Family Learning National Tracking Survey

Initial FindingsFiona Himsworth/Mhairi Dunn

CYC, (Updated) June 2014

The surveySo far, 19 local authorities have taken part. Between February and April 2014, we interviewed a total of 296 respondents, selected at random from individuals who completed courses in the past 2 years.

Questions were based on previous Family Learning Impact Funding work around the effect of Family Learning courses on various areas of progression:

within Family Learning other learning or training increased involvement in voluntary and community activities new or improved employment increased confidence and personal skills increased ability to support children's learning and development improvement in child/children's achievement at school

Information has been put in in coded format to enable shared use of data whilst participating authorities are able to pull on records for case studies, etc.

The LearnersDid their courses 6-12 months ago 69%

12-18 months ago 18%

18+ months ago- 13%

Mainly taking place in schools and children’s centres

35% Wider Family Learning

65% Family English Maths& Language

For 59%, this had been their first Family Learning course.

Course Length 10-19 hrs – 42%

20-39 hrs - 40%

40+ hrs - 18%

96.5% female, 3.5%male – challenge no 1!

The Learners

Male

Female

Number of children in the immediate or extended family

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Number of Children

Number of Families

1 child 24 %2 children 40%3 children 18%4 children 10%5-8 children

8%

(282 families)

Family Learningaverage 2.42 children!

Spread of ages of children (684 children aged 0-18)

LearningSkills improved consistently include reading, writing , knowledge of phonics, knowledge of maths, qualifications, computer courses, helping children with their school work.

77% are still engaged in learning and have gone on to:

Other Family LearningOther community learningMaths and English and ICTESOL and Asian Fashion TechniquesTeaching Assistant coursesChildcare qualificationsVarious college courses(Open)University Degrees – primary education

One excused herself as she has just had a new baby!

Economic Progression53 learners have got a job since attending the FL course*

15 learners have got promotion or a better job since being on a course

About 1/3 feel more able to budget (currently from whole sample)

“It is through doing the courses that I have been given the confidence to re-enter educational environments and gain qualifications to help my future career choice of being a teaching assistant.”

“This has helped in my work. I am now carrying out voluntary work, helping children on a 1:1 basis in a pre-school.”

[Doing the course]:

“encouraged the learner to complete GCSEs to go back to work.”

Further investigation required – it looks like a significant number of FL learners are going into training or work in childcare or education.

“If this programme hadn’t been on offer at my child's school I would have never gained the qualifications. Now I am planning to enrol on a Teaching Assistant programme.”

“The course gave me the confidence to go for the job. This is my first job since having children.”

“As a result of doing these courses I was able to fill a large gap in my CV which helped me gain a job. My job also requires me to use simple maths skills which I did not have before starting the family maths course.”

“I do guided reading at my son's school. I decided from attending this course that I wanted to work in a school as a teaching assistant.”

“Doing maths as part of Healthy Eating on a Budget with Family Learning made me less scared of maths.” 

“I want to continue my studies and go for higher education.”

Impact on you?

Personal Progression

The majority of learners agreed with these statements:

“I’m a better listener”

“I’m more confident”

“I’m better at expressing myself”

“I have more ambition for my children”

“I have more ambition for me!”

Friends, health & social inclusion:“I want to build myself up ready for when the kids are older. When you do each course it makes you know you’re not just stupid. I’m not just a young Mum. People think you’re thick but doing the courses says you’re not.”

“She loved the courses. It is good to know how her child is taught as it’s very different to learner’s home country.”

“Before the course I was so depressed I hardly got out of bed . Now I am more positive and I have found a job.”

“I met another mum whose children also had Special Educational Needs.”

“You can gain so much from doing these courses not only on the learning side of it, I met people there that I wouldn't normally feel I had anything in common with.” 

Confidence:“I feel confident now. I now help out with school trips.”

“It has been slow progress my child settling in the childcare but he is improving gradually and this will help when he starts school.”

