Worcestershire's Children's Service for
Gypsy Roma Traveller (GRT) Children, Young People and
Families
Worcestershire Children's Services provides educational and
other support for the community of Gypsy 
Roma Travellers, Showman
families, Circus families, Bargee's, and New Age Travellers through
direct resourcing to schools with a recognised need (catchment area
which has high levels of Traveller children within the local
community).
The Worcestershire Context and Objective
To ensure that every Traveller child has equal access, with
others, to his or her full legal entitlement to education and other
support services; to enable them to take this opportunity to become
participant adults in a democratic society; to ensure that all
providers and schools have access to knowledge and understanding of
Traveller Communities and culture.
To support the development of a culture of acceptance in which
all children can be valued equally, treated with respect and
provided with equal opportunities within education and access to
support services. It is concerned with developing inclusive values,
shared by all staff, pupils, governors, parents/carers and
communities that are conveyed to all new members of the school.
These principles underpin the development of policies and practice
through a continuous process of school improvement and access to
community services.
To encourage participation in a learning community where all are
welcome, their needs are met and personal strengths are recognised.
Inclusive practices are those which effectively implement the
inclusive culture and policies of the school and community, so that
full participation is encouraged from all pupils in classroom and
extra-curricular activities, drawing upon their knowledge and
experience outside the school.
The Role of the Service
The Service co-ordinates, monitors, advises, supervises and
assists the provision for children from the Travelling communities
throughout Worcestershire; they do this by:
- Work to promote anti – discriminatory practice in all spheres
of education and through liaison with other agencies
- Encourage Traveller families to make a commitment to education,
whether they are officially or unofficially sited
- Deliver support to schools to assist them in integrating
Traveller children successfully
- Work in partnership with schools and other agencies to meet the
needs of Traveller children, families and schools within an
educational context
- Work in partnership with schools and other agencies to meet the
needs of Traveller children, families and schools within home
context
- Provide assistance to families regarding welfare advice and
improve Travellers' knowledge of and access to service
- Provide INSET (in-service education training) and resources to
support the education of Traveller children
- Promote knowledge and understanding about travelling
communities, regardless of the uptake of places in school by
Traveller children
- Produce, circulate and provide teaching and learning materials
to support National Curriculum development in schools regardless of
the current uptake of places by Traveller children
- Ensure that Traveller Education Service provision is reviewed
and monitored on a regular basis
The Service Operates:
- A public record transfer system to ensure that the educational
records of the children keep pace with the children's, movements
from school to school and LA to LA
- A system for monitoring records ensuring that individual
children make progress and that the schools receive advisory
support
- An advisory education service through Advisory/Support Teachers
under of the direction of the Subject Advisor to assist
schools in meeting the need of Travelling children
- A resource Centre containing appropriate and tested materials
for use with Travelling children.
- A library/archive for use by teachers, students and colleagues
in other agencies
- An in-service training programme for school staff, welfare
staff, students and others involved with Travelling families to
promote awareness of Traveller culture and lifestyles, positive
attitudes towards the children and an understanding of their
educational needs
Planning for Sucess and Continuity –
Resources
In order to assist Traveller children towards being confident
and successful learners, the Service has concentrated on developing
and providing resource materials to encourage their positive self
image and also to support better understanding of Traveller
lifestyle amongst all children.
Attainment targets and levels of National Curriculum are taken
into account when developing materials, ranging from wooden
toys, matching, sequencing
and jigsaw items using real photographs taken within Traveller
communities; materials for project work, wooden inset scenes for
language extension, pre-literacy and numeracy booklets, projects, a
phonic programme, reading books and an introductory reading and
writing programme.
Distance Learning: Fairground, Circus and Seasonal
Travellers
Families travel for work purposes usually between spring and
autumn each year.
Children attend the schools near to their winter sites.
All Worcestershire schools provide children with distance
learning work when they leave each spring. The work is discussed
with their parents who will provide support for them when they
travel. The Service supports schools in preparing the work,
supports the children's work during the travelling season and
supports the winter schools when the children return. The school,
the parents, the children and the service work together in
partnership. Distance learning work passes between families and
schools throughout the travelling season and the service plays a
vital link role in the process.
Inclusion Project Work
There are a number of Inclusion and Community Cohesion projects
underway in Worcestershire to engage local communities and
Traveller children and families together to break down
stereotypical barriers and encourage the valuing of difference in
both communities. These are all detailed in the Gypsy Roma
Traveller (GRT) action plan.
The aim is to promote continuity in the education for Travelling
Children. Schools are welcome to visit GRT office based at the
Finstall Centre, Bromsgrove where they can access a variety of
resources.
All visitors are welcome, but please contact the service to make
arrangements to ensure there are staff available to discuss
specific issues.
Contact details
Worcestershire Children's Service for
GRT Children, Young People and Families
Finstall Centre
Stoke Road
Bromsgrove
B60 3EN
Telephone 01527 570566
Email: grt@worcestershire.gov.uk
Further Information
