were open to all and very well attended by families. Community cohesion is promoted well throughout each partnership school. The very recent Ofsted report for Columbia primary school and Bethnal Green Technology College graded the effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion as good . The following case illustrates a non-Bengali speaking parent of her participation in BGCP activities. N a m e: V a soull a S avidouu Vasoulla is mum to son Cameron who attends Bethnal Green Technology College. Although she is in her fifties and battling several long term illnesses, she teaches pottery at Hackney City Farm and is a school governor at BGTC. They have both benefited from various activities including the BGCP coffee mornings, year 7 transition workshops, mosaic classes, and a family residential the trip to Gorsefield. She felt that the trip to Gorsefield was the most wonderful thing that her and her son have done together in a very long time. They both found the trip relaxing and enjoyed each others company. Unable to look after her son full time the residential provided an opportunity to spend some time together to bond and talk. Cameron was also very happy with the trip and took part in all the organised activities and both want to do something similar again. Vasoulla knows her son is extremely smart in school but has trouble keeping up with his school work. By attending the coffee mornings, she found the confidence to become a school Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 governor and this has made her son very proud. Her son works harder in school now and his grades have improved and she is able to see what he s working on, even if she doesn t understand the work. The key thing for her is that their communication with each other is much better then before and this makes both of them happier. Vasoulla is sad that she is unable to attend all the organised activities particularly the cake and bake sessions as the venue was inconvenient for her but she looks forward to attending the coffee mornings. Vasoulla is forgetful and she would like everyone to wear name tags so she knows who she is talking to and wants everyone to speak English. She also wants to pick up a few cooking skills because it s been a long time since she has cooked and wants to learn the basics. She would also like more trips that her and her son could attend together. The last trip gave her confidence in looking after her son but she s still can t bring herself to organise a trip all on her own. Her son would be very proud and that s all that matters. Providing gre a t er a c c e ss to f a c ili ties a nd a c tiviti es th a t c on tribu te to a h e al thy lifestyle, both physi c ally and men t ally Referring to the Department of Health, for children to enjoy healthy, active and fulfilling lives, they must learn to respond positively to challenges, be enterprising and handle risk and to develop self-confidence and physical capabilities. The BGCP understand that this area of learning lays the foundation for long-term wellbeing and contributes to children s mental, social, emotional and physical development. To ensure that children are able to maximise their potential, it is crucial that they come to school as a healthy child and that families are aware how to adopt a healthy lifestyle. A poor diet and unhealthy lifestyle will impede a child s social, emotion, physical and intellectual development. Pupils who are sick, who come to school hungry, who can't breathe because of asthma, who can't see the blackboard because of poor vision, or who can't concentrate because of pervasive toothaches or depression are unlikely to do well academically. Furthermore, Tower Hamlets has the third highest level of obesity in the country (LBTH, 2009). In addition to this, Tower Hamlets has the highest incidences of food related illnesses such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and hypertension amongst adults. It is more prevalent amongst the Bangladeshi community and this is very relevant to the collaborative as each of the partnership school has a very high proportion of Bangladeshi children constituting just over 80% of the school population. This emphasises the significance of raising awareness and understanding in adopting a healthier lifestyle amongst all families. The project has worked in partnership services such as the Community Healthy Guides and PCT to raise awareness and look at practical ideas and initiatives which families can easily adopt at home. These initiatives have also been carefully planned to ensure that they are also culturally appropriate whereby different ethnic groups are able to adopt at home. Our research shows that many parents want to break the cycle of disadvantage associated with poor health but do not know where to start. We have undertaken activities which look at the nutritional values of different food, planning your meal time, what makes a healthy balanced diet, cook and eat workshops, and prepared and shared recipe ideas. We have also developed Bollywood Dance classes with the support of Extended Schools funding across the collaborative which have been extremely successful.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
We never had structured meal times at home and ate dinner very late. I realised why my children never ate breakfast and with the support from BGCP I was able to set a structured meal plan at home to ensure that we ate our evening meal early and that my children would wake up feeling hungry and wanted breakfast . Fatima Karim (St Matthias) Furthermore we have run workshops which look at the link between a poor diet and academic performance through which we have identified breakfast being a major problem amongst many children. The project has worked with parents to encourage them to adopt different strategies as well accessing breakfast clubs which is available at all of the schools. Many parents have seen the difference in their children through changing dietary habits and lifestyle changes.
My daughter never used to eat breakfast and despite trying different ways of encouraging her I decided to try breakfast club. The project supported me with advice and now my daughter eats breakfast and seems to be happier and less irritable towards me. It hasn t just helped her at school but I feel as if it s helped our relationships develop too Hazera Bibi (Columbia School) The BGCP has therefore implemented and delivered a number of organised activities which not only enable children and their parents to develop their learning in health and physical well-being but also facilitates activities which encourages them to live a healthy lifestyle. The Ofsted inspection report for Columbia and Virginia school graded the extent to which pupils adopt a healthy life style as good . Improving a c c e ss to digita l in clusion ‒ t a c k ling exclusion a nd promoting life chan ces With technology evolving, it is important that children in disadvantaged areas like Bethnal Green are offered opportunities where they can access information technology and learn of the benefits which can improve learning and achievement. With the development in the 21 century digital inclusion is fundamental in ensuring that our students are well equipped to deal with the changing demands of society. When we refer to digital inclusion, we're really referring to the prevention of digital exclusion. As broadband deploys widely through a community, there is serious risk that it will worsen the exclusion of people who already play a peripheral role in the economy and society, whether due to poverty, lack of skills, prejudice or geography. st
BGCP has implemented various initiatives to tackle digital exclusion although our research indicates a high number of families who have access to broadband internet facilities at home. Although our research shows that many parents are unfamiliar with using the technology. Columbia School has a computer club which was an existing service previous to BGCP however BGCP has been working to promote the services and open it up to parents from within the collaborative to access. This has been extremely successful and parents are able to learn basic computing skills, including opening an email account and web browsing. Saturday School classes have all incorporated the use of computers in all the subjects. For example, the maths sessions have utilised the new online software to undertake maths activities which can also be done at home. Teachers are able to also monitor student progress. All the children have been given access to online maths activities. Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 BGCP has also been working closely with BGTC a specialist technology school. BGCP has supported BGTC to work with the feeder primary schools to promote and raise technological awareness. For example, during the family learning day at Virginia School BGTC staff came in to deliver and technology workshop to children and families. The cake and bake classes have also enabled parents to use computers in the school to type up their recipes and email recipes to each other. Parents have also been provided with homework which needs to be done on a computer and emailed back to the facilitator. This has proved to be challenging but we have noticed an increase in the number of users at the Columbia School computer club where parents have been accessing support to undertake their homework. Many parents have also worked with their children to undertake their homework.
Gill running th e 1st c a k e & b a k e w or k sh op a t S t M a t thi as S c h ool I wasn t able to do my recipe homework on time as the computer club was closed the week after xmas. I was too nervous to do it at home and wanted Steve s help. This is a good way of encouraging parents to use computers Aysha Kamal (Columbia School) Furthermore we have run weekend and holiday activities which enable families to work with digital film making equipment to develop the skills in managing digital equipment and information. The project has highlighted the need for improving access to digital inclusion by implementing activities and the engagement of children. These activities facilitated the use of technology in an attempt to improve learning opportunities and bridge the digital divide between those children and families with or without access to digital technology, and eventually lead to further digital and social inclusion.
3. 2
Pr ogress t owards key objec t i ves of pr oject
3.2.1 Improving pupil motiva tion a nd a t ti tude to le a rning Fostering pupil motivation towards learning is an essential feature of schooling as motivation and a positive attitude to learning will impact on a child s progress and development. To improve motivation and attitude to learning, BGCP has focused on developing external programmes which seek to inspire students to do well at school and improve pupil motivation. The project has developed extensive partnerships with local services and organisations to enable students to access services which will add value to the school curriculum but enable them to participate in a fun and interactive way. Table 1. in appendix 1. lists all the activities against each objective which the project has organised with external partners to meet the above objective. A variety of activities were offered during weekends and school holidays. For example, an organised trip to the Science Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 museum was organised for twenty-five high level SEN and EAL students with challenging behaviour. The intention was that these pupils will enjoy a day out at the science museum, which also linked to the science curriculum which they were at the time studying in class. This process enabled the students to enjoy science in a fun and interactive way which in turn improved their attitude to learning about science. At the end of the trip, pupils showed interest by asking questions and clearly stated that they found it to be an enjoyable experience. The science museum trip was well attended by both parents and children. Furthermore, those pupils who were identified to be experiencing difficulties at school were offered the opportunity to attend activities during the school holidays. For example, a half term residential trip to Gorsefield resource centre was organised. This trip allowed pupils to engage in structured activities in a pleasurable way which in turn improved their motivation towards learning. Seven families attended the residential and the evaluation after the trip concluded that overall the trip was a great success. Families had a great experience and everyone worked together really well. Between December 2008 to March 2010, the BGCP engaged children from the partnership schools in 32 activities, as listed in Table 1. in appendix 1. Each activity was organised with the purpose of improving children s motivation and attitude to learning. In turn, this has had an impact on pupil s achievement, attainment and attendance across the schools. The following two outcomes for this objective indicate how the activities have had an impact on attendance and whether the outcomes have been achieved. O u t c om e 1: By July 2010, a t te nd an c e sho uld be to n a tion a l av er ag e lev el Improving pupil motivation and attitude to learning is linked with pupil attendance. If children are motivated and their attitude to learning is positive then there is a higher possibility of them attending school regularly. To determine whether the activities delivered by BGCP have had an impact on motivation and in effect attendance, we analysed the attendance figures for all four schools against the national average on attendance and against each academic year. The following tables illustrate the attendance of each partnership school against the national average over the last three years. BGT C
2 0 0 7/2 0 0 8
Nat i o na l Average
C o mme nt
Attendance
2 0 0 8/2 0 0 9 94%
Nat i o na l Average 92.7%
C o mme nt 1.3% higher than national Average
Attendance
2 0 0 9/2 0 1 0 95.6%
Nat i o na l Average N/A
C o mme nt N/A
St Matt h ia s
2 0 0 7/2 0 0 8
Nat i o na l Average
C o mme nt
Attendance
Attendance
92.9%
Attendance
94.8% 2 0 0 8/2 0 0 9 92.8% 2 0 0 9/2 0 1 0 88.8%
Virg i n ia
2 0 0 7/2 0 0 8
Attendance
Attendance
Attendance
96% 2 0 0 8/2 0 0 9 95.3% 2 0 0 9/2 0 1 0 95.4%
C o l u mb ia
2 0 0 7/2 0 0 8
Attendance
Attendance
93.5%
92.6%
92.6% Nat i o na l Average 92.7%
0.3% higher than national Average
2.2% higher than national average 0.1% higher than national average
N/A
N/A
Nat i o na l Average
C o mme nt
92.6% Nat i o na l Average 92.7%
3.4% higher than national average 2.6% higher than national average
N/A
N/A
Nat i o na l Average
C o mme nt
92.6%
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0.9% higher than national average
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 2 0 0 8/2 0 0 9 94% 2 0 0 9/2 0 1 0 96.2%
Attendance Attendance
Nat i o na l Average 92.7%
1.3% higher than national average
N/A
N/A
As can be seen from the above tables, the attendance level of each partnership school has increased each academic year except for St Matthias. This was due to the vacant position of a school attendance officer for six months. In comparison to the national average, the attendance level of each school is higher suggesting excellent attendance levels. We can therefore suggest that the BGCP activities which used processes to develop motivation and positive attitude towards pupil s learning has contributed significantly to the attendance of each partnership school. The national average level for 2009/10 is not available and therefore the comparison was not possible. Attendance is also really important for the schools in Bethnal Green as many families are leaving the area and they are being replaced by professionals and artists who have no children. Promoting and raising the profile of the schools within the collaborative has been a central part of BGCP s work to ensure the school attracts sufficient number of students.
O u t c om e 2: By July 2010 50% c hildren a t t ending w e e k e nd and holiday a c tivi ties By January 2010, 46% of pupils in the partnership have attended at least one weekend and holiday activity. BGCP therefore anticipates that by July 2010, the number of children attending weekend and holiday activities will increase to 50% or more. This indicates that the activities organised and delivered by BGCP have been highly successful and has benefited children in a number of ways. This percentage was calculated by the total number of children in the partnership against the total number of children attending all the activities. In order to substantiate the high level of impact these activities have had on improving pupil motivation and attitude to learning, both pupils and parents were asked to give us their views in a survey. The following graph shows the findings from the pupil survey on their views on confidence, learning and homework since the BGCP. Pupil Motivation & Attitude to Learning 120
% of Pupils
100 80
Agree
60
Disagree Unsure
40 20 0 I enjoy going to school I look forward to I now enjoy doing my and feel more confidentlearning new things. homework since BGCP.
This graph clearly indicates that since BGCP, a high number of pupils who have participated in activities enjoy school, feel more confident and look forward to learning. This suggests that the activities have had a significant impact on pupil motivation and attitude to learning and is consistent with the statistical evidence as listed in the above section. Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Additionally, we asked a total of 19 parents whose children have been actively taking part in activities which are aimed at improving motivation and attitude to learning about their views on BGCP activities. The findings are illustrated in the following graph.
The above table clearly demonstrates parent s views on the impact of the BGCP activities on both themselves and their children. 63% have strongly agreed that the activities meet the needs of parents and local community whilst 32% agreed. More importantly, we asked parents views on whether their children feel positive about school. 47% strongly agreed and another 47% agreed with 5% disagreeing. This shows a very encouraging picture about pupil s attitude to school and from these findings we are optimistic about the level of impact BGCP activities are having on pupil s motivation and attitude to learning. 3.2.2 Gre a te r p ar en t a l eng ag eme n t Success in the education of children depends, at least in some part, on the involvement of their parents. If a child sees that their parents are enthusiastic about education, they are far more likely to view their schooling in a positive light, and be more receptive to learning. Engaging and working with parents is one of the most vital parts of providing children with an excellent education. Recent research confirms that having informed and involved parent s correlates positively with children's attitudes toward school and their performance. However, for a variety of reasons, communication with parents in schools where there is a higher proportion of Minority Ethnic pupils often requires greater resourcefulness and a more innovative approach than in other schools. Parents do not always find it easy to contact schools about their concerns. Non-English speaking parents can feel intimidated and excluded by schools whose structures and culture may be alien to them. Furthermore, to initiate this process of engaging parents, BGCP tried and tested various initiatives to try and engage groups and parents who do not participate in any organised activities. A particularly effective way has been to provide incentives and rewards for parents who bring another new parent to a workshop or activity. The incentive is offered to the person who brings the new parent as well as the person that attends. This acts as a tool to attract parents and show them what is on offer and enable project staff to meet and engage with them. It has proved to be a highly effective way of engaging with hard to reach groups within the schools. BGCP will continue to look at alternative ways to further involve other groups including fathers and other ethnic groups. A significant proportion of BGCP s year 1 work was focused on achieving greater parental engagement. The BGCP implemented and delivered a total of 85 programs and activities such Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 as children and family workshops and Saturday transition workshops. All activities are listed in table 2, appendix 1. An example of one of the way in which the BGCP is engaging parents is through the development of the BGCP coffee mornings which rotates termly between schools. In addition 3 of the 4 schools in the collaborative have also introduced their own weekly coffee mornings and BGTC is also soon to develop their own sessions. The coffee morning sessions allow parents, especially non-active parents, the opportunity to engage with other parents from all the partnership schools in a informal setting. The process used to deliver the coffee morning utilises an effective way of engaging with parents within a friendly and familiar environment where parents come every week to catch up and to find out about what s been happening in the schools and share what s been also happening at home. The project has been working closely to promote BGCP activities via the coffee mornings to parents to ensure that they are aware of the various programme activities and are able to access it. The coffee mornings also encourage greater parental voice by facilitating a forum to raise issues and concerns. Additionally, giving families opportunities to boost their own education is also found to be an effective way of parental engagement. Parent s levels of education are strongly correlated with their children s achievement at school. Parental activities and programmes work to increase parents access to adult education, computer classes, and beginning accredited courses. Consultation with parents has shown a big demand for practical workshops to improve parents understanding, knowledge and skills to enable them to better engage with their children at home. Following this consultation, the BGCP organised and delivered a number of activities where parents were taught specific skills and strategies for teaching and reinforcing school tasks at home. For example the Cake & Bake literacy workshops - 10 sessions were initially organised and delivered where parents created recipes of popular food items which are cooked at home. Parents learnt how to weigh ingredients and write a recipies. They then delivered a practical demonstration using their recipe. These recipes were then taken home and shared with the family and parents and children wrote about their experiences of cooking. This process enabled parents to develop a host of transferable skills in addition to the numeracy and literacy. Parents went home with weekly homework to undertake practical activities at home with their children, they developed an understanding of the various skills and life skills involved in the process from organisational skills, time management, planning and preparation to developing their own confidence in running their own workshop. These sessions were so successful that they will continue to run until July 2010. Another example of an activity which developed greater parental engagement is the How to make a healthy packed lunch session. The process involved in this activity enabled parents to learn about what makes a healthy balanced diet and the importance of a healthy pack lunch. The session focused on looking at the fat contents of common junk food that is often found in pack lunches and the effects of junk food on children and the link to academic performance. Parents were then given the opportunity to explore healthier opportunities and make their own sandwiches. The parents enjoyed the session thoroughly as it was a practical workshop where parents were able to identify with common food and common eating habits. The workshop also provided parents with tool kits on how to apply what they have learnt in the sessions such as keeping a food diary for one week to monitor what families consume in an average week. Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
Furthermore, in an attempt to measure this objective and determine the level of impact activities have had on parental engagement, we surveyed pupils and parents on their views. The following graphs show how pupils feel about the level of parental engagement since the BGCP.
The pupil survey findings suggest that children felt that their parents are more involved in their schooling since BGCP with 41% agreeing and 38% unsure. A further 22% disagreed. Although children have indicated that parents are attending courses to develop their own skills, almost a similar level has also disagreed. However, a significant number of children have indicated that they now do more as a family and their parents communicate more with their school. This shows a positive impact although there is a need to promote more involvement and participation of parents in activities. On a similar scale, we also asked a total of 19 parents about their views on a number of statements related to the parental engagement activities which they have been regularly attending. Majority of the parents either strongly agreed or agreed that they are more involved in the school. Again the majority felt more confident in supporting their children s learning and have a better understanding of the school curriculum.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 In addition, the recent Ofsted inspection report for BGTC has graded the effectiveness of their parental engagement as satisfactory , Columbia as outstanding and Virginia as good . A recent survey undertaken by St Matthias School showed 100% of parents felt that the school provides good provision for parents and families through courses, trips, social events, coffee mornings etc. Furthermore, Parents' Evenings are one of the best opportunities teachers have to communicate with parents, and enlist their help in motivating and educating children. All four schools have regular parent evenings with parents to discuss children s progress, targets and expected achievements. At the last Academic Progress Day (September 2009) at BGTC 89% of parents attended which is a 15% improvement from previous years. Furthermore 98% of parents attended the last parents meeting at St Matthias school further highlighting the impact of greater parental engagement across the schools in the collaborative. This suggests that parental engagement is happening across the partnership and activities delivered by the BGCP have had a considerable impact on the engagement levels as it stands. The impact of these activities has seen an increased understanding amongst parents on how they can support their child s learning. However, more participation is needed by more parents to see better achievement in the long-term. This may involve further promotion of activities which will engage parents to get more involved in their child s education. In an attempt to further illustrate the level of impact of the BGCP activities on achieving greater parental engagement, the following outcomes have been assessed. O u t c om e 1: By July 2010 30% p a r en ts h av e a t te nd ed w e e k e nd / holiday session s w i th th eir children. Prior to the BGCP, parents have never attended weekend or school holiday sessions with their children organised by their school. However, since December 2008, BGCP has offered parents the opportunity to attend a variety of weekend and school holiday activities and trips. As at February 2010, 20% of parents have attended at least one weekend or holiday activity with their children. With the ongoing promotion of BGCP activities in all four schools, the BGCP anticipates that by July 2010, the number of parents attending will increase to 30%. O u t c om e 2: By July 2010 10% p ar en ts h av e a c hi eved S kills for Life Li ter a c y a nd numer a cy or IT qu alific a tion. Following a number of consultations with parents, it was found that majority of these parents lacked basic skills in literacy and numeracy as well as confidence and self esteem. BGCP therefore organised and delivered sessions on each of these areas, which in turn has prepared them to attend various short courses. It has therefore not been feasible for BGCP to organise courses where parents can achieve a qualification at this instance. BGCP is instrumental in consulting parents, children and teaching staff when developing and implementing services. The consultation process with parents has been built into the programme from the onset as the aim of the programme was to ensure that the needs of the community are considered. This process has been proved to be highly effective in building trust and rapport with parents as they feel that BGCP and the schools are actually taking on board their views and concerns. Parents now feel more confident to come up independently and ask for specific services. Furthermore, consultation is undertaken using various formats including focus groups, coffee mornings, evaluation forms and group discussions. The feedback received is used to develop services in all areas including weekend and holiday activities and academic workshops such as the Saturday School . The parents have supported this programme hence success can be seen through the high attendance rates. Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
3.2.3 Improving numer a cy / m a ths a nd liter a cy a nd sci en c e Improving pupil s attainment and achievement in core subjects such as Maths, Literacy and Science has been core to BGCP s work. The BGCP has implemented and delivered a total of 50 activities, programs and workshops to engage children and parents in developing maths, literacy and science. Please see table 3 in appendix 1 for details of the activities which were delivered in an attempt to meet the above objective. These activities involved Saturday and holiday workshops in core subjects, girl only classes and Maths workshops for both children and families. For example, half term Easter Booster classes were delivered to year 6 pupils which, focused on Maths, English and Science to enable them to further enhance their skills in these subjects. Children attending these sessions found the classes valuable as they felt that it helped them develop extra curricular skills which in turn will help them when they go to year 7. To improve numeracy, the Ocean Maths project was also implemented across the collaborative. Ocean Maths is an innovative approach to improving numeracy in both pupils and parents. The project is delivered by Ocean Maths and works with schools, pupils and parents. It works with the staff to train them on delivering the sessions thus after the initial input from the organisation, schools are expected to continue to run them independently. The Ocean Maths sessions invite parents to come in and work with their children to develop numeracy skills to enable them to better support their child at home and also understand the processes that are used to teach maths in school. It is taught in a fun and interactive way and the attendance at these sessions have been exceptionally high. Feedback has been excellent and parents are requesting more family focused sessions. Furthermore, the sessions also enable parents to overcome their own personal fear of working with numbers as they themselves start to understand the simple processes which they can use to further support their children. Financial management workshops for parents were also delivered to enable parents to better manage their finances. The aim of these sessions was to raise financial awareness amongst families. This adopted a process whereby parents were asked to look at the ways they spend and save money by keeping a weekly spending diary. Parents were given advice on how to save money through saving energy, changing energy suppliers, shopping in the supermarket and various financial products, which are available on the mass market. This process of engaging parents in numeracy was very successful and several parents arranged one to one sessions with the BRAC adviser to discuss personal financial matters. Weekend Saturday Classes for all year 6 and 7 pupils to help improve Maths, English and Science were also a huge success. Following feedback, it was found that many pupils who attended Saturday school found it very useful and felt it was a fun way of learning outside school hours. Many pupils indicated how they struggled with certain subjects but once they started Saturday school, they became more confident in these subjects. Nonetheless, in order to determine the impact of these activities on the above objective, we surveyed a number of pupils on their levels of confidence in core subjects since the BGCP.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
The findings suggest BGCP activities had a significant impact on pupil s level of improvement in Maths, Literacy and Science. 91% of pupils have stated that they are now more confident in Maths. 84% have further stated that Maths classes organised by BGCP have helped to further develop their numeracy skills. Pupils have also stated that they are far more confident in Science, reading and writing. This suggests that the activities delivered by BGCP have had a considerable impact on pupils across the partnership. This is a positive outcome for this particular objective. On a comparable level, we also surveyed 19 parents to establish the level of impact activities have had on parents on their development in Maths, Literacy and Science. The following graph demonstrates their response.
