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A new report highlights how the best provision in family learning is boosting the skills, qualifications and confidence of children and adults in England.

Published by the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted), the report highlights the key features enabling children and adults to make good progress in their learning and attainment. The survey focuses on targeting families most in need of support, the features of effective learning programmes, the impact of family learning on participating children and adults, and the models adopted to promote community cohesion.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert said: 'Family learning can transform the lives of children and parents, helping them to break the cycle of deprivation and educational underachievement. This report includes a range of examples of good practice which I hope those interested in achieving success in family learning will learn from.'

Family learning gives parents and carers the skills to take an active role in their child’s learning, providing an opportunity to share ideas with other parents and to develop parents’ literacy, language and numeracy skills. Inspectors found family learning taking place most commonly in schools but also through Sure Start Children’s Centres and community centres. Providers worked well with partners to target and recruit learners in often disadvantaged communities while specifically designed programmes met the needs of priority groups such as foster carers and very young parents.

Inspectors found learning programmes consistently met the needs of participating children and adults. Most family learning was intergenerational with programmes carefully designed to foster children’s development while equipping parents, carers and grandparents with the skills and confidence to help their child’s learning. In one example, parents watched their child engage in class activities to develop skills in counting, sequencing and writing numbers. The parents then joined their child in fun activities which reinforced numeracy learning, while also developing the child’s motor, communication and interpersonal skills. Another provider successfully recruited fathers and male carers to family learning by linking imaginative play and technology.

Family learning programmes made a considerable impact on children and adults. Children were reported by teachers to have improved communication, confidence and interpersonal skills. Following family learning children were said to be settling better in class and to have improved relationships with classmates and teachers. Inspectors found family learning to make a big impact on parents too, leading to employment and qualifications for people from often deprived communities. In one disadvantaged area, family learning made a big long-term impact on employment, breaking the cycle of educational underachievement by improving the skills of family members so they could better help their children. Parents saw family learning make a real difference to their lives, expanding their social networks, improving their employment prospects, increasing their involvement in school life, and giving them the confidence and skills to help their child.

All providers had well-established partnerships with public, voluntary and community sectors, helping to meet the widest range of interests and promote community cohesion. These partnerships brought together a wide range of different communities, cultures, faiths and ages. High-profile celebration events for family learning were actively supported by senior council representatives and local celebrities, communicating a clear message to parents and children of the value of their own achievements and contribution to family learning.

To improve the quality of provision further, the report makes a number of recommendations, including the following:

• The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Learning and Skills Council should ensure the allocation of funds recognises the actual costs of engagement activities and continuous support, such as childcare, which is essential to the success of family learning.
• The Department for Children, Schools and Families should promote the benefits of family learning to head teachers as a core school activity.
• All providers should further develop effective systems to monitor progress and outcomes for parents, carers and children.
• All providers should develop family learning provision beyond Key Stage 2 to support the important transition stages in children's learning and development.

1. The report Family learning: An evaluation of the benefits of family learning for participants, their families and the wider community can be found at www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/080265.

2. The survey was conducted by three of Her Majesty's Inspectors and an additional inspector between September 2008 and March 2009. A sample of 23 local authority adult and community learning providers were visited where 36 family learning classes were observed on the premises of schools, Sure Start Children’s Centres and a library. Providers in the sample were selected on the basis of previous good inspection grades in family learning or other identified examples of good practice.

3. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

4. Media can contact the Ofsted Press Office through 020 7421 6899 or via Ofsted's enquiry line 08456 404040 between 8.30am - 6.30pm Monday - Friday. Out of these hours, during evenings and weekends, the duty press officer can be reached on 07919 057359.