Connexions Trafford

Free courses for teenage parents

Gingerbread, the charity for single parents, is running FREE Pathways courses for local teenage mums and dads.

You get to meet other teenage parents
Make new friends
Have fun planning a family event
Even get a qualification.

OCN accredited 'Building Futures Course'

Free Childcare, travel expense paid and lunch provided.

Every Tuesday & Friday for 12 weeks starting 7th February 2012 12:30am - 3:00pm at Newton Heath Children's Centre, Great Newton Street, Newton Heath, M40 1WT.

To find out how to get to Newton Heath Children's Centre by bus, train or tram click here.

For more information please contact Laura Pagent on 0161 636 7515 or email laura.

Gingerbread have loads of leaflets which can help parents - from how to change your baby's name to advice on managing your household bills.

The Advisory Centre for Education

The Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) provide the information, support and high-quality advice that parents need to help their children at school, particularly where there are problems.

You can get in touch on the following helpline numbers

• ACE Advice Line 0808 800 5793 (Monday to Thursday 10am-1pm) calls are free from UK landlines and all major mobile networks - 3, Orange, Virgin, Vodaphone, T-Mobile and O2.
  
• Exclusion Advice Line 0808 800 0327 (Monday to Thursday 10am-1pm) calls are free from UK landlines and all major mobile networks - 3, Orange, Virgin, Vodaphone, T-Mobile and O2.

You can request an Exclusion Pack by calling 020 7704 9822 (24hr answerphone to leave your name and address only) calls charged at local rate or you can download a pack here.

The ACE wesbite also has a number of booklets and briefings here.

DfE Report on Subject Choices

The Department for Education has recently published a report which examines the importance and impact of the subject and course choices that young people make at age 14 and age 16.

The report includes

• Subject and course choices at 14 and 16
  
• How do young people make subject and course choices?
  
• The role of schools
  
• Multivariate analysis of subject choices
  
• Conclusion
  
• Appendices

Some of the findings from the report include

Choices at 14

The most commonly‐taken vocational courses are VRQs and BTECs, with the most frequently‐taken subjects being Computer Literacy, Sports Studies / Leadership, Preparation for Work and Applied Science. Basic Skills exams are taken by about one‐fifth of pupils. There is also quite a substantial gender divide in some subjects, with Health Studies / Science, Speech & Drama and Art & Design being more popular amongst girls, and Sports Studies and Business & Finance more popular amongst boys.

History GCSE is taken by just under a third of all Key Stage 4 students, while Geography and Art GCSEs are taken by around a quarter of pupils. Modern foreign languages (MFLs) are taken by less than half of Key Stage 4 students, with around a quarter of students taking French.

Choices at 16

Maths is clearly the most popular A‐Level choice, with over 16% of pupils taking it in 2009–10. Amongst English‐related A Levels, the most popular is English Literature, taken by 11% of pupils (despite being offered at over 80% of schools and colleges). Among the natural sciences, there is quite wide variation from the most popular, Biology (13%), to the least popular, Physics (7%). Psychology is also relatively popular, with 13% of pupils taking this A Level in 2009–10. History and General Studies are popular A‐Level choices too, being taken by around 11% of pupils. Modern foreign languages, in contrast, do not appear to be popular choices at A Level, being taken by less than 6% of all Year 13 students.

Read the full report here

The Importance of GCSE Maths and English

A report has found that young people with GCSE Maths and English are less likely to be unemployed than those who do not achieve.

The Centre for Cities found that there is an obvious correlation at city level between GCSE Maths and English attainment and youth unemployment.

The research shows cities perform at a similar level when you measure performance of GCSE A* to C grades across all subjects, but strikingly there are huge disparities between cities when looking at pupils’ performance in Maths and English.

Read more here.

Trafford Parent Partnership Service

Trafford Parent Partnership Service is for parents/carers:

• whose children have been assessed as having special educational needs;
  
• who believe their children may have special educational needs;
  
• whose children have a disability recognised under the Disability Discrimination Act.

If you have any enquiries about your childs special educational needs please phone our helpline on: 0161 912 3150.

The have created a leaflet about School Action and School Action Plus - read it here (.pdf).

Young People's Aspirations

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation carried out a report on 'The influence of parents, places and poverty on educational attitudes and aspirations'.

Find out more about the report here.

find out more about the Jospeh rowntree Foundation here.

Stay Safe this Autumn

Be safe this halloween and fireworks night with the help of the safe4autumn website.

As well as being able to win an iPad you can find out how to enjoy Halloween safely and find out about organised fireworks events in your area.

The safe4autumn website has information about events across Greater Manchester.

Butterflies Summer Fayre

Butterflies Young Parents Group are holding a Summer Fayre at Old Trafford Youth Centre on Saturday 30th July between 12 noon and 4pm.

There will be

• face painting,
  
• tombola,
  
• nail art,
  
• a raffle and
  
• loads of fun n games.

Find out more by left clicking on our poster.

Location Details
Old Trafford Youth Centre
Seymour Park
St Hilda’s Rd
Old Trafford
M16 9PQ
0161 912 4872
For a map click here.

To find out how to get to Old Trafford Youth Centre by bus, car, train or tram click here.

Moving On - helping 14-19 year-olds apply for jobs

Moving on is a free interactive online resource from the BT Learning and Skills programme which helps young people find out and develop their personal skills and how best to promote themselves when applying for jobs.

The site has videos, online animations and activities which help students learn how to identify their own skills, how to market themselves, and how to apply for jobs that are a good fit for their personality, interests and skills.

The four modules are:

• Who do you think you are?
  
• Brand YOU
  
• Putting it altogether
  
• Further resources