PARENTS in Glusburn and Cowling are going back to school themselves - to learn more about their children's education.

A new scheme is being piloted at the two village primary schools which aims to bring teachers and parents closer together and encourage learning activities in the home.

As well as benefiting the children, the initiative enables parents to learn more about the curriculum and gain accreditation towards childcare, classroom assistant and teaching qualifications.

The Share programme has been running at the two schools since October and has been hailed a great success by the teachers, parents and the children themselves.

Angie Willis, a Year One teacher and special needs co-ordinator at Glusburn School, said: "At school there are so many children, they can only have one go at something. At home they can choose their own time, and do activities as many times as they need."

The group meets every fortnight and Mrs Willis teaches the parents how to use the materials and how to create and plan the learning activities - which cover all areas of the curriculum - as a supplement to homework.

Parent Helen Birch said: "My daughter, Chloe, tends to think of it as my homework, and gets a lot of enjoyment out of helping me with it."

She said that together they had made puppets and then used them to tell stories, and added that Chloe often wanted to continue the activities after the "share" time - which is around an hour spread over the fortnight.

Another parent Sue Dransfield said that the sessions gave her the opportunity to spend some individual "quality" time with her two children.

And it is not just the parents who can learn from the programme - the material can be shared with other family members so that grandparents, aunts and uncles, and childminders can also get involved with the youngster's education.

"The scheme recognises the value of what parents do at home. They are the children's first educator, and this scheme recognises that relationship has a place within education," Mrs Willis said.

She undertook two days of training before taking on the role of share programme co-ordinator and says that it has been of huge benefit to the class.

"It is good to get the parents' perspective on what goes on within the school and to find out what needs more explanation and what issues need to be tackled," she said.

So far 10 parents have signed up for the classes at Glusburn School and six at Cowling School and although there are no plans to expand the current group, it is hoped that the schemes will run again next year, and perhaps be introduced into other year groups.

Head of Glusburn School Val Ashdown said: "This really extends the links we already have in the school between parents and teachers. It is proving very successful so far."

South Craven Community Education has introduced the scheme into the two schools and it will be extended to schools in Skipton and Hellifield shortly.

Organiser Anne-Marie Wright told the Herald that she hoped other schools would also take on the scheme.

It is part of the group's continuing education programme which also includes short courses entitled "Keeping Up with the Children" which explain the terminology and current theories within the curriculum.

For more information about the schemes South Craven Community Education can be contacted on 01535 631576.