Impacts of PSA practice

 

• Within a week of being in post, our PSA had made contact with families who were previously reluctant to be involved in the school. Bob Kennedy, St Michaels CofE Primary School, Bournemouth
• "There has been a "sea change in attitude to the school" - some parents have moved from conflict with the school to realising "we all want the same thing". Intervention stops families "spiralling down into crisis". One boy on the verge of permanent exclusion made a successful transition to secondary school because of the support given to him and his family, which continued through the holidays before transfer. The project has reduced SLT workload - "it's great to be able to refer problems" and also to be able to offer families immediate help. Mark Dee, The Park Primary School, South Gloucestershire
• Everyone knows our PSA and she is the catalyst for multi agency working. Stephen Orman, St Clements and St John's Infants, Boscombe
• Working with our PSA has given us a higher capacity knowledge and experience. Here is a professional who can deliver a range of services and support to parents that we never could before. We now have hard to engage parents who are turning around and becoming part of the school and parents who were already engaged increasing their contact and support. Mike Jelly, Long Cause Community Special School, Plymouth
• We now have coffee mornings and open surgeries organised and run by our PSW and parents and carers feel more comfortable about coming into the school. This has been particular the case with our EAL communities. Bob Kennedy, St Michaels CofE Primary School, Bournemouth
• There is good personal support, particularly from the support worker. This is making a significant difference to the lives of those pupils who might find it difficult to integrate in the school. The support worker is a good link with parents and carers. OFSTED 2007, Bethany Juniors, Bournemouth
• Pastoral arrangements are outstanding...arrangements to ensure there are good links with families and their children help to ensure pupil wellbeing. OFSTED 2009, St Clements and St John's Infants, Boscombe
• The family link worker runs social skills courses in school and make home visits to support families. The scheme has seen as having a very positive impact on struggling children and families whose problems are not acute enough for other services. Mark Dee, The Park Primary School, South Gloucestershire
• The role of the PSA has been universally accepted, praised and valued here at St Andrew’s. Parents report that they feel more attached to the school and that there is a person who can really listen and get involved. Parents have disclosed many family issues and difficulties that were having a detrimental effect on their child’s performance. Some parents who have experienced a lot of negativity in their own schooling and were avoiding contact have been able to find a route into school again through the PSA. We had not always understood their depth of feelings about schools and the people within them.  Neil Tuttiett, Headteacher, St Andrew’s Junior School  
• The PSA has made a valuable contribution to school and to families. In particular he has been able to connect with some of our most difficult to reach parents and build a supportive relationship. Having the flexibility to visit them at home or meet away from home has played a large part in this as does the fact that parents see him as someone independent from school. This has helped to improve relationships, particularly when working with some very challenging children whose parents can feel under pressure and quite isolated.  Chris Chaffey, Acting Headteacher, Bournville Junior School. 
• We feel the PSAs have become an invaluable service here at Gordano, facilitating communication between school and parents, where parents have previously avoided contact. We are currently enjoying our highest levels of attendance and some of this can be attributed to the good work that the PSAs have been doing. They are also working closely with our transition managers and feeder schools in order to aid transition, identify any potential problems and make contact with families.  Hayley Meddings, Gordano School (secondary). 
• Our PSA has quickly become an invaluable part of the support we try to offer. Pupils are making better progress because of PSA support Nick Moss, Headteacher, Shield Road Primary School, Filton. 

• We are very pleased with the work Yvonne has done with parents. It’s led me to realise that early intervention works better so we are now reviewing how children talk about family pre-school (e.g. those who don’t bring in ‘stars’ about what the family has done). This has emerged from working with the PSA.  Jon Barr, Headteacher, Meadowbrook Primary School, Bradley Stoke

 

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