The above chart represents a mixed response on parent s level of agreement on their understanding and development in English, Maths and Science. This suggests that not all parents felt that they have developed an understanding in these core subjects although some parents have strongly agreed. Nonetheless, with continuity in activities to develop parent s skills in core subjects, there is a better chance for improvement, and this will be seen in the longerterm. To further evaluate the level of impact of the activities implemented and delivered for improving pupil s skills in Maths, Literacy and Science, the following outcomes were assessed. O u t c om es 1: By 2010 Annual SATs sc or es a t a ll sc hools will rise to av er ag e N a tion a l L evel The following table lists the GCSE levels in the last three years against the national GCSE average. Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
BGTC (GCSE) 2009 N a tion a l Aver ag e 2008 N a tion a l Aver ag e 2007 N a tion a l Aver ag e
5 + A*-C 39% 50% 27% 48% 26% 47%
These figures clearly indicate that the schools GCSE levels at 5+ A-C grades have been considerably lower than the national average. However, in comparing the schools attainment levels to previous years, it shows a more encouraging picture. In 2009, the level of pupils achieving 5 GCSE s at grades A-C has increased to 39% whilst in the previous year it was 27% which is a 12% increase. This suggests that although the attainment is lower than the national average, we know that the school is making noticeable progress year-on-year. The following tables show the SATs score values for St Matthias, Columbia and Virginia against the national average. It lists the total values for all subjects and the core subjects, English, Maths and Science, over the last three years. Virginia 2007
Virginia
N a tion a l
Differ en c e
Virginia 2008
Virginia
N a tion a l
Differ en c e
Virginia 2009
Virginia
N a tion a l
Differ en c e
All Subjects English Mathematics Science All Subjects English Mathematics Science All Subjects English Mathematics Science
25.3 24.8 25.1 26.0
28.1 27.4 27.4 29.5 28.8 26.5 25.6 25.4
28 27.6 27.3 29.0
27.9 27.5 27.4 28.9 27.8 27.2 27.5 28.7
-2.7 -2.8 -2.2 -3.0
Resul ts
Significantly Significantly Significantly Significantly
Below Below Below Below
Resul ts
0.1 -0.1 -0.1 0.6
Broadly Average Broadly Average Broadly average Broadly Average
-2.0 -0.8 -1.9 -3.3
Significantly Below Broadly Average Broadly average Significantly Below
Resul ts
(S o urce: RAIS E o n l i ne )
In analysing the values of the SAT results for Virginia, it is quite clear that over the last three years the total value for all subjects and each of the core subjects has either been significantly below the national average or broadly average. However, in the view of yearly comparison, it could be said that some progress is being made in all subjects. The attainment in Science is proportionally much lower than other subjects. S t M a t thi a s 2007 All Subjects
English Mathematics Science
S t M a t thi a s 2008
St M a tthi a s
N a tion a l
Differ en c e
Resul ts
26.4
28
-1.6
26.1 25.9 27.2
27.6 27.3 29.0
-1.5 -1.4 -1.8
Significantly Below National Average Broadly Average Broadly Average Broadly Average
St M a tthi a s
N a tion a l
Differ en c e
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Resul ts
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 All Subjects English Mathematics Science
S t M a t thi a s 2009 All Subjects English Mathematics Science
27.3 25.7 27.0 29.2
27.9 27.5 27.4 28.9
-0.6 -1.7 -0.4 0.3
Broadly Average Broadly Average Broadly average Broadly Average
Broadly Average Broadly Average Significantly Below National Average Broadly Average
St M a tthi a s
N a tion a l
Differ en c e
27.9 25.2 29.5
27.8 27.2 27.5
0.1 -2.0 2.0
29.1
28.7
0.4
Resul ts
The SATs values for St Matthias show an improved picture with the total value for almost all subjects and individual core subjects as broadly average compared to the national average over the last three years. However, in yearly comparison, there has been an improvement in all subjects whilst the total value for English was lower. Maths however has had a more positive improvement in the last three years with Science more or less the same. Columbi a 2007 All Subjects English Mathematics Science Columbi a 2008 All Subjects English Mathematics Science Columbi a 2009 All Subjects English Mathematics Science
Columbi a 28.3 28.8 26.7 29.6 Columbi a 27.7 27.6 26.6 28.7 Columbi a 28.2 28.1 27.0 29.5
N a tion a l 28 27.6 27.3 29.0 N a tion a l 27.9 27.5 27.4 28.9 N a tion a l 27.8 27.2 27.5 28.7
Differ en c e 0.4 1.2 0.6 0.6 Differ en c e 0.3 0.1 0.8 0.2 Differ en c e 0.4 0.9 0.5 0.8
Resul ts Above average Significantly above Broadly average Broadly average Resul ts Broadly average Broadly average Broadly average Broadly average Resul ts Above average Above average Broadly average Above average
(S o urce: RAIS E o n l i ne )
The SATs values for Columbia primary school show a positive and encouraging picture. Over the last three years, results for all subjects have either been above average or broadly average. The schools SAT levels are therefore considerably consistent with the national average, particularly in 2009 where all subjects are above average accept Maths. Apart from Columbia, St Matthias and Virginia have some way to go before their SAT levels rise to the national average. However, it is important to note that both schools are making progress in yearly comparisons and therefore it could be suggested that the BGCP activities are having an impact on attainment and therefore one can only anticipate that with continuous progress from the impact of activities, attainment can rise to national average levels. O u t c om e 2: By 2010 All primary c hildren and f amilies will hav e a c c e ss to a vari e ty of m a ths w or k shops As at February 2010, 796 primary school children have been part of the partnership and therefore have access to a variety of maths workshops. Maths workshops are well attended and pupils in the partnership are always encouraged to participate, particularly those that are more in need of extra mathematical support. Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
3.2.4 Improving wri ting skills for children and f a milies Learning to write is critical to a child s success in school and later life and although writing abilities continue to develop throughout the life span, primary school years are the most important period for developing writing skills as it prepares pupils for exams and written work. However, it is also vitally important to note that writing is a form of communication which every child needs or uses on a day to day basis and therefore it is important for children to develop their writing skills to a certain level. Additionally, as mentioned in previous sections of this report, the Ofsted inspection reports for all four partner schools identified the need to improve writing skills. The BGCP therefore organised a total of 28 activities which utilised a range of processes to enable children and their parents to improve and develop their writing skills. These activities are listed in Appendix 1, table 4. Many activities were organised specifically for parents in an attempt to provide them with basic skills so it enables them to better support their children at home. For example, the BGCP organised a four week literacy workshop delivered in partnership with the Parental Engagement Team. These workshops were designed to enable parents to develop their own writing skills. This process benefited the parents as well as the pupils. Parents are able to develop their writing skills and as a result feel much more confident in supporting their child at home. In addition, children s activities were also delivered such as the card writing and card making workshops. These creative writing workshops encourage pupils to write and be creative in a fun and interactive way. Pupils enjoyed this session and have shown motivation in learning and developing writing skills. Nonetheless, in measuring this objective in terms of whether the activities have had a direct impact on developing pupil s writing skills, we analysed the pupil survey which clearly reflects a very positive outcome. The majority of pupils have agreed that they are more confident in writing, enjoy reading and have now joined a library. This suggests that the BGCP activities have had a significant impact on children s level of interest and confidence in writing and in turn will develop their writing.
O u t c om e 1: By 2010 All pupils will h ave w ri ting skills a t th e av er ag e N a tion a l level 2009
Virginia St Matthias
English English
Resul t 26.5 25.2
N a tion a l
Differ en c e
27.2
-2.0
27.2
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Resul ts
Broadly Average Broadly Average
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Columbia
English
28.1
27.2
0.9
Above average
Due to the way in which data is grouped, it has not been possible to obtain specific data on writing skills. However, the SAT results are grouped whereby writing levels are also included within the English segment. The above table lists the SAT results for each primary school in the partnership for 2009, which clearly identifies that two of the schools are almost on the national level with one school above the national level. With the continuation of workshops and activities, the BGCP anticipates that by the end of 2010, these levels will rise to the national level across the partnership. 3.2.5 Enc our ag e a nd promote f amily le a rning Family learning opportunities allow learning approaches that engage children and parent s in learning and involves obvious learning outcomes for both parent and children. Alongside learning new skills for themselves, parents learn how to support their children s intellectual, physical and emotional development. At the same time, an interest in learning and education is nurtured within the family as a whole. Bearing this in mind, the BGCP implemented and delivered 31 activities which offered children and parents a variety of activities and learning opportunities which families enjoyed together to encourage and promote family learning. The variety of activities implemented to meet the above objective is listed in Appendix 1, table 5. An example of an activity arranged by BGCP is the family learning day for all children and families in the partnership. It was an all day event to promote family learning where a total of 548 families attended. Various activities were offered to parents to engage in with their children. The event was a great success as families spent the day together taking up a number of activities. Children had fun and parents had an opportunity to take part in that fun too. Additionally, another activity which was organised to promote family learning was the weekend trip to the cinema to watch a Bollywood film followed by Bollywood Dance Master Class. This activity allowed families to watch an Indian film together and then the Bollywood dance master class engaged with families to work together and get fit. This encourages a healthy lifestyle as well as a great way to have fun with the family. Furthermore, in order to evaluate the impact of these activities, we surveyed pupils to express their views on doing activities with their family and whether they feel their parents are more involved in their learning since BGCP.
A high proportion of children (69%) have agreed that they now enjoy doing activities with their families. 41%, which is lower than half of all students have indicated that their parents are more involved with their learning whilst 28% disagreed. A further 31% were unsure. This suggests Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 that although family learning has been well accepted and the activities have had an impact on learning together as a family, parents may still not be as much involved with their children s school as expected. BGCP therefore needs to continue to promote and encourage parents to be more involved in their child s learning by delivering further family learning activities. 3.2.6 S moo th tr a nsi tion be t w e e n primary and se c ond a ry sc hool The transition from primary school to secondary school is important in the lives of children and families, yet research has shown that transitions can be stressful for children, that continuity of curriculum between primary and secondary school may suffer during transition and that some children need intervention prior to transition. Taking this into account, the BGCP implemented and delivered 13 activities which offered year 6 and 7 pupils a variety of workshops and activities to prepare them for the transition from primary school to secondary school. Table 6 in appendix 1 lists all the activities which were implemented to meet this objective. One example of an activity would be the Saturday school which commenced with the aim of easing the transition process from Yr 6 to Year 7. It was offered to all year 6 and 7 students within the partnership schools. The Saturday classes have been extremely well received and very successful. The subjects on offer included English, Maths with IT, D&T and Science. In addition to the above sessions, students were also offered creative art based sessions and skill based sessions. The skill based sessions looked at what students need to enable them to be successful in school and what tools they need to achieve their ambition. This process enabled pupils to overcome some of the fears of starting secondary school and prepared them for the transition to the extent where they felt confident about making new friends and most importantly, where they developed further advance skills in some of the core subjects which they will continue to study in year 7. The evaluation of the Saturday club which took place after the sessions found that majority of the pupils who attended the Saturday school developed new friendships and developed self esteem and went on to say that they felt prepared for transition. Additionally, BGCP organised year 6 open evenings where pupils and parents met the head teacher at BGTC. The open evenings were extremely successful in enabling parents and children to come and see the school and meet the staff and current Year 7 students. Year 7 Students undertook a drama to show parents and pupils what BGTC is all about. The evening was welcomed by the head but led by Year 7 students who also managed the questions, which were posed by parents and children. This process enabled parents and pupils to ask students and teachers questions directly about the school and raise any of their own concerns about the transition. The open evening was very well attended and well received as it gave parents and pupils an opportunity to get a feel of the school. A Transition Camp for 5 days was also organised for year 6 and 7 students where 46 students participated. The purpose of this activity was to enable year 6 students to become secondary school ready and overcome fears of starting school. The programme aimed to engage with families and children to prepare them physically, mentally and emotionally to enable them to become prepared for the secondary school transition. One of the many processes used was working with families and pupils to set SMART goals and targets which they will work towards before and after starting secondary school. Pupils were encouraged to reflect on their behaviour and attitude to starting secondary school to ensure they are able to develop skills to reach their full potential and enable a smooth transition process from year 6 to year 7. The evaluation of the transition camp indicated that a significant majority of the students did not identify any aspect of the project which they did not enjoy, demonstrating the successful Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 outcome and positive experiences of all the children who attended the summer camp. The impact of this activity was evidenced by the changing attitude and perceptions of students starting secondary school. Students noted a change in their confidence in making new friends, going to a new school and dealing with issues including bullying. In measuring this objective, we surveyed students in an attempt to determine whether they took part in the transition activities and whether they felt it has prepared them for the transition from year 6 to year 7. The following chart illustrates student s feedback.
Although 25% of all year 6 pupils attended the summer transition Camp and 94% had attended the Saturday classes. This suggests that the Saturday school was well attended and very popular. Furthermore, 100% have agreed that Saturday school is an excellent way of getting ready for secondary School, with 88% indicating that they felt more confident about the transition. 84% indicated that they have made new friends. This clearly demonstrates the significant impact Saturday school has had on students and the effects it has on their confidence and self esteem which is vital in developing a positive attitude to curriculum continuity and the transition process. O u t c om e 1: By July 2009 all pupils tr a nsf erring to BGTC will have a t te nded 8 S a turd ay tr a nsi tion S c h ools wi th th eir f am ilies Saturday classes organised by BGCP did not commence until October 2009 and therefore BGCP can only anticipate that by July 2010, all pupils transferring to BGTC will have attended a number of Saturday transition schools. Nevertheless, other activities such as the transition classes which took place over 4 weekends in March 2008 and the Summer Holiday Year 6 & 7 Transition Camp in August 2008 have had a considerable impact on preparing pupils for the transition in September 2009. It is also vital to point out that current trends suggest that over the last three years, the number of pupils in year 6 for each of the three primary schools had declined. Additionally, BGTC has also been finding it slightly difficult to fill in places for year 7 classes. The table below shows the number of pupils transferring to BGTC from the three partnership schools. N u mber of p u p i l s tran sferri n g t o BGT C
2008
2009
St Matthias
11
8
Virginia
12
8
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Columbia
10
8
BGCP therefore predict that by 2010 a higher proportion of students from within the feeder primaries will be attending BGTC. This will be promoted through transition workshops, activities and Saturday classes. 3.2.7 S a f e a nd supervised environmen ts for children during th e holidays and w e e k e nds Providing children safe and supervised environments during weekend and school holidays provide children, not just a safe place to be but also an opportunity to experience learning outside the classroom. Activities are arranged in safe and supervised environments where children can transform their learning and raise achievement. These activities can further allow children to learn in context, to learn by practical engagement, and to learn by personal discovery. Inevitably, this process will enable children to acquire new skills, work collaboratively with others and develop a better sense of themselves and their potential. With this in mind, the BGCP implemented a total 23 activities which offered pupils safe and supervised weekend environments during the school holidays and weekends. Table 7. in appendix 1. lists all the activities the project organised to meet this objective. For example, a weekend family visit to Wildlife Paradise Park was organised for all the children and parents in the partnership. The park has a wide range of exotic animals and offers a wide range of activities for families to engage in. This process was used to encourage mental and physical well-being and introduce families to a new experience which will add to their learning. A number of trips to the Science Museum were also organised where parents were involved in the planning of the trip, deciding where to go and how to get there. Many parents and children were travelling for the first time on the underground and therefore found the trip a whole new experience. The trip has enabled parents to feel more informed and confident about visiting places with their families during the weekend and holidays. Additionally, the trip enabled families to engage in learning and further develop their knowledge in a specific topic. A three day residential to Gorsefield resource centre was also organised. The aim of this family residential was to facilitate family learning by allowing families to engage in structured activities together. Following feedback from families, it was clear that they found the activities fun and enjoyable but also showed a great deal of understanding in their learning and development. Pupil s enthusiasm and improved motivation in effect has had an impact on their attendance and SAT results, as previously demonstrated. Furthermore, organising residential s was a key activity of the BGCP. However, schools were cautious about organising residential s across the collaborative where families may not know each other. BGCP worked closely with all for schools and the LBTH Parental Engagement Team to establish their own protocol when organising residential s. BGCP therefore was able to successfully arrange the first collaborative family residential to Gorsefield which was highly successful. BGCP therefore anticipate that this template can now be used to organise future collaborative residential s for families. Nonetheless, in measuring this objective, we surveyed pupils and parents to determine their attitude to the activities that has been on offer during weekends and school holidays. The following chart illustrates the impact activities have had on children in the partnership.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
44% of children have indicated that they attended a range of activities whilst 31% said they didn t. However, higher proportion has indicated that they now do more with their families during weekends. Nonetheless, 81% have stated that organised weekend activities are a great way to make friends and learn new skills. The findings suggest that although there are a low percentage of children attending weekend activities, there is a positive attitude towards organised weekend activities. This therefore may imply that some children may have other family commitments during weekends and school holidays and therefore unable to attend these activities. O u t c om e 1: By July 2010 th er e w ill be a f ull rang e of l e a rning opportu ni ties for c hildren a nd families in th e p ar tn ership sc hools a t w e e k e nds a nd holidays. The BGCP have a full range of learning opportunities during weekends and school holidays for all the children and families in the partnership. Table 7 in appendix 1 lists and details each of the activities that have been implemented and delivered. O u t c om e 2: By July 2009 par tn er servic es w ill be w or k ing w i th th e B e thn a l Gree n Collabor a tion Proje c t to provide all th e suppor t th e c hildren a nd f amilie s ne ed. A number of organisations have been working in partnership with the BGCP continuously on a range of activities and programmes. Appendix 2 lists the partner s who have worked with BGCP and how they supported the project in the various activities. O u t c om e 3: By July 2010 10% of children in th e p ar tn ership will hav e be e n a w a y on a r esiden ti al trip. As at February 2010, 7% of children in the partnership have been away on a residential trip. This includes the Isle of Wight Year 10 Kingswood residential trip for 2 days and the Half term Residential to Gorsefield resource centre in Stanstead. With more residential s anticipated to take place over the next months, there is no doubt that there will be an increase in the percentage of children going away on a residential. In summarising this section of the report, it is clearly evident that BGCP has had a significant impact on children and families across each of the partnership schools. The level of impact is transparent from the survey findings which are almost consistent with recent Ofsted inspection reports and with other statistical data. Each of the objectives has been achieved through the implementation and delivery of various activities which utilised a number of processes as described per objective. It is therefore encouraging to recognise that student learning and development has improved considerably which is also apparent from the increase in the attendance levels and SAT results for each school.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 The Mosai c Cl ass for p ar en ts
N u sr ad A k te r a t th e Mosai c Cl ass
4. 0
Partnership Working
P lease refer to appe n d i x 3 for a fu l l l i st of t he part n er.
