Achievement For All launches a FREE School Readiness - Summer Activity Support Programme to help young children’s achievement during Covid-19

As a parent you are constantly struggling to find activities to keep your young child entertained, engaged and focused to learn. As the beginning of summer term approaches, with the majority of schools looking to reopen in September, parents now have the added responsibility to ensure their young child is ready for school and learning.

Achievement for all has created the perfect solution to engage them through their “FREE School Readiness - summer activity programme”. This free and downloadable programme, has been designed to support schools, community organisations and families to provide meaningful and high impact activities for children; with a focus on children from disadvantaged backgrounds; to rebuild their confidence and ability to learn following Covid-19 lockdown.

The AFA’s School Readiness summer activity programme is based upon the specialised concept of “Core Strength” developed by CEO and Professor Sonia Blandford, one of the country’s leading experts on social mobility.

What is the purpose of the Free School Readiness - Summer Activity Programme?

It’s time to recognise that It's not just about getting through the syllabus but developing the learner as a person. With the world of work changing rapidly and our education system playing catch up, we need to take proactive action to prepare young children for the world of work and to establish them as well rounded individuals.

The Confederation of British Industry, a UK business organisation, which speaks for 190,000 businesses in their most recent report on education and learning, shares three essential elements that enable a young child to become “work ready”: Character, Knowledge and Skills.

1. ‘Character’ – These are individual traits and strengths that enable someone to flourish in their lives and deal with set-backs at work, self reflect on personal strengths and areas for improvement, and are inclusive and compassionate.

2. ‘Knowledge’ – Providing young children with a rigorous, rich, and stretching curriculum, with each subject given equal emphasis. Giving them the essential knowledge needed to be educated citizens, introducing them to the best and most powerful knowledge within subject areas and helping them to appreciate creativity and achievement.

3. ‘Skills’ – This is the application of knowledge and character in real world scenarios through teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and communication. This is application of both character and knowledge, working successfully with colleagues, public speaking and presenting.

All three are essential and connected. Each of them on their own does not prepare a young child for the modern world of work. Schools concentrate on the knowledge aspect through a well taught curriculum and attempt to grow character and skills through the wider experiences, although it’s programmes like AFA School Readiness Programme that really help to create a more accomplished young children by focusing on these forgotten aspects.

What is the Free School Readiness Programme and how can parents use it?

Achievement for All has launched the School Readiness Summer programme to help develop the Core Strength of young children, the activities help to build their character, knowledge and skills. The achievement for all programmes is easy to apply at home, as it helps young children to improve these aspects without being in a formal education setting. The programme covers:

• The Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening Me
  • Shows how important literacy is in our everyday life.

Parents can encourage young children to develop this by asking them to:

• Write with purpose (a letter, report, blog, text)
• Use full sentences when speaking
• Describe their feelings and emotions
• Maths and Me
  • Highlights how numeracy is linked into everything we do.

Parents can encourage young children to develop this by asking them to:

• Manage money (pocket money, travel costs, a budget)
• Calculating shopping cost against a set budget
• Measuring (distance, time, weight etc)
  
  
• The Finding Out Me
  • Develop skills on managing information and using it effectively.

Parents can encourage young children to develop this by asking them to:

• Spot “fake news”
• Interview people
• Search the web and compare information from different sources
  
  
• Other people and Me
  • Explores how to manage relationships with people.

Parents can encourage young children to develop this by asking them to:

• Give a presentation and answer questions
• Take different roles in a team challenge
• Explore leadership
• The Digital Me
  • How to use technology effectively and safely online.

Parents can encourage young children to develop this by asking them to:

• Use social media appropriately
• Take pictures and videos, edit and publish online
• Explore online gaming
  
  
• The Creative Me -
  • This explores creative ways to solve problems.

Parents can encourage young children to develop this by asking them to:

• Create new games
• Write a story, a play, music, create a dance routine
• Find out why something isn’t working as it should
  
  
• Building the best Me
  • How to be proactive, positive, accountable and resilient.

Parents can encourage young children to develop this by asking them to:

• Be on time
• Set and agree personal target and ask them to achieve them
• Learn from their mistakes

The School Readiness - Summer Activity Programme based on the core strength programme is the “toolkit for the brain” - helping your young children how to think and develop those skills

The Achievement for All toolkit for the brain can really help parents to build the character, knowledge and skills truly desired to push their young child to become a better version of themselves, despite the setbacks caused by Covid-19. This is the perfect programme to embrace young children as a complete individual and helps you explore ways you can use everyday activities to build their core strength.

To find out more about the School Readiness - Summer Activity programme and access the FREE Resources go to : https://res.afa3as.org.uk/CoreStrength/CS_Resources/index.html

Achievement for All is a leading not-for-profit organisation that works in partnership with early years settings, schools and colleges to improve outcomes for all children. AFA Education’s proven ability to accelerate academic progress closes the gap for all ages and stages, regardless of their background, challenge or need. AFA Education offers coaching programmes, step up reviews and regional CPD events to improve achievement and empower students and educators across the country.