An input by Geoff Bateson to Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy Day in Birmingham on 19th June 2008
A contribution of Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy to longer term outcomes.

Family literacy, language and numeracy - a celebration of progress (2006)
After ten years of family literacy, language and numeracy in Birmingham there is much to celebrate, and the opportunity to take stock and look forward. This is the text of an input into a celebration event for schools and adult basic skills providers.

Inspire within the wider setting (2005)
Celebration events were held, in Birmingham Council House, in recognition of the schools and day nurseries that had successfully embedded ‘Inspire’ as part of their whole-school plans, year on year; and ones that had shown consistent use of Keeping Up with the Children programmes to raise standards in their organisation. These were not awards ceremonies – all schools will reach the same position over the next year or two (if they wish) – it was a celebration of the city having reached a new position in its work with parents and families.

A keynote input by Geoff Bateson, Partnership Manager of the Birmingham Core Skills Development Partnership put this work in its bigger context. The text of this input is reproduced here.

"Talking Together" in Birmingham, February 2004 (44k)
This describes cross-agency work to produce, and use, a set of attractive leaflets carrying the agreed ‘common messages’ about language development with children 0-4

How can Familiy Learning Promote Educational Resilience in Children and Young People?
One of the most compelling priorities on the current national educational agenda is to close the achievement gap between those pupils who are academically successful and those who are at risk of failure. Pupils at risk of academic failure often live in socio-economic conditions that have made it difficult for them to succeed in school. Identifying interventions that will promote educational success has become increasingly important in the attempt to improve the life chances of children and young people living in disadvantaged circumstances.

One area of research that has significant implications for the educational improvement of pupils at risk of academic failure is focused on “educational resilience”, - “the capacity of students to attain academic and social success in school despite exposure to personal and environmental adversities” (Wang, Haertel & Walberg, 1998)

This report looks at links between family learning and educational resilience.