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Education

Texting parents boosts kids’ results

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EEF Chair: Sir Peter Lampl

HELPING parents to engage in their child’s learning by texting them about upcoming tests or homework deadlines can boost secondary school pupils’ maths results by the equivalent of an extra month in the classroom, according to the results of a new trial published by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). 

Almost 16,000 students in 36 English secondary schools took part in the randomised controlled trial of the Parent Engagement Project, delivered by researchers from the University of Bristol and Harvard University.

Parents were sent an average of 30 texts over one school year (roughly one per week) with content ranging from dates of upcoming tests and warnings about missed homework, to conversation prompts on what their child had learnt that day.

The independent evaluators from Queen’s University Belfast found that pupils receiving the intervention made an additional month’s progress in maths compared with a similar group whose parents didn’t get the texts. Absenteeism was reduced too. They reported that schools embraced the programme and a vast majority of parents were supportive of the programme including the content, frequency and timing of texts.

Pupils receiving the intervention made an additional month’s progress in maths.

PARENTAL 

ENGAGEMENT VITAL 

Previous research has shown that while parental engagement is an effective way of improving attainment, little is known about how to do this successfully – and, in particular, how to reach parents whose own experiences of s c h o o l s were not positive. At a maximum cost to schools of just £6 per pupil across the school year, today’s results suggest that texting parents could be a straightforward and cost-effective way of improving attainment through parental engagement.

The approach is likely to be even cheaper than this as most schools will already have the required texting software and messages can be free if parents have downloaded the relevant software (which is also free) onto their smartphones.

Evaluations of two more trials designed to find out what does and doesn’t work when it comes to engaging parents are also published by the EEF this week. In contrast to the light-touch approach of the Parent Engagement Project, both aimed to engage parents through face-to-face programmes:

Parent Academy, delivered by researchers from the University of Chicago and evaluated by NatCen, offered parents the opportunity to participate in 12 classes over the course of an academic year. The sessions were designed to equip them with the skills to support their child’s learning in numeracy and literacy.

SUPPORT GIVEN TO PARENTS 

SPOKES (Supporting Parents on Kids’ Education in Schools), delivered by Plymouth Parent Partnership and the University of Oxford, and evaluated by the Institute for Effective Education, gave parents of five and six year old struggling readers 10 group sessions to help them support their children’s learning at home.

Both independent evaluations reported that, for a number of different reasons, the interventions struggled to persuade parents to attend regularly. While they did not find evidence of impact for all children, both delivered valuable findings.

One of the aims of the Parenting Academy trial was to find out whether financial incentives could be successful in changing parents’ behaviours and improving their attendance. Some of the parents were paid £30 to attend each session. For these parents, attendance was much higher, suggesting that financial incentives may be an effective way to engage and retain parents in interventions of this type.

ACTIVITIES IMPROVE 

SOCIAL SKILLS 

The EEF has also published the results of another large-scale randomised controlled trial, the first designed to find out if taking part in groups like the Scout Association, Sea Cadets or St John Ambulance can have an impact on exam results as well as on wider life skills.

Delivered by the Youth United Foundation, 7,781 children in 71 schools took part in this trial of Youth Social Action. The evaluators from Durham University found that the students benefited from a small positive impact in reported skills such as self-confidence and teamwork. They found no evidence that there was any benefit for academic skills, but problems with the quality of data means that this result is not conclusive.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Education Endowment Foundation and of the Sutton Trust, said: “We know that your chances of doing well in life are only partially shaped by your academic attainment, essential life skills such as confidence, articulacy, working with others and social skills play a crucial role. Yet we know very little about how to develop these attributes in children.

“There is a belief that taking part in activities like Scouts helps to build the essential skills young people increasingly need to be successful in life, so it is encouraging to see that the young people taking part in the trial of Youth Social Action, which include Sea Cadets, Fire Cadets and Scouts, reported an increase in their confidence and team-working skills.”

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Education

Don’t miss out on help with school essentials

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88% of those eligible have claimed their free School Essentials grant to help with costs like school uniform, shoes, bags, sports kit and equipment. Have you claimed yours?

Children of families on lower incomes who receive certain benefits, those seeking asylum and children in care can claim £125 per year to help with school costs. Because of the extra cost families might face when their children start secondary school, £200 is available for eligible pupils going into year 7. It could also mean extra funding for your school.

