Educational Reports and Resources

Downloadable Resources on FFT’s Website

This section is designed to offer resources that have often gone out of print or are hard to obtain. It is also hoped that the material will highlight a small piece of the excellent projects and organisations working with Gypsy and Traveller children around the country. Copyright remains with the report’s authors.

  • Child poverty relating to Gypsy and Traveller children and young people in Sussex.
    A report written by FFTs Young People’s Coordinator Clare Bingham this report looks at child poverty relating to Gypsy and Traveller children and young people in Sussex.
    Download here
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  • Moving Voices: Young Travellers Speak Out (pdf)
    Transcript of Video – Nov. 1999, Save the Children Scotland
    Download here.
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  • Having Our Say (pdf)
    A Peer research project with Young Gypsy Travellers in Scotland, Save the Children Scotland. The research findings in this report are alarming and disturbing:
    - Discrimination: 84% of the young Gypsy/Travellers interviewed reported the situation was the same or worse than in 2001.
    - Accommodation: 77% of the young people felt their living conditions, whether on sites, camps or houses, had remained the same or got worse.
    - School: 71% reported conditions at school were either the same or worse.
    - Health: 84% said getting access to a doctor or dentist had remained the same or worse.
    Download research here
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  • My Dream site (pdf) (big file – please download with patience)
    Research with Traveller children around the issues of sites by the Children’s Society’s Participation Project
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  • All About Us (pdf)
    (very very big file as this is a beautiful, colourful booklet, please be patient)
    Views of Traveller children in Birmingham on what they like and what would make life better. Save the Children Birmingham.
    Download here
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  • My Home, a series of story books
    My Home story books are now available to download for free, on the FFT website, produced by Educational Advice for Travellers (E.A.T).

    • My Home: I Live in a Trailer: PDF.
    • My Home: I live in a Showman’ s Wagon: PDF
    • My Home: I live in a Tipi: PDF
    • My Home: I live in a Truck:  PDF

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Download Resources on External Websites (free)

  • Travelling Ahead
    Toolkit Pack
    http://travellingahead.org.uk/toolkit/?language=English
    On this website you will find information on the UNCRC and Wales policy context, helpful tips on working with Gypsies and Travellers, good practice examples, resources, and also links to the forum pages on the young people’ s website so that you can see examples of what the forums have been achieving.

  • Moving forward together: Raising Gypsy, Roma and Traveller achievement (2009)
    A set of National Strategy guidance materials to support teachers in promoting the progress and achievement of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils and in meeting their statutory duties in terms of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils are identified as a group most at risk in the education system. Attainment data shows that Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils’ performance is worryingly low and the gaps are not narrowing, as they are for other ethnic groups. If anything, the gaps are getting wider. However, research evidence shows that, when Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils are given the right learning environment and experiences, they can be equally as successful as pupils in any other group.
    These guidance materials consist of four interrelated booklets. Each contains essential background information, illustrative case studies and points for reflection.
    For more information and to download the booklets visit the Teacher Training Resource Bank.
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  • Out of Site Education Pack
    Education pack aimed at tackling racism towards Gypsy, Roma and Travellers (GRT).To produce this pack Show Racism the Red Card have worked with Durham EMTAS (Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service) and have collaborated with highly respected academics and experts in the field of GRT, as well as with Gypsy, Roma and Travellers themselves.Feedback for the new resource has been extremely positive, such as the following comments from Sylvester Huczko of the Roma Support Group:

    ” I think the Out of Site pack is on of the best GRT packs I have seen in years. It has good exercises, true facts and good figures [and] is extremely informative and sharp: it is a pack to be proud of.”

