Camborne and Truro Nursery Schools have undertaken training with the Froebel Trust and through this Action Research grant enhanced practice and built stronger relationships with parents through Froebelian principles
Project summary
Camborne and Truro Nursery Schools have a history of collaborative working including international research projects and teaching school projects.
Throughout the pandemic both schools adapted and reflected on how to communicate and build honest and trusting relationships with parents despite limited face to face contact. The settings wanted to explore further opportunities to support parents’ confidence in understanding their child's learning and development, encouraging positive relationships through play and exploration.
The pandemic highlighted the importance of the home-school relationship and made the team reflect upon how they communicate with families and the importance of the home-learning environment. Furthermore the consequences of the pandemic made them more aware of the inequalities that exist in:
• home learning environment
• parental confidence
• understanding of child development and the value of play
• individual family circumstances and pressures
• Social experiences and opportunity for social conversations
The research project aimed to provide families with the opportunity to:
• explore Froebelian principles to aid understanding of the value of play and childhood in its own right
• support relationships and conversational language development
• enhance the quality of the home learning environment
The project increased staff confidence in how to communicate with all parents and build trusting relationships and explore influences on children’s levels of well-being and involvement.