4.1
Progress to w a rds developing par tn erships
Partnership working in schools is about working together across a number of schools, services, agencies and organisations. It brings different skills and resources together to deal with common identified problems and barriers. The BGCP is a partnership between four schools where there is a shared agenda to reduce the barriers to learning and achievement amongst pupils and families. The aim of the BGCP is therefore to work collaboratively across the partnership in an attempt to improve standards, share resources and good practice, ensure high quality servive provision for all children and families. Referring to the DfES, focused and good quality collaboration Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 between schools has proved an effective way to improve the delivery of services and raise standards of education within communities. Working in partnership to deliver services is a key process of the BGCP. This process allows all the schools the opportunity to establish partnerships with each other and other sectors whom they can continue to work with post BGCP. The development of these partnerships has enabled the development of effective links between schools which has lead to the creation of good quality environments, which have been providing pupils and families rich resources for learning and development. Previous to BGCP contact between the four partner schools were minimal and almost nonexistent. However, since BGCP the partnership between the four schools in the collaborative has been a huge success. Partnership working across the schools has had a significant impact on the schools, pupils and parents as evidenced in the previous section. This was due to the various processes developed in an attempt to achieve successful partnership working. The proceeding paragraphs detail the processes used to develop effective partnership between the schools which in turn has had an impact on the school, its pupils and families. • Communic a tio n The ability to communicate in partnerships to deliver pupil and parent centred service is considered a crucial element of partnership working. BGCP has developed an effective communication network between all four-partnership schools to ensure that schools, staff, parents and pupils are aware of the BGCP programme and its services. Effective communication between schools is paramount in enabling a collaborative approach to developing services. This in effect ensured that all four schools were able to support the process and ensure that the programme reaches out to all families. A wide range of communication strategies, were implemented to ensure effective communication across the schools including the use of email, Internet, websites, leaflets and posters. In addition, staff and those involved in the work of BGCP have regular meetings to discuss the project regularly. This process enabled working together and an opportunity to tackle any issues which may come up. • S c h ool S t a ff Teachers and staff in each partnership school also benefited from the opportunity to work with colleagues in other schools on common issues whether it was their subject specialism, issues around literacy or numeracy, or behaviour and attendance. Sharing ideas, resources and experience was also found to be a fundamental aspect of the benefits of the collaborative with staff. This aspect of partnership working is clearly apparent within the BGCP. The coming together of staff from all four schools and their partnership working will definitely be sustainable beyond BGCP. In terms of impact, it means schools can share resources and do things that they would not be possible to do alone. Children benefited from more input and expertise from staff from other schools and parents benefited from programmes that maybe their school would not be able to host alone. It has been great to share ideas with other staff and understand that problems are not just at our school (School Bursar) • Developing Par tn erships wi th P ar en ts There is considerable agreement that parental involvement in education has a positive influence on children s learning. The BGCP therefore worked closely together with parents. This process enabled teachers and staff to develop a better relationship with parents to gain a clearer understanding of children s home circumstances and personal achievements. Further increasing parental understanding of what children are learning, how well they are achieving and how they can better support learning in the home environment. This channel of Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 communication ensured that the schools and parents were able to respond quickly and effectively to emerging issues and concerns. BGCP therefore acknowledges that parents have a central role to play in supporting key aspects of their children s education and contributing to the decision making process. BGCP considers that their partnership is most effective because they treat parents equally, regard their views as important and take these issues fully into account. The BGCP further anticipates that this partnership with parents is sustainable and if anything, the partnership will further develop to bring in more improvement in learning and achievement amongst pupils.
100% of our parents in the last school survey said that we provided good provisions for parents and families through courses, trips, social events and coffee mornings (Clare Sealy Headteacher St Matthias )
Many of our parents have really grown in confidence and now regularly travel between different venues and mix easily with a wide range of parents from other schools (Clare Sealy Headteacher St Matthias)
• S h aring Resour c e s With the joint collaborative ventures offered to pupil and parents through BGCP, it has been identified that there are higher rates of improvement, achievement and attainment across all partnership schools. This was possible due to the sharing of resources and the availability of a wider range of activities for parents and pupils. This inevitably has added value across the collaborative as by working together each school has made efficiencies and saved resources. This is evident from the variety of activities offered from all four schools and where in each school there are a variety of specialist staff that support activities and programmes.
The project has had enormous impact in engaging parents and pupils across the four schools (Mary Igoe, Headteacher Columbia School)
Access to classes and facilities have been fantastic, cultural and recreational opportunities have had a great impact on pupils and parents engagement in the school and local community (Mary Igoe, Headteacher Columbia School)
We have been able to run projects such as Ocean maths as a collaborative, which would have been out of our reach in terms of budget if we had worked alone (Kate Gooding Headteacher Virginia School)
• O u tr e a c h a nd M ar k e ting BGCP has established an effective outreach programme to ensure that all families within the collaborative are aware of the services being delivered. For each activity, a variety of approaches have been utilised to maximise engagement and ensure that even the most hard to reach groups are aware of services. A combination of communication mediums, have been used, with varying communication techniques to further attract families to access services. This included the distribution of letters, website, word of mouth and the circulation of posters in all the schools. In addition BGCP has introduced a texting service to families who sign up to it to receive regular text messages about activities and workshops, which are on offer. The texting service has proved to be extremely successful and also allows for two way communication between families and BGCP. Rese a r c h Findings The recent Ofsted inspection report for Columbia school graded the extent to which the curriculum meets pupil s needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships as outstanding . Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Additionally, the Ofsted report for Virginia school indicated that the school has outstanding partnerships with external providers and parents to ensure pupils' well-being is fully supported. In an attempt to establish the effectiveness of the partnership within the collaborative, we surveyed staff on their views on partnership working prior to the BGCP. The staff members consisted of 3 x head teachers, 1 x assistant Head, 2 x learning mentor, 1 Parent Officer, 1 x bursar, 1 x Yr 7 Student Leader Manager, 1 x home school link co-ordinator. The following chart identifies the level of agreement amongst staff about their schools level of partnership prior to BGCP.
As can be seen from the above chart, the majority of the respondents have either disagreed or strongly disagreed about pupils and parents familiarity and contact with other schools previous to the BGCP. This, no doubt, suggests that there was almost no contact from one partnership school to another prior to the BGCP. However, 20% have stated that they have visited two or more schools in the partnership prior to BGCP whilst a higher proportion strongly disagreed. Most importantly, however, 100% of the respondents state that their school has not shared resources or ideas with the other schools prior to BGCP. Overall, these findings clearly suggest that the schools in the partnership did not have any form of relationship or partnership with each other prior to BGCP. Nonetheless, in an attempt to demonstrate how schools, pupils and parents have benefited from the partnership work, respondents were asked to illustrate their level of agreement on a number of statements which highlight the positive impact of partnership working within the collaborative. The following figures illustrate their response. Figure 1
Figure 2
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Figure 1 shows that 60% of the respondents have strongly agreed that BGCP partnership has been an effective way to support the learning and development of pupils and parents in an attempt to reduce barriers to learning. A further 40% also agreed to this statement indicating a very positive outcome of partnership working. Figure 2 again indicates a very positive picture with all respondents either strongly agreeing or agreeing that their school has developed a good working relationship with the other schools in the collaborative. Figure 3
Figure 4
Respondents were further asked to illustrate whether BGCP has enabled their school to share resources, ideas and expertise across the partner schools for the benefit of the school, its pupils and parents. Figure 3 shows that 60% strongly agreed, 30% agreed and the other 10% were neither in agreement or disagreement. Although it indicates an encouraging picture, schools need to do more to find ways to share resources to benefit all. Figure 4 demonstrates a very positive impact of the BGCP with 60% of respondents strongly agreeing that BGCP has enabled schools to develop excellent partnerships with external organisations for the benefit of the school, pupil and parents, whilst a further 40% agreed. Figure 5
Figure 6
School staff were asked whether they have visited at least 3 of the partner schools at least since BGCP. 50% of all respondents strongly agreed, 30% agreed and a further 20% either agreed or disagreed. Figure 6 illustrates whether respondents agree or disagree that working in collaboration allows schools to tackle issues otherwise not possible alone. 100% all respondents either strongly agreed or just agreed.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Figure 7
Figure 8 We intend to sustain our work with partner organisations beyond BGCP. Strongly agree
20%
Agree
0% 40%
Neither Disagree
40%
Strongly disagree
Respondents were asked about their level of agreement on sustaining their work with partner organisations beyond BGCP. 40% strongly agreed whilst a further 40% agreed. 20% of all respondents, however, were neither in agreement or disagreement. Although this suggest a positive attitude with 80% of respondents intending to sustain their work, the other 20% need to continue to develop their relationships to sustain their work to benefit pupils and parents. Figure 9
The survey asked respondents whether the partnership working between the schools has enabled greater mobility for their schools, its pupils and parents. 70% strongly agreed whilst 20% agreed. A further 10% neither agreed nor disagreed. The findings of the survey noticeably evident the huge impact of working in partnerships between schools. With almost 100% of respondents either strongly agreeing or agreeing, the impact of the BGCP on partnership working is significant. This suggests that all schools within the partnership have benefited from working in partnership which in turn has had a direct impact on their students learning and development.
BGCP has also enabled us to share good practice between schools which has had an impact on our work. I saw a family INSET day at Columbia and then adapted the idea for our own school. The project helped us with some of the activities and it was a big success. (Kate Godding, Headteacher Virginia School) In summarising the progress made in developing partnerships and the benefits to schools, pupils and families, the following positive impact has been identified through the findings of the survey and through the outcomes of the objectives:
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 •
•
•
•
• • • • •
Working in partnership has enabled all four schools to engage students and foster their aspirations by offering opportunities to meet the individual needs, interests and aptitudes of pupils; Provided a range of opportunities to help prepare pupils for transition between primary to secondary by allowing information to be shared between BGTC and the three primary schools more easily. Enabled the opportunity for schools to share good practice on encouraging better attendance, intervention with pupil behaviour to prevent exclusions, enabling schools to manage excluded pupils outside the classroom. Enabled the schools to work together to offer pupils a range of out of school opportunities to further develop their learning, which would not have otherwise been possible. Improved standards of attainment. Improved standards of provision. Improved behaviour and motivation of pupils. Increased levels of self-esteem and aspiration in both pupils and parents. Increased better communication among the schools. 4.2
Lo c a l Initi a tives, Proje c ts a nd S ervi c es
Ple ase r ef er to app endix 3 for a full list of par tn ers. The BGCP, as part of its aim, worked in partnership with external organisations that include;1. Third sector community based organisations 2. Statutory and non statutory organisations. Working in partnership with local initiatives, projects and other services enabled BGCP to bring in expert service provision for parents and children to add value to the school curriculum. This facilitated greater opportunities to enable service providers to work in partnership with schools to deliver services. The following is a list of benefits BGCP gained through developing a partnership with local initiatives, projects and services: 1. 2. 3.
4. 5.
Enabled learning continuum through holidays and weekends; Expert services; Sustainability beyond the life time of BGCP; (Creating links between schools and external services will enable service provision to continue beyond BGCP). Encouraged schools to work with external organisations. Enabled external organisation to work with schools.
BGCP developed and managed successful partnerships with a number of local initiatives, projects and services as listed in appendix 3. Each external organisation provided an expert service to the project by delivering activities in partnership with BGCP. For example, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Parental Engagement Team worked with BGCP to deliver a number of activities. These included sessions to engaging Turkish parents, Literacy and reading workshops, puppet making, mosaic classes and pottery Classes, Parent Information Point sessions in BGTC, Parent Voice sessions, the Parent Volunteer Course and the Strengthening Families Course. Another great partnership was with Rich Mix who delivered a number of activities in partnership with the BGCP. These included weekend Cinema and Theatre trips, family learning workshops, coffee mornings, Bollywood Dance Master Classes, story telling and film making. This partnership has played a key role in developing Rich Mix s audience development strategy Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 by facilitating better relationships and communication with the four schools within the BGCP. In addition, whilst BGCP benefited from this partnership, Rich Mix also benefited. Rich Mix set up a new education programme with an emphasis on strengthening its relationship with schools and families in the local community and the partnership with BGCP has been an important factor in enabling Rich Mix to achieve this. Rich Mix has made it definite that they hope to continue to work closely with the schools and build on their successful partnership. Supporting letters which demonstrate the level of partnership developed with individual organisations are listed in appendix 7.
5. 0
C onclusion
The overall aim of the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project is to work collaboratively t o redu c e th e b a rriers to le a rning and a c hi e vemen t. In concluding, we will be assessing whether the aim to reduce the barriers to learning and achievement has been achieved through the channels of working collaboratively. BGCP is a partnership between four schools in Bethnal Green who all shared a number of identified needs in terms of pupil achievement and learning. The BGCP connected all four schools to work in partnership to meet a set of objectives and related outcomes as a way to measure the overall aim. Throughout the report, there are has been considerable evidence to suggest that objectives were met through the implementation and delivery of a variety of pupil and parent focused activities and programmes. The impact of these activities and programmes has been directly linked to the objectives and were clearly evident in the outcomes. For instance, the activities that were delivered in an attempt to improve pupil motivation and attitude to learning utilised processes to engage pupils in learning in a fun and innovative way. The impact of these activities was clearly evident in the outcomes which suggested improved attendance across all four schools. This has identified the different elements of BGCP s work, and in doing so, drawn particular attention to the significance of the various processes BGCP has developed. Additionally, through the delivery of such successful activities and programmes, there is now greater parental engagement, improved participation of activities by parents and pupils and improved understanding of family learning. The impact of these have been evident in the number of pupil and parents taking up activities, improved GSCE and SAT results and positive feedback in activity evaluations. It is also very encouraging to know that although some of these results are not on the national average levels, yearly progress has been recognised. The findings of parents and pupils survey have also show a very positive outcome which clearly is consistent with the statistical evidence and recent Ofsted inspection reports. The survey findings have considered the views of parents, pupils and staff on the impact of the BGCP on themselves and their children. In the context of schools, this sees partnership working as an effective way to work and places particular emphasis on promoting the well-being of children and families. Evidence in this report has further shown how communication is fundamentally critical in the working of collaborations. It has highlighted how the notion of added value and collaborative advantage has been secured through the development of a culture of mutual reliance and collective buy-in. Additionally, communication across the partnership has been excellent which Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 in turn, has provided the basis for sustainable partnership working which can make the most difference to the lives of the children in the collaborative. The BGCP has, so far to date, made progress in reducing barriers which has made a significant contribution to pupil achievement and learning. However, the aim of reducing barriers to learning and achievement will be more obvious in the long-term. The BGCP delivered much more than it was expected to and provided value for money across the collaborative. The project has been managed effectively and all the objectives and related outcomes have been achieved. Pupils and parents have reported high levels of satisfaction and the project produced excellent and valuable resources. It is evident from the progress of partnership working between schools, external partners and parents that the project has ongoing usefulness beyond the life of this project.
6. 0
Rec ommendat i ons
The following recommendations were derived from pupil and parental feedbacks which illustrate the types of activities BGCP need to consider in terms of meeting individual needs and how the project can further develop for greater effectiveness across the collaborative. Ac tiviti es • More Maths and English classes for parents; • More weekend activities to meet needs of all children and families in the partnership; • Provide more crèche facilities; • More exercise classes; • Advice sessions on how to access training and education courses; • More day trips to local places; • Workshops that would advice parents on work skills; • Exercise classes; Paren t a l Engag eme n t • More parental engagement programmes • Trips for parents • Interactive sessions for parents such as the cake and bake sessions; • Creative activities for parents; • International cuisine cooking classes • Sessions on parenting young children; • Fathers only coffee mornings; • Family book club; Par tn ership • Schools to organise more active ways in which all staff can come together more often to discuss issues and share ideas; • All staff to be more involved in social events which can take place across the partnership schools; • Schools to encourage all pupils to actively take part in extra curricular activities; • BGCP to continue to develop new external partnerships;
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
7. 0
Appendi ces
Appendix 1 Activity Table Activity Table Activity Table Activity Table Activity Table Activity Table Activity Table
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Appendix 2 Partner Organisations Appendix 3 Pupil Survey Appendix 4 Parental Survey Appendix 5 Staff Survey Appendix 6 Case Study 1 Case Study 2 Case Study 3 Case Study 4 Case Study 5 Case Study 6 Case Study 7 Case Study 8 Appendix 7 External Partnership Letters 8. 0
References
Bethnal Green Technology College, (2009) Ofsted Inspection, UK: Ofsted Columbia Primary School, (2009) Ofsted Inspection, UK: Ofsted Virginia Primary School, (2008) Ofsted Inspection, UK: Ofsted Bethnal Green Technology College (2009) Self Evaluation Form Columbia Primary School, (2009) Self Evaluation Form Virginia Primary School, (2009) Self Evaluation Form St Matthias Primary School, (2009) Self Evaluation Form www.towerhamlets.gov.uk Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
www.raiseonline.org www.dfes.gov.uk www.dcsf.gov.uk www.dh.goc.uk
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
Appendix 1 Organised Activities
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
Table 1 Objective: Improve Pupil Motivation & Attitude to Learning Activity (32)
Date
Learning & Developing Process
Attendance
Outcomes
Yr 9 Science Museum Trip
31.03.09
25 Students
The student enjoyed a day out at the science museum, which also linked to the science curriculum, which they are currently studying in class. Students feel more motivated and have an opportunity to learn outside school.
Bollywood Dance Classes for Children
22.01.09
Number of sessions: 9 91 students
Street Dancing for Children
27.02.09
This trip was organised for 25 high level SEN and EAL students with ‘challenging’ behaviour. Places were offered on a point scheme and students earned the points to gain a place on the trip. This trip allowed students to learn in context, to learn by practical engagement, and to work collaboratively with others and develop a better sense of themselves and their potential. The aim of the Bollywood dance session is to promote physical wellbeing through dance and promote cultural diversity thus improves pupil motivation, attitude to learning and develops a greater understanding of different cultures. The aim of the street dance session is to promote physical wellbeing through dance thus improve pupil motivation and attitude to learning.
The Bollywood sessions have been so successful that they have now been implemented in all 3 primary schools including sessions for parents too. Parents and students lead healthier lives and physical well being. Thus leading to greater levels of motivation and attitude to school. The street dance sessions have been so successful that they will be offered again in the summer term. Children enjoyed the session and developed a grater understanding of the importance of physical well-being.
How to make a healthy Pack lunch
12.02.09
Number of sessions: 6 109 Students
This aim of the session was to enable parents 14 people to learn about what makes a healthy balanced diet and the importance of a healthy pack lunch. The session focused on looking at the fat contents of common ‘junk’ food that is often found in pack lunches and the affects of junk food on children and the academic performance. Parents were then given the opportunity to explore healthier opportunities and make their own sandwiches.
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The parents enjoyed the session thoroughly as it was a practical workshop where parents were able to identify with common food and common eating habits. The workshop also provided parents with tool kits on how to apply what they have learnt in the sessions. Example; keeping a food diary for 1 week to monitor what families consume in an average week. Additional sessions will be organised to monitor changes in behaviour.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 How to make a healthy pack lunch
03.03.09
This aim of the session was to enable parents 5 Parents to learn about what makes a healthy balanced diet and the importance of a healthy pack lunch. The session focused on looking at the fat contents of common ‘junk’ food that is often found in pack lunches and the affects of junk food on children and the academic performance. Parents were then given the opportunity to explore healthier opportunities and make their own sandwiches.
The parents enjoyed the session thoroughly as it was a practical workshop where parents were able to identify with common food and common eating habits. The workshop also provided parents with tool kits on how to apply what they have learnt in the sessions. Example; keeping a food diary for 1 week to monitor what families consume in an average week. Additional sessions will be organised to monitor changes in behaviour.
Yr 6 Transition classes
08.03.09
Transition classes at BGTC commenced with the aim of easing the transition process from Yr 6 to Year 7. Classes in English and D & T are were offered to all year 6 pupils and parents in the partnership.
4 weekend sessions 55 pupils
The evaluation of the sessions demonstrated that student benefit highly from early intervention to ensure that they are familiar with secondary school transition process and ready to commence in September. Students enjoyed Design & Technology and getting to know the school and meeting other Yr 6 students.
Yr 6 Open Evening ‘Meet the head teacher’
18.03.09 25.03.09
53 pupils
The open evening were very well attended and well received. It enabled parents and students to ask students and teachers directly about the school and raise their concerns. Enables parents to make informed decision about their choice of secondary school.
Yr 6 Open Mornings
Every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday March 2009
The Open evenings were extremely successful in enabling parents and children to come and see the school and meet the staff and current Year 7 students. Yr 7 Students undertook a drama to show parents and pupils what BGTC is all about. The evening was welcomed by the head but led by Year 7 students who also managed the questions, which were posed by parents and children. The aim of the open mornings was to enable parents and students to come and view the school during school hours. This allowed parents to see the school on a day-to-day running basis to enable them to make an informed decision about sending their children to BGTC.
10 families
Parents found the session very beneficial and had the chance to ask questions to enable them to make informed decision about their choice of secondary school.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Visit to the Science Museum
07.03.09
Parents were involved in the planning of the trip; deciding where to go and how to get there. Many parents and children were travelling for the first time on the underground. The trip has enabled parents to feel more informed and confident about visiting places with their families during the weekend and holidays.
60 parents and children
The science museum trip was well attended by both parents and children. Parents familiarise themselves with using London transport and places of interest in London. Improved confidence for parents to undertake family outings in the weekend and holidays.
Visit to the Science Museum
14.03.09
Parents were involved in the planning of the trip; deciding where to go and how to get there. Many parents and children were travelling for the first time on the underground. The trip has enabled parents to feel more informed and confident about visiting places with their families during the weekend and holidays. Weekend Film and dance master class. The film allows families to watch an Indian Film together and then the Bollywood dance master class engages with families to work together and get fit. This encourages a healthy lifestyle as well as a great way to have fun with the family. Weekend residential for year 10 students. Aimed at improving pupil motivation and attitude to learning. It also enables pupils to prepare for year 11.
33 parents and children
The science museum trip was well attended by both parents and children. Parents familiarise themselves with using London transport and places of interest in London. Improved confidence for parents to undertake family outings in the weekend and holidays.
14
Families enjoyed the day together and enjoyed the dance sessions. Families familiarise themselves with local service provisions and identify organisations and activities which they can do in the weekend and holidays.
