Through our family learning session, we aim for parents/carers to:  

• Find out what we do in the classroom
• Share in their child learning
• Celebrate their child successes.  

As a school we aim to: 

• Build positive relationships with parents/carers
• Share information on current classroom practices
• Share information about how to support children’s learning at home.  

We provide opportunities for pupils: 

• To see key adults in their life working together to help them achieve success
• To share their learning with key adults in their life
• To celebrate their achievements. 

Throughout the course of the year each class organises two class assemblies. The teacher and children decide on the content of the assembly based on what they have been working on in class. Family members are invited in to watch the assembly and celebrate their child’s success.  
 

Whole School Events 

We hold many whole school events throughout the year at Hillhead these are always very well attended by our family members. These include our Christmas and Summer Show, Burns Supper and our regular focus week celebrations. 

Curricular Events 

Book Bug and Read, Write, Count sessions (P1- P3) 

As part of the Scottish Book Trust’s aim to promote a love of reading and reduce the attainment gap, books are gifted to each child in Scotland in P1 –P3. This ensures that every child has access to books and as part of this school staff ran workshops to share information with parents about the impact that a love of reading can have on their child’s education as well having the opportunity to work together with their child to share in some of the Literacy and Numeracy activities and games that were provided in the bags that could be completed at home. 

Read, Write, Count (P4- P7) 

In conjunction with Eilleen Smith (Family Learning Worker) pupils have had the opportunity to invite a family member to sessions where they can demonstrate their learning in Literacy or Numeracy. Pupils worked together with family members on developing and extending their skills through a shared task completed in school and then completed a task together at home before returning for a feedback session where success was celebrated. 

This year we have introduced the PAThS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) programme across the school. As part of this programme, pupils learn to identify and self-regulate their feelings, build positive relationships, problem solve and equip themselves with skills to ensure that they make positive choices in their lives. The programme focuses on building pupil self-esteem and giving and receiving compliments through our PAThS pupil of the week. Pupils learn to use control strategies to manage their feelings both in class, in the playground and with the inclusion of our family learning sessions, pupils have shared their strategies with their parents/ carers so that this learning can be transferred and encouraged in the home environment.  

"It has taught me how to control my temper when I am angry."

(P2 pupil)

"There are negative and positive feelings and it is OK to have different feelings from other people."

( P4 pupil)

"It has helped me not just with your emotions but with my confidence I feel more confident to go to my teacher and say I am not feeling OK."

(P5 pupil)

In Hillhead, to help children broaden their vocabulary we have been using a new approach to teaching words called Word Aware. We have introduced family learning sessions focussing on Word Aware  in the classroom so that parents/carers can see what we do to introduce and develop new vocabulary, how we have fun with words  and how families could help extend this at home.   

"Concept cat is fun and helps me learn new words because he tells stories about them."

(P2 pupil)

"Helps me learn the meanings of new words and how to spell them."

(P6 pupil)

"One of the words was in my novel and if I hadn’t done word aware, I wouldn’t have known what it meant."

(P7 pupil)