    This pack is also avaiable to download free of charge along with extra activity support material from the Show the Racism the Red Card website: http://www.srtrc.org
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  • This is who we are
    Ureche, H and Franks, M (2008) This is Who We Are: A Study of the experiences of Rroma, Gypsy and Traveller children throughout England, London: the Children’s Society. For the full report click here.
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  • Working Towards Inclusive Practice
    This resource is intended as a practical toolkit for all those involved in early years settings, whether or not they are currently working with Gypsy/Roma and Traveller children.
    It aims to:

    • Examine existing prejudice towards the Gypsy/Roma and Traveller community
    • Promote a better understanding of Gypsy/Roma and Traveller lifestyles and cultures
    • Increase awareness of racial discrimination and how multi-cultural resources can be used to challenge it
    • Provide information on the legislative background requiring early years settings to be inclusive of Gypsy/Roma and Traveller culture
    • Increase understanding of some of the barriers Gypsy/Roma and Travellers can face when accessing early years services
    • Provide play and learning activities that are inclusive of Gypsy/Roma and Traveller culture
      Download document

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  • Approaches to Working with Children, Young People and Families for Traveller, Irish Traveller, Gypsy, Roma and Show People Communities: a Literature Review
    Mark Robinson and Kerry Martin
    Research report, December 2008
    This research project was commissioned by the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) to explore the range of issues around working with Travellers, Irish Travellers, Gypsies, Roma and Showpeople, as well as the support and training available to staff involved. The research was conducted between November 2007 and July 2008.
    It was divided into main stages: a literature review; and a further investigation of current practice and training (the focus of the main project report and the thematic summary).
    Available as a free download
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  • Passing Places Exhibition resources material
    Passing Places started as an exhibition and series of events. The exhibition is now touring the UK. The focus is on Gypsy-Traveller history, culture, lifestyles and traditions.The project was developed in 2003 by Hertford Museum and the Hertfordshire Traveller Education Service, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.This website, developed from the exhibition, offers resources about Gypsy-Traveller culture and lifestyles.The lesson plans are aimed at Key Stage 2 Literacy and Key Stage 3 Citizenship, but the material could be adapted for use in any curriculum area.
    http://www.passingplaces.org.uk/exhibition.htm
    Do not miss the amazing 360 degree tour of the showman’s trailer: http://www.passingplaces.org.uk/wagon.htm
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  • Time Travellers Website
    This site, by Save the Children Scotland was made by Gypsy Traveller young people to explore the changing nature of Gypsy Traveller culture, work and traditions. The site contains historical photographs, and films made by the young people. www.time-travellers.org.uk
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  • The Roma Education Resource Book
    Useful research from eastern Europe that affirms that Roma parents,
    children and communities need to be involved in planning projects if they
    are to succeed. Much of this research is collected in which is available free on the Internet at
    http://www.osi.hu/iep/minorities/ResBook1/ResBookAll.htm
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  • Legal advice regarding elective home education
    Produced by Education Otherwise. which is available on their site in printable form.
    Click Here to access the guide for England
    Click Here to access the guide for Scotland
    Click Here to access the guide for Wales
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  • Travellers Times
    Download Travellers Times at their website
    http://www.travellerstimes.org.uk
    Send your news and views to editor, Bill Laws, at Travellers’ Times: BillL@ruralmedia.co.uk
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  • Travellers Remember
    A series of digital stories featuring the reminiscences of Traveller families and their lives in the 1960s and 1970s can be found on the Traveller Times website. Journalist Jake Bowers launched the site: “We’re a big part of English history, but we have been written out of the history books. Privately we all know where we came from. But if we are to have a public future, we need to be exploring these personal histories in projects such as Travellers Remembered.
    For more see the Traveller Times website
    Also available on DVD for £10 (or £15 for 2) from Traveller Times, The Rural Media Company, Sullivan House, 72-80 Widemarsh Street, Hereford, HR4 9HG
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  • Scottish Resources:
    A huge range of Scottish educational reports on the STEP (Scottish Traveller Education Programme) website
    http://www.scottishtravellered.net/resources/articles.html
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  • BBC Radio 2: Swings and Roundabouts
    The fourth in the series of 2006 Radio Ballads, Swings and Roundabouts paints a musical and anecdotal portrait of the people who travel the country building and re-building their rides, always looking to attract customers to their machines.
    The website includes a gallery, vidoes, songs and interviews: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/radioballads/2006/fairgrounds/index.shtml
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  • Kent Traveller Resources for the Literacy Hour
    Peta Ruddock has compiled a large index of resources which may be used by teachers wishing to incorporate aspects of Traveller culture into the Literacy Hour. Texts are grouped by genre, using categories from the Literacy Framework. There are also suggestions for using the texts. Some are available for downloading and immediate use. Wherever possible, Peta has obtained copyright holders’ permission for use only within school. All texts for download are in Word 6.0/95.
    http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/subjects/literacy/traveller
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  • The Historical Association
    Romany Gypsy History for Key Stages 1, 2 and 3
    http://www.history.org.uk/resources/primary_resource_4395.html
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  • Traveller Related Literacy Hour Plans
    These plans were produced by Hertfordshire Traveller Education Project to introduce schools to texts that have a positive reference to Travellers. Travellers include Gypsies, Irish Travellers, Fairground and Circus people. It offers suggestions as to how these texts can be used in the Literacy Hour.
    Download PDF here.