[My daughter] “hated coming to school as she wasn't confident doing her school work and was scared of doing it. Then she started with absent seizures due to being terrified. Her seizures stopped when we did family learning. It gave her confidence as I was here to help as well.”

“My experience with family learning has given me more confidence to help my son who has ADHD-tourettes and autism.”

“I now have my own business and the courses have given me the confidence to get out there and do what I wanted.”

“This course gave me the confidence and self belief that I can do it and more!”

Reading together:“Learner helps her child with reading, looking up new words in the dictionary and visits the library together.”

“The course helped me find stories that my children liked so I could encourage them to read. Before they were not interested.”

“The course helped me to understand my child needs to read more and how to make it more interesting.”

“The course has helped me use phonics more - which I have never used before.” “Children love to see Mum read - boosts her confidence. She now enjoys going out, being on the course. Children are a lot more confident.”

Maths and cooking!“Grandparent answered questions for daughter due to the learning difficulties. Made changes to household - cook more healthily- use fresher ingredients, buy from market.”

“The course gave him better taste buds! My son cooks now.” “Doing the Healthy Food course made me less scared of maths.”

“Cooking from scratch has resulted in lower food bills.”

“Every time I have come away with a new qualification to add to my CV, as well as a new skill like cooking. Excellent.”

My son used one of the recipes from the course as part of his GCSE work and got an A+. I learnt it in the group then went home and showed him how to do it and he did it for the cooking at school.

Children’s Progress at School:

“Yes they are doing better as I am more able to help with homework.”

“He is trying hard because I am learning too.”

“I feel since I have been attending the family courses that my daughter has got more confident in herself and the homework and stuff she does at school. She has come out of herself so much.”

“I can now help my child with my homework because I can do it the way the teacher teaches them.”

“This course helps me to understand and help my daughter more, I can also help my other children with their work.”

“A big yes to children improved at school!”

Multiple impact:“It helped me and I have even shown my other half how to use the computer more. I'm keeping up with the children now and my daughter is on target for everything at school.”

“I have learnt how to support my daughter emotionally when her father is away serving in the army. Now instead of being sad when he is away we use the time to find lots of positive and fun things to do and make so we have lots to tell him and show him when he comes home.”

“The course has helped with own and child’s numeracy skills. Parent has recently been diagnosed as having dyslexia. The course was very therapeutic for her and has helped with homework with the kids. Her husband now wants to do the numeracy course to improve his knowledge.”

“The learner has encouraged other members of the family to attend the Children Centre and is helping children to read at school - guided reading once a week.”

“Our family’s had quite a lot of problems but we are going from strength to strength. I know why family learning courses are there. If it wasn’t for family learning our family would have broken down.”

What would you say to others?Overall it has made me more ambitious and thinking about how I can be more valuable to society.

“Join in and enjoy learning. It will help your child be more confident too.”

“The course has long lasting effects”.

“The family learning tutor is lovely and always there to help if I have any questions to ask. Definitely tell other parents to attend them . We even volunteered to hand out leaflets to our school to get more parents to attend so we keep the courses going.”

“Should be recommended to any parents as it takes away the worries.”You must go if you have the chance.”

“I would say 'go for it'. It's good fun. You make friends and sometimes you feel like you can conquer the world!” “Go for it!”

Moving forward:

“I didn't enjoy school and left with no qualifications, Family Learning gave me confidence & passion to get back into learning & to make sure I could support my children's learning & be more positive about their education. I went to college & gained GCSEs including English, Maths & IT. Through Family Learning I learnt a lot about how children learn through play & developed an interest in Early Years Education, I am now studying for an open university degree in Primary Education and volunteering in my children's school and have applied for a job in the Nursery.”

“Helped me s-o-o-o much. You should come – it’s brill!”

FAMILY LEARNING ......... Is a single, highly flexible intervention, capable of far-reaching, long term and multiple impact on individuals and families. Pound for pound, Family Learning is terrific value for money. Investment now in Family Learning will give not just immediate impact but also long term gain.