Promising Practice Profiles

Our family is starting school - Tracks to big school

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Project practice

Transition to School Program

Project undertaken by

Fairfield West Public School

Start date

July 2007

Focal areas

Program

Communities for Children (CfC)

Issue

The Tracks to Big School project was developed in response to extensive consultation undertaken in the community to inform the Communities for Children (CfC) strategic plan in this south-west area of Sydney, NSW. Enhanced school readiness programs were identified as a priority by all key stakeholders, with a specific need to engage families who did not access any formal childcare. Approximately 56% of children who enter Kindergarten have not had any experience in a childcare or family day care setting.

The project focuses on children and their families the year before they begin Kindergarten. The population group consists of 33,202 people, 2,860 of which are 0-5 years. Approximately 450 of these children enrolled in kindergarten in a NSW Department of Education and Training school in 2008 in the 2165 area. Most of these families speak English as a second or other language (72%) and approximately 60 different languages are spoken in homes (Statistics courtesy of Fairfield CfC).

Families' lack of engagement in preschools, playgroups and early childhood settings are seen as a direct result of the impact of low socio-economic status, poor English skills, influx of refugee families, cost of childcare, public transportation and a lack of culturally appropriate programs to support transition to school.

Program context

Tracks To Big School is facilitated by The Smith Family and is funded by the Australian Government. The NSW Department of Education and Training has been appointed to deliver this project as a "community partner" and have appointed an Assistant Principal to work within five schools in the local 2165 postcode of Fairfield. The areas encompassed here include Fairfield CBD, Fairfield East, Fairfield West and Fairfield Heights.

The project works with children, their families, preschools, playgroups and local schools before children begin Kindergarten. The local facilitator, who is the Assistant Principal at the school, links with existing school programs, such as Kindergarten orientation and Schools as Community Centre to meet the needs of the community.

The project builds upon existing facilities and services in Fairfield to create a neighbourhood that promotes inclusiveness and early intervention. It celebrates opportunities for children and families to play, learn and build a happy and positive future. The focus of the program is for children and their families from birth to 5 years old.

Schools are recognised as important community facilities, especially in such a multicultural setting as Fairfield. Schools provide opportunities to engage parents who have not accessed services previously, due to cultural, economic or other reasons.

The Tracks To Big School project has developed transition to school programs which focus upon:

Practice description

The Tracks To Big School initiative, through its "Our Family is Starting School" project aims to see children arrive at school happy and ready to learn as it supports effective transition to school. It recognises that schools provide an excellent opportunity to access the hard to reach community.

The principles underpinning this practice include:

The key ingredients which have sought to put the above principles into effect in this promising practice are reported as:

Holistic and inclusive approach

A holistic and inclusive approach which includes the whole family in the process was used to enable the families to discover the "why" of school. The project sought to make parents aware of what their child would be doing all day in school, discuss with the family how the whole family could be supported in this important transition, increase the awareness of where to access relevant information that could help the family in their transition to school and build a stronger relationship with teaching staff. Different types of activities were included in the program to ensure that the program catered to the variety of issues relating to starting school. These activities include:

A community room on the school premises was allocated for the program, which served to enhance the sense of belongingness with the school community and also among participants as they sought to forge relationships with other families whose children were also starting school the following year.

A visual, hands-on experience

Allowing families with children to access the school, its resources and staff all add to breakdng down the unknown. When children begin school it is a new environment, new routine, new equipment etc. for them. However by giving them access to the school before they begin prep or kindergarten families feel calm, relaxed and happy to be part of the school environment. This was particularly important for CALD families and those that were isolated.

Free parent education sessions

Empowering parents is an important aspect of the program as it allows them to be aware of school requirements and know to keep abreast with their children's adjustment and progress in the school and with events within the wider school community. Empowering parents with English, behaviour management and computing skills not only allows for transfer of knowledge but helps the parents to know how to deal with, for instance, children's demand and need for technology to assist with school work such as the use of computers. Many parents have said that they need to know how to be in control regarding time children spent on computers and how to deal with issues such as children's tantrums and demands, access to - and the costs of - computers. Free parent education sessions enhance not only their parenting repertoire but also their job skills. This demonstrates to the parents that the school is a community centre and is relevant not only to students but to parents as well.