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Downloadable Reports (free)

For Government/Local authority reports, goto our Government Policies and reports

  • European Roma History Factsheet
    http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/education/roma/histoculture_EN.asp

  • Learning is fun (2005)
    Early Education for Traveller Children
    Produced by the Liverpool Traveller Education Services to inform parents and carers from the Traveller Community about the learning opportunities available for their children within Early Years setting and encourage them to access the provision.
    To obtain a copy, please emailJohn Cole, Liverpool Traveller Education Service
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  • Improving educational outcomes for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Pupils: what works?
    Anne Wilkin, Chris Derrington, Brian Foster, et al.
    Research report, October 2009
    This report explores the strategies and approaches used by case-study schools to improve outcomes for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Pupils Key findings Case studies were undertaken in ten secondary schools, five primary schools and five out of school settings. Researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with senior leaders and other key staff from schools and local authorities, and led focus group discussions with pupils, parents and teachers.
    An analytical model was used to draw out insights and examples of good practice from the case-study schools. The model illustrates certain contextual influences (e.g. demographic and community influences, past experiences and social identity etc.) and constructive conditions (e.g. trust, flexibility, and high expectations etc.) that may influence a range of outcomes for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils. It is hoped that the use of this structure will help practitioners to look beyond specific interventions and strategies and consider wider attitudinal influences that may permeate the ethos of a school and help to raise outcomes generally.
    The report also includes a series of audit tools that schools may find useful in identifying their own particular contextual influences and constructive conditions.
    Available to download from DCSF
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  • Supporting the Travelling Tradition: A report on the work of EFECOT in exploring the use of distance learning environments for children
    Ken Marks
    Abstract. The European Federation for the Education of the Children of Occupational Travellers (EFECOT) has been exploring the use of interactive courseware within a telematics framework, in order to strengthen supported distance learning for the large numbers of European Fairground, Circus and Bargee children who travel with their families and whose schooling experience is severely disrupted. This paper is a first attempt to collate and describe developments from four separate transnational projects. It draws from both internal, and publicly available, project documentation to explore evolving learning environments and emergent issues. In particular, there is a discussion of the parental role in home-based, mediated, settings, and an argument that an increased understanding of the potential of this role is central to effective user needs analysis and environmental design.
    Download here
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  • Room to Roam: England’s Irish Travellers by Action Group for Irish Youth, 2005
    Irish Travellers are an indigenous minority in Ireland, north and south, who have a long history both of emigration to Britain, and of moving between Britain and Ireland. The research project Room to Roam: England’s Irish Travellers, undertaken over a period of three years, investigated the condition of the Irish Traveller community in England. It was designed to develop new information and research about the experiences of Irish Travellers in England in their relationships with health, welfare, criminal justice and educational agencies. It builds on the small body of research available which has already indicated the social exclusion of Irish Travellers from British society. Many of the issues and problems facing Irish Travellers in Britain resonate with the experiences of Gypsies. However, it is important to recognise that Irish Travellers are a distinct ethnic group with their own history, culture and social mores.The principle findings from the research included:
    1. There is a general lack of recognition of the specificity of the position, culture and experiences of Irish Travellers. This lack of recognition inhibits the ability of statutory and non-statutory agencies to develop appropriate support and outreach for Irish Travellers.
    2. The high levels of prejudice and discrimination experienced by Irish Travellers has led, in some instances, to strategies of avoidance of disclosure and/or discussion of ethnic and cultural backgrounds by Irish Travellers.
    3. Accommodation is the single most pressing issue facing Travellers. The lack of appropriate accommodation strategies for Irish Travellers has marginalised and criminalised them.
    4. Many Irish Travellers live in insecure and unhealthy conditions. The health consequences of the stresses of frequent moves, lack of appropriate halting sites have not been appropriately measured or monitored, but there is evidence, including from this research, to suggest that health of Irish Travellers, adult and children has suffered as a consequence.
    5. Irish Travellers in the school system are often negatively stereotyped as inattentive and slow learners, that they experience racist bullying because of their ethnic background and are often blamed when they retaliate.
    6. Evidence, including from police officers themselves, of police officers actively using racist attitudes towards Irish Travellers to inform policing decisions. This includes police forces ordinarily treating familial gatherings and events such as funerals and weddings as public order threats rather than a response to actual events or incidents.
    Copies of the full report and the Summary of Research and Selected Recommendations are available free of charge from:
    Action Group for Irish Youth
    356 Holloway Road
    London N7 6PATelephone: 0207 700 8137
    Email:agiy2@aol.com
    Download report summary here.
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  • Denied a Future?
    The Right to Education of Roma, Gypsy and Traveller Children in Europe, The campaign by Save the Children, 2001
    This report covers Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (including Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia), Romania. The Report states that in general, attendance rates of Roma/Gypsy children in schools are low, and they rarely attend beyond primary school. The social status of Roma/Gypsies is equally low, and cultural and physical isolation has been compounded over the last decade by increasing impoverishment, economic marginalisation and conflict. Relations with wider society, at best, have not improved within a climate of strengthening “majority” national identities.
    Download the report here
    Buy from Amazon: Denied a Future?: The Right to Education of Roma/gypsy and Traveller Children

