Reply To: Cognitive an Learning Parent Workshop

[Leanne]

Hi Jane,

I think it’s great that you are doing this. I’m not a SENCO but I go into schools to run parent workshops. I agree with everything that Delyth says and would add:

In terms of timing, I have found that, after drop off, in the morning is the best time as they’re already there and don’t have to remember to come back early. I always set the chairs out in a circle and start out with an icebreaker where each person speaks to the person next to them and finds out their name, their child/ren’s name/s and age/s and then introduces their ‘partner’ to the rest of the group (people find this easier than introducing themselves, it also works great to get them already chatting to someone else and then to the rest of the group). I then write up their names, children and ages on a flip chart. Depending on what the workshop is about, I may ask them if there are any specific issues/difficulties that they are having and then write those up too to possibly refer back to through the session. I’ve also found that they like lots of resources, so, again depending on the session, I try to provide as many helpful resources as possible that they can take away with them. I keep my feedback form simple with tick boxes on a lickert scale and a box for comments if they’d like to add any. I also include a list of what other workshops are available so that they can tick the ones they’d be interested in, as it might be difficult for them to think what else would be helpful, when they don’t know what’s available.
I hope that helps and I hope it goes well. Also, don’t be discouraged if you don’t get very many parents if it is the first time to offer something like that in your school. I have found that each time I deliver a workshop in a school, the numbers increase as parents spread the word that it was helpful and encourage others to come along.
Let me know how it goes.
Best wishes,
Leanne