Parents as Partners in Early Learning (PPEL)

• Main strands of the PPEL programme in Kirklees
• Development of the project
• Further information

Introduction

Kirklees Learning Service and Kirklees Early Years Service (KEYS) have been successful in securing funding from the Department for Education and Skills (DFES) for a one-year project towards pilot activity as part of Parents as Partners in Early Learning (PPEL) national programme, which targets local authorities with the most disadvantaged areas.

The Kirklees PPEL Project is piloting innovative approaches to work with parents of children aged 0 to 5 years in Batley East, Paddock and Heckmondwike to increase their understanding and involvement in their children's development and learning. The Project is also working with practitioners to improve their skills to engage parents in children's learning and development. Specific measures are being undertaken to engage Black Minority Ethnic (BME) communities, fathers and male carers. The project targets hard to reach groups by working through established Children's Centre programmes and with key voluntary organisations including Khandaani Dhek Bhal in Heckmondwike.

Main strands of the PPEL programme in Kirklees

Letters and Sounds

Letters and Sounds provides the opportunity, through action research with parents, practitioners and teachers, to develop innovative methods of implementing the National Letters and Sounds curriculum and is developing new resources with parents to assist them to support the language development of their children.

This strand is being lead by Kay Davies, Lead Advisory Teacher (Children's Centres).

The Learning Journey

The Learning Journey pilots ways of improving parents and practitioners understanding of the different stages of child development, using successful models developed originally in Batley and more recently in Huddersfield.

The Learning Journey links child development stages to all 5 Every Child Matters outcomes and pilots activities to engage parents in the identification of appropriate resources and services to support their needs.

This strand is being lead by Jan Wallis, Locality Manager (The Valleys).

Development of the project

Late 2007

Development of parent and practitioner resources to enable consistent and quality training to be delivered across all Kirklees early years settings in the future.

Steering Group

A Steering Group including key representatives from the Learning Service, KEYS, Post 16 Education, Dewsbury College, Huddersfield Technical College, ChYPS Parenting Involvement Officer and key partners within the voluntary sector will oversee the programme action plan to ensure linkages between related activities across Kirklees, quality standards and the group will also make recommendations on sustainability and rollout of successful pilot work beyond March 2008.

Further information

Project Co-ordinator: mithu.komarnyckyj@kirklees.gov.uk