Making schools family-friendly

By offering parent workshops which are culturally, socially and educationally appropriate as well as establishing a community café and toy library, inviting fathers to Dads and Kids Nights and celebrating occasions in the community, families will see schools as a warm and welcoming environment. The projects hope to see and interact with approximately 60% of the parents of the school population at least once a year in an informal (not interview) setting.

Employment of early childhood teacher

Having a trained professional to present all materials was important to develop a research based, method of implementation. Families feel confident that the information they are receiving is from a trained specialist. It also helps the program run smoothly for schools as developmental and programming milestones are considered and approached methodically and with professional experience. This was also helpful in following through on achieving outcomes.

Engaging hard to reach families through culturally appropriate activities

Engaging hard to reach families was initially found to be daunting. Through culturally appropriate breakfasts, programs and guest speakers, engaging culturally diverse families has been a successful aspect of the program. It was discovered that beginning and ending with an appropriate celebration was a valued strategy. This celebration could be a breakfast, a fundraiser or a play activity and this works because it is an activity that is free, fun and for the family. This has proven successful as families feel welcomed and appreciated within their local environment.

Use of local community members

Throughout the program interpreters and community members were either employed or consulted to ensure consistency and appropriateness of activities. Having a community member who not only speaks a known language but was also a common and familiar face at many community activities broke down many barriers and encouraged families to participate in the program.

A safe environment

The familiarisation sessions proved to be extremely successful as the entire family was invited into the school. The environment was safe and secure and families were not separated but encouraged to remain as a family unit throughout most of the activities. Separation anxiety was discussed and families were able to share their stories. Sessions were flexible and experienced, knowledgeable staff attended and/or conducted the activities/sessions.

Strong links with other early childhood services

Strong links were established between the schools and the Early Learning Centers in the community to support smooth transition to formal school. Centres visit schools or vice- versa at least once before children begin formal transition activities. Centres and families are provided with written, translated materials to support their individual efforts.

Shared family activities and skills

In order to enhance family relationships families engage in activities together in the school and experience the wonder and joy of starting a new chapter in the "Big School" life together.

Increasing the awareness amongst families, workers in the local community and early childhood educators about the importance of shared family activities such as play is also an integral component of the program. The aim is to share the important message that children learn by doing and that play is an essential part of the children's lives and is necessary from birth.

Follow-on program

Children who are not attending formal child care attend a "Little Learner" follow-on program which comprise a once a week attendance at a Kindergarten-readiness program for 10 weeks following the orientation program at the school. The children are at the Big School with a trained teacher for two hours per week, completing a typical morning's activity in Kindergarten rooms. The Little Learner follow-on program further engage the children in shared, modelled and independent reading and writing tasks, numeracy activities and social skill building tasks to further build on what they learnt and experienced during the orientation program.

Preparation of orientation to school plans

Together in consultation with communities, staff and Principals, individual orientation to school plans were established. The schedule that four of the five schools followed offered at least eight transitions to school visits from November-December 2007.

While there are slight modifications to the Orientation Plan depending on the background and circumstances of the families attending, below are the content of a typical Orientation to School Plan:

Session 1: Orientation to school for the whole family (Wednesday)

Students and families attended a session at school where parents introduced their own children to the classroom. Parents and students engaged in play activities and when the children were comfortable with separating from the family, parents then went and met executive members of the school for a quick chat and informal meeting. (If separation anxiety was too high, families stayed together and meet the Principal on completion.)

Session 2: (Friday)

Students were engaged in activities that demonstrated a typical school morning, days of the week, shared stories, singing and craft activities.

