UK Disability Resource of Disabled Needs

Schools to offer parents services

Ed Balls wants schools to offer a wider range of family services
Schools in England may be asked to provide wider services for parents as well as children, under proposals in the government's Children's Plan.
This could include help with housing, benefits, parenting skills and health within school-based centres - and a helpline offering parenting advice.

The plan will also call for more information for parents about their children's learning and behaviour.

But heads warned that schools could not "correct all the ills of society".

The Children's Plan, setting out a 10-year strategy, will also propose a review of the primary curriculum in England and a shift to a more flexible form of testing.

Commercial pressure

There will be moves to protect youngsters from excessive commercial pressures - including advertising that makes children worry about their appearance and weight or which "sexualises" young girls.

The importance of children having somewhere safe to play outside will also be emphasised.

The plan, to be announced on Tuesday by the Children, Schools and Families Secretary, Ed Balls, will mark a further move towards schools becoming centres for family welfare services as well as teaching pupils.

Schools are increasingly being seen as one of the few agencies that can effectively reach families facing difficulties - and their role is being expanded into areas once associated with social services.

For pupils, there are already mentors and counsellors - and "extended" schools offer breakfast in the mornings and childcare activities into the early evening.

But the government now wants schools to do more to support parents - with the type of family services on offer in children's centres being extended to schools.

'Overload'

Social services information and welfare support for parents will be located in school buildings, along with counselling and advice for helping with their children's behaviour or health problems.

There have been concerns that parents of secondary school pupils feel cut off from finding out about their children's progress - and there will be initiatives to make information more available to parents.

This could include using websites and e-mail to keep parents in touch with teachers - and a "parents council" for parents to have more say in schools.

The plan will also propose a "parents panel" which will advise the government on family policy.

But the Association of School and College Leaders, representing head teachers and senior staff, has cautioned that schools could become "overloaded" by such expectations.

The heads' union says the government increasingly sees schools as a "lever" to achieve its social policy - but it warns that if this is overused it will leave schools facing an unachievable number of competing demands.

Having read your post I suppose I agree that in some areas schools could do more. I have to work with different schools as a parent and some are easy to communicate with and some are dreadful. In our area there is an independant organisation called - Parenting Partnerships, which will assist parents and schools in trying to resolve any problems which arise within the school.
The Looked After children in our society have a 'PEP' - Personal Education Plan, and is more in depth than the half and hour 'parent teacher' meetings the children have who live with their parents. Maybe something 'inbetween' the two would help and would hopefully resolve some of the problems with Learning or behaviour problems within the schools.
However schools should not be expected to try and correct the bad parenting which is so often seen these days.
Parents need to take responsibilty for their children and the way they are bringing them up!
Get this sorted and 'some' of the problems in school would resolve themselves - don't you think? Pam

Your'e right there. I was brought up with mum at home and dad out at work. I didn't go out to work until my own were at school. Got a Saturday job as Saturday was Nana's day - so I was redundant. Managed to get a 10 to 2.00 job later. Not everone are fortunate to have a mum or anyone to help out are they?
The but is the young ones of today very often seem to want 'everything' all at once in their first home where as we made do with what we could afford and slowly built up our home without setting on any dept.
Of course there is the other side where the youngsters, are on very low wages and both have to work to survive. This is where the schools help with the breakfast / after school clubs. However parents shouldn't expect the schools to sort out the bad behaviour of their kids. That starts at home.
It shouldn't be like that though, should it? Families having to use school to help look after their kids as they HAVE to work to keep their heads above water!
I hope that in the future mums will be able to stay at home as the wages are in keeping with the cost of living. I also hope that the mums will 'want to stay at home! It makes a difference to the kids.

Pam

Tis interesting reading both your sides Pam and Pixie and I do agree with both

I was brought up in a home where Dad worked his socks off to provide for us - left at 7 am and very rarely back before 7pm for very little. Mum stayed at home and never worked until I was way in to senior school.

I grew up with yes a loving family but one who never had money to take us many places, had parents who never went out so my bro and I were never left, I hardly ever stayed anywwhere else and the frist times as a kid I went away on trips (school, guides etc) I sobbed as I was so so homesick - mainly because I really did not know how to be me or look after me.

Dom and I were married for nearly 8 years before we felt that we were financially stable enough to think about a family. We had both been on low incomes, had worked hard and now had good jobs. We had saved for and bought a house. The rest is history.

Now, I have Thomas. I went back to work when he was born because I wanted to - not because I had to . I found and still have a super childminder who is now a very good friend of mine. I now work sparingly but as you se from my posts I often stay away from home - my choice but far from being upset - Thomas thiks it is great because I have tried to make him see it that way.

Thomas, Dom (my hubby), my two dogs and I are a family partnership. All of us have needs and we try to met those needs with rules, respect, security, love and fun.

Parenting is not just about having mum at home or dad - it is about a combination of factors.

Quite right as well, unfortunately all too often there seems little time left for the kids in the struggle to make ends meet or have a career - you sound as if you have hit the right balance and you make sure your kids get your time. That is how it should be.
I suppose my life was a little like yours but I did stay at friends for sleep overs and they came to mine. We always got what we asked for at Christmas and went on holiday every year. Dad went out for a pint on his own - but we also played family games and went out on walks and picnics in the woods as a family. I suppose it is these things which can be lacking in many - but not all I know families today.
I was engaged for 3 yrs during which for one of those yrs I bought nothing for myself and we rarely went out. We put a depsit down on a small terraced house making sure that we could manage on one wage if anything went wrong with one of our jobs. Didn't have any dept. (only morgage) waited 5 yrs before having our family by which time our home was paid for( I had a really well paid job at that time so we were really fortunate in that way) Youngsters today wouldnt be able to pay for their home like that I know - unless they were really wealthy. I dont envy anyone who is starting out in an independant life these days.
We were brought up to stand up on the bus for an adult how often do we see this today? Respect and good manners start at home and I suppose this is what I mean when i say schools shouldn't be expected to teach this to our children - parents should. Pam