For many people with children, what they learn at school is a bit of a mystery.

Far removed from their own educational experience, the current methods of teaching, national educational strategies and even the words used in schools nowadays can be very confusing.

What is Family Learning?

Family Learning aims to address these concerns by drawing adults into learning with their children. Through courses run predominantly within primary schools, family members can attend programmes to help ease some of these worries about schooling.

Some courses are just for fun; 'Healthy Cooking' or 'Digital Crafts', for instance, encourage children and adults to learn new skills together. Other courses, such as 'Keeping Up with the Children' and 'Family Literacy/Numeracy' are focused on showing adults how children are taught maths and English, and how the child might be supported in his/her school work. There are even pre-school courses available, such as 'Early Start', which encourage parents to begin to influence their child's learning at a very young age.

These Family Learning programmes have proved very popular, with learners advising that they are now better able to help their children, and that their own skills have improved, which has been of benefit at work or socially. Indeed, many adults go on to gain qualifications through Family Learning. Schools too have reported favourably that family members who attend these courses appear to be more comfortable in their dealings with the school, with many more becoming actively involved in school life.

Find out more

If you would like to find out more about Family Learning in your area, please contact the Family Learning Team on 01743 355159.

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