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Reports/Resources/Books to purchase or send away for:

For more books, goto the Books page

    • Travelling Ahead: Your Rights
      The booklet is designed to help young Gypsy Travellers overcome many of the problems that they face on a daily basis. There is advice on bullying, education entitlements and places to live.
      Copies from Save the Children Wales, Phoenix House, 8 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9JL. j.davies@savethechildren.org.uk
    • Prejudice and Pride (by Jake Bowers)
      Ormiston Children and Families Trust report and DVD looks at the issues and opinions of Young Traveller children in Cambridge about the issues that concern and affect them.
      The report provided some interesting insights into how young Gypsies and Travellers viewed school and what they experienced whilst at school. Among many other findings, the report revealed that:
      * Only 52% of those interviewed said they went to school
      * 60% said that they felt that their culture was insufficiently valued and defended by schools
      * 36% had been bullied in school
      ISBN 0-9542553-4-8
      A4 28 pages (2004) £4.00 (inc p&p)
      DVD (featuring the thoughts & experience of young people from Travelling communities): £12.00 (inc p&p)
      Book and DVD set: £14.00 (inc p&p)
      Order Form: http://www.ormiston.org/opus54.html
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Buy the book from Amazon: Prejudice and Pride: A Study of the Experience of Young Travellers

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  • Travellers Listen to Travellers
    Sian Peer
    This is an account of a drugs information project aimed at young people, developed by and for Travelling communities within Cambridgeshire. Funded by the Home Office Drugs Strategy Directorate it details the development of the initiative from consultation to the production of resource material.
    ISBN 0-9542553-3-X
    A4 32 pages (2004) £5.00 (inc p&p)
    Buy the book from Amazon: Travellers Listen to Travellers: An Account of a Drugs Information Project Developed by and for the Cambridgeshire Travelling Communities
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  • Travellers’ Voices
    edited by Jake Bowers
    ISBN 0-9542553-1-3 £4.00 (inc p&p)
    A4 20 pages (2003)
    Order Form: http://www.ormiston.org/opus54.html

