Setting

Karen Milne Family Learning Development Officer Adult Learning and Skills Dryden Professional Development Centre Everstone Road Gateshead NE9 5UR

p.1

and communities

Thank you for your hospitality and co-operation during my visit on the 28 th November 2008. I am particularly grateful to you, all your staff and learners for the hard work involved in preparing for the visit and for giving up a great deal of time during the visit to meet with me. Please pass on my thanks to all those concerned.

p.1

and communities

The visit provided much useful evidence, which will contribute to our national evaluation and reporting for the family learning survey. I was particularly pleased to meet learners at Lobley Hill Primary School, and to hear how their learning had helped them to become more self aware, promote positive family relationships and how their children’s confidence, and enjoyment of learning, had improved.

p.1

and communities

The evidence used to inform the judgements made on this one-day visit included: interviews with staff, learners and observations of family learning sessions. A range of documentation and reports were reviewed.

p.1

and communities

The family learning provision I sampled during my one-day visit at Gateshead is very good. I agreed to provide a summary of the good practice seen and to identify some areas for development, and I outline the main findings as bulleted points below.

p.1

and communities

The main strengths are: June Cramman HMI Ofsted North Region 3 rd Floor, Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann’s Square Manchester M2 7LA T 08456 40 40 40 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk MOBILE: 0780 1768257 EMAIL: june.cramman@ofsted.gov.uk  Very good development of learner skills, confidence and parenting attitudes  Good variety of methods and activities in teaching and learning to engage both parents and children  Good assessment methodologies in FLLN  Good range of provision to meet community needs and to reach “hard to reach” learners  Good partnership working  Well-managed curriculum Areas for further development  Insufficiently systematic information advice and guidance  Insufficient use of target-setting in action plans and appraisals

p.1

and communities

I hope these observations are useful as you continue to develop your Family Learning provision. If there are any points or aspects of the visit you wish to discuss, please contact me. As we will be evaluating the survey, you may be contacted in the future to find out your views. I hope you will contribute to this evaluation.

p.2

and communities

As I explained in my previous letter, a copy of this letter will be published on the Ofsted Website.

p.2