50
All pupils showed improved motivation and took part in all the activities. Students are able to experience life away from cities and develop key transferable skill and develop their own independence. The summer camp was a great success where children enjoyed learning in a fun and interactive way. They have developed confidence and feel more motivated towards learning. Children are secondary school ready and well prepared for the transition process. Children are able to make new friends. Promotes family learning and enable parents to engage with in activities with their children.
Weekend Cinefilm Om Shanti Om and Bollywood Dance Master class
Isle of wight Year 10 Kingswood residential
06.09
Summer Holiday Year 6 & 7 Transition Camp
24.08.09 (5 days)
Summer camp organised at BGTC for year 6 and 7. Enabling year 6 students to become secondary school ready and overcome fears of starting school.
41,32,30, 29,29
Weekend Cinema Trip and Family Bollywood
26.09.09
An opportunity to view a film and attend a dance master class for families. This is a way
15 children 15 Adults
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Dance Master Class
to promote parental engagement which in turn allows children to feel motivated. Theatre production aimed at families and young children. The show allows children to develop their literacy skills by enhancing their imagination and creative thinking skills.
108 Children 16 staff
Identify locally accessible services for holiday and weekend activities. Schools are able to engage children in a enrichment activity in a locally based organisation to enable them to develop their literacy skills.
Jake & Cake Theatre Show at Rich Mix
9.10.09
Weekend visit to Jake & Cake Theatre Show at Rich Mix
10.10.09
Theatre production aimed at families and young children. The show allows children to develop their literacy skills by enhancing their imagination and creative thinking skills.
38
Weekend Super Sunday Film making Workshop
11.10.09
5 children adults
Weekend Storytime Magic Carpet
17.10.09
Film making workshop designed to let families learn about digital animation using latest technology. This process enabled children to learn in a fun way and encourage motivation. Weekend story time aimed at families with young children. Sessions explore tales from different cultures enhancing children’s understanding and promoting literacy and creativity.
Half Term Residential
26.10.09 (3 days)
Half term Residential to Gorsefield resource centre in Stanstead. Facilitating family learning by allowing families to engage in structured activities together.
24
Enables families to spend time together and bond away from home and other responsibilities. Parents learn about different ways of interacting with their children. Children appreciate time with their parents.
Half Term Super film Making workshop
27.10.09
Film making workshop designed to let families learn about digital animation using latest technology.
12 Children with their families
Saturday Classes
7.11.09 (25 weeks)
Saturday classes aimed at year 6 and 7 to improve in core subjects including math, English and Science. Allowing year 6 and 7 to work together also facilitates the transition process and better prepares them.
35,48,51, 49,45,38
Families learn how to use digital equipment, enhancing their technological awareness. Families feel more confident when using and understanding digital technology. Children are secondary school ready. Children and families feel more confident about starting secondary school. Children are able to deal with fears of secondary school. Children make new friends and are able to explore the wider community outside home and their primary school.
15 Children , 7 Adults
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Families engage in activities together in a locally based organisation. Families feel more confident to do thing together in the weekend and holidays. Children are engaged in a constructive way and are able to participate in an activity during the weekends. Families learn how to use digital equipment, enhancing their technological awareness. Families feel more confident when using and understanding digital technology. Promotes family learning and improves literacy skills. Enables children to develop their creative thinking and understand stories through different cultures and communities.
60
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Year 7 Transition workshop
18.11.09 (3 days)
Transition workshop targeting year 7 parents. Aimed at developing greater working relationship between school and parents and encourage smooth transition from year 6 & 7.
8,6,11
Weekend Family festive Sculpture workshop
29.11.09
Weekend workshops for families to participate in building a 3 tier Christmas tree which will be on display at the Rich Mix Cinema until the 6th January 2010.
24
Saturday School Xmas party
19.12.09
38
Visit to London Metropolitan University
TBC
Celebration for Saturday school students. This allowed students to feel rewarded for their motivation towards their learning. Inspirational visit to allow students and parents to find out what university is like.
60
Parents develop greater working relationship with their school. Parents are able to voice their opinion and raise any issues. Parents are better equipped to deal with their children and the transition process.Improved exam results, Improved attendance and pupil motivation. Better relationship between schools and families. Families worked together with their children to build a community xmas tree. After the sessions, pupils were proud of what they had done as the tree was displayed. Children learned to work effectively in a team and develop their confidence. Children and staff were able to celebrate the achievements of Saturday school to improve the confidence of year 6 and 7 students. TBC
Numeracy Classes ( 3 sessions)
TBC
TBC
TBC
Visit to Allen & Overy
04.02.10
Numeracy workshop for parents to enable them to develop strategies to help their children with maths at home. This was done in partnership with the parental engagement team. Workshop 2 to follow up how to support children and parents to gain work within the city. Targeted ay Year 6 and 7 to enable year 6 and 7 students to work together and think about preparing for their future.
23 Parents 22 children
Rich Mix Cinema Trip
06.02.10
Weekend Cinema trip for year 6 and 7 students to watch 'Where the wild Things Are'
32 students 6 teaching staff
Allen & Overy workshop
11.02.10
Workshop 2 to follow up how to support children and parents to gain work within the city. Targeted ay Year 6 and 7 to enable year 6 and 7 students to work together and think about preparing for their future.
60
Improved pupil motivation and attitude. Improved attendance & Improved exam results Parents are better informed to support their children with career choices. Families are inspired. Smooth transition This trip continues to support he transition process for year 6 and 7 students to improve the attitude and motivation to school. It celebrates their commitment to Saturday classes. Improved pupil motivation and attitude. Improved attendance & Improved exam results Parents are better informed to support their children with career choices. Families are inspired. Smooth transition
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Gorsefield residential
13.03.10 13.03.10
Weekend residential to provide families and opportunity to get away from London and spend quality family time engaging with their children.
24
TBC
Year 7 trip to the London Zoo
20.03.10
Trip organised to London Zoo primarily to improve pupil motivation and attitude to school to further enhance the transition process from year 6 to year 7.
110
TBC
Visit to Cambridge University
21.03.10
Inspirational visit to Clares College in Cambridge to inspire students.
30
TBC
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
Table 2 Objective: Greater Parental Engagement Activity (85)
Date
Learning & Developing Process
Attendance
Outcomes
Parent line workshop
29.01.09
9 Parents
Raise awareness amongst parents. Improve confidence in using external services to support parents with domestic issues. Enabling parents to deal with issues effectively contributes towards a happier home and happier parent thus children with ultimately benefit too.
Coffee at Rich Mix
05.02.09
The parent line workshop was run by one of the parents. The aim of the session was to raise awareness of the organisation and its services enabling parents to utilise external service provision to better support their children at home. Parents were taken to Rich Mix Cinema, shown around and given information about Rich Mix services as well as education programmes for weekend and holidays.
9 Parents
Visit to St Hilda’s Food Co-op. (St Hilda’s East Community Centre)
05.02.09
Parents were assisted to visit the St Hilda’s food co-op. The aim of the visit was to raise awareness of local food initiatives, which sell good quality fresh food at affordable prices. The co-op is also run by volunteers and parents were provided with information about how to get involved in volunteering.
9 parents
A follow up visit was also organised for 19.03.09 to meet the Education Officer for a tour of the whole building thus further familiarise parents with the venue and services. Parent gain confidence in using community based organisations to undertake weekend and holiday activities independently. Parents and children are able to adopt a healthier lifestyle thus improve their attitude and motivation towards learning and participating in wider community activities. Improved behaviour and concentration amongst children through improved healthy eating. Awareness of local initiatives.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 How to make a healthy Pack lunch (Community Health Guides)
12.02.09
Basic Food Hygiene Course (BBTI)
02.03.09 03.03.09
Bollywood Dance for parents
02.03.09
This aim of the session was to enable 14 people parents to learn about what makes a healthy balanced diet and the importance of a healthy pack lunch. The session focused on looking at the fat contents of common ‘junk’ food that is often found in pack lunches and the affects of junk food on children and their well being including. Parents were then given the opportunity to explore healthier opportunities and make their own sandwiches. This is a 2 day certified course, enabling 12 parents parent to learn about food handling and food hygiene in the home. The course was delivered in English and Bengali and was well received by parents. Many parents requested to undertake this course to enable them to apply for jobs such as those in the in the catering industry or school kitchen.
Parents and children are able to adopt a healthier lifestyle thus improve their attitude and motivation towards learning opportunities and encourage greater participation in wider community activities. Improved writing skills. Improved behaviour and concentration amongst children.
The aim of the Bollywood dance session is to promote physical wellbeing through dance and promote cultural diversity. Health is a key barrier to education and general well being hence the objective is to improve health thus improve academic achievement. This is particularly relevant to the Bangladeshi community who make up a significant proportion of the families accessing Virginia school.
Parents enjoyed the sessions as it is a fun way of getting fit and getting to know other parents. Parents familiarise themselves with local community facilities available within their local community. Promotes greater parent mobility
5 Sessions Total – 58 Parents
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Parents found the course really interesting and were able to acquire knowledge which they can apply at home and at work. 11 of the 12 parents passed the multiple choice accredited exam, which was an achievement in itself as many of the parents speak little English. Parents adopt a healthier lifestyle thus improving behaviour and concentration amongst children. Children will take less time of school through sickness
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 How to make a healthy pack lunch (Community Health Guides)
03.03.09
This aim of the session was to enable 5 Parents parents to learn about what makes a healthy balanced diet and the importance of a healthy pack lunch. The session focused on looking at the fat contents of common ‘junk’ food that is often found in pack lunches and the affects of junk food on children and the academic performance. Parents were then given the opportunity to explore healthier opportunities and make their own sandwiches.
Parent Voice (Find your talent)
24.02.09
Smoothie Making Workshop (Community Health Guides)
27.01.09
Visit to the Science Museum
07.03.09
The aim of this session was to identify parent’s awareness of local facilities and services. Identify how parents engage with their children outside of schools and how they find out about things. It also enables parents know about what’s on offer at the school. The aim of this session was to look at what makes a healthy balanced diet. The session also looked at food labelling, encouraging parents to keep a food diary and a practical session of how to make healthy smoothies at home. The session also looked at the impact of a poor diet on health and education. Parents were involved in the planning of the trip; deciding where to go and how to get there. Many parents and children were travelling for the first time on the underground. The trip has enabled parents to feel more informed and confident about visiting places with their families during the weekend and holidays.
Parents and children are able to adopt a healthier lifestyle thus improve their attitude and motivation towards learning and participating in wider community activities. Improved behaviour and concentration amongst children.
15
This session was very successful in consulting parents and improving parental voice and influence in the way the school develops and plans its activities. The workshop also enabled BGCP to ensure that future services were developed to reflect the needs of parents.
10
Improved health awareness and healthier families. Improved behaviour, concentration and motivation amongst students and families.
60 parents and children
The science museum trip was well attended by both parents and children. Parents familiarise themselves with using London transport and places of interest in London. Improved confidence for parents to undertake family outings in the weekend and holidays.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Visit to the Science Museum
14.03.09
Follow up visit & Coffee morning at Rich Mix. (Rich Mix)
19.03.09
Weekend Cinema Visit to Rich Mix
Parent Volunteer Course (Parental engagement Team) Easter Celebration
Parents were involved in the planning of the trip; deciding where to go and how to get there. Many parents and children were travelling for the first time on the underground. The trip has enabled parents to feel more informed and confident about visiting places with their families during the weekend and holidays. This was a follow up visit to the Rich Mix to meet the Education officer and get a tour of the whole building. The aim of the session was to familiarise the parents with the venue and the staff. Rich Mix is a local service provider providing a variety of services for family entertainment and family learning.
60 parents and children
The science museum trip was well attended by both parents and children. Parents familiarise themselves with using London transport and places of interest in London. Improved confidence for parents to undertake family outings in the weekend and holidays.
20
Parents find out about local service provisions. Parents develop the confidence to access local service provision. Parents meet other parents in a neutral environment outside school.
5.04.09
Cinema trip to rich mix cinema for families and children.
60 (18 Parents, 22 children)
Families enjoyed a day out together. Families learn and develop confidence to utilise community based service provisions.
28.02.09 05.05.09, 12.05.09 19.05.09
Parent course to enable parents to become volunteers in their child school. This was implemented in partnership with the Parental engagement team.
13
Parents develop skills, and understand processes to enable them to volunteer in school. Parents develop a greater working relationship with their children’s school.
Easter celebration – a range of activities were organised for children and parents to take part in. This allowed a great way for parents to engage with their children and do activities together to encourage learning and development.
93
Everyone who attended the celebrations and took part in the activities has shown a great deal of interest in the activities. Improve Cultural awareness and understanding, remove cultural barriers and promote greater community cohesion. Celebration of diversity and culture
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 1st Aid Workshop (BBTi)
27.04.09 (2 days)
First aid for family’s workshop. Parents were able to get an accreditation for this and many have now been signposted to do the 4 day workshop to enable them to become qualified first aiders.
15
Majority of those parents that attended this workshop have signed up to the full 4 day accredited workshop. Develop understanding and awareness of child safety and how to manage small situations at home.
Ocean Maths Yr 1 & 2 (Ocean maths)
30.04.09
Ocean maths project which works with families to engage in maths workshops. Course is designed to help parents with year 3 and 4 children to better support their children's maths at home.
16 yr 1 parents & 17 year 2 parents
Coffee morning at rich mix enables parents from different schools to meet in neutral environment and get to know each other and share experiences.
18
Although some parents are still developing these skills, other parents have stated that they feel a lot more confident in supporting their child at home. Improve maths – improved KS2 SATS results Better relationship with school and children Improved confidence for parents. Parents engaged with one another and enjoyed the coffee morning. This enabled them to talk about their child and schooling issues. Improve confidence, parent mobility, encourage independence, make friends across the collaborative. Develop better relationship between families and schools. Schools identify barriers and concerns. Improved confidence and communication for children and families. Improved motivation and Improved results. Parents forum Improve maths – improved KS2 SATS results Better relationship with school and children Improved confidence for parents.
Coffee Morning at Rich mix
Turkish Parent Voice (parental engagement Team)
06.05.09
Focuses on Turkish parents from within the collaborative. This is an under achieving group which needs further support. Delivered in partnership with the parental engagement Team).
5
Maths workshop (Parental engagement Team)
7.05.09
Delivered in partnership with the Parental engagement Team, the workshop supports year 3 and 4 parents to better support their children with maths at home.
6
Grand Union Music Project (Grand Union Music project)
13.05.09
Celebration of Bengali music for families. Delivered in partnership with Grand union Music Project.
250
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Families attended and spent the day taking part in the celebrations. It also gives parents the opportunity to engage with their children and talk about culture and music. Improve social cohesion and removes cultural barriers.
67
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Smoothie Making (Osmani Community Health Guides)
14.05.09
Healthy eating programme for families. Looking at how to develop healthy recipes for children and families to try at home and promote healthy eating. Delivered in partnership with Osmani community Health Guides.
11
Improved health awareness and healthier families. Improved behaviour, concentration and motivation amongst students and families.
Ocean Maths Year 3 (Ocean maths)
14.05.09
Ocean maths project which works with families to engage in maths workshops. This enables parents to develop their own skills so that they are better able to support their children at home.
16 year 3 parents
English for Families
15.05.09 (8 sessions)
8
Weekend Visit to Wildlife Paradise park
16.05.09
Intensive English speaking and reading classes. Practical sessions to look at ways to get around and speak to school staff. These sessions were designed to develop confidence in parents so that they are able to bring up issues and concerns with schools. Review of books that are read in the different year groups. Weekend family visit to wildlife paradise park. The park has a wide range of exotic animals and offers a wide range of activities for families to engage in.
Although some parents are still developing these skills, other parents have stated that they feel a lot more confident in supporting their child at home. Improve maths – improved KS2 SATS results Better relationship with school and children Improved confidence for parents. Improved literacy Improved confidence amongst parents to support their children at home. Better communication between families and schools.
First Aid (BBTi)
18.05.09 (2 days)
First aid for family’s workshop. Parents were able to get an accreditation for this and many have now been signposted to do the 4 day workshop to enable them to become qualified first aiders. Coffee morning at Rich mix allows parents from all four schools to meet and get to know each other.
12
Coffee Morning at Rich mix
123
15
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This was a fun filled day for children and families to engage in external activities. Parents gain confidence in visiting places with their children. Improve motivation amongst children. Improve literacy and science. Majority of those parents that attended this workshop have signed up to the full 4 day accredited workshop. Develop understanding and awareness of child safety and how to manage small situations at home. Parents engaged with one another and enjoyed the coffee morning. This enabled them to talk about their child and schooling issues. Improve confidence, parent mobility, encourage independence, make friends across the collaborative.
68
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Weekend visit to Cholchester Zoo
23.05.09
Weekend family visit to allow families to spend the day together. This enables parents to engage with their children on different levels.
123
Early years trip to Southend Seaside
16.05.09
47
Story telling KS 1 (Apples & Snakes)
17.05.09 (2days)
Early years trip to enable parents with young children to actively participate in a outing and engage with other parents with young children too. This encourages social skills amongst preschool children. Story telling for KS1 and KS2 families after school. The storytelling sessions focus on cultural stories from around the world and are fun and interactive. It allows families to engage with children. Ocean maths project which works with families to engage in maths workshops. This enables parents to develop their own skills so that they are better able to support their children at home.
years 4 & 5 and 15 parents
Puppet making and story telling for parents and young toddlers. Promoting literacy and creativity. This activity also allows parents to encourage creative and communication skills amongst youngsters by engaging with them in story telling and puppet making. All day event to promote family learning. Various activities are offered to parents to engage in with their children.
10
Ocean Maths Yr 4 & 5 (Ocean Maths)
Puppet Making and Story Telling (Parental Engagement Team)
25.06.09
Family Learning day
29.06.09
25 30
548
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
This was a fun filled day for children and families to engage in external activities. Parents gain confidence in visiting places with their children. Improve motivation amongst children. Improve literacy and science This was a fun filled day for children and families to engage in external activities. Parents gain confidence in visiting places with their children. Improve motivation amongst children. Improve literacy and science There was good turnout for these two sessions where both parents and children to engage in story telling and beginning to understand cultural stories. Improve literacy and promotes creativity. Promotes community cohesion and removes cultural barriers. Although some parents are still developing these skills, other parents have stated that they feel a lot more confident in supporting their child at home. Improve maths – improved KS2 SATS results Better relationship with school and children Improved confidence for parents. Parents and toddlers had a fun day and during feedback, they emphasised the need for such sessions which allow parents to get involved and engage with their child. Improved literacy Build better relationship with children and school. Improve communication skills. This was a great success. Families spent the day together taking up a number of activities. Children had fun and parents had an opportunity to take part in that fun too. Improves relationships and communication between schools and families. Parents engage in activities as a whole family.
69
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Year 5 Transition Workshop (Parental Engagement Team)
2.7.09
To enable parents to find out about secondary school choices and how to make those choices ensuring they choose the right school for their child.
9
Coffee Morning at Rich mix
16.07.09
BGCP coffee morning at rich mix, enables parents from different schools to meet in neutral environment.
20
Weekend Story telling at Rich Mix
18.07.09
Story telling from around the world. Engages with families and children in a fun and interactive way.
25 children 12 Parents
Year 7 Parental Consultation
11.09.09
Year 7 parent consultation to identify what programmes they would like to see developed through BGCP.
40 families
BGCP Coffe Morning
22.09.09 (10 Sessions)
Weekly coffee morning sessions to promote greater parental engagement. The session is informal and encourages parents to come together and share experiences.
18
Secondary School Transfer Meeting for Year 6 and parents
23.09.09
Secondary School transfer meeting to ensure that parents are able to make informed decision about secondary school option.
24
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
The workshop was highly valuable amongst pupils and parents as parents feel more confident about the processes and pupils feel confident about what is expected of them. Parents are able to make informed decisions confidently. Improved understanding and awareness of the transition process. Parents engaged with one another and enjoyed the coffee morning. This enabled them to talk about their child and schooling issues. Improve confidence, parent mobility, encourage independence, make friends across the collaborative. There was good turnout for these two sessions where both parents and children to engage in story telling and beginning to understand cultural stories. Improve literacy and promotes creativity. Promotes community cohesion and removes cultural barriers. Utilisation of external community facilities. This was a great success and feedback was received which in turn has enabled BGCP to plan, implement a number of activities which will best suit the needs of parents and children of the partner schools. Improve communication between schools and families. These sessions have been a continued success and have allowed parents, particularly those that often spend more time at home, to engage with other parents. The workshop was highly valuable amongst pupils and parents as parents feel more confident about the processes and pupils feel confident about what is expected of them. Parents are able to make informed decisions confidently. Improved understanding & awareness of transition process
70
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Literacy Workshop (parental engagement Team)
23,09,09 4 weeks
4 week literacy workshop delivered in partnership with the parental Engagement Team. Workshop designed to enable parents to better support their children's learning at home. Visit to BGCT to enable pupils and parents to see the school and ask relevant questions.
8
Year 6 and parents Visit to BGTC
24.09.09
Weekend Cinema Trip and Family Bollywood Dance Master Class (Rich mix)
26.09.09
An opportunity to view a film and attend a dance master class for families. This is a way to promote parental engagement which in turn allows children to feel motivated. Controversial drama based on the Asian community.
15 children 15 Adults
Weekend theatre trip for parents - an Ode to my sisters (Rich Mix)
26.09.09
Year 6 and parents visit to BGTC
29.09.09
Family visit to BGTC, including a detailed tour of the building and an opportunity to meet staff.
10 families
Secondary School Transfer Meeting for Year 6 and parents
01.10.09
Secondary School transfer meeting to ensure that parents are able to make informed decision about secondary school option.
