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

Law and citizenship education scheme

The sixth scheme is a school-based parent education course, on the theme of 'Law and Order'. The scheme was developed on the Isle of Wight with Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funding; to raise awareness of youth justice settings, develop relationships between schools, parents and justice organisations, and generate family discussion. The scheme is ten weeks in duration, offering National Open College Network (NOCN) accreditation.

The main success criteria are;

The NOCN accreditation at Levels 1 and 2 also provides an opportunity for parents to further their own learning or employment prospects, if this is appropriate for them.

The scheme was selected for the project to capture the wider citizenship and community aspects of children's learning. It provides an example of a multi-agency model, where the schools' involvement is one of brokering access to other agencies. The scheme also enables a 'cascade' approach to be explored through the research, whereby parents are empowered with knowledge, which is then raised independently within a family setting.

The action research stage of the project will entail transferring elements of the model from the Isle of Wight to Nottingham, with support from the local authorities involved.