When a Scottish council gave parents the chance to go back to school and experience S1 first hand, two subjects more than any others still managed to spark a tingle of anxiety among them: maths and PE. But despite their trepidation, the chance to experience a modern maths lesson has been cited by parents as one of the most useful outcomes of a Renfrewshire programme that aims to engage them more with their children’s school.

As well as breaking down barriers between parent and school, the programme sets out to support families when pupils move from primary to secondary. Now in its third year, the initiative is being run in every secondary in the local authority. North Ayrshire is also adapting the model for use in four secondaries.

The Parents in Partnership (PIP) programme involves schools making contact with those parents it believes are likely to need extra support during their children’s transition to secondary education.

The often daunting size of secondaries and the stark contrast with primary schools’ one-teacher-per-class model - among other factors - have been cited as reasons for parents to feel less involved in school life as their children grow older. Research published last year highlights a yawning gap between how well primaries and secondaries engage with their students’ parents (see data box, below left).

PIP, which has previously been highlighted as an example of good practice by Education Scotland at the Scottish Learning Festival, involves parents making weekly morning visits to school, for up to seven weeks, to receive taster lessons delivered by teachers.

At the end of the seven-week period, the parents will have experienced the bulk of the subjects their children will undertake in S1.

When the project ran for the first time, at Paisley’s Castlehead High, parents made a bird feeder in technical class. In home economics they cooked a stir-fry meal. Parents also received life-skill classes in everything from managing teenage behaviour to getting involved with the parent council.

Parents ‘gained a lot’

Last year, the scheme was rolled out to a further two secondaries - Gryffe High and Trinity High - and a new evaluation was funded by Renfrewshire Council, in association with the Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland (Celcis) at the University of Strathclyde.

All parents reported that the project had improved their knowledge of subject content, homework expectations and different teaching styles, as well as helping them to become familiar with the geography of school and its routines, such as moving between classes.

Maths and PE were the subjects most likely to put parents on edge, the researchers found. But even parents who had been anxious “generally reported that their experience of the class had been manageable or even fun”, says the report, which highlights direct experience of maths lessons as being “particularly useful”.

One parent commented: “Every week, we’d be going, ‘Oh God no, art, I can’t draw, no. Maths, can’t count, no. PE, I can’t do it.’ But every class was good.”

Another parent said: “Whoa, I wish they had that when I was there - maybe I would have actually came!”’

Confidence boost

The report also contained recommendations on how the project could be improved in future years (see box, above).

Renfrewshire Council education convener Jim Paterson said the project had helped parents to become more confident about approaching schools for support. He added: “Being able to involve them in the school day and encouraging more communication between teachers and parents has been incredibly beneficial.”

Linda O’Neill, who designed the programme and is education lead at Celcis, said: “We know that working with parents and carers...has the potential to support family learning and improve the wellbeing of children and their parents and carers.”

@Emma_Seith