10 families
Cake & Bake Literacy Workshop
6.10.09 (10 days)
These workshops work with parents to create recipes of popular food items which are cooked at home. Parents learn how to weigh ingredients and write a recipe. They then deliver a practical demonstration
10,9,15,16, 15
6 families
15 parents
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
Parents benefited from these sessions and felt that their literacy skills have improved and therefore feel confident in supporting their child at home. Improved literacy – improved KS2 SATS Improved confidence amongst parents Raise awareness and confidence in parents when choosing their secondary school. Greater communication between schools and families. Parents are able to make informed decisions about secondary school. Parents engage with children Utilisation and familiarisation of external services. Families get fit and healthy. Improved confidence amongst families Utilisation and familiarisation of external services. Improved confidence amongst families. Promotes literacy and creativity. Raise awareness, break barriers and promote community cohesion Raise awareness and confidence in parents when choosing their secondary school. Greater communication between schools and families. Parents are able to make informed decisions about secondary school. The workshop was highly valuable amongst pupils and parents as parents feel more confident about the processes and pupils feel confident about what is expected of them. Parents are able to make informed decisions confidently. Improved understanding and awareness of the transition process. Improved literacy Improved numeracy Improved science Improved family learning, confidence and motivation. Awareness and development of key skills
71
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
Financial Management Workshop (BRAC UK)
08.10.09
Community Safety (Police service)
08.10.09
Jake & Cake Theatre Show at Rich Mix
workshop using their recipe. This enables sharing and doing similar tasks at home with their children. Practical financial management skills workshop delivered in partnership with BRAC UK looks at how to manage your money at home. Including the way we spend and save our money.
10 parents
Improved numeracy. Improved confidence and awareness amongst parents. Promotes greater economic wellbeing amongst families.
The aim of the session was to enable parents to find out about the ‘new police pledge’ in the area. It also enabled families to ask questions about service provision in their area and raise any concerns.
8
Families feel safer in their community. Families are aware of how to communicate issues and concerns in their community. Families are able to meet with local police officers to raise issues and concerns
9.10.09
Theatre production aimed at families and young children. The show allows children to develop their literacy skills by enhancing their imagination and creative thinking skills.
108 Children 16 staff
This was appreciated by many parents and children who enjoyed a fun and interactive way to develop their literacy skills Improve literacy and creativity. Improve pupil motivation and attitude and attendance.
Weekend visit to Jake & Cake Theatre Show at Rich Mix
10.10.09
Theatre production aimed at families and young children. The show allows children to develop their literacy skills by enhancing their imagination and creative thinking skills.
38
Weekend Super Sunday Film making Workshop
11.10.09
Film making workshop designed to let families learn about digital animation using latest technology.
5 children 5 adults
Families confidently engage in activities together in a locally based organisation. Families feel more confident to do thing together in the weekend and holidays. Improve literacy and creativity. Children are engaged in a constructive way and are able to participate in an activity during the weekends. Improve pupil motivation and attitude and attendance. Families learn how to use digital equipment, enhancing their technological awareness. Families feel more confident when using and understanding digital technology.
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
72
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Bollywood Dancing
12.10.09 (6 sessions every Monday)
Bollywood dance classes aimed at parents to promote greater parental engagement. The session was planned based on previous success but cancelled due to the lack of participants attending sessions.
3,3,4,5,0,0
Improved family well being Improved health Improved attendance
Weekend Story time Magic Carpet (Rix mix)
17.10.09
Weekend story time aimed at families with young children. Sessions explore tales from different cultures enhancing children’s understanding and promoting literacy and creativity.
15 Children , 7 Adults
Parents participated with their children by taking part in story telling and exploring the different cultures. Improve literacy and creativity Utilisation of local community facilities. Promote greater independence.
Family Learning day
23.10.09
Family learning day targets families enabling them to come and access the school and engage in different activities with their children.
250
Half Term Residential (Gorsefield rural Studies centre)
26.10.09 (3 days)
Half term Residential to Gorsefield resource centre in Stanstead. Facilitating family learning by allowing families to engage in structured activities together.
24
This was a great success. Families spent the day together taking up a number of activities. Children had fun and parents had an opportunity to take part in that fun too. Improves relationships and communication between schools and families. Parents engage in activities as a whole family. Parents and children engage in structured activities. Improved motivation amongst families. Improved attendance and exam results.
Half Term Super film Making workshop (Rich Mix)
27.10.09
Film making workshop designed to let families learn about digital animation using latest technology.
12 Children with their families
Tea tasting and ceramic glass painting at the Geffrye Museum
5.11.09
Working on the theme of herbs, these sessions look at the different ways we can use herbs in the home. Sessions are aimed at parents and enable parents to develop practical skills to enable them to do at home with their children.
15 parents
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
Families learn how to use digital equipment, enhancing their technological awareness. Families feel more confident when using and understanding digital technology. Parents and children engage in structured activities outside schools. Improve motivation Improved attendance. Improve awareness
73
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Soap making at the Geffrye Museum
12.11.09
Working on the theme of herbs these sessions look at the different ways we can use them in the home. Sessions are aimed at parents and enable parents to develop practical skills to enable them to do at home with their children.
9
Parents and children engage in structured activities outside schools. Improve motivation and confidence Improved attendance. Improve awareness and develop creative skills
Year 7 Transition workshop
18.11.09 (3 days)
Transition workshop targeting year 7 parents. Aimed at developing greater working relationship between school and parents and encourage smooth transition from year 6 and 7.
8,6,11
Eid & Xmas Card Making/writing workshop
19.11.09
Card making and writing workshop working with parents using quilting techniques to design their own cards. Session looks at the different ways to use a card and how to write messages for each different occasion. Sessions are aimed at parents and enable parents to develop practical skills to enable them to do at home with their children.
14
Parents develop greater working relationship with their school. Parents are able to voice their opinion and raise any issues. Parents are better equipped to deal with their children and the transition process. Improved exam results Improved attendance, motivation. Improved relationship and communication between schools and families. Parents and children engage in structured activities outside schools. Improve motivation and confidence Improve awareness and develop creative skills Improves literacy and communication skills. Celebrates cultural diversity, removing cultural barriers and promotes community cohesion.
Biscuit making @ Geffrey Museum
19.11.09
Working on the theme of herbs these sessions look at the different ways we can use them in the home. Sessions are aimed at parents and enable parents to develop practical skills to then do at home with their children.
6
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
Parents and children engage in structured activities outside schools. Improve motivation and confidence Improve awareness and develop creative skills. Improves literacy.
74
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Weekend Family festive Sculpture workshop (Rich Mix)
29.11.09
Weekend workshops for families to participate in building a 3 tier Christmas tree which will be on display at the Rich Mix Cinema until the 6th January 2010.
24
Free School Meals Workshop
2.12.09
Workshop to ensure that parents are aware of their entitlement to free school meals.
6
Domestic Violence workshop at the Geffrye Museum
3.12.09
Workshop being delivered in partnership with the Geffrey Museum and Asian Women's Centre to discuss issues of domestic violence and the various support structures in place for women affected.
8
Eid party & Xmas Party
10.12.09
Celebration of religious occasions for families.
35
Card Writing and card making workshop
12.12.09
44
Holiday visit to Stratford Theatre Aladdin
22.12.09
Creative Writing workshop for pupils to encourage them to write and be creative through designing the own keep sake card through a technique known as quilling (paper rolling). Holiday activity to watch a pantomime at the theatre for the whole family.
Literacy Classes (Parental Engagement Team)
12.01.10 (3 weeks)
In partnership with the parental Engagement Team. The session engages with parents to develop better relationship between schools and parents and equip parents with skills to better engage with their children.
25,20,5
218
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
Families worked together with their children to build a community xmas tree. After the sessions, pupils were proud of what they had done as the tree was displayed. Children learned to develop key skills including work effectively in a team and develop their confidence. Improve economic well being of families. Improve health and concentration amongst students. Improved attendance. This session raised the importance of domestic violence familiarise themselves with the support service available. Improve confidence and awareness of external support structures. Improves parent mobility. Families were able to celebrate festivities together. Improve community cohesion and celebrate cultural diversity and project achievements. Pupils enjoyed this session and have shown motivation in learning and developing skills. Improved motivation and attitude to learning. Improve literacy skills. This was a great success with families. Families engage in a structure activity during the holiday. Improve literacy and creativity. Improve parent mobility. Improve literacy Improve parent confidence to better support their children. Improve motivation and attitude to learning.
75
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Mosaic classes (Parental Engagement Team)
13.01.10 (10 weeks)
In partnership with the parental Engagement Team. The session engages with parents to develop better relationship between schools and parents and equip parents with skills to better engage with their children.
Pottery (5 sessions) (Parental engagement Team)
13.01.10 (5 weeks)
Visit to London Metropolitan University Numeracy Classes ( 6 sessions)
TBC
In partnership with the parental Engagement Team. The session engages with parents to develop better relationship between schools and parents and equip parents with skills to better engage with their children. Inspirational visit to allow students and parents to find out what university is like.
Series of 10 workshops at Geffrey Museum (Jan – March)
21.01.10
Series of weekend activities @ Rich Mix (Jan - March)
TBC
Visit to Allen & Overy
04.02.10
TBC
Numeracy workshop for parents to enable them to develop strategies to help their children with maths at home. In partnership with the parental Engagement Team Series of workshops at the Geffrey museum in partnership with St Hilda’s, and Newham Asian women's group to design and create things for the home
9,9,12,
Parents develop creative skills and meet other parents. Parents are better able to utilise their skill to engage in activities with their children. Improved confidence amongst parents.
Parents develop creative skills and meet other parents. Parents are better able to utilise their skill to engage in activities with their children. Improved confidence amongst parents.
60
TBC TBC
8,6,6
Parents develop creative skills and meet other parents. Parents are better able to utilise their skill to engage in activities with their children. Improved confidence amongst parents. Improve community cohesion and remove cultural barriers through improved understand.
To provide family learning and recreational opportunities for the whole family to engage in the weekend and holidays.
TBC
TBC
Inspirational visit for parents and students to find out about what it takes to work in a big city firm.
23 Parents 22 children, 6 teaching staff
Improved pupil motivation and attitude. Improved attendance & Improved exam results Parents are better informed to support their children with career choices. Families are inspired.
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
76
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Rich Mix Cinema Trip
06.02.10
Weekend Cinema trip for year 6 and 7 students to watch 'Where the wild Things Are'
32 students 6 teaching staff
Allen & Overy workshop
11.02.10
Workshop 2 to follow up how to support children and parents to gain work within the city.
60
Gorsefield family residential
13.03.10
Weekend residential to provide families and opportunity to get away from London and spend quality family time engaging with their children.
24
This trip continues to support he transition process for year 6 and 7 students to improve the attitude and motivation to school. It celebrates their commitment to Saturday classes. Improves motivation and attitude to learning and develops confidence to enable students to deal with the transition process. Improved pupil motivation and attitude. Improved attendance & Improved exam results Parents are better informed to support their children with career choices. Families are inspired. TBC
Table 3 Objective: Numeracy/Maths, Literacy and Science
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
77
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Date
Learning & Developing Process
Attendance
Outcomes
10.02.09
The aim of these sessions was to raise financial awareness amongst families. The session looked at the way we spend and save our money. Parents kept a weekly spending diary. Parents were given advice on how to save money through saving energy, changing energy suppliers, shopping in the supermarket and various financial products, which are available on the mass market.
5 parents
Improve numeracy Improve economic well being for families.
How to make a healthy Pack lunch (Osmani health Guides)
12.02.09
How to make a healthy pack lunch (Osmai Health Guides Project)
03.03.09
This aim of the session was to enable parents to 14 people learn about what makes a healthy balanced diet and the importance of a healthy pack lunch. The session focused on looking at the fat contents of common ‘junk’ food that is often found in pack lunches and the affects of junk food on children and the academic performance. Parents were then given the opportunity to explore healthier opportunities and make their own sandwiches. This aim of the session was to enable parents to 5 Parents learn about what makes a healthy balanced diet and the importance of a healthy pack lunch. The session focused on looking at the fat contents of common ‘junk’ food that is often found in pack lunches and the affects of junk food on children and their well being including. Parents were then given the opportunity to explore healthier opportunities and make their own sandwiches.
Money Management Workshops (BRAC UK)
10.03.09
Activity (50) Money Management Workshops (BRAC UK)
The aim of these sessions was to raise financial awareness amongst families. The session looked at the way we spend and save our money. Parents kept a weekly spending diary. Parents
5 parents
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
The parents enjoyed the session thoroughly as it was a practical workshop where parents were able to identify with common food and common eating habits. The workshop also provided parents with tool kits on how to apply what they have learnt in the sessions. Example; keeping a food diary for 1 week to monitor what families consume in an average week. Additional sessions will be organised to monitor changes in behaviour. Parents and children are able to adopt a healthier lifestyle thus improve their attitude and motivation towards learning opportunities and encourage greater participation in wider community activities. Improved behaviour, concentration and attendance amongst children. workshop also provided parents with tool kits on how to apply what they have learnt in the sessions. Example; keeping a food diary for 1 week to monitor what families consume in an average week. Additional sessions will be organised to monitor changes in behaviour. Improved numeracy. Improved confidence and awareness amongst parents. Promotes greater economic wellbeing amongst
78
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 were given advice on how to save money through saving energy, changing energy suppliers, shopping in the supermarket and various financial products, which are available on the mass market. Visit to the Science Museum (Science Musuem)
07.03.09
Visit to the Science Museum (Science Musuem)
14.03.09
Yr 9 Science Museum Trip (Science Museum)
31.03.09
Half term Year 6 Easter Booster Classes
06.04.09 (4 Days)
Parents were involved in the planning of the trip; deciding where to go and how to get there. Many parents and children were travelling for the first time on the underground. The trip has enabled parents to feel more informed and confident about visiting places with their families during the weekend and holidays. Parents were involved in the planning of the trip; deciding where to go and how to get there. Many parents and children were travelling for the first time on the underground. The trip has enabled parents to feel more informed and confident about visiting places with their families during the weekend and holidays. . This trip was organised for 25 high level SEN and EAL students with ‘challenging’ behaviour. Places were offered on a point scheme and students earned the points to gain a place on the trip. This trip allowed students to learn in context, to learn by practical engagement, and to work collaboratively with others and develop a better sense of themselves and their potential. Booster classes made available to year 6 focusing on Maths, English and Science to enable them to further enhance their skills in these subjects.
families.
60 parents and children
The science museum trip was well attended by both parents and children. Parents familiarise themselves with using London transport and places of interest in London. Improved confidence for parents to undertake family outings in the weekend and holidays.
60 parents and children
The science museum trip was well attended by both parents and children. Parents familiarise themselves with using London transport and places of interest in London. Improved confidence for parents to undertake family outings in the weekend and holidays.
25 Students
The student enjoyed a day out at the science museum, which also linked to the science curriculum, which they are currently studying in class. Students feel more motivated and have an opportunity to learn outside school.
12,12,13,14
Improved KS2 SATs results Improved motivation, and confidence. Improved attendance.
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
79
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Easter French Club @ St Hilda's Community Centre in partnership with Mind Your language
14.04.09 (4 Days)
Half term French club, fun and interactive way of learning French. Delivered in partnership with LBTH and run in St Hilda's East Community Centre. This club not only ensured a safe and supervised environment but also allowed children to develop another language.
14,15,15,15
Improved motivation and attitude to learning. Develop foreign language skills. Improve cultural understanding and promote greater community cohesion. Improves literacy and creativity.
Ocean Maths
20.04.09
Ocean maths project which works with families to engage in maths workshops. (inset for teachers)
10 teachers
Improve maths – improved KS2 SATS results Improve communication and relationship between staff and parents.
1st Aid Workshop
27.04.09 (2 days)
First aid for family’s workshop. Parents were able to get an accreditation for this and many have now been signposted to do the 4 day workshop to enable them to become qualified first aiders.
15
Majority of those parents that attended this workshop have signed up to the full 4 day accredited workshop. Develop understanding and awareness of child safety and how to manage small situations at home.
Easter Celebration
29.04.09
Easter celebration at St Matthias School – a range of activities were organised for children and parents to take part in. This allowed a great way for parents to engage with their children and do activities together to encourage learning and development.
93
Ocean Maths Yr 1 & 2
30.04.09
16 yr 1 parents & 17 year 2 parents
Maths workshop (LBTH Parental engagement Team)
7.05.09
Ocean maths project which works with families to engage in maths workshops. Course is designed to help parents with year 3 and 4 children to better support their children's maths at home. Maths workshop delivered in partnership with the Parental engagement team. Course is designed to help parents with year 3 and 4 children to better support their children's maths at home.
Everyone who attended the celebrations and took part in the activities has shown a great deal of interest in the activities. Improve Cultural awareness and understanding, remove cultural barriers and promote greater community cohesion. Celebration of diversity and culture Although some parents are still developing these skills, other parents have stated that they feel a lot more confident in supporting their child at home.
6
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
Improve maths – improved KS2 SATS results Better relationship with school and children Improved confidence for parents.
80
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Smoothie Making (Osmani Health Guides)
14.05.09
Healthy eating programme for families. Looking at how to develop healthy recipes for children and families to try at home and promote healthy eating. Delivered in partnership with Osmani community Health Guides.
11
Improved health awareness and healthier families. Improved behaviour, concentration and motivation amongst students and families.
Ocean Maths Year 3 (Ocean Maths)
14.05.09
Ocean maths project which works with families to engage in maths workshops. This enables parents to develop their own skills so that they are better able to support their children at home.
16 year 3 parents
English for Families (English to English)
15.05.09 (8 sessions)
Intensive English speaking and reading classes. Practical sessions to look at ways to get around and speak to school staff. These sessions were designed to develop confidence in parents so that they are able to bring up issues and concerns with schools. Review of books that are read in the different year groups.
8
Although some parents are still developing these skills, other parents have stated that they feel a lot more confident in supporting their child at home. Improve maths – improved KS2 SATS results Better relationship with school and children Improved confidence for parents. Improved literacy Improved confidence amongst parents to support their children at home. Better communication between families and schools.
Weekend Visit to Wildlife Paradise park (Wildlife Paradise park)
16.05.09
Weekend family visit to wildlife paradise park. The park has a wide range of exotic animals and offers a wide range of activities for families to engage in.
123
Early years trip to Southend Seaside
16.05.09
Early years trip to enable parents with young children to actively participate in a outing and engage with other parents with young children too. This encourages social skills amongst pre-school children.
47
First Aid (BBTi)
18.05.09 (2 days)
First aid for family’s workshop. Parents were able to get an accreditation for this and many have now been signposted to do the 4 day workshop to enable them to become
12
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
This was a fun filled day for children and families to engage in external activities. Parents gain confidence in visiting places with their children. Improve motivation amongst children. Improve literacy and science. This was a fun filled day for children and families to engage in external activities. Parents gain confidence in visiting places with their children. Improve motivation amongst children. Improve literacy and science Majority of those parents that attended this workshop have signed up to the full 4 day accredited workshop. Develop understanding and awareness of child
81
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 qualified first aiders.
safety and how to manage small situations at home.
Story telling KS 1
17.05.09 (2days)
Story telling for KS1 and KS2 families after school. The storytelling sessions focus on cultural stories from around the world and are fun and interactive. It allows families to engage with children.
25 30
Weekend visit to Cholchester Zoo
23.05.09
Weekend family visit to allow families to spend the day together. This enables parents to engage with their children on different levels.
123
Ocean maths project which works with families to engage in maths workshops. This enables parents to develop their own skills so that they are better able to support their children at home.
years 4 & 5 and 15 parents
Ocean Maths Yr 4 & 5
Isle of wight Year 10 Kingswood residential
06.09
Weekend residential for year 10 students. Aimed at improving pupil motivation and attitude to learning. It also enables pupils to prepare for year 11.
50
Puppet Making and Story Telling
25.06.09
Puppet making and story telling for parents and young toddlers. Promoting literacy and creativity. This activity also allows parents to encourage creative and communication skills amongst youngsters by engaging with them in story telling and puppet making.
10
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
There was good turnout for these two sessions where both parents and children to engage in story telling and beginning to understand cultural stories. Improve literacy and promotes creativity. Promotes community cohesion and removes cultural barriers. This was a fun filled day for children and families to engage in external activities. Parents gain confidence in visiting places with their children. Improve motivation amongst children. Improve literacy and science Although some parents are still developing these skills, other parents have stated that they feel a lot more confident in supporting their child at home. Improve maths – improved KS2 SATS results Better relationship with school and children Improved confidence for parents. All pupils showed improved motivation and took part in all the activities. They found activities fun and exciting but also showed a great deal of understanding in their learning and development. Parents and toddlers had a fun day and during feedback, they emphasised the need for such sessions which allow parents to get involved and engage with their child. Improved literacy Build better relationship with children and school. Improve communication skills.
82
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Family Learning day
29.06.09
All day event to promote family learning. Various activities are offered to parents to engage in with their children.
548
Weekend Story telling at Rich Mix
18.07.09
Story telling from around the world. Engages with families and children in a fun and interactive way.
25 children 12 Parents
Summer Holiday French Club @ St Hilda's Community Centre in partnership with Mind Your language Summer Holiday Year 6 & 7 Transition Camp
10.08.09 (5 Days)
Continuation of the Easter French club. Students got to participate in French cooking, games and sports to enable them to learn French.
13,18,16, 18,21
24.08.09 (5 days)
Summer camp organised at BGTC for year 6 and 7. Enabling year 6 students to become secondary school ready and overcome fears of starting school.
41,32,30, 29,29
Literacy Workshop (parental engagement Team)
23,09,09 4 weeks
4 week literacy workshop delivered in partnership with the parental Engagement Team. Workshop designed to enable parents to better support their children's learning at home.