  • Travellers’ Voices: A Year On
    This is an account of the conference held a year later which gives an insight into the progress in service delivery and the issues which continue to affect the lives of Travelling communities.This publication is issued free of charge when ordered with Travellers Voices as above or £1.00 per copy.
    A4 20 pages (2005)
    Order Form: http://www.ormiston.org/opus54.html
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  • “Traveller Boys, Strategies for Success in School”
    The Milton Keynes Traveller Education Services have produced a 4 -sided colour pamphlet called “Traveller Boys, Strategies for Success in School”. Produced for the purpose of helping schools better understand specific issues facing Traveller boys attending school. We hope that through improved understanding , new ideas and approaches may be adopted in order to help Traveller boys adjust to school life and achieve their full potential.
    The contact on the pamphlet for information or for copies (at £2.50 each) is
    samantha.brewer@milton-keynes.gov.uk
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  • Children’s Voices: changing futures
    The report of the eighteen month study presenting a unique insight into the needs and experiences of children and young people from Travelling communities is available priced £20. Future events will include training and learning seminars undertaken in partnership with young people from Travelling communities are planned for the future.
    ISBN 0-9542553-9-9
    A4 146 pages (2006) £22.00 (inc p&p)
    Order Form: http://www.ormiston.org/opus54.html
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  • Having Our Say
    A peer research project with young Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland 2005 Having our Say presents the shocking results from a highly innovative peer research project carried out by young Gypsy/Travellers across Scotland. Thirteen young Gypsy/Traveller researchers interviewed 109 of their peers “a group whose voices are virtually never heard” about their experiences regarding accommodation, health, learning and discrimination. Gypsy/Travellers remain one of the most marginalised and socially excluded groups in Scottish society, and the report found:
    - Discrimination – 92% said they had been picked on because they were Gypsy/Travellers
    - Accommodation – 77% said their living conditions had remained the same or got worse in recent years
    - School –  71% reported conditions at school had not improved
    -  Health – 84% said getting access to a doctor or dentist had remained the same or got worse.
    The research findings in this report are alarming and disturbing. Many young people mentioned only being able to gain access to health and education services if they denied or hid their ethnic identity. There were frequent examples of discrimination in public places, indicating that it is still socially acceptable to discriminate against Gypsy/Travellers in modern-day Scotland. This report highlights the pressing need for a targeted approach to tackle the racism and discrimination faced by young Gypsy/Travellers on a daily basis.
    The pack is now out of print
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  • The Value of Play- a booklet published by the Cambridgeshire Traveller Initiative, Ormiston Children and Family Trust. Tel: 01223 426148, email:cambstravellers@ormiston.org
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  • Gypsy Travellers and Education: Changing Needs and Changing Perceptions
    Kalwant Bhopal, University of Greenwich.
    British Journal of Educational Studies vol 52 No.1 (March 2004) pp 47-64
    This article explores Gypsy Travellers’ changing views on their children’s education. It is based on a project for the then Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), by the author and others, looking at best practice in relation to the schooling of Gypsy Traveller children. Research was conducted in six different schools, talking to parents from 20 different families.
    Main findings
    The report found that contrary to common assumptions, Gypsy Traveller parents are not generally hostile to the education of their children. Many see a need for them to get an education, seeing it as a “stepping stone” to enable them to be respected in society, particularly in a world where traditional Gypsy means of making a living are less viable. Many wanted their children to complete secondary and even higher education. But whereas attitudes to education itself are positive, many parents have negative attitudes to schools; partly due to the fact that many parents have never been to school themselves. There is a fear of dilution of Gypsy values and the exposure of children to the “immoralities” of non-Gypsy society, as well as a (often not unfounded) fear that children will experience racism and social exclusion at school. A few parents see the wider curriculum as irrelevant to their children, even if they see basic skills as important. A more general problem highlighted by the study is that school curricula are not tailored to a nomadic way of life, which can make it very difficult for children who move around a lot to do well.
    To purchase the article for $36.60 (yes Dollars!), visit www.ingentaconnect.com
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  • “Gypsy Traveller Students in Secondary Schools: Culture, Identity and Achievement, by: Chris Derrington and Sally Kendall, published by Trentham Books