The parents then moved to the library to meet with Kindergarten supervisor for tea and tissues and to discuss school readiness, separation anxiety and what we need at school. Parents met informally to share their feelings of sending their children to school and emotions they were going through. School staff were there to reassure parents and help prepare them for their time at school.

Session 3: (Wednesday)

Students were in the classroom with teachers engaged in structured play activities. This gave the teachers opportunities to observe social and emotional skills and provided an opportunity for children to interact with other students.

During this session, parents worked with a teacher, early childhood educator and speech pathologist on a Lets Read session. This provided opportunities for families to hear how to help their child with reading and the importance of sharing stories together. Parents then took home a free Let's Read book and tip sheet to support their new knowledge.

Session 4: (Friday)

Students again took part in a formal morning session that reflects those that will be conducted in a Kindergarten class. Photographs were taken to remind students of their time at school positively.

Parents moved into the computer lab with translators and school staff to have a session related to computer education. Parents were shown software their students would be using, tasks they would be completing and also heard about safety on the internet.

Session 5: (Wednesday)

Students were placed into their class for the following year with the teacher who would be their teaching them in Kindergarten. The students took part in structured play and this allowed new classmates to meet their new friends and form bonds.

Parents moved into the library for a tour of the facilities including school canteen, uniform shop, computer lab, front office, sick bay and toilets. This process was to reassure parents that their children are in a safe and secure environment and to give them background knowledge into where their children were going to be once in school.

Session 6: (Friday)

This session involved the final parent workshop. While children went back to their classes and painted a picture of their family, shared a big book, sang songs and danced along to the Wiggles, this was an opportunity for parents to ask all the burning questions they had for the school and each other.

Topics were placed on the board which included:

Families were encouraged to think about these and other topics and ask questions to the staff regarding any questions on their mind. The most common reoccurring question was "Will my child be OK?" The final half an hour saw a dietician from one of the CfC Community Partners (NSW Health Service) come in and spread a consistent message about healthy lunchboxes to all families.

Session 7: (Wednesday)

This session provided an opportunity for families to go the classes with their child and play with them. Families were encouraged to get down to children's level to use playdough, car mats, puzzles, blocks and other play equipment to enjoy the process of playing and learning. Many fathers participated in this experience that was well attended in all schools.

Session 8: (Friday)

The celebration! This occasion brought families back together. Each community member brought food from their culture to share with their new classmates and their families. Students were presented with a goody bag containing equipment to help them begin their learning process (scrapbook, pencils, crayons, textas, scissors, glue and bubbles). Parents were presented with their child's photograph and their painting of their families. The celebration allowed the school and community to come together and share in the family starting school.

The orientation program is easily transferable from location to location. The idea of involving the whole family in transition and offering a different approach to facilitating children's transition to school has already been taken to all five schools in Fairfield 2165.

Research base

There is a depth of research on early childhood development and transitions from family to school from which this project has drawn. In recent years international research has published neurological findings on the importance of brain development in early years and the importance of linking families, early childhood facilities and schools in collaborative transition in order to optimise brain development. See, for example, McCain and Mustard (1999) for a cross disciplinary study and presentation of research findings.

A number of local studies by Bob Perry and Sue Dockett support the importance of a continuum of parent-focused and child-focused activities for optimal development, and the importance of a continuum of shared transitions to school. For example, their study on cultural diversity and transition to school, Starting School in Australia - Issues for Parents from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds in Early Years (2005) demonstrates the differential impact of planned/unplanned continuity of transition to school.

Similarly, the study by Wise and Samson (2000) of childcare in a variety of cultural contexts showed that continuity in children's experiences across home and child care settings promotes optimal development, while conversely, many differences pose challenges to children's development.

Known cultural diversity presents challenges that early recognition of the benefits of adopting a multicultural approach are thought to mitigate. The methods for best outcomes have been documents by authors such as Kirk-Downey and Perry (2006).

This project extends the experiential evidence of the importance of planned transitions to school and the tools which contribute to a smooth transition in culturally diverse communities.