8
Cake & Bake Literacy Workshop
6.10.09 (10 days)
These workshops work with parents to create recipes of popular food items which are cooked at home. Parents learn how to weigh ingredients and write a recipe. They then deliver a practical demonstration workshop
10,9,15,16,15
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
This was a great success. Families spent the day together taking up a number of activities. Children had fun and parents had an opportunity to take part in that fun too. Improves relationships and communication between schools and families. Parents engage in activities as a whole family. There was good turnout for these two sessions where both parents and children to engage in story telling and beginning to understand cultural stories. Improve literacy and promotes creativity. Promotes community cohesion and removes cultural barriers. Utilisation of external community facilities. Improved motivation and attitude to learning. Develop foreign language skills. Improve cultural understanding and promote greater community cohesion. Improves literacy and creativity. The summer camp was a great success where children enjoyed learning in a fun and interactive way. They have developed confidence and feel more motivated towards learning. Children are secondary school ready and well prepared for the transition process. Children are able to make new friends. Parents benefited from these sessions and felt that their literacy skills have improved and therefore feel confident in supporting their child at home. Improved literacy – improved KS2 SATS Improved confidence amongst parents Improved literacy Improved numeracy Improved science Improved family learning, confidence and motivation.
83
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
Financial Management Workshop (BRAC UK)
08.10.09
Jake & Cake Theatre Show at Rich Mix
9.10.09
Weekend visit to Jake & Cake Theatre Show at Rich Mix
10.10.09
Weekend Super Sunday Film making Workshop
using their recipe. This enables sharing and doing similar tasks at home with their children. Practical financial management skills workshop delivered in partnership with BRAC UK looks at how to manage your money at home. Including the way we spend and save our money.
Awareness and development of key skills 10 parents
Improved numeracy. Improved confidence and awareness amongst parents. Promotes greater economic wellbeing amongst families.
Theatre production aimed at families and young children. The show allows children to develop their literacy skills by enhancing their imagination and creative thinking skills. Theatre production aimed at families and young children. The show allows children to develop their literacy skills by enhancing their imagination and creative thinking skills.
108 Children 16 staff
This was appreciated by many parents and children who enjoyed a fun and interactive way to develop their literacy skills.
38
11.10.09
Film making workshop designed to let families learn about digital animation using latest technology.
5 children adults
Weekend Story time Magic Carpet (Rix mix)
17.10.09
Weekend story time aimed at families with young children. Sessions explore tales from different cultures enhancing children’s understanding and promoting literacy and creativity.
15 Children , 7 Adults
Family Learning day
23.10.09
Family learning day targets families enabling them to come and access the school and engage in different activities with their children.
250
Families engage in activities together in a locally based organisation. Families feel more confident to do thing together in the weekend and holidays. Children are engaged in a constructive way and are able to participate in an activity during the weekends. Families learn how to use digital equipment, enhancing their technological awareness. Families feel more confident when using and understanding digital technology. Parents participated with their children by taking part in story telling and exploring the different cultures. Improve literacy and creativity Utilisation of local community facilities. Promote greater independence. This was a great success. Families spent the day together taking up a number of activities. Children had fun and parents had an opportunity to take part in that fun too. Improves relationships and communication between schools and families. Parents engage in activities as a whole family.
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
5
84
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Half Term Super film Making workshop (Rich Mix)
27.10.09
Film making workshop designed to let families learn about digital animation using latest technology.
12 Children with their families
Saturday Classes
7.11.09 (25 weeks)
Saturday classes aimed at year 6 and 7 to improve in core subjects including math, English and Science. Allowing year 6 and 7 to work together also facilitates the transition process and better prepares them.
35,48,51, 49,45,38
Eid & Xmas Card Making/writing workshop
19.11.09
Card making and writing workshop working with parents using quilting techniques to design their own cards. Session looks at the different ways to use a card and how to write messages for each different occasion.
14
Literacy Classes (Parental engagement Team) (3 sessions)
12.01.10 (3 weeks)
In partnership with the parental Engagement Team. The session engages with parents to develop better relationship between schools and parents and equip parents with skills to better engage with their children.
25,20,5
Numeracy Classes (parental engagement Team) ( 6 sessions) Saturday Classes
TBC
Numeracy workshop for parents to enable them to develop strategies to help their children with maths at home. In partnership with the parental Engagement Team Weekend Saturday Classes for all year 6 and 7 to help improve academic attainment in the core subjects of Maths, English and Science.
TBC
Improved maths
40,36,37, 33,32
Improve motivation Improved attendance Improve social capital and community cohesion Smooth transition Improved exam results
Forensic Science workshop
5.03.10
150
Improved Science
Jan - July
A fun pack day working with forensic scientists to investigate various activities.
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
Families learn how to use digital equipment, enhancing their technological awareness. Families feel more confident when using and understanding digital technology. The Saturday schools have been very successful where children have shown a great deal of motivation to learning and development. Improve Exams results. Improve numeracy, literacy and science Year 6 student make friends and confidence in started secondary school. Parents and children engage in structured activities outside schools. Improve motivation and confidence Improve awareness and develop creative skills Improves literacy and communication skills. Celebrates cultural diversity, removing cultural barriers and promotes community cohesion. Improve literacy Improve parent confidence to better support their children. Improve motivation and attitude to learning.
85
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Year 7 trip to the London Zoo
20.03.10
Trip organised to London Zoo primarily to improve pupil motivation and attitude to school to further enhance the transition process from year 6 to year 7.
110
Improved Science
Year 6 & 7 trip to the Natural History Museum
30.03.10
Weekend trip for year 6 and 7 to the natural History museum. To support the science curriculum currently being taught in Saturday school and Year 7
150
Improved science
Table 4 Objective: Improve Writing Skills for Children & Families Activity (28)
Date
Learning & Developing Process
Attendance
How to make a healthy Pack lunch (Osmani health Guides)
12.02.09
This aim of the session was to enable parents to 14 people learn about what makes a healthy balanced diet and the importance of a healthy pack lunch. The session focused on looking at the fat contents of common ‘junk’ food that is often found in pack lunches and the affects of junk food on children and the academic performance. Parents were then given the opportunity to explore healthier opportunities and make their own sandwiches.
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
Outcomes Parents and children are able to adopt a healthier lifestyle thus improve their attitude and motivation towards learning opportunities and encourage greater participation in wider community activities. Improved writing skills. Improved behaviour and concentration amongst children. The workshop also provided parents with tool kits on how to apply what they have learnt in the sessions. Example; keeping a food diary for 1 week to monitor what families consume in an average week. Additional sessions will be organised to monitor changes in behaviour.
86
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Basic Food Hygiene Course (BBTi)
02.03.09 03.03.09
This is a 2 day certified course, enabling parent to learn about food handling and food hygiene in the home. The course was delivered in English and Bengali and was well received by parents. Many parents requested to undertake this course to enable them to apply for jobs such as those in the in the catering industry or school kitchen.
12 parents
How to make a healthy pack lunch (Osmani health Guides)
03.03.09
This aim of the session was to enable parents to 5 Parents learn about what makes a healthy balanced diet and the importance of a healthy pack lunch. The session focused on looking at the fat contents of common ‘junk’ food that is often found in pack lunches and the affects of junk food on children and the academic performance. Parents were then given the opportunity to explore healthier opportunities and make their own sandwiches.
Taster classes in a wide range of subjects offered to parents. Session will run every Friday morning at BGTC.
13.03.09 19.03.09
Taster classes in a wide range of subjects were being offered to adults to determine the need / demand for adult classes.
2 sessions Total: 21 parents
Half term Year 6 Easter Booster Classes
06.04.09 (4 Days)
Booster classes made available to year 6 focusing on Maths, English and Science to enable them to further enhance their skills in these subjects.
12,12,13,14
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
Parents found the course really interesting and were able to acquire knowledge which they can apply at home and at work. 11 of the 12 parents passed the multiple choice exam, which was an achievement in itself as many of the parents speak little English. The course will be duplicated to other schools. Parents and children are able to adopt a healthier lifestyle thus improve their attitude and motivation towards learning opportunities and encourage greater participation in wider community activities. Improved writing skills. Improved behaviour and concentration amongst children. The workshop also provided parents with tool kits on how to apply what they have learnt in the sessions. Example; keeping a food diary for 1 week to monitor what families consume in an average week. Additional sessions will be organised to monitor changes in behaviour. The sessions proved very popular and enabled the project to determine what type of courses parents wanted to do. The sessions demonstrated a high need for ESOL classes at all levels. Also the demand for business administration course and health & social care courses. Information from this taster course will be used to develop classes for adults commencing summer term and in September 2009. Improved KS2 SATS results. Improved attendance Improved confidence and motivation.
87
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Easter French Club @ St Hilda's Community Centre in partnership with Mind Your language & Extended schools.
14.04.09 (4 Days)
Half term French club, fun and interactive way of learning French. Delivered in partnership with LBTH and run in St Hilda's East Community Centre. This club not only ensured a safe and supervised environment but also allowed children to develop another language.
14,15,15,15
Improved motivation and attitude to learning. Develop foreign language skills. Improve cultural understanding and promote greater community cohesion. Improves literacy and creativity.
Story telling KS 1 (Apples & Snakes)
17.05.09 (2days)
Story telling for KS1 and KS2 families after school. The storytelling sessions focus on cultural stories from around the world and are fun and interactive. It allows families to engage with children.
25 30
Puppet Making and Story Telling (Parental engagement Team)
25.06.09
Puppet making and story telling for parents and young toddlers. Promoting literacy and creativity. This activity also allows parents to encourage creative and communication skills amongst youngsters by engaging with them in story telling and puppet making.
10
Family Learning day
29.06.09
All day event to promote family learning. Various activities are offered to parents to engage in with their children.
548
Weekend Story telling at Rich Mix
18.07.09
Story telling from around the world. Engages with families and children in a fun and interactive way.
25 children 12 Parents
There was good turnout for these two sessions where both parents and children to engage in story telling and beginning to understand cultural stories. Improve literacy and promotes creativity. Promotes community cohesion and removes cultural barriers. Parents and toddlers had a fun day and during feedback, they emphasised the need for such sessions which allow parents to get involved and engage with their child. Improved literacy Build better relationship with children and school. Improve communication skills. This was a great success. Families spent the day together taking up a number of activities. Children had fun and parents had an opportunity to take part in that fun too. Improves relationships and communication between schools and families. Parents engage in activities as a whole family There was good turnout for these two sessions where both parents and children to engage in story telling and beginning to understand cultural stories. Improve literacy and promotes creativity. Promotes community cohesion and removes cultural barriers. Utilisation of external community facilities.
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
88
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Summer Holiday French Club @ St Hilda's Community Centre in partnership with Mind Your language & Extended schools.
10.08.09 (5 Days)
Continuation of the Easter French club. Students got to participate in French cooking, games and sports to enable them to learn French.
13,18,16, 18,21
Improved motivation and attitude to learning. Develop foreign language skills. Improve cultural understanding and promote greater community cohesion. Improves literacy and creativity.
Literacy Workshop (Parental Engagement Team)
23.09.09 4 weeks
4 week literacy workshop delivered in partnership with the parental Engagement Team. Workshop designed to enable parents to better support their children's learning at home.
8
Cake & Bake Literacy Workshop
6.10.09 (10 days)
10,9,15,16,15
Financial Management Workshop (BRAC UK)
08.10.09
These workshops work with parents to create recipes of popular food items which are cooked at home. Parents learn how to weigh ingredients and write a recipe. They then deliver a practical demonstration workshop using their recipe. This enables sharing and doing similar tasks at home with their children. Practical financial management skills workshop delivered in partnership with BRAC UK looks at how to manage your money at home. Including the way we spend and save our money.
Parents benefited from these sessions and felt that their literacy skills have improved and therefore feel confident in supporting their child at home. Improved literacy – improved KS2 SATS Improved confidence amongst parents Improved literacy Improved numeracy Improved science Improved family learning, confidence and motivation. Awareness and development of key skills
10 parents
Improved numeracy. Improved confidence and awareness amongst parents. Promotes greater economic wellbeing amongst families.
Jake & Cake Theatre Show at Rich Mix
9.10.09
Theatre production aimed at families and young children. The show allows children to develop their literacy skills by enhancing their imagination and creative thinking skills.
108 Children 16 staff
Weekend visit to Jake & Cake Theatre Show at Rich Mix
10.10.09
Theatre production aimed at families and young children. The show allows children to develop their literacy skills by enhancing their imagination and creative thinking skills.
38
This was appreciated by many parents and children who enjoyed a fun and interactive way to develop their literacy skills Improve literacy and creativity. Improve pupil motivation and attitude and attendance. Families confidently engage in activities together in a locally based organisation. Families feel more confident to do thing together in the weekend and holidays. Improve literacy and creativity. Children are engaged in a constructive way and are able to participate in an activity during the
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
89
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 weekends.Improve pupil motivation and attitude and attendance.
Weekend Story time Magic Carpet (Rix mix)
17.10.09
Weekend story time aimed at families with young children. Sessions explore tales from different cultures enhancing children’s understanding and promoting literacy and creativity.
15 Children , 7 Adults
Family Learning day
23.10.09
Family learning day targets families enabling them to come and access the school and engage in different activities with their children.
250
Saturday Classes
7.11.09 (25 weeks)
Saturday classes aimed at year 6 and 7 to improve in core subjects including math, English and Science. Allowing year 6 and 7 to work together also facilitates the transition process and better prepares them.
35,48,51, 49,45,38
Eid & Xmas Card Making/writing workshop
19.11.09
Card making and writing workshop working with parents using quilting techniques to design their own cards. Session looks at the different ways to use a card and how to write messages for each different occasion. Sessions are aimed at parents and enable parents to develop practical skills to enable them to do at home with their children.
14
Weekend Family festive Sculpture workshop (Rich Mix)
29.11.09
Weekend workshops for families to participate in building a 3 tier Christmas tree which will be on display at the Rich Mix Cinema until the 6th January 2010.
24
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
Parents participated with their children by taking part in story telling and exploring the different cultures. Improve literacy and creativity Utilisation of local community facilities. Promote greater independence. This was a great success. Families spent the day together taking up a number of activities. Children had fun and parents had an opportunity to take part in that fun too. Improves relationships and communication between schools and families. Parents engage in activities as a whole family. The Saturday schools have been very successful where children have shown a great deal of motivation to learning and development. Improve Exams results. Improve numeracy, literacy and science Year 6 student make friends and confidence in started secondary school. Parents and children engage in structured activities outside schools. Improve motivation and confidence Improve awareness and develop creative skills Improves literacy and communication skills. Celebrates cultural diversity, removing cultural barriers and promotes community cohesion. Families worked together with their children to build a community xmas tree. After the sessions, pupils were proud of what they had done as the tree was displayed. Children learned to work effectively in a team and develop their
90
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 confidence.
Card Writing and card making workshop
12.12.09
Literacy Classes (Parental Engagement Team) (3 sessions)
12.01.10 (3 weeks)
Creative Writing workshop for pupils to encourage them to write and be creative through designing the own keep sake card through a technique known as quilling (paper rolling). In partnership with the parental Engagement Team. The session engages with parents to develop better relationship between schools and parents and equip parents with skills to better engage with their children.
44
25,20,5
Pupils enjoyed this session and have shown motivation in learning and developing skills. Improved motivation and attitude to learning. Improve literacy skills. Improve literacy Improve parent confidence to better support their children. Improve motivation and attitude to learning.
Table 5 Objective: Encourage & Promote Family Learning Activity (31) Weekend Cinefilm Om Shanti Om and Bollywood Dance Master class Easter Celebration
Date
Learning & Developing Process
Attendance
Outcomes
Weekend Film and dance master class. The film allows families to watch an Indian Film together and then the Bollywood dance master class engages with families to work together and get fit. This encourages a healthy lifestyle as well as a great way to have fun with the family. Easter celebration at St Matthias School – a range of activities were organised for children and parents to take part in. This allowed a great way for parents to engage with their children and do activities together to encourage learning and development.
14
Families enjoyed the day together and enjoyed the dance sessions.
93
Everyone who attended the celebrations and took part in the activities have shown a great deal of interest in the activities.
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
91
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Maths workshop
7.05.09
Maths workshop delivered in partnership with the Parental engagement team. Course is designed to help parents with year 3 and 4 children to better support their children's maths at home.
6
1st Aid Workshop
27.04.09 (2 days)
15
Ocean Maths Yr 1 & 2
30.04.09
First aid for family’s workshop. Parents were able to get an accreditation for this and many have now been signposted to do the 4 day workshop to enable them to become qualified first aiders. Ocean maths project which works with families to engage in maths workshops. Course is designed to help parents with year 3 and 4 children to better support their children's maths at home.
Grand Union Music Project
13.05.09
Celebration of Bengali music for families.
250
Smoothie Making
14.05.09
Healthy eating programme for families. Looking at how to develop healthy recipes for children and families to try at home and promote healthy eating.
11
Ocean Maths Year 3
14.05.09
16 year 3 parents
English for Families
15.05.09 (8 sessions)
Ocean maths project which works with families to engage in maths workshops. This enables parents to develop their own skills so that they are better able to support their children at home. Intensive English speaking and reading classes. Practical sessions to look at ways to get around and speak to school staff. These sessions were designed to develop confidence in parents so that they are able to bring up issues and concerns with schools. Review of books that are read in the different year groups.
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
16 yr 1 parents & 17 year 2 parents
8
Parents were keen and showed a great deal of interest. Some parents indicated that they now feel confident in helping their children at home with maths homework. Majority of those parents that attended this workshop have signed up to the 4 day workshop. Although some parents are still developing these skills, other parents have stated that they feel a lot more confident in supporting their child at home. Families attended and spent the day taking part in the celebrations. It also gives parents the opportunity to engage with their children and talk about culture and music. Parents enjoyed learning practical tips and ideas to enable them to apply their skills and knowledge at home. Parents participated well in the workshop and were able to notice the benefits in supporting their children at home. This was found to be an extremely valuable course for parents as many parents often feel that they are not able to raise issues due to the language barrier. These sessions developed parents confidence in speaking in English.
92
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Weekend Visit to Wildlife Paradise park
16.05.09
Weekend family visit to wildlife paradise park. The park has a wide range of exotic animals and offers a wide range of activities for families to engage in.
123
This was a fun filled day for children and families.
First Aid
18.05.09 (2 days)
First aid for family’s workshop. Parents were able to get an accreditation for this and many have now been signposted to do the 4 day workshop to enable them to become qualified first aiders.
12
Another session where parents were able to understand the need for first aid.
Weekend visit to Cholchester Zoo
23.05.09
123
Families had a fun day.
Early years trip to Southend Seaside
16.05.09
Weekend family visit to allow families to spend the day together. This enables parents to engage with their children on different levels. Early years trip to enable parents with young children to actively participate in a outing and engage with other parents with young children too. This encourages social skills amongst pre-school children.
47
Families found the trip very valuable in terms of a way to allow their child to engage with other children.
Story telling KS 1
17.05.09 (2days)
Story telling for KS1 and KS2 families after school. The storytelling sessions focus on cultural stories from around the world and are fun and interactive. It allows families to engage with children.
25 30
There was good turnout for these two sessions where both parents and children to engage in story telling and beginning to understand cultural stories.
Ocean maths project which works with families to engage in maths workshops. This enables parents to develop their own skills so that they are better able to support their children at home.
years 4 & 5 and 15 parents
Puppet making and story telling for parents and young toddlers. Promoting literacy and creativity. This activity also allows parents to encourage creative and communication skills amongst youngsters by engaging with them in story telling and puppet making. All day event to promote family learning. Various activities are offered to parents to engage in with their children.
10
Another great session where parents participated and showed a great understanding of the importance of developing their own skills in maths and supporting their children. Parents and toddlers had a fun day and during feedback, they emphasised the need for such sessions which allow parents to get involved and engage with their child.
Ocean Maths Yr 4 & 5
Puppet Making and Story Telling
25.06.09
Family Learning day
29.06.09
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
548
This was a great success. Families spent the day together taking up a number of activities. Children had fun and parents had an opportunity to take part in that
93
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 fun too. Parents and children participated in story telling and showed interest in the stories from around the world.
Weekend Story telling at Rich Mix
18.07.09
Story telling from around the world. Engages with families and children in a fun and interactive way.
25 children 12 Parents
Cake & Bake Literacy Workshop
6.10.09 (10 days)
10,9,15,16,15
These sessions enables parents to share recipes and at the same time develop their own learning.
Financial Management Workshop
08.10.09
These workshops work with parents to create recipes of popular food items which are cooked at home. Parents learn how to weigh ingredients and write a recipe. They then deliver a practical demonstration workshop using their recipe. This enables sharing and doing similar tasks at home with their children. Practical financial management skills workshop delivered in partnership with BRAC UK looks at how to manage your money at home. Including the way we spend and save our money.
10 parents
Parents found this session very useful.
Family Learning day
23.10.09
Family learning day targets families enabling them to come and access the school and engage in different activities with their children.
250
This was a success where families got together and accessed a range of activities.
Tea tasting and ceramic glass painting at the Geffrye Museum
5.11.09
Working on the theme of herbs, these sessions look at the different ways we can use herbs in the home. Sessions are aimed at parents and enable parents to develop practical skills to then do at home with their children.
15 parents
This was a successful activity where parents enjoyed using their creative and practical skills.
Soap making at the Geffrye Museum
12.11.09
Working on the theme of herbs these sessions look at the different ways we can use them in the home. Sessions are aimed at parents and enable them to develop practical skills to then do at home with their children.
9
This was a successful activity where parents enjoyed using their creative and practical skills.
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
94
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Free School Meals Workshop
2.12.09
Workshop to ensure that parents are aware of their entitlement to free school meals.
