The Right Start early years education project in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, is now into its final year of a five-year 1m block-funding from the Single Regeneration Budget. Cautious but sound optimism surrounds its future when SRB funding finishes in March 2003, based mainly on its success to date and the niche it has carved for itself in early years education locally.
Its core strategy is based on educating parents on how their own skills can be focused to help their children learn in everyday home settings, with everyday things, in order to raise their attainment level by the time they start school. Delivery of that message centres on seven key courses, which are held in one, three or five two-hour sessions:
* Treasure baskets: how babies aged six to 12 months learn through play with natural objects.
* I may be new but I can learn with you: how children learn in their first year of life.
* Heuristic play with objects: exten-ding learning through exploration for children aged 12 to 24 months.
* I am one, my learning moves on: how children learn between 12 and 24 months.
* I am two, look what I can do: how children learn between 24 and 36 months.
* Helping your child to learn: language and literacy in the home.
* Maths is fun! How to help your child learn about maths through everyday life.
Travelling show
Local schools, nurseries, libraries and community centres play host to the sessions, which are free and open to everyone. There's no written work and parents are offered files in which they can build up information and use ideas in the home setting. There's also a free creche and refreshments.
'We are like a travelling show,' says Right Start's co-ordinator, Carolyn Best. 'We even take a supply of nappies with us wherever we go!
'Right Start is raising confidence levels in parents with their parenting skills,' she says. 'Parents tell us they now have a greater understanding of how children learn and that it's helped them relate to their children better.
'They also now know about the Early Learning Goals and what the Foundation Stage is, so they feel more confident about becoming involved in their child's education.
'Many parents are even helping out in schools and nurseries and it's encouraged some to think about a career in childcare. It's amazing to think we are influencing adult education and employment as well.'
The effect on the children's educational attainment levels is impossible to quantify at the moment, as those children whose parents attended the very first Right Start courses are only just starting school now. But there has already been feedback from teachers and nursery staff.
'Right Start has provided a valuable link with parents that we would not have been able to provide for ourselves,' says one head, while another says, 'The courses are helping considerably to raise parental awareness about their children's education - not just the "what", but the "how" and the "why".'
Visionary approach
The current team credits its original co-ordinator, Marilyn Ashley, for her vision when setting up the project. Before managing Right Start, Marilyn was direct services manager in Calderdale, managing social services nurseries. Now she is the new national director of PEEP (Peers Early Education Partnership) in Oxford.
'Attainment levels in Barnsley schools were dropping,' says Carolyn.
'Marilyn based the courses on research from Sheffield University which showed that learning really does begin from the day a baby is born.
'Some of the principles may not be unique in themselves, but we believe the way we work and the way we are executing these ideas, is.
'We introduce most new parents to Right Start through the national Bookstart scheme, even visiting ante-natal clinics,' says Bookstart officer Deborah Blewitt. All babies aged seven to nine months are given free Bookstart packs that include board books and information for parents.
'Bookstart is based on research that shows that introducing books even to very young babies, gives them an advantage when they start school.
'We encourage people to join their babies in the library and run a range of board and picture-book sessions, Story Sacks and parent and toddler groups,' says Deborah. 'From there, Bookstart becomes the vehicle for channelling people into Right Start.'
Carolyn took over the co-ordinator's role in September 2001, but since the project started more than 2,800 parents have been on key skills and parenting courses and an estimated 3,700 children have been helped by the scheme. It is also now working in partnership with many voluntary organisations. The team has expanded to a six-strong team of Right Start workers, backed up by three Bookstart and two administration officers.
Right Start trainer Carol Barron-Smith talks with pride about the course materials and resources the team has written and compiled. 'We have developed them in a way which demystifies early years education,' she says.
'We make a point of not making anything too daunting.'
Banishing guilt
Practical delivery certainly seems to be a key component of Right Start's success, which I witnessed when I sat in on a Maths is Fun! course led by Carol. A bright table display formed the backdrop to lively discussion.
There were workshops on the Early Learning Goals and a look at how a shopping trip could be turned into a fun maths session. Then the toys came out and everyone got stuck into working out all the sorting or counting variations you could get from a simple farmyard set or a box of Lego.
Parents were unanimous in their praise. 'I was a bit unsure about it at first as I thought it might be like going back to school myself,' says Christine Pilling, whose daughter, Leah, has just started at Hunningley Primary School in Barnsley - the venue for the course. 'It's not been like that at all though -it's been brilliant.
'Parents are very busy these days and you can feel guilty that you're not doing enough to help your child's education. But this course has shown me that actually I have been helping to educate Leah without even realising it - so I don't feel so guilty any more.
'I never realised how big an input you could have by just playing games.
Leah is almost at the end of the Foundation Stage - now I understand what all that is and how she got to that stage in her learning. It's given me tons more confidence as a mother.'
'I've learned a lot about language and how to put it over to children,'
says Julie Watson, mother of five-year-old Kelly. 'I'm interested in childcare as a career and this has helped me get a better feel and understanding of things without committing to a formal course.
'It's been fun. One of the best things was Carol - she involved us and treated us like equals. I think it's important not to feel you're being lectured at.'
Setting up schemes
Not surprisingly, there's been a fair degree of interest in the scheme from other LEAs. 'We are hoping to develop a website and more course and training materials so that we will be in a position to "sell" the project on,' says Carolyn. 'That might also tie in with ideas for becoming self-funding when the Single Regeneration Budget runs out.'
The team is determined to remain positive about Right Start's future, post-SRB funding. 'It's gone from strength to strength and is so well established now, I can't see it folding,' says Carolyn.
The team is now considering applying for charitable status, which will open up other funding avenues. It is also hoping to expand its work with local Sure Start schemes, but this in itself will not provide enough funding.
Unfortunately, the SRB option is no longer available to other LEAs, as future rounds are not focused on this type of scheme. This means local authority support and mainstream funding may be the only way for other LEAs who want to follow suit.
Carolyn says, 'We are looking at developing a website and marketing our materials. In the meantime, while we're not in a position yet to send out any training packs, we're happy to offer advice to anyone who might be interested in setting up a similar scheme.'
You can contact Barnsley's Right Start team on 01226 711381.
