In partnership with the University of Sheffield, we’ve launched Barnsley Parent Power, a community initiative designed to support Barnsley-based parents and carers in helping their children thrive at school and in higher education.
Jimmy Pickering, Director of Communities at The Brilliant Club, said: “We are excited to welcome the Barnsley chapter to our national movement. For too long, many parents and carers in Barnsley have felt unable to take action to improve their children’s futures. Parent Power provides an opportunity to build local higher education knowledge and leadership, which will change this in the long-term”.
Louise Houghton, Barnsley Parent Power Community Organiser
Barnsley Parent Power Community Organiser, Louise Houghton, who has a background in citizen journalism and community organising, is looking forward to supporting parents and carers in the area:
“I’m excited to be joining The Brilliant Club for the launch of the newest Parent Power chapter in Barnsley! Parents and carers play such an important role in guiding their children through education, yet navigating that journey – especially towards university – can often feel overwhelming. That’s why I’m so passionate about helping families feel confident and informed about the opportunities ahead, and supporting them to build a strong, supportive network in the Dearne Valley area.”
Educational opportunities are relatively low for Barnsley school and college students, according to the Sutton Trust’s opportunity index. In the Barnsley North constituency, 30.7% of students are eligible for Free School Meals (FSM); of these students, 17% achieve English and maths GCSE passes, and only 4.4% complete a degree by age 22. It’s a similar picture in Barnsley South, where 30.5% of students are eligible for FSM; 18.1% of these students pass English and maths and 7% complete a degree by age 22.
Barnsley is a priority area for the University of Sheffield, as the area has a relatively high number of postcodes where higher education progression is low according to the TUNDRA (tracking underrepresentation by area) measure. Students from these postcodes are therefore a priority group within the University of Sheffield Access and Participation Plan.
Heather Macleod Jones, Head of Access at the University of Sheffield, said: “Extending this vital partnership in Barnsley underscores The University of Sheffield’s civic commitment to increasing equality of opportunity across South Yorkshire. By empowering parents and carers through the Parent Power model, this initiative directly addresses our Access and Participation Plan objectives to support opportunities for and the progression of students from typically underrepresented backgrounds in higher education.”
Barnsley Parent Power will join our 15 existing chapters in England, Scotland and Wales.
Parent Power builds parent and carer communities across the UK, each one supported by a local partnership. Through support to develop community organising skills, as well as advice and guidance on accessing higher education, parents and carers are empowered to ensure their children have a fair chance in education and their future careers.
The model gathers interest from parents, follows up with one-to-one meetings, and then facilitates six group meetings led by a local Community Organiser. In meetings, parents decide which activities will benefit their communities – from tailored visits to universities for young people to training on student finance and university access.
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