6
Parents learnt about the entitlements and used this opportunity to ask relevant questions.
Mosaic classes (5 sessions)
13.01.10 (5 weeks)
In partnership with the parental Engagement Team. The session engages with parents to develop better relationship between schools and parents and equip parents with skills to better engage with their children.
9,9,12,
These classes are continuing and have so far been successful in allowing parents to develop a better relationship with their child’s school.
Pottery (5 sessions)
13.01.10 (10 weeks)
In partnership with the parental Engagement Team. The session engages with parents to develop better relationship between schools and parents and equip parents with skills to better engage with their children.
Literacy Classes (3 sessions)
12.01.10 (3 weeks)
Visit to London Metropolitan University Numeracy Classes ( 6 sessions)
TBC
In partnership with the parental Engagement Team. The session engages with parents to develop better relationship between schools and parents and equip parents with skills to better engage with their children. Inspirational visit to allow students and parents to find out what university is like.
Series of 10 workshops at Geffrey Museum (Jan - March
21.01.10
Gorsefield residential
13.03.10 13.03.10
TBC
Numeracy workshop for parents to enable them to develop strategies to help their children with maths at home. In partnership with the parental Engagement Team Series of workshops at the Geffrey museum in partnership with St Hilda’s, and Newham Asian women's group to design and create things for the home Weekend residential to provide families and opportunity to get away from London and spend quality family time engaging with their children.
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
Classes are to be continued and parents have so far shown a great deal of interest.
25,20,5
These sessions have allowed parents to develop and improve their literacy skills so that they are better able to support their child at home.
60
8,6,6
24
95
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
Table 6 Objective: Smooth Transition between Primary school and Secondary school Activity (13)
Date
Learning & Developing Process
Attendance
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
Outcomes
96
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Yr 6 Transition classes
08.03.09
Transition classes at BGTC commenced with the aim of easing the transition process from Yr 6 to Year 7. Classes in English and D & T are being offered to all year 6 pupils and parents in Tower Hamlets & Hackney.
4 weekend sessions 55 pupils
Yr 6 Open Evening ‘Meet the head teacher’
18.03.09 25.03.09
53 pupils
Yr 6 Open Mornings
Every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday March 2009
Summer Holiday Year 6 & 7 Transition Camp (Let me play)
24.08.09 (5 days)
The Open evenings were extremely successful in enabling parents and children to come and see the school and meet the staff and current Year 7 students. Yr 7 Students undertook a drama to show parents and pupils what BGTC is all about. The evening was welcomed by the head but led by Year 7 students who also managed the questions, which were posed by parents and children. Thus enabling parents and students to ask students and teachers directly about the school and raise their concerns. The aim of the open mornings was to enable parents and students to come and view the school during school hours. This allowed parents to see the school on a day-to-day running basis to enable them to make an informed decision about sending their children to BGTC. Summer camp organised at BGTC for year 6 and 7. Enabling year 6 students to become secondary school ready and overcome fears of starting school.
Secondary School Transfer Meeting for Year 6 and parents (Parental Engagement Team)
23.09.09
Secondary School transfer meeting to ensure that parents are able to make informed decision about secondary school option.
24
The evaluation of the sessions demonstrated that student benefit highly from early intervention to ensure that they are familiar with secondary school transition process and ready to commence in September. Students enjoyed Design & Technology and getting to know the school and meeting other Yr 6 students. Enable parents to make informed decision about secondary school choices. Parents and students feel more confident. Better relationship and communication between schools and families.
10 families
Enable parents to make informed decision about secondary school choices. Parents and students feel more confident. Better relationship and communication between schools and families.
41,32,30, 29,29
The summer camp was a great success where children enjoyed learning in a fun and interactive way. They developed confidence and feel motivated towards learning. Children are secondary school ready and well prepared for the transition process. Enable parents to make informed decision about secondary school choices. Parents and students feel more confident. Better relationship and communication between schools and families.
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
97
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Year 6 and parents visit to BGTC
29.09.09
Family visit to BGTC, including a detailed tour of the building and an opportunity to meet staff.
10 families
Secondary School Transfer Meeting for Year 6 and parents (parental engagement Team) Family Learning day
01.10.09
Secondary School transfer meeting to ensure that parents are able to make informed decision about secondary school option.
10 families
23.10.09
Family learning day targets families enabling them to come and access the school and engage in different activities with their children.
250
Saturday Classes
7.11.09 (25 weeks)
Saturday classes aimed at year 6 and 7 to improve in core subjects including math, English and Science. Allowing year 6 and 7 to work together also facilitates the transition process and better prepares them.
35,48,51, 49,45,38
Year 7 Transition workshop (Parental Engagement Team)
18.11.09 (3 days)
Transition workshop targeting year 7 parents. Aimed at developing greater working relationship between school and parents and encourage smooth transition from year 6 and 7.
8,6,11
Rich Mix Cinema Trip (Rich Mix)
06.02.10
Weekend Cinema trip for for year 6 and 7 students to watch 'Where the wild Things Are'
32 students 6 teaching staff
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
Enable parents to make informed decision about secondary school choices. Parents and students feel more confident. Better relationship and communication between schools and families. Enable parents to make informed decision about secondary school choices. Parents and students feel more confident. Better relationship and communication between schools and families. This was a great success. Families spent the day together taking up a number of activities. Children had fun and parents had an opportunity to take part in that fun too. Improves relationships and communication between schools and families. Parents engage in activities as a whole family. The Saturday schools have been very successful where children have shown a great deal of motivation to learning and development. Improve Exams results. Improve numeracy, literacy and science Year 6 student make friends and confidence in started secondary school. Parents develop greater working relationship with their school. Parents are able to voice their opinion and raise any issues. Parents are better equipped to deal with their children and the transition process. Improved exam results Improved attendance, motivation. Improved relationship and communication. This trip continues to support he transition process for year 6 and 7 students to improve the attitude and motivation to school. It
98
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 celebrates their commitment to Saturday classes. Visit to Allen & Overy (Allen & Overy, City Brokerage Link)
04.02.10
Workshop 2 to follow up how to support children and parents to gain work within the city. Targeted ay Year 6 and 7 to enable year 6 and 7 students to work together and think about preparing for their future.
23 Parents 22 children
Allen & Overy workshop (Allen & Overy, City Brokerage Link)
11.02.10
Workshop 2 to follow up how to support children and parents to gain work within the city. Targeted ay Year 6 and 7 to enable year 6 and 7 students to work together and think about preparing for their future.
60
Forensic Science workshop
5.03.10
A fun pack day working with forensic scientists to investigate various activities for year 6 and 7 students.
150
Year 7 trip to the London Zoo
20.03.10
Trip organised to London Zoo primarily to improve pupil motivation and attitude to school to further enhance the transition process from year 6 to year 7.
110
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
Improved pupil motivation and attitude. Improved attendance & Improved exam results Parents are better informed to support their children with career choices. Families are inspired. Smooth transition Improved pupil motivation and attitude. Improved attendance & Improved exam results Parents are better informed to support their children with career choices. Families are inspired. Smooth transition
99
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010
Table 7 Objective: Safe & Supervised Environment for Children during Weekends & School Holidays Activity (23)
Date
Learning & Developing Process
Attendance
Outcomes
Visit to the Science Museum
07.03.09
Parents were involved in the planning of the trip; deciding where to go and how to get there. Many parents and children were travelling for the first time on the underground. The trip has enabled parents to feel more informed and confident about visiting places with their families during the weekend and holidays.
60 parents and children
Visit to the Science Museum
14.03.09
60 parents and children
Weekend Cinema Visit to Rich Mix
5.04.09
Parents were involved in the planning of the trip; deciding where to go and how to get there. Many parents and children were travelling for the first time on the underground. The trip has enabled parents to feel more informed and confident about visiting places with their families during the weekend and holidays. Cinema trip to rich mix cinema for families and children.
The science museum trip was well attended by both parents and children. Parents familiarise themselves with using London transport and places of interest in London. Improved confidence for parents to undertake family outings in the weekend and holidays. The science museum trip was well attended by both parents and children.
Easter French Club @ St Hilda's Community Centre in partnership with Mind Your language & Extended Schools.
14.04.09 (4 Days)
Half term French club, fun and interactive way of learning French. Delivered in partnership with LBTH and run in St Hilda's East Community Centre. This club not only ensured a safe and supervised environment but also allowed children to develop another language.
14,15,15,15
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
60 (18 Parents, 22 children)
Families enjoyed a day out together. Families learn and develop confidence to utilise community based service provisions. Improved motivation and attitude to learning. Develop foreign language skills. Improve cultural understanding and promote greater community cohesion. Improves literacy and creativity.
100
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Weekend Cinefilm Om Shanti Om and Bollywood Dance Master class
Weekend Film and dance master class. The film allows families to watch an Indian Film together and then the Bollywood dance master class engages with families to work together and get fit. This encourages a healthy lifestyle as well as a great way to have fun with the family
14
Families enjoyed the day together and enjoyed the dance sessions.
This was a fun filled day for children and families to engage in external activities. Parents gain confidence in visiting places with their children. Improve motivation amongst children. Improve literacy and science. This was a fun filled day for children and families to engage in external activities. Parents gain confidence in visiting places with their children. Improve motivation amongst children. Improve literacy and science All pupils showed improved motivation and took part in all the activities. They found activities fun and exciting but also showed a great deal of understanding in their learning and development. There was good turnout for these two sessions where both parents and children to engage in story telling and beginning to understand cultural stories. Improve literacy and promotes creativity. Promotes community cohesion and removes cultural barriers.
Weekend Visit to Wildlife Paradise park
16.05.09
Weekend family visit to wildlife paradise park. The park has a wide range of exotic animals and offers a wide range of activities for families to engage in.
123
Weekend visit to Cholchester Zoo
23.05.09
Weekend family visit to allow families to spend the day together. This enables parents to engage with their children on different levels.
123
Isle of Wight Year 10 Kingswood residential
2 days
Weekend residential for year 10 students. Aimed at improving pupil motivation and attitude to learning. It also enables pupils to prepare for year 11.
50
Weekend Story telling at Rich Mix
18.07.09
Story telling from around the world. Engages with families and children in a fun and interactive way.
25 children 12 Parents
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
101
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Utilisation of external community facilities.
Summer Holiday French Club @ St Hilda's Community Centre in partnership with Mind Your language & Extended Schools.
10.08.09 (5 Days)
Continuation of the Easter French club. Students got to participate in French cooking, games and sports to enable them to learn French.
13,18,16, 18,21
Improved motivation and attitude to learning. Develop foreign language skills. Improve cultural understanding and promote greater community cohesion. Improves literacy and creativity.
Summer Holiday Year 6 & 7 Transition Camp (Let me play)
24.08.09 (5 days)
Summer camp organised at BGTC for year 6 and 7. Enabling year 6 students to become secondary school ready and overcome fears of starting school.
41,32,30, 29,29
The summer camp was a great success where children enjoyed learning in a fun and interactive way. They have developed confidence and feel more motivated towards learning. Children are secondary school ready and well prepared for the transition process. Children are able to make new friends.
Weekend Cinema Trip and Family Bollywood Dance Master Class (Rich mix)
26.09.09
An opportunity to view a film and attend a dance master class for families. This is a way to promote parental engagement which in turn allows children to feel motivated.
15 children 15 Adults
Parents engage with children Utilisation and familiarisation of external services. Families get fit and healthy. Improved confidence amongst families
Weekend theatre trip for parents - an Ode to my sisters (Rich Mix)
26.09.09
Controversial drama based on the Asian community.
15 parents
Utilisation and familiarisation of external services. Improved confidence amongst families. Promotes literacy and creativity. Raise awareness, break barriers
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
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Weekend visit to Jake & Cake Theatre Show at Rich Mix
10.10.09
Theatre production aimed at families and young children. The show allows children to develop their literacy skills by enhancing their imagination and creative thinking skills.
38
Weekend Super Sunday Film making Workshop
11.10.09
Film making workshop designed to let families learn about digital animation using latest technology.
5 children adults
Weekend Story time Magic Carpet (Rix mix)
17.10.09
Weekend story time aimed at families with young children. Sessions explore tales from different cultures enhancing children’s understanding and promoting literacy and creativity.
15 Children , 7 Adults
Half Term Residential
26.10.09 (3 days)
Half term Residential to Gorsefield resource centre in Stanstead. Facilitating family learning by allowing families to engage in structured activities together.
24
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
5
Families confidently engage in activities together in a locally based organisation. Families feel more confident to do thing together in the weekend and holidays. Improve literacy and creativity. Children are engaged in a constructive way and are able to participate in an activity during the weekends. Improve pupil motivation and attitude and attendance. Families learn how to use digital equipment, enhancing their technological awareness. Families feel more confident when using and understanding digital technology. Parents participated with their children by taking part in story telling and exploring the different cultures. Improve literacy and creativity Utilisation of local community facilities. Promote greater independence. Parents and children engage in structured activities. Improved motivation amongst families. Improved attendance and exam results.
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27.10.09
Film making workshop designed to let families learn about digital animation using latest technology.
12 Children with their families
Saturday Classes
7.11.09 (25 weeks)
Saturday classes aimed at year 6 and 7 to improve in core subjects including math, English and Science. Allowing year 6 and 7 to work together also facilitates the transition process and better prepares them.
35,48,51, 49,45,38
Weekend Family festive Sculpture workshop (Rich Mix)
29.11.09
Weekend workshops for families to participate in building a 3 tier Christmas tree which will be on display at the Rich Mix Cinema until the 6th January 2010.
24
Saturday School Xmas party
19.12.09
Celebration for Saturday school students. This allowed students to feel rewarded for their motivation towards their learning.
38
Holiday visit to Stratford Theatre - Aladdin
22.12.09
Holiday activity to watch a pantomime at the theatre for the whole family.
218
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
Families learn how to use digital equipment, enhancing their technological awareness. Families feel more confident when using and understanding digital technology. The Saturday schools have been very successful where children have shown a great deal of motivation to learning and development. Improve Exams results. Improve numeracy, literacy and science Year 6 student make friends and confidence in started secondary school. Families worked together with their children to build a community xmas tree. After the sessions, pupils were proud of what they had done as the tree was displayed. Children learned to develop key skills including work effectively in a team and develop their confidence. Children and staff were able to celebrate the achievements of Saturday’s school to improve the confidence of year 6 and 7 students. This was a great success with families. Families engage in a structure activity during the holiday. Improve literacy and creativity. Improve parent mobility.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Series of weekend activities @ Rich Mix (Jan March)
TBC
To provide family learning and recreational opportunities for the whole family to engage in the weekend and holidays.
Funded Through Excellence In Cities
TBC
TBC
105
Appendix 2 Partner Organisations
BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 N a m e of org anisa tio n Tower Hamlets CDA
Type organisa ti on Third Sector
LBTH Parental Engagement Team
Public sector local Authority
Tower Hamlets Community Health Guides St Hilda s East Community Centre
Third Sector & Public sector (PCT) Third Sector
BBTi
Private Sector
London Metropolitan Police
Public Sector
Rich Mix
Third Sector
BRAC
Third Sector
Weekend Cinema Theatre Trips Family learning workshops Coffee morning Meetings Bollywood Dance Master classes Story Telling Film Making Money Management Workshops
Science Museum
Private Sector
Science museum Trips
French Club
Third sector
Mind Your Language ‒ Club Tambour
Ocean Maths
Third sector LBTH Extended School (Public Sector) Third Sector
Family Maths sessions Funded through extended schools.
Grand Union Music project
of
Ac tiviti es delivered in par tn ership Bollywood dancing, Healthy Eating workshop Columbia Food Co-op Healthy Cooking Engaging Turkish Parents Literacy workshops Reading workshops Mosaic Classes Pottery Classes Parent Information Point session ‒ Secondary School Parent Voice Parent Volunteer Course Strengthening Families Course Puppet making Healthy Pack Lunch Smoothie making French Club Visiting St Hilda s Food Co-op th International Women s Day (8 March 2010) Geffrey Museum Basic food Hygiene First Aid Community safety session
Celebration of Bengali music
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English to English
Private
English for parents
Wildlife Paradise Park
Private
External trip for families.
Apples & Snake
Private
Story Telling Sessions.
Let me Play
Private
Year 6 & 7 Summer Camp.
Stratford theatre
Private
Theatre Trips.
Public & Third Sector
Creative Art Classes Family learning workshops.
Gorsefield Resource Centre
Public sector
Family Residential.
London Metropolitan University
Public
Inspirational Visit to the University.
Cambridge university
Public
Inspiration Visit to the university.
Allen & Overy
Private
Inspiration visit to Allen & Overy Skills based workshops.
Brokerage Citylink
Third sector
Skills based workshops.
London Zoo
Public / private
Science workshops. Visit to the zoo.
Natural History Museum
Public / private
Science workshops
Geffrey Museum Women s project
&
Asian
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Appendix 3 Pupil Survey
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Bethnal Green Collaboration Project Project Evaluation (Pupils) February 2010 The Bethnal Green Collaboration Project was set up to reduce barriers to learning and achievement by engaging children and families in activities which would lead to better outcomes for both parent and pupils. Pupils are therefore asked to record how they would rate their learning and development since their participation in the project and activities organised by BGCP. Name of the school you attend: Pupil Motivation & Attitude to Learning 1 2
I enjoy going to school and feel more confident since BGCP. I look forward to learning new things.
3
I now enjoy doing my homework.
Parental Engagement 1
My parents are more involved in the school since BGCP.
2
My parents attend courses to learn new skills so that they can help me with my school work. We now do more things together as a family.
3 4
1
I am now more confident in Maths.
2
The maths classes have helped me to further develop my numeracy skills. I am now more confident in Science.
4
Disagree
Unsure
Agree
Disagree
Unsure
Agree
Disagree
Unsure
My parents talk to my teacher and school about any issues that they have about my learning or the school.
Numeracy/Maths, Literacy & Science
3
Agree
5
The science classes have helped me further develop my understanding of science. I am now more confident in English.
6
My writing skills have improved.
7
I enjoy reading.
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Writing Skills 1
I am more confident in writing.
2
I now enjoy reading.
3
I have now joined the library.
Family Learning 1
I now enjoy doing activities with my family.
2
My parents are more involved in my learning since BGCP.
3
I have attended 1 family learning day at my school.
Transition Between Primary & Secondary School 1
I have attended the summer transition Camp.
2
I attend Saturday Classes.
3 4
Saturday School is an excellent way of getting ready for Secondary School. I feel more confident and ready about secondary school.
5
I have made lots of new friends.
Holiday & Weekend Activities 1
I attend a range of activities on weekends and holidays since BGCP.
2
I now do more activities on the weekend with my family.
3
I look forward to the weekends and holidays.
4
Organized weekend activities are a great way to make to make friends and learn new skills.
Agree
Disagree
Unsure
Agree
Disagree
Unsure
Agree
Disagree
Unsure
Agree
Disagree
Unsure
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Any other comments? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Thank you very much for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Your answers will help us to determine whether the project and its activities have improved both your learning and development. Please return all completed questionnaires to: Shanaz Rashid Bethnal Green Collaborative Project, Bethnal Green Technology College, Gossett Street, London E2 6NW
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Appendix 4 Parent Survey
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Bethnal Green Collaboration Project Project Evaluation (Parents) February 2010 The Bethnal Green Collaboration Project was set up to reduce barriers to learning and achievement by engaging children and families in activities which would lead to better outcomes for both parent and pupils. Parents are therefore asked to record how they would rate their child’s learning and development since their engagement and participation in the project and activities organised by BGCP. Name of school your child/ren attends:
Pupil Motivation & Attitude to Learning 1 2
My child enjoys going to school is more confident since BGCP. My child’s motivation towards learning has improved.
3
My child enjoys doing his/her homework since BGCP.
Parental Engagement 1
I am involved in my child’s school since BGCP.
2
I attend courses and workshops to develop my own skills to enable me to support my child’s learning. Since BGCP, I am more confident in expressing my views and opinions in school issues.
3
Numeracy/Maths, Literacy & Science 1 2
Agree
Disagree
Unsure
Agree
Disagree
Unsure
Agree
Disagree
Unsure
Agree
Disagree
Unsure
The maths classes have helped my child to further develop numeracy skills. The science classes have helped my child further develop his/her understanding of science.
Writing Skills 1
My child is now confident in writing.
2
My child now enjoys reading.
3
My child has joined a library.
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Family Learning 1
Since BGCP, we now enjoy doing activities together as a family.
2
We have attended 1 family learning day at my child’s school.
Transition between primary and secondary school 1
My child has attended the summer transition Camp.
2
My child attends Saturday Classes.
3
Saturday School is an excellent way of getting ready for Secondary School.
Holidays and Weekends 1 2 3
Agree
Disagree
Unsure
Agree
Disagree
Unsure
Agree
Disagree
Unsure
My child attends a range of activities on weekends and holidays organised BGCP. Since BGCP, we do more activities on the weekend with my family. Organized weekend activities are a great way to make to make friends and learn new skills.
Any other comments? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Thank you very much for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Your answers will help us to determine whether the project and its activities have improved both you and your child’s learning and development. Please return all completed questionnaires to: Shanaz Rashid Bethnal Green Collaborative Project, Bethnal Green Technology College, Gossett Street, London E2 6NW
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Appendix 5 Staff Survey
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Bethnal Green Collaboration Project (BGCP) Project Evaluation February 2010 The aim of the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project (BGCP) is to facilitate and enable all 4 schools within the collaborative to work together in partnership as well as other internal and external, services to reduce barriers to learning and achievement by engaging children and families in activities which would lead to better outcomes. Head teachers and internal staff who have been involved with the BGCP project are therefore asked to participate in a survey which intends to evaluate the impact of the partnership. This will enable us to evaluate the extent to which BGCP has achieved and enabled progress in terms of achievement, developing partnerships, sharing resources, ideas and expertise and how this in turn has benefited the pupils and parents. Name of school: Job Title: Partnership Working previous to BGCP 1. 2. 3. 4.
