EVERY parent wants their child to be a class act — and at Gaskell Primary School they are being taught how they can help their youngster be a star student.

Since June, parents have been going into school to learn how best to support their children at home.

The sessions have been run with Bolton College’s Family Learning, to show parents how they can enrich their child’s learning by explaining how literacy is taught in school and how it can create resources at home.

Deputy headteacher Jason Owen said: “The parents have been responsive to the sessions, we have had dads attend too.

“It has been a long time since some parents have been at school and teaching methods have changed in literacy and maths — it is about explaining this to them.

“More parents have been joining as word has spread and parents have been telling others about it.”

He added: “The parents are not just helping their own children but going on to help their nephews and nieces as well.” The sessions will be back in the new academic year.

Parents spend most of the meeting with teachers before children join them so they can put into practice what they have learnt.

Mums and dads have been so inspired they have asked the Thomas Holden Street school to put on classes just for them.

Mr Owen said: “Parents have asked if we can run adults classes to in subjects such as ICT, which we are also looking into doing.

“We say that Gaskell Primary School is at the heart of the community and this school is for the community.”

Lynn Jordan, from the Family Learning Team, said: “Parents are role models to children and if they see them learning it inspires them and they have higher aspirations.”

Certificates were handed out to the parents who attended all of the sessions.

They included Lauren Walmsley, aged 23, who is now thinking about going back to college.

She said: “Every parent wants their child to do well and even though it is not that long since I left school, things have changed.

“The sessions have been really good and have shown me how to best help my children when I am back home, such as creating games to play with them.

Her daughter Amy, aged six, said: “It is fun have mummy at school and my favourite part was making biscuits together.”