The first of two educational films produced by Newcastle Polytechnic (now Northumbria University) about the importance of parental involvement in the education of nursery and pre-school children. In this film presenter Julian Kranz visits Westgate Hill Infant School in Newcastle which is working towards having a greater involvement of its parents in the education of its children. The film features discussions with the school’s Head Teacher Elizabeth French as well as its Community Teacher...

The first of two educational films produced by Newcastle Polytechnic (now Northumbria University) about the importance of parental involvement in the education of nursery and pre-school children. In this film presenter Julian Kranz visits Westgate Hill Infant School in Newcastle which is working towards having a greater involvement of its parents in the education of its children. The film features discussions with the school’s Head Teacher Elizabeth French as well as its Community Teacher Dorothy Clark. As those involve speak, the film features footage of parents, many of South Asian descent, working with their children both in the home as well as the classroom. Title: The making of this programme has been supported by a grant from The Morrell Fund Schools Council Title: Don’t Stop at the Door Part One. A Study of Partnership in Educational Practice Outside Westgate Hill Primary School presenter Julian Kranz reads from the 1944 Education Act relating to the parent’s responsibilities of making sure their child attends school. He the holds up and reads from a new report entitled ‘A New Partnership for Our Schools’ that looks at the importance of parental involvement in their child’s education. He concludes by explaining that in this film we will be looking at one infant school and education children in their early years. Elizabeth French, Head Teacher at Westgate Hill Infant School, explains that it is the job of the school to build on the skills and knowledge already learned by the child before they begin school. She continues to say that they need to bring the parent into the school so that teachers can make use of the skills they have learned. As she talks children in a nursery classroom learning through playing, in another class a teacher or mother sits with a girl helping her read a book. In a classroom Julian Kranz asks several questions relating to the involvement of the parent in the education of their children with Elizabeth French responding. Questions asked include how does the school make the most of the parent’s knowledge and skills? Can parents be involved in teaching their child to read or in mathematic? As she responds to each of these questions in classrooms parents working alongside their children as well as the teacher in various activities and lessons. Back in a classroom Julian explains learning patterns which he sees as skills they are developing as part of the education, as he talks nursery class with children playing with bricks and shapes. In another part of the classroom other children fill plastic bottles with water. Returning to Elizabeth French she talks about making use of the informal parental expertise that the child has already learned, she talks about some mothers coming into the school to cook chapati’s or read stories in Punjabi. Julian Kranz walks down a residential street talking about the schools Community Teacher, Dorothy Clark, who is employed to promote good links between the home and the school. Dorothy comes along a street and knocks on a door of house. She goes inside and sitting on the sofa works playing with a small South Asian child with coloured shapes. The mother comes and sits watching as Dorothy explains that in this way the mother learns the importance of play. Back at the school the mother and her child seen previously comes into the classroom where other mothers and children are sitting. Around the room children play with various toys watched by their mothers sitting around the edges of the classroom. Nursery school children play alongside the older ones as some mothers play with their child or sit chatting over cups of tea. One young South Asian woman sits knitting which Dorothy explains is something she is teaching the mothers. Many of the women in the classroom are of South Asian descent, Dorothy explains that she is often asked to help the parent learn English. She provides details of how she has helped by encouraging them to read alongside their child the books the school provide. Elizabeth French reiterates some of he points raised by Dorothy Clark and concludes that by working with their children in the school they are also learning skills such as English themselves. Displays produced by none-native children hang on the walls of a classroom, Elizabeth French wants to make sure that these children don’t believe that their language or religion is inferior to English by helping to keep the culture alive. Julian Kranz explains that the parent can help by helping their child enjoy coming to school and become more independent. He also says that establishing routines such as set bedtimes are just as important as well as attend school regularly. Elizabeth French provide details of other things parents could do such as create new experiences for the child by having outings to places like a local park where the child would be encouraged to run around, as she speaks children running around and playing in the school yard. Returning to Elizabeth who says that listening to their child more is something else they can do to help their child as they have more time to do this than a teacher, again as she speaks parents and their child in a classroom interacting with each other over various tasks. Elizabeth French explains that education or learning doesn’t stop at the school doors, it is going on all the times with all the experiences feeding into the child’s education. She states that teachers are still the professionals, but they have learned that they can do a better job with the help of the parents. Outside Westgate Hill Primary School Julian Kranz ends the film by going over some of the points raised to show that more parental involvement is required. He ends the film by saying ‘what are you doing for the educational development of your child?'. He turning and looking back at the school. Credit: Julian Kranz Graphics Ray McGinty Production Assistant Keith Selkirk Camera John Grisdale Associate Producer Elizabeth French, Head Teacher Westgate Hill Infant School Producer Dorothy Sisterson, Senior Lecturer in Education Newcastle upon Tyne Polytechnic Director Tony Edwards End title: © 1983 The TV Unit, The Educational Development Service Newcastle upon Tyne Polytechnic