Support for UkraineLearners Meet Author and Receive Awards for Learning in Turlin Moor, Poole
We are proud to have worked with BCP Homes to deliver a 10-week course to adults in Bayside Academy, Turlin Moor, Poole.
Over 10 adults have joined weekly sessions with our tutor Emma who has led sessions covering English, Maths and Autism. They learnt about spelling methods and techniques, as well as games to support and encourage children. In maths, they gained an understanding of patterns, sequences, shapes and algebra. The autism lessons helped parents understand what Autism is and the different ways it can present in people. They discussed sensory issues in children and strategies to support them, including helpful communication.
Every week the learners have been invited to join before the class 8.30-9am after dropping children off for school, to create social opportunity and the chance to get to know each other more before class. Learners said this has been very valuable and it’s been ‘so nice to meet people and get to know others you haven’t met before’.
Barry, Curriculum Manager said: “Sadly we know that those who would most benefit from education are least likely to engage – this proves that with a bit of teamwork it can be done! A special thank you to Matt, Bayside’s headteacher and Jo from BCP homes for being so supportive and taking the time to engage with the community and find out about their aspirations.”
In the final class of the term, we were proud to present certificates to learners to showcase their achievements. Tutor, Emma, said: “This group has been fantastic – all the learners have been keen to “give it a go” and take part in activities and discussions. For some learners coming back into school can be a bit of a challenge if they didn’t have an easy time themselves at school – and I’m so proud of them for doing so.”
Some learners said…
‘I enjoyed all of it, maths is not so scary’ J
‘I liked the English. Also, I liked the company’ K
‘Autism Awareness was very good, I found Emma (the Tutor) very relaxed’ J
‘I enjoyed being sociable. Also, when you’re here you actually have to focus.’ L
‘There’s not been an aspect of it I haven’t enjoyed’ M
‘I liked brushing up on maths and English’ K
‘I liked socialising and the little things you never really think about’ D
‘Maths was very nice, good to practise my English. I like learning about children. It’s interesting.’ A
As the class studied Autism, and the final week of their class fell in Autism Acceptance Week, we were lucky to hear a talk from Alan Hill and Arsenal Whittick about their book. ‘A Boy Called Arsenal’ is the story of Arsenal, who was diagnosed with Autism aged 49, and faced many physical and mental challenges through his life.
Alan and Arsenal met at work, and as their relationship developed into a friendship, Alan wanted to write a book about Arsenal’s experiences. This includes emotional yet inspiring stories of how Arsenal coped and has come so far since his diagnosis.
Arsenal left school with no qualifications except Art and Woodwork and has since worked many jobs and tried different paths. For him, more doors did not open until he was diagnosed with Autism.
He spoke of his triggers, which include change, social situations, different approaches to tasks at work, and lateness. He also spoke of his coping mechanisms, which include a traffic light system to show his feelings, a business card for colleagues at work, activities to manage stress and lateness, and much more.
Since then, he has studied hundreds of courses, including English, maths, mental health and cookery. He is now learning to read.
It was very inspiring for Arsenal to share this first hand account with our learners who recently learnt about this topic. It highlighted the importance of education and awareness of Autism. We are thankful to Arsenal and Alan for sharing this with us!
You can purchase ‘A Boy Called Arsenal’ on Amazon.
After the Easter Holidays, we are looking forward to continuing courses in Turlin Moor, focusing on Multiply maths to help the community better support their children, manage money better, and build on other skills. We are looking forward to starting this and can’t wait to see what our learners achieve next!
Jo, Wellbeing Manager from BCP Homes, said: ‘These sessions can really help with building confidence, enabling people to move forward to the next stage in their lives. Being able to attend a class after ‘drop off’ is a huge bonus and I would urge anyone locally, who is thinking about brushing up on their learning, to come along and see for themselves what it is all about.’
Thank you to Alan and Arsenal for visiting the class and inspiring us all. Thank you also to BCP Homes and Bayside Academy for working with us on this partnership.
Please contact BCP Homes or Bayside Academy to enrol on this course.
Visit our course search to discover more adult learning courses in Poole and the wider Dorset area.