5.
BGCP partnership has been an effective way to support learning and development of pupils and parents to reduce barriers to learning. The school has developed a good working relationship with the other schools in the collaborative. BGCP has enabled schools to share resources, ideas and expertise across the collaborative for the benefit of the school, pupils and parents. BGCP has enabled schools to develop excellent partnerships with external organisations which are beneficial to our pupils and parents. I have visited 3 or more of the partner schools.
6.
Working together as a collaborative allows schools
2. 3. 4.
Agree
Neither
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
Agree
Neither
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Previous to BGCP we were already in regular contact with the other schools. Previous to BGCP our pupils and parents were already familiar and in contact with the other schools. Previous to BGCP I had visited 2 or more of the schools in the partnership. Previous to BGCP our school was already sharing resources, and ideas with the other schools. Partnership Working since BGCP
1.
Strongly agree
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7. 8. 9.
to tackle issues otherwise not possible alone. We intend to sustain our work with partner organisations beyond BGCP. BGCP partnership has facilitated a process for greater and more effective communication across the collaborative. The partnership has enabled greater mobility between the schools for parents, children and staff.
Please provide any other information on the partnership work and the impact it has had on pupils and parents of your school in terms of benefits. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you very much for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Your answers will help us to determine whether the partnership has made a difference to your school, your pupil and parents. Please return all completed questionnaires to: Shanaz Rashid Bethnal Green Collaborative Project Bethnal Green Technology College Gossett Street London E2 6NW
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Appendix 6 Parental Case Studies
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 C a s e Stu d y 1 - Jutiya K i r b y Mother of one, Jutiya Kirby has been attending many of the activities organised by the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project (BGCP). She has 1 son who attends Columbia School. She is a regular at the coffee mornings and has taken part in many workshops. She has participated in the Cake and bake classes, Ocean Maths, First Aid and the various weekend trips such as Stratford Theatre and Colchester Zoo. She is originally from Thailand and over the years has become more and more isolated as she is cares for her sick husband full time. However, more recently and whilst juggling her domestic duties, she has made every effort to take part in the activities as she feels they are helping her regain her confidence back and be more involved with her son s learning. Jutiya has enjoyed all the activities she s attended because she has had the opportunity to meet other parents and share experiences. She particularly enjoyed the cake bake classes because they offered a visual demonstration of how to cook and enabled her to understand the leaning processes involved. It is very hard for her to attend sessions because her husband may be unwell and she can t plan ahead but if she sees something that will benefit her then she makes sure she attends so she can learn. Attending the various classes has enabled Jutiya to further bond with her son. She has started baking with him after school and both have enjoyed weighing ingredients and working together to prepare family meals. Both Jutiya and her son have developed skills and understanding. As a family they have become much closer and even her husband has also started to take an interest. Attending the trips have helped her realise that she is capable of taking her son out independently and looks forward to organising a few day trips of her own. France is of particular interest at the moment and may even consider camping in the countryside. Jutiya faces a few problems in the class because she does not speak Bengali and has trouble communicating with the other Bengali women or taking part in discussions. However, she feels that BGCP project make every effort to keep her involved and wants more people to attend so she can learn more about different people and their lifestyle. She believes that everyone s children will grow up together so the parents and the community should make more of an effort to know each other and be more tolerant.
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C a s e Stu d y 2: Ru b y M a li k Ruby Malik is the mother of three boys, two of whom attend St Matthias Primary School and the youngest one is still at home. With her young son being a bit of a handful, she has struggled to attend many of the activities organised by the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project but has tried her best to attend and is really enjoying many of the activities. Her favourite activities were the cake and bake classes and the numeracy and literacy workshops where she developed new skills to enable her to better support her son s learning. She has also enjoyed spending the time with her friends and other parents. She attends the coffee mornings quite regularly but feels her son disturbs the others and this sometimes puts her off from attending. This was also one of the key reasons why she didn t take part in the day trips. Born and educated in Britain, Ruby has always been aware of how important education is for her children and has always tried to play an active role in supporting them. By attending the classes and coffee mornings, she has become more aware of what support her children need and can speak to the school if she has any concerns. Her attitude towards her eldest has changed because she feels he may have learning difficulties and is now approaching the situation in a more positive way. Her son feels very happy with his mum s involvement in the school because now he is getting more support from his mum and is doing much better in his school work. Ruby is keen to send her son to an Islamic Secondary School as he has expressed an interest and she is now worried about the financial implications of it. The project has answered many of her questions and guided her in finding out more information through the transition workshops. She wants to continue to take part in the project to enable her to further develop her confidence. She is also now considering going back to education and then employment herself. Providing more crèche facilities will benefit her so she can spend some time away from her son and concentrate on herself. Ruby would also like to gain the confidence to take her sons out for the day independently.
C a s e Stu d y 3: Juthsna Be gum Juthsna has two boys who attend St Mathias Primary School and Oaklands School but she has taken the opportunity to see the positive side and interact with both schools. At the age of 35, Juthsna has regularly participated in the many activities organised through the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project including maths and reading workshops, holiday and weekend activities and many of the parent workshops and classes. Juthsna has particularly enjoyed the weekend trips and parent classes as it has enabled her to spend more time with her children and also develop her own skills. Juthsna enjoys interacting with her children and feels more confident to support them in their learning. She shares her experiences on the project with her family and always makes time to talk to her sons about their school life and what they do. Her younger son was always a bit shy and reserved but now they talk about school work and do more activities together like baking cakes and cooking and going out in the weekends. Juthsna didn t know much about her children s school, the curriculum and what they were doing in school. Attending the activities. She is now better informed and more confident in approaching the school with any arising issues or concerns. Jutsna is focusing on getting herself a job as she has now completed her Level 3 in childcare. However, she worries what she will do with her own children and would like BGCP to organise workshops that would advice her on work skills and talking to other parents who work with young children. Overall, her children and her have really enjoyed taking part in all the sessions and hope to continue to do so.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 C a s e Stu d y 4 : Momotaj Be gum Momotaj, 32, has four sons who attend St Mathias Primary School and Swanlea Secondary School. She s originally from Bangladesh and she a house wife. Momotaj actively participates in many or the activities organised through the Bethnal Green Collaboration project and also volunteers to help at organising many of the sessions. She particularly enjoys the workshops where she is able to develop skills which help her to develop her own understanding to better support her children. She used to feel frustrated that she can t help her children and employ external tutors to help with her children. Through BGCP she has discovered alternative ways of supporting your children s learning which don t necessarily involve reading or writing. Now Momotaj focuses on creative ways of engaging with her children including spending time at the weekends and holidays by visiting places of interest and doing art based activities together. Momotaj and her children were very proud when she was given a certificate recently for 100% attendance and this has improved her children own motivation to attend school every day. Her children also enjoyed her cake decorating skills which they found amusing at first but now enjoy watching her and taking part. They have learnt to weigh ingredients and prepare their own written recipes. Momotaj is learning to be a better parent and the children s behaviour and attitude is improving. Spending more time with the children has enabled them to become closer ass a family and is more open in sharing everything with their mum and this has given her more confidence in discussing their school work and friends. Momotaj wants to continue to access the project services and continue to develop her own skills. She has made new friend across the collaborative and feels more confident in her community. The timing and the location of the projects are very convenient and user friendly. The project staff go out their way to keep them well informed and meet their specific needs. She wants more weekend and holiday trips for the family.
C a s e Stu d y 5: Suhana H a s s an Suhana, 32, has 4 children. Her children attend St Mathias Primary School and Bethnal Green Technology College. Suhana has attended the coffee mornings regularly with her friends and has also taken part in reading workshops, Ocean Maths, cooking classes, and trips to Gorsefield, Science Museum, paradise park and Bowling. She enjoyed all the sessions because she has a good time meeting up with other parents and family. She finds the project staff very friendly and considerate and thinks BGCP is much needed in this area. Suhana is a parent governor at St Matthias and also just been elected to stand as parent governor at BGTC. She thinks her decision to attend the coffee mornings was the best thing she did as this has opened up other opportunities to get involved in her children s learning. As a school governors so she takes part in the sessions to and be a positive role model for her children and other parents. By attending the different workshops and trips she has learnt to understand and value what her children do in school and is able to further support their learning. Previous to BGCP she always taught that museums and other public places of attraction were a boring but through this project she has developed the confidence to utilised community based learning opportunities to enhance her children understanding and also give them structured free time in the holidays and weekends. Her children have seen her confidence improve by being more involved and taking and active part in the various session. In addition to all the maths and numeracy support the project provides Suhana is talking maths classes at college as this is her biggest weakness when supporting her children s learning. Her literacy skills have improved significantly and she now incorporates family read booking time at hoem every day including on car journeys. Her children have been involved in BGCP from the onset and as a result her children seem to be enjoying their school work more and asking their mum for support.
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BGCP Evaluation Report February 2010 Her daughter Johura who started BGTC in September 2009 is now well settled in school. The support she received from BGCP was phenomenal in enabling the family to facilitate a smooth transition process as st BGTC was not their 1 choice of school and they were very cautious about starting there. Johura attended Summer transition camp and soon made friends there. Suhana would like more parents, especially dads, to get involved in the coffee mornings. This, she feels, will help parents to engage with their children more and will ultimately improve their children s academic attainment and overall achievement. Suhana wants want more combined parent and pupil sessions to enable parent like her to develop skills in supporting her children further.
C a s e Stu d y 6: A y sh a K am al Aysha, 35, arrived in London in 1998 and has two sons who both attend Colombia School. Aysha has taken full advantage of the activities organised by BGCP because it gives her chance to get out of her house and meet up with her friends and other parents. She s attended the coffee mornings on a regular basis. She s taken part in Ocean Maths, Health and Safety session, First Aid Course (all at Colombia School), a trip to the Science Museum, activities at Rich Mix and Stratford theatre and also the reading support classes. Aysha has relaxed demeanour about her and only takes part in the classes that she thinks she will enjoy and will benefit her children or herself. She is dedicated at supported her children learning through getting involved in school and external organisations. She has appreciated the maths and literacy workshops particularly. Her son enjoys maths and she has previously been unable to support him due to a lack of confidence, understanding and skills. Through attending the sessions, she is now able to understand that it s not just about being able to do the work but has learnt different techniques to support his learning. Her son feels that his mum is now much more encouraging and likes talking to her about his work. Because of the improvement in her son s attitude to work and her increasing support, Aysha feels that BGCP should try and organise more family orientated activities. The trips that they took were a break from their regular routines and the children enjoyed them because they were very familiar with the content. Aysha has a long list of activities that she would like BGCP to organise. Some of them are Cycling classes as she has never cycled before and a book club so they could read books and discuss them as part of a group. She would like more people to attend so they can all share their experiences as she is keen on finding out about other parent s experience.
C a s e Stu d y 7: M ahmood a J ai g i d a r Mahmooda, 30, has 2 children who attend Virginia School. She is a very active parent and is always involved in school and community based activities. She has participated in many programmes organised via BGCP including the Pottery classes, Silk painting workshops, the Parents Forum, Ocean Maths and many others. She feels she is very thankful to BGCP because by attending the sessions, she has even found the confidence to apply and successfully get a job. BGCP isn t just about school learning and the fact that it focuses on wider learning opportunities outside has enabled Mahmooda and children to develop other interests. She is also a parent governor in Virginia School and tried to be a positive role model for the community. Besides being overjoyed at becoming employed, she found many of the activities therapeutic and stress reducing. The project has enabled her to discover her creative side and now uses these skills to undertake creative sessions with her children both at home and outside. The project has further enables her to widen her social network in the local community too.
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For both her children, Mahmooda explains that she has always placed a great importance on their reading, writing and arithmetic skills. By attending the sessions, she has become aware that her children need to be more creative and now does aim to do activities with them that enhances that. Her parenting skills have also improved because she discussed her apprehension of going to work and the effects it might have on her children but by taking on board what other parents have done, she was able to deal with the change without too many problems. Mahmooda would love to continue with attending coffee mornings and the various activities but is unable to do so due to work commitments. She thinks the texting service is great and she still feels involved. Mahmooda would like more activities during the weekends to enable working parents to get involved. C a s e Stu d y 8: Sh a p l a Be gum Shapla, 26, has one daughter who attends St Mathias School. Shapla speaks Bengali and little English has been attending the BGCP coffee mornings, literacy and numeracy workshops and Mosaic classes. It is here that she has found out ways to help her child with her school work even though she has a language disability herself. In the classes and coffee mornings she was encouraged to read books and practice her writing which were not very good before but are much better now. She is able to help her child with her reading by listening to her and getting her into a habit of enjoying books and reading for pleasure. Conversing with the staff and parents has given her confidence in approaching the school if she has any problems. Her daughter is only 5 but she feels that it s important that she is aware of what she does from a young age. Her daughter is always happy to see Shapla in school and tells all her friends. Shapla has also become more confident in taking her little one out on day trips, even if it s shopping. Her daughter is better behaved and she is always learning. Shapla would like some exercise classes to be introduced so she can become healthier and keep up with her daughter.
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Appendix 7 External Partner Supporting Letters
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Dear Sir/Madam Bethnal Green Collaboration Project TheBrokerage Citylink is a not-for-profit organisation based in the City of London that runs programmes to help young people from local boroughs understand and access the City’s employment opportunities. We work with many City businesses, major law firm Allen & Overy being one of our major supporters. We talked to A & O about running pilot sessions for a new programme we are running called Preparing the Parents. The idea of this programme is to help parents at local schools understand the City and what it requires from job applicants so that they can advise their children about careers and their educational path. It was agreed that together we would try to set up sessions with Bethnal Green Technology College, which A & O supports, and it was at this point that we met Shanaz Rashid of the Collaboration Project. Shanaz was extremely positive about our idea and developed it by suggesting that we involve BGTC’s three feeder primary schools. She then enthusiastically took charge of communicating with the schools and signing up groups of parents and their children to come to the sessions. It has been very good to work with someone who immediately adopts such a positive, practical and proactive approach to our project. In addition Shanaz has been very good at keeping me informed about her progress in signing up the school groups. We have worked with BGTC over the years (we work with around 70 secondary schools from inner-London each year) but I hope that we will be able to continue working in partnership with the Collaboration Project and A & O to strengthen our ties with Bethnal Green in the future. Yours faithfully Frank Funnell
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Shanaz Rashid Senior Project Manager Bethnal Green Collaboration Project C/o Bethnal Green Technology Project Gosset Street London, E2 6NW 28 January 2010 Re: BGCP and Geffrye Museum Collaborative work Dear Shanaz, This letter is to confirm that the Geffrye Museum has been working in partnership with the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project (BGCP). We have worked together to deliver creative arts projects for parents from Virginia, Columbia Road and St Mathias Primary Schools. This has resulted in a series of six workshops that have taken place at both the museum and at the schools during the autumn term 2009. The parents have had the opportunity to explore the museum and its collections and gardens and to participate in creative activities related to the museum’s theme of home and garden. The aim of the project is to encourage these parents to feel ‘at home’ at the museum and to take advantage of the free family learning opportunities and activities on offer at the museum. The museum is also keen to make sure that it is relevant to local as well as national audiences and therefore working intimately with local partners and individuals is vital in achieving this. The museum currently works extensively with schools in London and also has a busy programme for families and communities. However, local Asian families were identified as under-represented within our visitor profile and therefore partnership working is essential in creating opportunities to meet new audiences and meet their needs. The opportunity to work with Asian parents through this collaborative project has been invaluable in achieving this. The experience of working in partnership with the BGCP has been very positive. We have found that colleagues there have been enthusiastic and committed and we have been able to share resources effectively (eg the museum has been able to provide exciting spaces and resources to inspire learning, the project materials and museum staff expertise, the BGCP have been able to provide the community link, organise and encourage participation and co-organise activity).
We look forward to continuing to work together this term. Yours sincerely, Alison Lightbown Head of Learning and Education And Julie Begum Asian Women’s Project Co-ordinator
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27 January 2010 To Whom It May Concern, Re: Partnership between Rich Mix and the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project Over the last 10 months Rich Mix has established an important partnership with the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project. The partnership has played a key role in developing Rich Mix’s audience development strategy by facilitating better relationships and communication with the four schools in the BGCP, that are all within walking distance of our venue on Bethnal Green Road. Rich Mix is a multi-arts venue and its education programme provides opportunities for young people to engage in and explore the creative industries through film, theatre, dance, music, visual arts and spoken word activities. The programme aims to develop young people’s knowledge, skills and interests, and advocate and nurture new and emerging talent. Both formal and informal education activities are offered at the venue for schools, colleges, families and young people. During the last 20 months Rich Mix has set up a new education programme with an emphasis on strengthening its relationship with schools and families in the local community. Our partnership with BGCP has been an important factor in enabling us to achieve this. Our aim is that these families develop a long-term relationship with Rich Mix and have a sense of ownership of the venue which is the only cross-arts venue in their local area. Rich Mix is also currently developing a music-making project with the Grand Union Orchestra and the four schools in the BGCP which we hope will further strengthen the partnership and the relationship with the children, parents and teachers. The communication with Shanaz Rashid, the BGCP Manager, has been excellent and she has been extremely supportive of the education programme at Rich Mix. I hope that we can continue to work closely with BCGP and build on our successful partnership to date. Yours faithfully, Thalia Cassimatis Education Officer
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Realising community potential through social enterprise.
Shanaz Rashid Senior Project Manager Bethnal Green Collaboration Project c/o Bethnal Green Technology Project Gosset Street London E2 6NW
8 February 2010
Dear Shanaz Bethnal Green Collaboration Project partnership work with Tower Hamlets CDA Tower Hamlets Co-operative Development Agency was established just over 25 years ago and our focus remains to work with the most disadvantaged sections of the community to promote co-operatives and well-being. Shanaz, through the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project, has enable Tower Hamlets CDA to reach many new beneficiaries including parents and children whom without her guidance and support we would never have been able to assist. Working with BGCP has enabled us to for the first time work so closely with schools which previously have proved very difficult. Having a contact person within the school allows us to work more closely with families and therefore the impact on those families has been greater. For example, Shanaz has advised and supported us in terms of the following projects: 1. Establishing a new fresh food co-operative at Columbia Primary School – this will be the first in Tower Hamlets to be based within a school. 2. Enhancing fitness of local people through operating Bollywood dance classes in Virginia Primary School, Columbia Road Primary School and St Mathias Primary School. 3. Cook and eat sessions to improve diet and to gain an understanding how to retain the nutritional values when cooking food. The approach of Shanaz has been inspirational as she always adopts a highly positively approach to achieving our goal and tackles any problems or set backs constructively. So we have learnt that when working as a team with Shanaz we will always achieve our objectives and targets and families are able to benefit in a greater way. We look forward to continuing to benefit from her skills in future years as we clearly both have a common agenda which is to work with local people to enhance their skills, confidence and health. Yours sincerely
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Gregory Cohn Chief Executive
BRAC UK
Dear Shanaz, I am writing to confirm that the Bethnal Green Collaboration Project (BGCP) and BRAC UK have worked together successfully in partnership on various initiative. We are extremely please with the outcome and value the partnership work. BRAC UK is an International Development organisation and as part of our wider programme the money management project aims to work with parents and student to raise financial awareness. The project focuses on financial inclusion and exclusion by getting people to manage their money and be proactive when it comes to dealing with financial issues and debt. As you may be aware economic wellbeing is a key part of the Borough's strategy to improve the financial literacy and our work involves working intensively with communities living in Tower Hamlets to achieve this. Economic disadvantage is a key contributor to educational disadvantage and we hope that our programme compliments the work of BGCP to raise academic achievement and aspiration in the Bethnal Green Area. Working with parents on money management will have a long term impact on the lives of the students as managing money is a generational skill that is learnt from parents. Helping people improve their skills around money and enabling them to pass this knowledge to their children is a safeguard against future exclusion and poverty. As a third sector organisation we find it extremely difficult to make links with schools and statutory organisation. However, the BGCP has facilitated an excellent working partnership and enabled BRAC UK to make important links within the schools in that collaborative. We have successfully delivered 4 workshops and hope to continue to work together. Working in partnership has enabled us to develop better communication links with the schools in the collaborative and enabled us to share resources and bring greater added value for service users. We hope to continue and build on this work beyond the lifetime of your project and wish the project every success. Regards Imran Jamal
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Economic Development Programme Officer
Ms Shanaz Rashid, Co-ordinator Bethnal Green Collaboration Project Bethnal Green Technology College London E2 6NW
January 26th 2010.
Dear Ms Rashid, It was very good to meet up with you recently to talk about expanding the collaboration that is already in place. We see this is an important and forward-looking initiative and are keen to participate. The Friends of Arnold Circus is an energetic community-generated charity with 450 largely local members. This coming year is particularly significant for us since it marks the centenary of the Grade II Listed bandstand on Arnold Circus, the centrepiece of the gardens, the Boundary Estate and our own work. To mark it, we have drawn up a very full and exciting programme. It is grounded in the locality, much of it through our active relationship with Virginia Primary School over four years that has encouraged a greater sense of pride and ownership of the neighbourhood. Work with children has been cross-referenced with outreach work carried out with the Women’s Project St Hilda’s East Community Centre, several of whom were parents of Virginia School pupils. The Collaboration offers the chance to strengthen and expand this successful foundation. There is no doubt that this could have longer term effects. We have found from experience that wider networking, social mixing and co-working is crucial to increasing children’s horizons and confidence. For Year 6 children contemplating moving up to BGTC, it has especial point and value. We look forward to exploring practical ways in which we can work together. With good wishes, Naseem Khan OBE, Chair.
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