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FAST LANE stands for Families And Schools Together, Literacy
And Numeracy for Everyone. It was a language, literacy and
numeracy project that tackled exclusion by building links
between home, school and communities in Kirklees, West Yorkshire.
It has merged into a larger initiative, the Extended Learning
Service.
FAST LANE aimed to stimulate a zest for family learning and
to encourage people of all ages to discover and fulfil their
potential, through providing opportunities and support for
learning. It consisted of a core team of teachers and early
years, community and family learning specialists, plus a larger
team of Literacy Development Workers who liaised between schools,
parents and local communities. These enthusiastic workers
were a key ingredient of FAST LANE's success, and all staff
received regular training, as well as appraisal and good pastoral
care. The events held to celebrate learners' success were
also considered important.
FAST LANE developed a wide range of projects. For example,
Play Pals
paired elderly people with a children in a local nursery or
reception class, to share picture books, toys and music and
have fun talking together. This developed communication, coordination,
memory and social skills on both sides, and helped participants
feel valued.
FAST LANE trained adults to use Storysacks,
and teachers to run the Share
scheme, which involves parents in their children's schoolwork.
In some schools a link with Reading
Is Fundamental, UK meant that children benefited from
free books. FAST LANE also: trained community volunteers and
adults who already worked in schools to support children with
their reading; helped schools host family days; and ran community
literacy groups for parents with babies and young children.
Other examples of projects are:
Adult Learning Inspectors reported that FAST LANE provided
effective inclusion of hard to reach learners; that the work
of FAST LANE had a beneficial impact on the school community;
and that FAST LANE worked with a higher percentage of minority
ethnic adults than other providers. The Reading Friends project
was commended for allowing many volunteers the opportunity
to put something back into their communities.
Huddersfield University completed a major evaluation of the
FAST LANE project, showing many benefits as a result of FAST
LANE activity. For example, as a result of being involved
in a Babies into Books group, numbers of parents sharing books
every day with their child rose from 48.6% to 94.3%, and Reading
Friends test scores following a ten week involvement improved
on average by six months.
FAST LANE was funded from a variety of sources, including
the sale of its services to schools, LEA core funds, Single
Regeneration Budget round 5, the European Social Fund, the
Learning and Skills Council, health funding from a Primary
Care Trust, Yorkshire Forward (the Regional Development Agency),
Neighbourhood Renewal, and the Early Years Development and
Childcare Partnership.
For further information call the Extended Learning Service
on 01484 222 370. For more on the Extended Learning Service
visit
www.kirklees.gov.uk/community
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