West Coventry Academy threw open its doors to families for a fantastic Christmas Open Day, giving parents the opportunity to speak to staff and local services.
The school, which is part of the respected Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP), partnered with the Tile Hill and Westwood Charity to put on this one-of-a-kind event, aiming to build connections with parents and increase attendance.
Claire Franklin, the school’s Safeguarding and Attendance Lead, helped to organise the event.
She explained their vision: “This half term we really wanted to focus on improving the sense of belonging for our children and families. It’s important not only for relationships between school and home, but also for its impact on attendance.
“We do a lot on student voice, but we wanted to hear more from our parents, listen to them and understand their wants and needs. The Christmas Open Day event was all about engaging our parents and encouraging them to speak with staff and local services – all in an informal, fun and festive setting.”
Among the services in attendance were PET-Xi Training, a local company providing work experience and skills opportunities for young people; the NHS Health and Lifestyle Service, and Mental Health in Schools Team (MHST), who have a long-term partnership with West Coventry Academy.
The unique event was made possible by a generous donation from the Tile Hill and Westwood Charity, a local fund established after the First World War, which supports local people in need.
Mrs Franklin said: “The THW Charity are very local to us and are really invested in supporting local families through schools. They reached out to us asking how they could help, which inspired us to set up the Open Day.”
Because of the THW Charity’s contribution, West Coventry Academy staff were able to hand out free festive gifts to parents in attendance, including stocking fillers for their children and daily essentials.
West Coventry Academy throws open doors or Christmas event
Mrs Franklin said: “It’s lovely to help provide stocking fillers for parents to gift to their children. Stocking fillers can be quite expensive these days, and we’ve got some good quality gifts we’re able to give our parents today.
“So, we’ve got toiletry bags to give away today, with essential toiletries, moisturisers and lip glosses for girls, hair products for boys, as well as fidget toys and stress balls. We’re so thankful to the THW Charity for helping us offer these gifts to our families.”
The Open Day received an overwhelmingly positive response not just from the parents and families in attendance, but from the various organisations and services who set up a stall to talk to parents.
Bob Pinner from PET-Xi Training said: “We enjoyed talking to families about our Trailblazer work experience programme, and our Christmas scheme, which teaches disadvantaged young people skills during the Christmas holidays while also giving them the chance to have fun, meet new friends and enjoy tasty meals.”
PET-Xi’s Arfan Shafi said: “An event like this is amazing for us as it shows our community all the different options available to them, that they might not have been aware of before, in a relaxed and familiar environment.”
Steadman Francis, from the Health and Lifestyle Service said: “It’s been great getting to speak to families about the work we do, delivering health and wellbeing programmes across the city and working with family hubs.”
Tilly Robinson from Mental Health in Schools Team said: “We provide low-intensity CBT-based support for children and their families facing mental health problems such as anxiety and low mood, as well as parent interventions for younger children.
“We’re trying to make people more aware of our service and increase accessibility, so events like this are amazing. If anyone would like support from a team, they’re welcome to reach out to West Coventry Academy’s mental health lead, Claire Jones.”
Mrs Franklin said: “It’s the first time we’ve done something like this, and we’re hoping that people will feel comfortable in the school environment, because we do recognise that sometimes parents and families don’t feel that sense of belonging and ease in an educational setting. They may have had a poor experience of the education system themselves – we want to break those barriers and really engage with them so they feel supported and heard.
“We had such a positive response from everyone who came, and getting to do something community-focused like this in the festive season feels extra special and important. I’m really grateful to the THW Charity for giving us this opportunity.
“I’d also like to give a special thank-you to our Family Support Worker, Laura Dudley, who was the one who forged collaborations with the services here today – it wouldn’t have been possible without her.”