King Offa launches parent room project

The Lily Room forms part of a block of additional teaching space. Its conversion has been made possible through funding from the Bexhill Schools Consortium.

The consortium is working through a programme designed to ensure that every school in the town has a parents' room.

In the school hall, Eleanor Fell of BBC Southern Counties Radio, Sussex organiser for the BBC's RAW (Reading and Writing) campaign, was supplying the books and backing for a family story-writing and circus skills afternoon - "The Amazing Travelling Space Circus."

The free fun-packed family event combined circus tales, juggling, circus art and badge-making.

All children had to be accompanied by an adult for the event, as Wendy Morton, family learning manager for East Sussex County Council, explained.

Headteacher Jenni Miller said consortium funding had been used to redecorate and furnish space as a family room.

Facilities would be enhanced by the addition of computers which would give parents access to schools information.

"At the moment it is staffed by Mrs Paula Goldfinch, our parent information contact (PIC).

"She makes sure that she has access to all the information that parents might want to know about.

"She has a family session time on Tuesday mornings in this room every week.

"Parents can drop in. They can just have a chat or find out the answers to specific questions.

"If Mrs Goldfinch doesn't know the answer she can tell them where to find the answer.

"She works very closely with the Link worker, Karen Heys.

"They have worked very closely together in setting this room up.

"The idea of this room is that it is going to be available for parents' groups or other workshops and it will be available to all families in the Bexhill Consortium.

"We were given money by the consortium. They allocated funds for which we are very grateful for setting it up.

"We have been able to develop a kitchen area where they can prepare refreshments.

"It has been decorated and we are going to get new furniture. There are still things that we want to buy for it including computers.

"It's the whole block really but we will also use it for our own teaching purposes.

"The computers will have interactive facilities for training and workshop sessions."

Attending the opening was former local primary head Janet Smithson, now development officer for the consortium.

The consortium plans soon to launch a website explaining its role, giving information about local schools and providing parents and professionals alike with access to information.

She said: "It will signpost people to where activities may be taking place such as the De La Warr Pavilion, Egerton Park and the Children's Centre."

The school has just appointed some Year Six pupils as Prefects. The Prefects were on duty for the afternoon, greeting parents and guiding them, handing out explanatory literature and serving tea.