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PARENTS MATTER Jackie Cannell March 2014

PARENTS MATTER Jackie Cannell March 2014. AIMS OF THIS WORKSHOP. To share our experiences of the Project with NAMSS colleagues. To show how we’re re-thinking the way we engage with migrant families and our communities. BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT.

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PARENTS MATTER Jackie Cannell March 2014

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  1. PARENTS MATTERJackie CannellMarch 2014

  2. AIMS OF THIS WORKSHOP • To share our experiences of the Project with NAMSS colleagues. • To show how we’re re-thinking the way we engage with migrant families and our communities.

  3. BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT • ‘Parents Matter’ is a ‘Leonardo Da Vinci’ funded project. • Pan-European research found that drop-out rates in some communities can be up to 20%. (This was as a result of inappropriate course choice, minimal careers input and lack of parental support.) • The Project’s aim was therefore to: • work with parents whose first language is not English to improve the support they can provide to their son/daughter to help them make realistic choices to improve their future education and work-related outcomes. • raise awareness and to develop materials for professionals that improve the integration of parents, whose first language is not English, into the support of their son’s/daughter’s post-16 education.

  4. EUROPEAN PARTNERS Only partners providing post-16 Vocational Education were involved. We were the UK partner. Other countries participating included: • Germany • Holland • Italy • Spain • Turkey

  5. INTERNAL COLLEAGUES INVOLVED • The Project required the co-operation of a range of staff. I particularly relied upon the expertise and time of our: • IAG Team • Heads of Faculties • Lecturing Staff • ESOL/TEFL Manager

  6. WORK PACKAGES • The Project was divided into 10 Work Packages. • CRC joined the Project about half way through when another UK Partner College withdrew. • Work Packages 1-4 covered: • Establishing Project Structure • Establishing Quality Assurance Processes • Preparatory Research • Mini Conferences

  7. WORK PACKAGES (cont.) We picked up on Work Package 5 (Policy Development) onwards: • Work Package 5 – Policy Development • Work Package 6 – Parental Activities • Work Package 7 – Resource Development • Work Package 8 – Testing Materials • Work Package 9 – Evaluation and Improving • Work Package 10 – Implementation • Looking at these in more detail…

  8. WORK PACKAGE 5 • The UK has a well-developed approach to IAG. • We adapted our existing IAG Policy and Procedure, incorporating research and elements relevant to future work with migrant parents. • However, not all partners have an established national framework for IAG e.g. Italy and Turkey.

  9. WORK PACKAGE 5 (cont.) The UK draft Policy and Procedure documents were circulated to 3 external partners for their feedback and views as to their suitability. We worked with: • Cambridgeshire Youth Support Services • Long Road 6th Form College • Bedford College Questions were around implementation and resources needed to do this e.g. community liaison, range of languages etc.

  10. WORK PACKAGE 6 As part of this Package, the team devised a range of activities for the target group including: • LMI Leaflet • Parents Matter information available on College website • An Information Event • 1:1 interviews with our ESOL students • Visits to community groups • Parents’ Workshop

  11. WORK PACKAGE 6 (cont.)‘SMOGGING’ IS ESSENTIAL! • We had to ‘SMOG’ all communications (SMOG stands for: Specific Measure Of Gobbledegook) via a SMOG readability Calculator, found at: http://www.readabilityformulas.com/smog-readability-formula.php • This calculates a reading age index. • All literature produced was reduced to a reading age of Entry level 3 (lowest level) to ensure materials were accessible for all ability levels.

  12. WORK PACKAGE 6 (cont.) • Some activities were more successful than others! • Parental attendance was low at events held in College. For example, our Information Event linked to the College Open Day and a Parents’ Workshop (early evening) both attracted a handful of parents. • Going to community groups was more successful, however, there was no guarantee that our parents would be in the audience! However, events targeting these groups after the initial visit were well attended.

  13. WORK PACKAGE 6 (cont.) What we learnt: • To work closely with community groups and organisations off-site to continue to improve links and access to services. • To recommend that ‘Smogging’ is used when developing materials aimed at the ESOL community or when promoting events to the wider community where level/ability is unknown. • To alert teaching staff to the issues they may face if they have ESOL learners in their classes and to consider strategies for overcoming these.

  14. WORK PACKAGE 7 The objectives undertaken by CRC in this package centred on the development of resources for Careers Advisers: • Produced a ‘Top 10’ tips to engage careers advisers • Suggested an idea to provide Labour Market Information • Case Studies produced using outcomes from Work Packages 5 & 6

  15. WORK PACKAGE 7 (cont.) • For the UK, I would suggest the most useful information came as a result of the ESOL student interviews. • These were used to develop case studies which highlight the journey that some children of migrant parents take to access education and what happens as a result of being able to access professional IAG. Please see Sara’s case study…

  16. WORK PACKAGE 7 (cont.) Sara’s Case Study… • Sara is Polish, she attended local school and lives with her mother and 3 brothers aged 7, 13 and 22. • Her mother doesn't speak any English and works as a cleaner. Her mother does not come to Parents Evenings and is not able to communicate with Sara's tutors. Her mother doesn't have the time to do anything else. • Sara’s school supported her to apply to CRC for Hairdressing approx.18 months ago. Sara couldn't speak any English at the time and was recommended to attend ESOL which she completed last May. • Sara came in for a careers interview and enrolled on a Business course.

  17. WORK PACKAGE 8 • Evaluation hasn’t been 100% successful as we have faced significant language barriers. • However, going out into the local community has been a good idea, and we are establishing links with the various communities e.g. Polish, Bangladeshi, Chinese etc.

  18. WORK PACKAGE 8 (cont.) • We had to adapt the activities to be tested based on the knowledge and contacts made with own communities. • As an example, we adapted Spain’s separate events - visit to an employer, computing taster and basic English language for a group of Bangladeshi parents (not all were parents of students at CRC)providing all on one visit and changing the focus – visit our commercial salons, conversational English and basic Skype! All very successful!!

  19. WORK PACKAGE 9 • Evaluation results were collated by the Quality Assurance lead. • Adjustments were made to materials and the guidelines that accompanied them. • This was one of the more difficult aspects of International negotiations as each partner had a very different perspective of IAG, and, of course, our migrant communities and our cultures are different too.

  20. WORK PACKAGE 10 • This Work Package focussed on dissemination of the Project findings and resources. • Each partner was tasked with creating an action plan as to how the finished products could be cascaded. • Some materials are available on the Parents Matter website: www.parentsmatter.eu • Please note, this website is still under construction.

  21. OUTCOMES • Additional income generated by the Project • Higher profile in the community with requests to visit parent community groups • Higher profile with the Local Authority evidenced by requests for representatives on various Groups • And, through this last bullet point, a greater understanding of the revenue opportunities this networking can create… • …which is providing more contact with the local community.

  22. FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS • To recommend that ‘Smogging’ is used when developing materials aimed at the ESOL community or when promoting events to the wider community where level/ability is unknown. • To alert teaching staff to the issues they may face if they have ESOL learners in their classes and to consider strategies for overcoming these.

  23. FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS (cont)… • How will we respond to language and communication requirements? • Will information be printed in a range of different languages? • Will we adopt formal procedures to call upon our own staff with language skills to overcome language barriers? • How will we respond to requests to visit community classes/meetings? • How do we sustain the work of the Project in the future?

  24. THANK YOU… • … Anymore questions? • My contact details: Jackie Cannell Head of Learner Services Cambridge Regional College Email: jcannell@camre.ac.uk Tel: 01223 418236

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