Parents as Learners

Frequently Asked Questions

I already have PAL. Why would I want to buy PAL Direct?

The PaL programme that you have allows you to work directly with parents, with you leading and facilitating them. PaL direct allows parents to work remotely. Parents using PaL direct can access the programme from a computer of their choice whenever it is convenient for them. PaL direct is structured so that parents can gain all the benefits of PaL but learn independently. Pal Direct means that you engage parents without having to meet them face to face.

Do I need to buy both PAL Group and PAL Direct?

PaL and Pal Direct meet different needs. We all know that no two parents are the same, so the PaL programmes aim to engage different types of parent. There will be some parents in your school who will benefit greatly from working with others, and with whom you will be keen to develop a closer relationship. PaL (group) will be ideal for these parents. They will come to a venue for the sessions that will be lead by you.

Other parents will prefer to work remotely, and this will be for a variety of reasons. Pal Direct enables them to do this. For example, PaL direct gives working parents an ideal way of being engaged in their child’s learning. They will be engaged in school life, as they access PaL direct via your VLE. You will be able to communicate with them in this way too!

Consider your parent group, and how you want to embed the PaL programme. It is likely that both programmes will assist you to meet the varied needs of parents. Having PaL group and Pal Direct is desirable but not essential!

If I subscribe to PAL Direct, why would I also want to buy PAL Group?

It is likely that there are a group of parents in your school who will benefit from meeting with you ‘face to face’ and enjoying the PaL group programme. Parents will work in a group, building supportive relationships with other parents and the school.

How does PaL work?

PaL is made up of 5 modules. Each module contains 4 sessions. You can get into the sessions via the homepage.

How long will PaL take to do?

Each PaL session lasts about 45 minutes. However, because you are working on your own, you can go at your own pace.

Do I have to work through the sessions in order?

PaL has been designed to build your knowledge, so sessions do ‘build’ on each other. However, sessions have been written so that you do not have to do them in order, and you can look at topics that interest you at that time.

When I subscribe to PAL Direct, will I be able to decide which parents or carers have access to the programme?

Yes. You can open up the programme to all parents, or you can be selective. It is entirely your choice.

How do I manage the parents' access?

When you subscribe to PAL Direct, we will send you your own access management tool. Using this tool, you can create users, allocate passwords, view users' usage patterns and close down user accounts.

What information will I get about how parents and carers are using PAL Direct?

PaL Direct will offer schools an opportunity to view parents and carers progress in a variety of ways. You will be able to view statistics for each individual parent and groups of parents. This information will show what resources they have used, and also how long they were using it for.

If you have any questions that are not answered here, please do not hesitate to contact us using the contact form to the right, or call us on 01628 810700.