Christine Smith, family learning coordinator at Four Dwellings High School, Birmingham, describes a pioneering approach to family learning in secondary schools.

Family learning has long been a common feature in primary schools across Birmingham, developed in partnership with the Family Learning Service of the local education authority. The approach is now becoming well established in secondary schools.

Four Dwellings High School was one of the first in Birmingham, and possibly the country, to run the Learning and Skills Council's approved model of intensive family literacy and numeracy courses. From one family literacy course in 2001/2002, provision has grown and it now has nine courses timetabled for the year with dedicated teaching input, plus the development of new out-of-hours courses.

Family learning grew out of a very successful paired reading programme, which has run at the school for many years. Initially involving peer tutoring, the programme was developed to involve the encouragement of family reading. Its success and wider acknowledgement in this field, as well as a whole school ethos, led to the setting up of the first family learning programme. Even with the school's commitment to improving approaches to learning and basic skills for both students and parents, we could not have envisaged the extent to which the programme would take off. With the continued support of the Family Learning Service, family learning is now an established part of the school.

The school's family learning programme aims to:

• improve the literacy and numeracy skills of children and adults
• develop parents' awareness of how they can support their child's progress
• help develop parents' skills and ability to help with homework
• encourage parents to study and increase their own skills and obtain suitable employment (where appropriate)
• develop positive relationships between parents and school.

The process of engaging families begins in Year 6 in conjunction with feeder primary schools, in preparation for the transition from primary to secondary school. Working together, the schools identify any learning support needs. They also take into account other issues such as anxiety about moving school and physical, emotional or behavioural needs. This work takes place during the summer term and is supported by parents who have been involved in previous years.

When they arrive at the school in Year 7, students are identified to take part in the family learning programme using baseline assessment in conjunction with information provided by feeder primary schools. Decisions are then made about the groupings for the range of programmes that now run throughout the year in literacy, numeracy and ICT.

Programmes have also been extended into Years 8 and 9. For example, the Year 9 literacy and numeracy programmes run throughout the spring term to support identified groups of students in preparation for SATs. As well as working with their children in joint sessions, parents receive continuing support from the basic skills tutor and guidance on further learning opportunities. Many go on to continued education and gain nationally recognised certification. For students, evidence of the progress made is provided by pre and post-programme testing, as well as measures of attitude and behaviour through existing schools systems.

The extent of the programme this year is such that we have appointed a full-time basic skills tutor to support it. The tutor works closely with the family learning teachers and other support staff to develop an engaging and motivating curriculum appropriate for this approach, including a range of experiences both in and out of the school environment. The recent publication of a school family learning magazine is just one example of the way this can work.

When offering a family learning programme there can, of course, be many barriers to learning to overcome. We are very aware of how difficult it can be for some parents to even step foot into a secondary school, particularly when they are far from being confident learners themselves, as is often the case. We do everything we can to overcome these barriers and gain their trust and confidence: making home visits; providing transport and crèche facilities; developing a welcoming and friendly ethos within the school.

The impact of the family learning programme is evident not only in improved basic skills of both students and adults, but also in improved attendance, student behaviour and the all-important school relationship with parents. Each individual has their own success story to tell. Each story, in its own way, creates greater belief in the approach and determination to continue to develop lifelong learning opportunities within the community.