Other references used to influence this program are listed at the end.

Outcomes

The project has completed one year of a three year plan. Initial outcomes are reported to be:

Evidence of outcomes

Formal data were obtained from NSW Department of Education and Training Best Start assessment programs on children's development in literacy and numeracy, indicating a benchmark against which student's achievements in comparison to other Kinder students not attending Little Learners may be measured.

Children were assessed on background knowledge comparing those who attended sessions and those who did not. Data on numbers of families engaged in school activities was collected using an action research approach.

The following observations support the view that the project was an effective intervention:

"I feel safe and secure leaving my child at school cause I know what my child is doing all day, who they are with and where they are." (Mother participant)

Due to this program the following outcomes have been reached:

Some comments from or about parents were:

"I know who my child's teacher is. They are no longer just Mrs or Mr Jones." Kindergarten parent

"More and more parents will say hello to me each morning in the playground!" Deputy Principal

"My class was ready to learn on the first day of school. We had very few criers." Kindergarten teacher 2008.

Policy analysis

While the general results available on the program are only for a 12-month period, the range of evidence on positive outcomes - from child observation, parent survey, teacher measurement of milestones, is consistent in confirming positive outcomes from this Practice with culturally diverse families.

Within the policy framework it is concluded that:

At this stage, it is hard to tell the long-term impact of the program on children and parents, but it is expected that the increased parental knowledge and skills will empower them to be part of their child's school community and to be confident in relating to their teachers and will continue to do so throughout their child's schooling. The raised awareness on the importance of play and interacting with their child and the social connections made along the way will remain sustainable.

Project evaluations

The project has not yet been externally evaluated. Internal evaluation data is being collected via service user survey and participant feedback.

Project related publications

N/A

References

Dockett, S., & Perry, B. (2002). Who's ready for what? Young children starting school. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 3(1), 67-89.

Dockett, S., & Perry, B. (2005). Starting School in Australia - Issues for Parents from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds. Early Years, 25(3), 271-287

Kirk-Downey, T., & Perry, B. (2006). Making Transition to School a Community Event: The Wollongong Experience. International Journal of Transitions in Childhood, 2, 40-49.

Lamb, M. E. (2000). The effects of quality care on child development. Applied Science, 4(3) 112-115

McCain, M., & Mustard, J. F. (1999). Early Years Study: Final Report. Canada: Ontario Children's Secretariat.

McCain, M. N., & Mustard, J. F. (2002). The Early Years Study Three Years Later. The Founders' Network of the New South Wales Parenting Centre.

McClellan, D. E., & Katz, L. G. (2001). Assessing young children's competence (ERIC Digest EDO-PS-01-2). Champaign, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.

McCain, M. N., & Mustard, J. F. (2002). The Early Years Study three years later. Toronto: Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. Available to download at www.founders.net.

New South Wales Parenting Centre. (2003). School readiness: Discussion Paper 1. NSW Department of Community Services.

Pianta, R. C., & Kraft-Sayre, M. (2003). Successful kindergarten transition: You're guide to connecting children, families and schools. Sydney: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Pianta, R. C., & Kraft-Sayre, M. (2003). Successful Kindergarten Transition: Your Guide to Connecting Children, Families and Schools.

Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Sammons, P., Siraj-Blatchford, I., Taggart, B., & Elliot, K. (2003). The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) Project: Findings from the pre-school period. London: Institute of Education, University of London.

Wise, S., & Sanson, A. (2000). Child care in a cultural context: Issues for new research (Research Paper No. 22). Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies.

Contact

Jodi Warner
Assistant Principal

Fairfield West Public School
Palmerston Rd
Fairfield West NSW 2165

Phone: 02 9729 1973 or 02 9604 5568

Email: Jodi-ann.warner@det.nsw.edu.au

Website

Not provided

More information

More information on the Promising Practice Profiles can be found on the Communities and Families Clearinghouse Australia website.