ELAMP Publication
Home Access on the Move
Providing for mobile families
The forward from the document
The Government’s Home Access initiative is intended to encourage families to support and enhance their children’s education by investing in ict. It is also intended to help address the digital divide by offering a grant to cover the cost of a computer and internet access to families on a low income who have school-age children in Key Stage 2 or 3.
The initiative is clearly a very important development and will present a challenge to local authorities (LAs) and schools where they seek to encourage and support families within the new programme. This guidance has been produced to highlight one particular aspect of the challenge; encouraging the use of ICT amongst mobile families and, in particular, families from the Gypsy and Traveller communities as well as Fairground and Circus families.
Download Guidance Document[pdf 2.8mb]
Download Model Learning Agreement [Word File 79kb]
The potential for ICT to reinforce learning in this mobile context has been demonstrated by a series of E-Learning and Mobility projects (E-LAMP) supported by the DCSF and coordinated by the National Association of Teachers of Travellers and Other Professionals (NATT+) since 2004. These projects have also shown that effective distance learning reinforces family commitment to schooling throughout the year, and has a clear impact on overall learner progress.
Traveller mobility offers an unusual ‘out of school’ focus for las as families often cross boundaries as they travel. It also offers a distinctive challenge to schools in terms of the support they can offer to parents and pupils when families are travelling away from their normal winter base for seasonal work or trade purposes. This document gives an overview of the challenge and shares good practice experience from the E-LAMP projects.
ICT-enhanced distance learning has already made a significant difference in many of the 300+ project schools spread across some 40 different English local authorities. This success reflects the work of both schools and la-based Traveller Education Services (TES). It also reflects the importance of working in partnership with Traveller parents.
We hope that you will find this publication useful, especially if you are involved in a school or la context. There is no question that the Home Access programme will give a significant boost to the numbers of Traveller children who have access to computers and the internet in their mobile home setting. This is already clear from experience of the Home Access pilots in Suffolk and Oldham. However careful planning is needed within las so that they can offer effective support to schools with mobile pupils. Equally, at school level, staff will need to be proactive in developing distance learning frameworks and materials. In this context it is encouraging to note that schools can now credit the attendance of mobile pupils (as ‘approved educational activity’) provided they are undertaking agreed distance learning activities and returning their work to teachers at agreed and regular intervals.
For further information
For any enquiries regarding this document please contact Ken Marks or Marion Rowlands:
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