Working with traveller families

 

• Not always easy as centuries of oppression have made many traditional travellers insular and guarded. Some new age travellers have often chosen to opt out of a system they see as oppressive, authoritarian and "not for them". For the latter, school is the sum of all things they fight against, and frankly, I sometimes see what they mean! Take on board what valuing diversity means; difference is a good thing and it helps parents with alternative lifestyles to know they are not judged or looked down upon.

• One good experience was of a new age traveller family whose child had a history of very poor attendance. The parent was deemed by school to be impossible to engage and 'weird - probably a druggy' (yes I know, ignore the language - they know not what they do!). I managed to get a conversation going one day and the subject of travelling came up. I spoke about the family groups of traditional travellers who had recently moved into Glastonbury and how travellers self-define with regards to their own identity. The mum explained that the term gypsy can often be seen as offensive so traditional traveller is a good term. For her, she liked the term traveller or new age traveller. Everyone hates being labelled as having 'no fixed abode' but is fine with the term 'not in bricks and mortar'. I thought this was really interesting so she explained that she had done her PhD in this field and had loads of information that she could pass on. This parent actually photocopied hundreds of resources for me because she was pleased and that I wanted to learn and understand. Also, although she wasn't a 'druggy' she does work in the medic's field at festivals to ensure other people who choose that life are safe. This parent chose home education for her child because she recognised his education would be more well rounded and in keeping with his lifestyle but still kept the engagement. Mandy Thorpe, Somerset PSA 

• We have several children from traveller families who are traditionally suspicious of school and don’t engage. I regularly visit the traveller site to meet the parents. It’s important not to come across as patronising and to make the effort to learn about their way of life and traditions which I find really interesting. I’ve now built up trust with the mums. Two of them joined in the SEAL course we ran for families. Some are illiterate so I started a regular session to go through the school newsletter with them and I’m now supporting reading sessions for them. We’ve found that the families who have moved on have enrolled their children at other schools – a very new development as they traditionally only bother with the school near their main winter site.  One traveller mum in particular had a negative attitude to her children attending school. I spent a lot of time talking to her in the playground and reassuring her that her children were being looked after and safe but due to her bad experiences of school she had not been able to relay this positively to her children. We talked about how changing her attitude would make her children’s time happier at school. She took this on board and agreed to come along on a school trip to the zoo. She enjoyed the day so much she then agreed to come along to our Rainbow nurture group. I was so pleased. She embraced the whole experience so positively, talking to all the children and helping them make cookies. She told the children about some of her life and jobs she had done. At the end she thanked the children and asked if she could come again! She noticed we had only a limited number of cooking utensils. A few days later she arrived with a box full of goodies, bowls and cooking spoons. Julie Mayo, PSA, The Glebe Infants School, North Somerset.  

 

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