Coffee Groups - Working with parents in Perth and Kinross
As part of the integrated community schools initiative in Perth a series of adult groups have been set up to support families and to give access to adult learning opportunities.
Adults are encouraged to either just drop in for a coffee and a chat, to attend an accredited course within a community school or to be involved in helping to shape policy in the school attended by their son or daughter.
'We aimed to build relationships with parents to help to break down barriers to learning and to build good relations between parents and schools.'
Tricia Illsley, coordinator of the North Perth Community Schools Team
The Drop In
The first of these groups is a drop in where parents and carers are encouraged to come along to have a cup of coffee and a chat with other parents. The drop in is informal and gives parents and carers informal contact with the Community Schools Team and other professionals.
Based in the school or nursery, it is handy for parents dropping off children and it encourages parents to see the school as a place which they can also use and feel comfortable in. The drop-ins are held once a week and five parent drop-ins are run at schools and nurseries in the Perth Academy cluster. A crèche is provided for each of the sessions to enable parents with younger children to come along.
The drop in is open to all and it is promoted through leaflets, community and school newsletters, the local newspaper and by word of mouth. Parents are also encouraged to come along by members of school staff, lecturers, nursery nurses and Health Visitors and any parent experiencing difficulties is given an extra encouragement to drop in to the group.
Once the drop in is established, a programme is developed to suit the needs of the parents in the group. Some weeks a special topic is advertised and people are invited to come to it. This might involve practical work like healthy cooking or play with children or could involve discussion with other parents about the move up from nursery to primary school.
Next steps
From the drop-ins parents are given opportunities to join in other activities and courses. These range from family holiday activities and family technology classes to groups sharing ways of handling teenager behaviour or of developing healthy lifestyles. Some parents move on to helping in the primary and secondary schools as volunteers. For some, the move from drop-in gives them the support and confidence to progress to adult learning.
Coffee Plus and Coffee Too
Both courses are informal, activity – based programmes with the activities chosen by the group themselves.
'We said to the coordinator we want something for us! Some time out from the children'
Parent
Coffee Plus provides the informality of the drop in and focuses on personal and social development learner needs while building confidence and positive relationships in a group environment. The programme is delivered by a worker from the Community Schools Team and a tutor from Perth College, with support from visiting speakers and tutors. It is based in Goodlyburn Primary school, and while participants are all enrolled as Perth College students, each session is very informal and the programme is offered free of charge. Members of the group have tried a variety of art activities, 'health for all', photography, assertiveness and have had visits to the local careers service.
'I have done a lot of things that I would not have had the chance to do. I have completed a Communications module that a year ago I would have thought I could not do. It feels great.'
Parent
Coffee Too is an accredited course and is also run within an informal setting and this group provides a more extensive and comprehensive personal development programme. The groups are involved in variety of activities including anger management, art sessions, colour therapy, assertiveness and keep fit. Members of the group have support in writing curriculum vitae (CV) and have had careers guidance. Some participants attended courses in basic computer training, literacy and numeracy and these have been accredited through ASDAN and Scottish Qualifications Authority.
Coffee Extra
These groups consist of parents who want to continue to meet but who are increasingly independent and ready to take on the responsibility of running a constituted group.
A parent conference has been organised by this group. This was also very effective as a focus group giving parental feedback to school management staff on school policies such as the homework policy.
Family learning and Family support
The drop in and the coffee groups are essential links in the chain of community schools activities, helping to build the relationships that enable individuals and families to access family learning and family support.
From this starting point, individuals and families will go on to access a variety of learning opportunities both in term time and during the school holidays.
'The informal opportunities represent a key access route to other services as well as performing their essential roles of building confidence, providing information and helping some of the parents to develop new social and support networks'
Kirkpatrick, D.: North Perth New Community School, Independent Evaluation 2003: pages 16-17
The key to the success of this adult learning programme is its informal setting in which individuals can develop relationships and where they are given accessible learning opportunities to meet their needs.
Achievement
By enabling parents to achieve and value their own learning, they encourage their children to value education and meet their potential.
Yvonne's story
Audio file: Yvonne's story (3MB)Yvonne's story transcript
'My involvement with the New Community School started when I received a leaflet from my children's school informing us about a family IT session that was about to start. As we were thinking about buying a computer for the children and as neither my husband nor my self knew anything about them, we thought it would be a good idea to along and learn. I started to go with my husband and daughter and my youngest son went to the free crèche that was provided. We all went together for a few months, but I am the only one who has stayed with it and I am now doing an IT Certificate with Perth College at these sessions.
I have also attended a coffee morning group, where a group of women meet every week. We did things like assertiveness, aromatherapy and arts and crafts. We also did an SQA in Communications Intermediate 2, which at first I found a bit of a challenge, as I had not done anything like that since I left school 20 years ago.
However, I found that I really enjoyed it and it was a real boost to my confidence to be able to say that I have some sort of qualification. We also had a few visits with Careers Scotland. This was a good help to me as it helped me to decide what I wanted to do in the future, when my youngest son went to school, and helped me to find out what qualifications I needed that would help me get the kind of job I would like to do, as opposed to having to work in a job that did not make me happy, just for the money. At these sessions, Linda Alexander helped me write a C.V. and I was amazed to find that I had something to write on it. In the past I have not applied for jobs that have asked for a C.V.
I then started at Numeracy Group where I am doing an SQA Intermediate 1 Certificate. This group has been a great help to me, as I have been able to help my oldest son with some of his homework and no longer have to tell him to go ask Dad.
I also attend a book writing group, where I have been amazed to discover that I do have something to write about and have also learned that I am not a bad poet although I don't think my teenage son will think that when he reads my piece about teenagers and will be even less pleased when he finds out it's going into a book. These sessions have also helped me to encourage my daughter with her stories that she likes to write at home.
Through the New Community School I have also become a parent helper at Goodlyburn School and I am currently helping in the P1 class one morning a week. I think that from all the activities that I do at the New Community School, this is the one I enjoy the most. I do things like photocopying, laminating and picture mounting for the teacher, but best of all, I like helping the children in the classroom. It has also helped me at home with my youngest son who is in the other P1 class, as now I know how the teacher teaches it and don't get into trouble for doing it wrong.
I think all the studying I have done through the New Community School has had a positive effect on all my children, but especially on my oldest son who has never been interested in school except for the social side of it, but for the first time last year studied for his prelims. And I am pleased to say he has dome very well in most of them and got a very good report back from the school. I think seeing his mum having to study now at the age of 36 has made him realise that maybe it's better to do it while he is still at school.'