There’s still time to check eligibility and apply for this year’s funding now before applications close on 31 May.

You can apply every year for each of your children. Pupils from all kinds of education settings are eligible as long as they are aged 5-16. This applies to pupils in all schools and settings, including special schools and pupil referral units.

Headteacher of Ysgol Gymunedol Trimsaran, Steffan Jones, explained how the grant helps pupils at his school: “You want every child to be treated the same, and you want every child to have the same experiences. These grants do help, so that all children can get involved and enjoy their time at school, not just those who can afford it.”

The grant can be used to pay for:

  • school uniform, including coats and shoes.
  • school activities, like learning a musical instrument, sports kit and equipment for after school activities.
  • classroom essentials, like pens, pencils and bags.

Even if your child already receives a Free School Meal, you still need to check eligibility to access the School Essentials Grant and extra funding for your school. To find out more about the Schools Essentials Grant and to check eligibility, visit Get help with school costs | GOV.WALES

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Charity

Bags of Books returns to Milford Haven and surrounding areas this Easter

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THE INFAMOUS Bags of Books is set to return to Milford Haven and surrounding areas over the Easter holidays.

Milford Haven School who launched the project with Milford Youth Matters over 3 years ago are continuing in their bid to improve literacy skills and encourage a love of reading for pleasure by giving away over 700 books.

Thanks to funding from the South Hook LNG Community grant they have purchased books for young people of all ages and reading abilities and will be hanging them on the fences of the schools in their catchment area.

The community are invited to come and choose a book from the following locations over the Easter holidays:

  • Neyland Community Primary School – Monday 25th March
  • Johnston Community Primary School – Tuesday 26th March
  • Coastlands Primary School – Wednesday 27th March
  • Gelliswick Primary School – Tuesday 2nd April
  • Milford Haven Community Primary – Wednesday 3rd April
  • St Francis Community Primary – Wednesday 3rd April

Milford Haven Secondary School will also hang over 150 books on their fence after the Easter Holidays on Wednesday 10th April for those in our community who cannot attend the other locations.

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Education

Milford Haven School’s Aspire Celebration Evening 2024 

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THIS week, Milford Haven School celebrated the achievements of Year 11 pupils from the Class of 2023 at the Milford Haven School’s Aspire Celebration Evening.

Chair of Governors Dayle Gibby opened the evening by welcoming past pupils, parents and carers and guests from the community as they joined together to proudly celebrate the outstanding achievements of their past pupils. Mr Gibby said “Tonight is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate your achievements academically, and achievements that go far beyond the classroom like sporting, musical, through drama, enterprise, environmental and those that reach into the heart of community. Throughout your time here you have all showed, resilience, determination, and aspiration. With these attributes you have set yourself targets and goals to achieve, manage difficult problems and overcome unexpected events.”

The annual Aspire Celebration evening recognises the exceptional talents, dedication, and hard work demonstrated by these pupils throughout their academic journey. The evening was an enjoyable one that showcased the remarkable accomplishments of the young people, highlighting their academic excellence, leadership skills,and contributions to the school and wider community. Among the many accolades awarded were prizes for outstanding academic achievement, extra-curricular participation, personal development and services to the community.

One of the highlights of the evening was the inspiring address from guest speaker and former pupil of the former Milford Haven Grammar School Ms Makala Jones. Pupils, staff and guests were captivated and inspired by her stories of cold water swimming and how joining the world renowned Blue Tits changed her life and played a big part in her accomplishments of recently swimming the English Channel completely solo. Her motivational speech, insights and personal anecdotes resonated deeply with the entire audience, encouraging them to pursue their passions fearlessly, love themselves completely and embrace opportunities that lie ahead. 

As pupils received their well-deserved awards, there was an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment filling the room. Headteacher Ms Morris said “This evening is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our young people. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments and the positive impact they have made on our school community. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the prize winners. I have no doubt that you will continue to excel in whatever task you choose to do next. I am personally proud of each and every one of you and wish you continued success in your future endeavours.”

For more information and a full list of prize winners please visit: www.milfordhavenschool.co.uk/aspirecelebrationevening 

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