The Road to Learning 2008

General advice and information

Whether your child is starting at a nursery class, school, pre-school, family centre or day nursery, they may find the first few days confusing. There are a number of points worth considering. Starting on 'the road to learning' should be fun.

Visit the class, pre-school, school or other place with your child before they are due to start. You can then meet the adults working there and see other children busy with their activities.

Try to make contact with other parents or carers in your neighbourhood with children at the same place so that your child will get to know some adults and children beforehand.

Encourage your child to be confident in putting on and taking off their coat and shoes and putting them in the correct place when they are not wearing them.

Help your child to know the toilet routine at the nursery class, school or other place of early learning. Encourage your child to tell an adult if he or she feels unwell or has an accident.

Some of the services that your child may need during their years at school are listed on the next few pages.

Access and Attendance Officers

The Access and Attendance Team works with all schools in the authority to advise on managing attendance issues and take referrals on pupils who do not go to school regularly. Officers deal with certain schools and have a clear system of what time to spend on work in primary and secondary teams.

Officers visit parents and pupils in their homes and assess the causes of poor school attendance. They then identify strategies and action plans to deal with difficulties and improve school attendance. The service also operates in schools using information on attendance and focusing resources in schools on the areas with most significant concerns.

In situations where parents fail to make sure their children regularly attend, the team will prosecute in the Magistrates Court. If appropriate, parenting orders will be to support parents and families with specific issues that have led to poor parenting and poor school attendance.

The service can also ask for Education Supervision Orders on pupils of school age who refuse to keep to the reasonable requests and expectations set by their parents, their school and the local authority.

Barking Library

It costs nothing to join the public library service in Barking and Dagenham. The library service is for all ages. Young children are welcomed. Children do not have to know how to read to benefit from joining the library. Public libraries offer all sorts of books for children from board books and picture books to advanced readers.

Toy libraries are based in the Barking Library and several other libraries in the borough. A toy library is a toy-equipment and loan service where parents, carers and children can come together in a welcoming and friendly venue to play together and borrow toys. There are also cassettes, CDs, videos and free access to the internet.

Most libraries have collections of books for parents and carers. They also provide learning activities during school holidays. The School Library Service loan books and audio-visual material to schools.

Family Information Service

This service provides accurate, independent information and advice about childcare, early education and leisure services for children aged 0-14 years in Barking and Dagenham.

Early Years and Childcare Service

This service offers advice, support and guidance to all early years childcare providers.

Family learning

The Adult College of Barking and Dagenham arrange courses for parents, carers and children as part of the Family Learning programme.

These have covered a variety of subjects and activities including Family Literacy and Reading Enhancement (FLARE), keeping up with the children (literacy and numeracy workshops), as well as spelling and reading. Courses are usually held in schools and are free to adults and children involved. There is no charge for the crèches.

Language Support Service

The Language Support Service provides support and guidance for ethnic minorities, refugee pupils and for pupils who speak little or no English. Specialist teachers from the service assess new pupils and send their assessment to the relevant schools.

In schools, members of the Language Support Service Central Team play a very important role for new pupils and those from ethnic minorities. They work with classroom teachers to help children make progress and they provide important links between the school and pupils' parents. Parents are further supported at school functions by interpreters and Language Support Service teachers.

School health service

When children start school, the school nurses will let parents and carers know about school health services. You will also receive the name of the school nurse and how you can contact them at the local clinic where they are based.

Your health visitor will discuss with you whether there is any health, growth or developmental problem that it would be advisable to share with the school and school nurse.

Sharing information in this way supports your child by making sure that they have the greatest opportunity to learn at and enjoy school. The health visitors will always ask you for permission before any information they share any information with the schools.

Soon after children start school, the school nurse will carry out a health screening including checking your child's vision, hearing, height and weight. They will ask you about any health concerns. If necessary, a school medical will be arranged. You will always be consulted and given the opportunity to attend.

Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001

Schools must:

Not treat disabled children less favourably
Take reasonable steps to make sure a disabled child is not disadvantaged and to make reasonable adjustments for disabled children; and
Not discriminate against disabled children when providing a service. This applies to all early years settings and schools in their admission arrangements and in relation to their exclusions from school

Council services for children and young people are determined to offer the best possible educational opportunities for all those living in the borough. We work hard with parents, carers, school staff and other people to include all children with special educational needs or disabilities in their local mainstream school wherever possible.

The view of the child or young person is also very important. Different types of support and services are available to help children and young people with their education and development. We have a number of specialist bases in mainstream schools as well as a special school.

We have produced a free folder of information called 'Special Educational Needs, a Guide for Parents'. The Government Department for Children, Schools and Families has also produced a booklet with the same title. Your can get copies of the booklets and more information from Special Educational Needs Assessment and Review Team.

Parents in Partnership Service

If your child has special educational needs, you may contact the Parents in Partnership Service. They are part of 'Carers of Barking and Dagenham' and offers information, support and represents carers. It can also give information to parents on exclusions if the child has been identified as having special educational needs. The service is not linked to the local authority.

Parent-teacher associations and governing bodies

As soon as your children have started school, you are entitled to become a member of the appropriate Parent-teacher association and become involved in the work of the governing bodies. We believe that co-operation between schools, parents and carers and the local authority should be strong and productive. If you are interested in this activity, speak to the Head Teacher of your child's school.

Pupil Student Services

This section provides financial help for pupils in infant school and the infant sections of primary schools. This help includes the following services.

Pupil transport|

Children aged under 16 can travel free on London buses. We will help with travel to and from school if your child is in Years 10 or 11 and you move to an address in the borough that is more than 4.827 kilometres from the school that your child goes to.

Tel: 020 8227 3483

Free school meals|

If you are receiving Income Support or income-based Job seekers Allowance, you may apply for free school meals.

Tel: 020 8227 3479

Clothing allowance|

We can provide a clothing allowance for certain families who cannot afford to buy the school uniform for their children.

Tel: 020 8227 3015