steppingstones

Stepping Stones: from caravan park to school

Stepping Stones is a two-year initiative of the Caravan Project, funded by the Community Development Fund of the Telstra Foundation, to assist in the transition to school for children living on caravan parks. Our main focus is to facilitate partnerships between parents, teachers, service providers, park management and park residents.

The Caravan Project has employed a community worker to improve the transition to school for children living on caravan parks by:

• providing opportunities for teachers to meet parents and students at the park

• raising the awareness of school staff of the challenges faced by students from the park

• eveloping a school-based action plan with teachers

• establishing a homework club, and possibly a breakfast club, for students on the parks

• providing workshops/activities for students from the park that help them develop relationships with other students

• improving access to educational/social activities for children by supporting weekly playgroups and after-school activities on the park

• improving parental participation with schools

• encouraging parents to recognise the positive impact they can have on their children’s education

• assisting parents to reflect on their parenting

• assisting parents to access community support services

• creating partnerships with other service providers.

The project is important because children living on caravan parks can have difficulties making school a success. This is due to several factors: they are often marginalised and come from disadvantaged backgrounds; their parents may have left school early and/or had negative experiences at school; they may have less space, privacy and quiet areas to do homework; children under five have often not had the opportunity to access pre-school or other early childhood services; they may have changed their address and their school often and have difficulty in maintaining friends and supportive networks; they may be embarrassed to bring their friends home and/or other parents won’t allow their children to visit the park; and they may miss a lot of school.