Newlodge Schools Cluster
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The New Lodge Schools Cluster is situated in North Belfast. It was created in September 2007 when the principals of Edmund Rice Primary School, Star of the Sea Primary School, New Lodge Nursery School and Victoria Nursery School came together to develop a more effective approach for working with parents.
The extensive objectives of the cluster are:
To build on the 'whole school approach to involving and supporting parents' which has been developed in school over a number of years;
To develop the schools as a community resources;
To develop the capacity of the wider community;
To provide support for vulnerable families as part of a multidisciplinary team
To develop a 'needs-led' education programme to parents.'
The parents centre was established to become a community resource to help build on school approaches to involving and supporting parents. This centre is funded by Extended Schools and has helped develop the capacity of the wider community by facilitating a needs led education programme for parents.
The parents centre has become a hub of the community with daily courses and workshops for parents running throughout the year and there is a homework club in the afternoon run by parent volunteers. It give parents a opportunity to get out of the house, meet new people, develop their skills and have fun. Parents also use the centre for assistance and are signposted to other community services. Approximately 50 courses and workshops have taken place so far and hundreds of parents have been involved in various aspects of the project.
Courses that have taken place include: Aromatherapy, Arts and Crafts, Reading Partnership, Cookery, Computer Family Learning Course, Computers - CLAIT Level 1, Creative Craft, Crochet, Essential Skills Maths, Essential Skills Literacy, Health and Beauty, Health and Wellbeing (BMC, OCN accredited) Indian Head Massage, Irish History Course, Linguistic Phonics Family Learning (BMC, OCN accredited), Maths and Literacy workshops, Parents as Co-educators Family learning (BMC, OCN accredited), Parent and child workshops in art, music and cookery, Prepare your child for primary 1, Parenting courses for different age groups, Personal Development levels 1 and 2 and a Speech and Language workshop.
The impact of the centre on families, the schools and the community has been extensive. The success of the project has been possible due to the strong partnership with statutory, voluntary and community organisations.
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Newlodge Schools Cluster9-25 Pim StreetBelfast, BT15 2BNUnited Kingdom
