Garibaldi School - Working together with Parents

The Garibaldi School in Mansfield, Notts, has put a great deal of effort into making itself into a resource for the whole community. Parents are encouraged to get more involved in their children's education, and in continuing their own, through a range of different schemes.

Better Reading Partnership Scheme

Parents work with targeted pupils over a ten-week period to improve their reading skills. The scheme is aimed at Year 7 pupils currently achieving Level 3 in English (reading) to help them to progress towards Level 4. The parents receive two days training to develop skills and strategies that will support the reading progress of pupils.

The Better Reading Partnership Scheme is designed to offer a boost in reading ability by studying three texts on a rotational basis. The texts are varied and give students the opportunity to read narrative, poetry, information books and plays. The intention is, that the work done in school will be supported at home through reading with parents or carers.

Family Learning Scheme

This nine-week course is aimed at improving literacy levels of both pupils and parents and to give parents an increased understanding of how they can help their child.

The course is based on an ICT package called 'Storybook Weaver' where pupils design and write a book. The package has full colour graphics where the inserted pictures can have sound and movement added.

The course is accredited and parents gain an Open College Network qualification. External, qualified tutors run the course.

Post-16 courses

All Post-16 courses at the school are open to all adult learners, many of whom are parents of pupils in the school. They can access courses free of charge and join the younger 16-18 year old students in their classes. We find that their contribution enhances the learning of the younger students, as well as giving the adults the opportunity to gain further qualifications in their chosen field.

Garibaldi Online

There is a community ICT centre on site at Garibaldi School, which is open to the public. The Centre is run in partnership with the local FE college who manage it and run a range of courses. The Centre also has a crèche facility, and parents and toddlers sessions.

Breakfast

The school serves breakfast from 8am each morning, and invites parents to attend with their children, giving them an opportunity to talk informally with teachers.

The school also runs summer schemes in literacy and study support during the summer holiday period, when parents join their children for breakfast at the start of the day. This helps to involve parents in learning, and some stay on to help our during the rest of the day.

Community Visits

As part of the Adult Learning programme, teachers go out into the community to encourage parents and other adults to take advantage of the learning opportunities offered by Garibaldi School. To learn more about the Garibaldi School's work with parents, see their website at http://www.garibaldi.org.uk