Encountering Hope: Transforming Families, Building Bridges.
A Powerful First Chapter for the Oasis Encounter Parent Course in Croydon
In July, over six transformative weeks, something remarkable unfolded in our new Oasis Community Space at Oasis Academy Arena. The inaugural Oasis Encounter Parent Course brought together a diverse group of parents from across the Oasis Academy network, many of whom arrived carrying exhaustion, scepticism, and even a touch of hopelessness. What they found was something rare: an emotionally safe, empowering, and deeply restorative space to grow, not just as parents, but as individuals.
By the end of the programme, parents weren’t just requesting more, they were asking to become mentors, attend monthly alumni sessions, and help bring this course to others in their communities.
Our Vision and Why It Matters
At its heart, Oasis Encounter is a relationship-centred parenting course. We believe that lasting change is possible when caregivers are supported with empathy, practical tools, and community. It is designed to strengthen family relationships, promote mental wellbeing, emotional regulation and self-care, rebuild trust between parents and schools, and build a sense of community. Oasis Encounter is built on a simple but profound principle: Connection before correction. Compassion before control.
The results speak for themselves, not just in outcomes, but in tears, laughter, hugs, and hopeful conversations that lingered long after sessions ended.
A Week-by-Week Journey of Change
Over the six weeks, sixteen parents and carers undertook a journey that was not only informative, but transformative, for themselves, their children, and their wider family life. Each session of Oasis Encounter is built carefully on the last, creating a layered experience that combined therapeutic reflection with practical parenting strategies.
Session 1: Welcome and Self-Care
The course began by establishing a safe, non-judgmental space for honest conversation. We opened with warmth, safety, and the radical idea that a regulated parent is the foundation for a regulated child. Parents were encouraged to consider the importance of their own emotional and physical wellbeing as the foundation of effective parenting.
One parent initially convinced the course “wasn’t for her,” returned after the first week and completed the programme, later expressing a desire to become a peer mentor.
Another parent moved from “zero self-care” to taking 7–10 minutes for herself each day, a small step that proved transformative.
This first session broke isolation and planted the first seeds of belonging.
Session 2: Parental Presence and Relational Gestures
Parents explored simple yet powerful relational gestures. From eye contact, calm tone, to gentle touch we explored how the smallest things build trust that foster emotional connection with children.
"I actually look forward to going home now," a parent said, reflecting on her renewed bond with her child. For some, this was a turning point, shifting reactive habits into reflective parenting.
Session 3: De‑escalation and Accommodation
This week was a turning point. With new strategies for calming conflict and reframing behaviour, families saw real, immediate changes. This session focused on navigating conflict without power struggles, equipping parents to pause, de‑escalate, and interpret behaviour as communication rather than defiance.
Parents reported calmer homes, fewer confrontations, and in one case, a full week of school attendance for the first time.
Even basic routines improved: one parent proudly shared that her child went from changing clothes twice a week to five times.
These small breakthroughs are the building blocks of long-term change.
Session 4: Supporters and Siblings
This session revealed just how much isolation many parents had been carrying. When they saw they weren’t alone, something shifted.
One parent cried, saying, “I’ve never felt this safe in a group before.”
We explored the influence of family systems and community networks on parenting.
Parents realised they were not alone; others faced similar challenges.
One participant became emotional, saying she had “never felt so safe and understood in a group before.”
By this stage, what began as a course was becoming a community of mutual support.
Session 5: Basket Behaviours
We offered a framework to help overwhelmed parents decide what to prioritise.
Parents learned to categorise behaviours into three “baskets”:
Must change now
Can change later
Can be let go for now
This framework brought relief and clarity, helping parents focus on what truly matters rather than feeling overwhelmed by everything at once. One parent said, “Now I know what to tackle and what can wait,” said one parent who had felt paralyzed before.
Session 6: Announcements and the Sit‑In
The final week introduced simple but powerful tools to reduce friction and offer calm, connected discipline, without shame.
“I feel so different now than I did six weeks ago,” one parent reflected, echoing a sentiment shared by many.
The final session introduced two powerful tools:
Announcements: Preparing children for transitions to reduce resistance.
The Sit‑In: Staying present with a child in distress without shame or disconnection.
The emotional impact of the closing session was profound:
One parent admitted to “feeling heartbroken that the course was ending”.
Another reflected, “I feel so different now to how I felt six weeks ago, I wish I did this earlier”.
The programme closed with tears, gratitude, and a renewed sense of hope.
Outcomes and Reflections
By the end of the six weeks, parents moved from isolation to connection, and from control to understanding. The impact of the course went far beyond parenting tips. It touched lives. It rebuilt trust. It gave hope. Key outcomes included:
Improved school attendance and home routines.
Parents report calmer households and stronger bonds
Basic routines (like hygiene and communication) have improved
Isolation has been replaced with belonging
Mistrust toward schools is shifting toward partnership
Increased self-care and resilience among parents.
Formation of peer support networks that will continue beyond the course.
Requests for ongoing sessions and mentoring pathways, showing the depth of engagement and impact.
One of the most profound outcomes; parents not only felt transformed; they wanted to give back.
“I’ve done so many parenting courses before. I didn’t think I’d learn anything new. But I wish I’d found you years ago. I want to learn more and come back as a mentor to support others”
Facilitators observed, the group evolved from hesitation to trust, and from silence to laughter. The transformation was as relational as it was practical.
A Bridge Between Parents and Schools
This course didn’t just support families; it sparked honest dialogue between parents and the schools. Several participants shared their struggles navigating the school system, especially regarding children with additional needs. These insights are now shaping ongoing conversations with Oasis Academies, helping us build stronger bridges and improve support for both parents and educators.
Next Steps
Based on the success of this inaugural course, with your continued investment and partnership, Oasis Encounter in Croydon will now:
Expand to an 8‑week format for deeper reflection (starting 23rd September 2025)
Offer monthly alumni sessions to sustain momentum.
Develop peer mentoring opportunities for returning parents.
Run themed follow-up workshops
Continue building bridges between families and our academies, ensuring joined‑up support for students and carers.
Create a private community group (e.g., WhatsApp) for ongoing peer support
Strengthen collaboration between parents and Oasis Academies
The next Oasis Encounter begins on 23rd September, and registration is now open:
Book your space here
A Community Transformed
What began as a course became a community of hope, a place where parents felt seen, heard, and supported. Thank You to our funders, partners Oasis Academies, and supporters: this wouldn’t have been possible without all your investment. The Oasis Encounter Parent Course didn’t just equip the parents. It restored them. As one parent summarised:
“It’s been brilliant. I’m heartbroken it’s ending.”
But in truth, this is not an ending. It is the beginning of stronger families, connected communities, and futures full of possibility.
Because at Oasis, hope is something we grow together. Together, we’re building stronger families, stronger communities, and brighter futures.