Learning at home, learning at school, An action research project

Working with Families model

The first scheme is the 'Working with Families' model. This takes a coordinated approach to build schools' capacity to work with parents, through a series of linked activities to build relationships and improve home-school communication. The approach was developed in Northampton, as the 'tailored' strand of their Excellence Cluster funding.

The main success criteria are;

The scheme also focuses on adult learning, with the aim of supporting parents into learning opportunities, volunteering or employment. The scheme has been the subject of an independent evaluation, for which a final report is available.

Working with Families was selected for the project as an example of a whole school capacity-building approach towards involving parents in their children's learning. It centres on a particular role (the Family Support Worker) for brokering access to resources on behalf of families, and ensuring two-way knowledge exchange between school and home.

The action research stage of the project will entail transferring elements of the model from Northampton to Tower Hamlets, with support from the local authorities involved.