Enabling parents to support their children’s learning

Information about the school

Ysgol Gynradd Talysarn is situated in the rural village of Talysarn in Gwynedd.  Most pupils live in the village and nearby villages.  There are 102 pupils on roll, including 15 pupils in the nursery class.  The school has 4 classes.

Approximately 50% of pupils come from Welsh-speaking homes, and a very few pupils are from an ethnic minority background.  Approximately 25% of the pupils are eligible to receive free school meals, which is higher than the national average.  There are 25% of pupils on the school’s additional learning needs register.   These figures are slightly above the percentages for Wales.  A very few pupils have a statement of special educational needs.

Description of nature of strategy or activity

Over time, the school has worked successfully with a wide range of partnerships.  As it is situated in a disadvantaged area, the school believes that it has a duty to ensure that it has an effective relationship with parents.  The school’s vision is to offer opportunities and experiences for pupils and their parents to spend enriched and special time in each other’s company without being impeded by challenging circumstances.  Two of the recent projects in which the school has been involved are ‘Llofnod Dysgu Teulu’ (‘Family Learning Signature’) and ‘Hwyl i’r Teulu’ (‘Family Fun’).

The ‘Llofnod Dysgu Teulu’ sessions are held with families in order to negotiate and gain agreement between the school and home on how parents can overcome difficulties such as commitment, skills, environment and culture, which can be frustrating when they try to support their children at home.  This has led to successful action which enables parents to support their children better.  One parent reported a simple example as a result of completing the ‘Llofnod Dysgu Teulu’, where the kitchen table is now being utilised as a place for the family to sit with each other every evening to eat, discuss and converse, rather than eating whilst sitting in front of the television.  There are examples where parents have noted that their children now have somewhere appropriate to complete their homework and that their family life has improved greatly, as they listen and show an interest in each other’s lives through discussion.

The school council organised ‘Hwyl i’r Teulu’ sessions with a Welsh language officer from Gwynedd authority, in order to continue to co-operate with the families and to build parents’ confidence to speak Welsh with their children.  A number of fun sessions were held for the pupils and the families to meet after school, including in dance, acting and art sessions, and a visit from a librarian and the character ‘Strempan’ from the Rala Rwdins book series.  The sessions contributed successfully towards the bilingual skills of pupils and their parents, and more families attended every week.  The parents have requested the ‘Hwyl i’r Teulu’ sessions again this year.

What impact has this work had on the quality of provision and learners’ standards?

• The ‘Llofnod y Teulu’ sessions support parents to overcome difficulties in supporting their children at home.  This has enabled parents to give their children better support.
• The ‘Hwyl i’r Teulu’ sessions with a Welsh language officer from Gwynedd authority are successful in building parents’ confidence to speak Welsh with their children.  The sessions contribute successfully to the bilingual skills of pupils and their parents. 
• The wellbeing of pupils is improving and they show pride in their contribution towards several aspects of school life.  As a result, their attitude to work is outstanding and there has been a positive impact on pupils’ standards and wellbeing.  It also extends their learning experiences effectively.

How do you share your good practice?

Ysgol Gynradd Talysarn has shared its practices with several other schools.  The headteacher and assistant headteacher have shared practices and aspects of the work in meetings with Gwynedd language co-ordinators and with a staff group from   co-operating schools which receive support from the school.