Peep Learning Together Programme

The Peep Learning Together Programme supports parents, carers and practitioners make the most of the learning opportunities in everyday life, supporting their babies' and young children's learning through play. This is a nationally recognised evidence-based programme for parents and families through the Peeple organisation. contributes to this, by helping:

Parents and carers to improve their children’s life chances, by:

• Developing sensitive and responsive relationships with their babies and children.
• Making the most of day-to-day learning opportunities – listening, talking, playing, singing, and sharing books and stories together.
• Recognising and building on their own learning potential and achievements.
• Babies and children to become confident communicators and learners through play.
• Practitioners to develop their work with parents/carers and young children.
• Communities to narrow the attainment gap, which appears even before children reach school.

The Peep Learning Together Programme values and extends what parents/carers already do to support their child's learning in everyday life. Peep is a strengths-based approach to working with families, focusing on doing with rather than doing to parents. Key priorities for Family Learning throughout this programme (from pre-nursery, nursery to Primary 1) are:

• Personal, social, and emotional development
• Communication and language
• Early literacy
• Early maths
• Health and physical development

This programme can take place within nurseries, communities and within prison.

Peep Progression Pathway

The Peep Progression Pathway programme offers formal recognition of parents'/ carers' learning based on supporting their child's learning and development through Peep, with nationally recognised units to cover three qualification levels for parents and carers as learners. This builds parental capacity and ‘learner identity’ which research shows makes further progression into volunteering, further learning or work more likely.

Peep Antenatal Programme

The Peep Antenatal Programme is the Learning Together sister programme and supports strong parent-baby bonding and attachment relationships during the perinatal period, beginning in pregnancy.

STEM Learning

Lifelong Learning provides opportunities for families to explore and experience other cultures and customs through STEM based activities. STEM Learning programmes are designed age appropriately and to understand how best to help families understand this umbrella term and the key related learning disciplines. Our key focus is to help families learn about this subject area together and how early STEM exposure is critical for later educational outcomes.

Topics covered in this delivery is diverse from cooking, climate change, maths, engineering etc. This provision is linked to the Youth Scotland Hi5 accreditation for children award through Youth Scotland where families are encouraged to participate in STEM and Climate Change challenges, recording activities, learning and evidence of participation, resulting in accreditation for children through the Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) framework.

Intended outcomes

• To develop an awareness and tolerance of diversity and culture.
• To increase knowledge of different traditions throughout the world.
• To develop skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEM).
• To foster discussions on climate change and the individual impact we have on the planet.

To encourage and develop the importance of the home learning environment.

Families Connect

The Families Connect programme is an evidence-based programme developed by Save the Children UK to support parents engaging in their children’s learning. Building on parents’ existing skills and knowledge, Families Connect provides them with the confidence to support their children’s learning in the home.

The programme builds relationships between parents and settings (schools, nurseries, and children’s centres) and provides opportunities for parents to share their parenting experiences with others.

Families Connect is delivered through a series of two-hour workshops in settings over eight weeks to groups of families. Over eight weeks, parents discuss aspects of their children’s learning during informal workshops.

Parents are introduced to a series of adaptable activities, techniques, and games that they can do with their children at home to support their children’s learning in three key areas:

• Social and Emotional development
• Literacy and language development
• Numeracy

The evaluation found that Families Connect increases parental engagement in children’s learning, improves parental skills, and improves aspects of children's social and emotional development. Some of our key findings include:

• Parent self-efficacy, their confidence, and skills in supporting their children’s learning, are critical to supporting a positive home learning environment.
• Social disadvantage was found to negatively impact on children’s numeracy skills and families’ home learning environments.
• Families Connect was more impactful on the home learning environment (measured immediately after the programme) for families on lower incomes and those eligible for free school meals.

Roots of Empathy

Roots of Empathy is an international, evidence and empathy-based classroom programme designed for children in Primary school. Lifelong Learning works in partnership with Action for Children Scotland to prioritise delivery to Primary 3 age children. Roots of Empathy is an early intervention programme that helps develop emotional literacy in children aged 5-12. Through the participation of a local mother and baby, a trained instructor guides the children to identify and label the baby’s feelings, reflect on, and understand their own feelings and then understand the feelings of others.

The programme helps promote emotional competence and the development of empathy in primary school children. It also decreases aggression, including bullying, and has been found to increase pro-social behaviours such as caring, sharing and inclusion. Key findings from Action for Children reported that in the 10-year evaluation, 96% of teachers felt pupils were talking more about their feelings, while 75% stated pupils were more empathetic to one another and 80% of pupils reported a better understanding of how others feel and 86% were more pro social towards their classmates.

Family Learning ESOL (English for Speakers of other languages)

The Family Learning ESOL programme is promoted as an important means of bringing about social inclusion. Language skills and cultural diversity can be a barrier and restrict access and influence in educational institutions. ESOL family learning programmes seek to remove these barriers.
Informal sessions for ESOL parents/carers of infants and children under the age of two years of age. The aim is to provide informal and relaxed opportunities for parents/carers with English as a secondary or other language to improve their speaking and listening skills within the context of caring for an infant, accessing health visitors, child health services and postnatal support services.

Intended outcomes

• Parents/carers report increased confidence in using English with their children.
• Parents/carers report increased knowledge of early years services and support services.
• Parent/carers report increased confidence in accessing peer support and other local services.
• Parents/carers report increased knowledge of further ESOL opportunities, and the support to access them.

Overview

The workshops provide a safe space for parents and carers to get to know each other and take part in active learning around a relevant theme linked to their child’s health and development and their own health and wellbeing. The sessions are informal, and parents/carers can attend all or some of the sessions and help with peer learning in terms of language and community integration.

Learning at Home

Learning at Home is a key ingredient of all our family learning school and community programmes. This aligns with research that evidences that a positive home learning environment makes a significant difference to children's learning. Lifelong Learning ensure that all programme resources used can be replicated at home or indeed if this is not the case, we always provide free resources to encourage home learning. This includes practical resources but also digital links to literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing.

M.A.T.C.H – Men & Their Children Programmes

Research indicates that children whose fathers spent more time with them have a higher IQ and were more socially mobile than those who had received little attention.

At the M.A.T.C.H – Men & Their Children Groups programme focus is on fun learning through sport, science, engineering, cooking, and STEM related subjects, all in alignment with the curriculum. Through their participation in groups many fathers and grandfathers have increased their skills and confidence in their ability to support their child’s learning.

As well as supporting their child’s learning the men are encouraged by local Adult Learning workers to reflect on their own learning needs and aspirations. Many have successfully undertaken adult learning classes for example computing digital photography, storytelling, and core literacy skills development.

This programme has also been included in external research written by Jane Jones and Catherine Macrae on behalf of Linked Work and Training Trust. Jane Jones has also chosen the Sanquhar Primary/Academy group as subjects for further research examining the impact that involvement in the groups had on fathers and children.

Impact

• Increase in the number of men more actively involved in their child’s education.
• Most men who have been involved feel that they are now more comfortable in the school environment and in approaching school staff regarding their child’s primary school experience.
• Men taking up Adult Learning opportunities, for example:
  • Literacy/Numeracy support
  • Basic Computing
  • Adult Learning Tutor / Youth Worker
  • Role models for Lifelong Learning
• Community capacity building - formed their own fundraising committees increase male parent/carer voice to ensure that they continue to provide worthwhile learning experiences and quality time with their children.