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What is Family Learning?

Family Learning is where both children and adults are involved in learning activities together and through these shared experiences the culture of learning in the family grows, and the children have a greater opportunity of succeeding in life.  Family Learning courses and workshops are funded by Somerset Skills and Learning.

Why Family Learning is Important:

Family Learning at Kingfisher Primary School helps parents and carers improve their self confidence and parenting skills and their ability to help their children learn.  Children benefit because parents become more interested and involved in their child's school life, learning how to support them more effectively.

Family Learning at Kingfisher Primary encourages all the family to participate in lifelong learning; for some parents, it can be the first step towards developing further learning for themselves or engaging in volunteer work or seeking paid employment.

At Kingfisher Primary, we offer day courses (Wider Family Learning) which are specifically designed to enable parents to learn how to support their children's learning during a 3 hour structured, interactive and fun session.  Parents and adults will be encouraged to spend time observing, listening and interacting with their child.

We also offer Phonics courses here which are usually 10 hours in length but split over 5 weeks (2 hour sessions).  These are designed for parents/carers to develop their skills to enable them to support their child to develop confidence and their love of learning.   Parents and carers will observe the teacher, develop knowledge and strategies and then work with their child to apply new skills.

Parents will also find out what we teach in specific year groups, the different methods we use to achieve those objectives and also, more importantly how their child learns at school.  Tips will be given on how to help children at home, not only with homework, but how to develop skills during every day activities.

2025-2026 - Family Learning sessions

Reception - Minnow Class

We were delighted by the wonderful turnout at our recent family learning session in Minnow Class. It was a joy to see so many parents actively involved, playing and learning alongside their children. The session highlighted the vital role of active play in supporting children’s development, encouraging social interaction, teamwork, confidence, and strong parent–child connections. Your enthusiastic participation made the experience truly special for the children.

Little Kingfisher's

We were truly amazed by the fantastic turnout at our recent family learning session at Little Kingfisher’s Nursery. It was wonderful to see so many parents joining in and engaging so enthusiastically alongside their children. Through active play, families supported social interactions, teamwork, and confidence.

 The children were excited, focused, and proud to learn with their parents by their side. These sessions are so important in helping parents feel part of everything we do here. Thank you all for your continued support and involvement.

Year 1 – Dragonfly Class

We were delighted by the amazing turnout and fantastic participation from both children and parents at our phonics session in Dragonfly class. It was lovely to share how phonics and early reading are taught in school, and to explore practical ways parents can support and engage with learning at home. Families enjoyed taking part in activities together and learning about helpful resources they can access beyond the classroom. The children were incredibly proud to show their skills and confidence, and it was wonderful to see their excitement as they learnt alongside their parents. Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm.

Year 2 – Mallard Class

With great excitement, we welcomed a fantastic turnout of parents and children to our reading comprehension session. Together, we explored the key skills needed to understand texts, including predicting, questioning, and discussing ideas, while sharing practical ways to support and engage children during reading at home. The enthusiasm in the room was infectious, as children proudly shared their thinking and impressed their families with their confidence. It was wonderful to see parents so actively involved and learning alongside their children. Sessions like this strengthen our home–school partnership, and we are truly grateful for the continued support of our families.

Year 3 – Otter Class

Otter Class had a fantastic family learning session exploring formal methods in Maths! We had great fun working through addition, subtraction and division, as well as using inverse operations to check our answers. Thank you so much to all the parents who gave their time and joined in so enthusiastically – your participation really made the session special. It was lovely for parents to see the high level their children are working at and to admire the clear presentation of their work. Sharing how children lay out calculations and explain their thinking was incredibly beneficial and helped build confidence all round.

Year 4 – Hedgehog Class

Hedgehog Class enjoyed an engaging and informative family learning session all about times tables and how they are taught to support all abilities in Year 4. The session highlighted practical strategies for extending and reinforcing learning both in school and at home. Thank you to all the parents who attended and got involved so positively – your support and time are truly valued. It was lovely for parents to see the standard their children are working at and to understand the methods and approaches used in class. Sharing these strategies helped demonstrate how consistent teaching supports confidence, fluency and success in times tables.

Year 5 – Swan Class

Swan Class enjoyed a highly engaging family learning session centred on KS2 reading comprehension. Parents and children explored the essential skills needed to develop deeper understanding of texts and looked at effective ways to support and motivate reading at home. A big thank you to all the parents who attended and took part so enthusiastically – your time and commitment are truly appreciated. It was a pleasure for parents to see the standard their children are achieving and the confidence they show when using a range of reading strategies. Sharing questioning and discussion techniques highlighted how valuable shared reading is for building understanding and enjoyment.

Year 6 - Owl Class

Owl Class took part in a valuable and engaging family learning session focused on online safety and the transition to secondary school. Parents and children discussed key topics such as staying safe online, responsible digital choices and preparing for the changes ahead. Thank you to all the parents who attended and contributed so positively – your time and support are greatly appreciated. It was reassuring for parents to see how knowledgeable and mature their children are when discussing these important issues. Sharing strategies and expectations helped build confidence and highlighted how working together can support a smooth, safe and successful move to secondary school.

At Kingfisher Primary School, we firmly believe that involving parents in teaching and learning plays a vital role in every child’s success. The support, encouragement and engagement from our families help strengthen the excellent learning that takes place in school every day. Working in partnership allows children to feel confident, motivated and proud of their achievements, while giving parents a clear insight into how learning is taught and celebrated. We are extremely grateful for the continued support of our parent community and the time you invest in your children’s education. We look forward to welcoming you to many more family learning sessions in the future.