    The project tracked 44 Traveller children from the age of 11 to 16 and found that only three (7 per cent) achieved five or more A*-C GCSEs this summer (the national average was 61 per cent). In total, 10 of the 44 gained five or more A*-G GCSEs (23 per cent, compared with a national average of 98 per cent).
    However, the overall achievement rates for the teenagers are almost certainly worse than even these disappointing figures because most of the young people tracked by the study team were living either on official sites or in houses and had good primary-school attendance records.
    The researchers, who presented their findings at the European Conference on Educational Research, said only 13 of the 44 had completed key stage 4. The other 31 youngsters had dropped out for a range of reasons.
    More than half the parents expected their children to fulfil traditional, gender-based roles in adult life. These parents assumed their sons and daughters would leave school by the age of 14. One girl, who was still 12 at the time, told the researchers: “Next year, I’ll be at home learning how to clean up –  helping my mum. We don’t really get jobs. We usually stay at home until we’re 18 or 19 and then get married and be a housewife”.
    (TES, 16 September 2005)
    A copy of the report: Gypsy Traveller Students in Secondary Schools: Culture, Identity and Achievement, by: Chris Derrington and Sally Kendall, published by Trentham Books, ISBN 1 85856 320 8, £17.99
    Buy from Amazon: Gypsy Traveller Students in Secondary Schools: a: Culture, Identity and AchievementLinks:
    To read a longer summary of the report, visit www.nfer.ac.uk
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  • Educating Gypsy and Traveller pupils
    This 16-page pamphlet highlights the key issues associated with the education of children and young people from the Gypsy and Traveller communities – a group described by Ofsted as “the children most at risk in the education system”. They are too often “out of sight and out of mind”. It describes the different groups making up the Traveller community, the prejudice and discrimination from which they suffer, their view of school education, what schools and local authorities can do and the work of Traveller Education Services.
    Download for free
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  • Traveller Education: changing times, changing technologies, by: Ken Marks
    Price £10.99 , September 2004
    This report is the outcome of the Linksing and Mobility project (E-LAMP) which was sponsored by the Nuffield Foundation and coordinated by the National association of the Teachers of Travellers. Many Circus, Fairground and Gypsy children miss out on schooling opportunities during their travelling seasons. E-LAMP set out to explore the potential of developments in ICT to enhance distance learning provision for these children. The study looked at the role of LEA-based Traveller Education Support Services and schools in supporting these children as well as examining Linksing developments for other children in out-of-school situations, such as children with medical needs and excluded pupils. This exercise suggested growth points for future development but also highlighted important practical and policy issues which will need to be addressed if progress is to be made, particularly within the secondary sector.The report contains suggestions and recommendations from the E-Lamp steering group and also includes an interim evaluation of an important new project, E-LAMP2, and a parallel project in Leicestershire. Both projects are exploring the use of laptops with data cards which can link young Traveller learners to the internet and to their schools. The author Ken Marks is a research Associate within the “Inclusive Education and Equality Research Centre” which is part of the structure of the Department of Educational Studies at the University of Sheffield. He has been working with the department for the past eight years and has a particular interest in the use of new technologies to support Traveller children. Most of his work has had a European focus, supporting initiatives developed by the European Federation for the Education of the Children of Occupational Travellers (EFECOT) until 2003 when its operational role ceased.
    Purchase this book from Amazon: Traveller Education: Changing Times, Changing Technologies
  • Traveller Education: accounts of good practice, edited by: Chris Tyler, Price £16.99, February 2005
    This is a handbook for all schools that have Traveller pupils. It moves beyond the issues surrounding their low educational attainment and attendance in schools to outline good practice, based on proven success in schools.
    Chapters deal with principles of inclusion, meeting the needs of Traveller pupils, tackling access and attendance, supporting mobile pupils. The sectors are each considered: opportunities for early years education, resources at foundation and key stage 1, Literacy for All and other curriculum partnerships at key stage 2, good cross phase practice, overcoming the barriers to secondary students effectively. Other chapters are devoted to housed Travellers and supporting distance learning.
    The contributors are Arthur Ivatts; Brian Foster and Hilary Horton; Lucy Beckett; Claire Norris, Carol Ward and Sue Itzinger; Anne Jefford and Kate Stockdale; Kanta Wild-Smith; Lorna Daymond; Margaret Wood; Sue Green and Louise Stokoe; Barbara Blaney; Jim Donovan; Ken Marks; the Bucks METAS. Their professionalism and successful approaches are models for practitioners wanting to enhance the educational attainment of what is still the lowest achieving group in schools. The collection will be invaluable to everyone involved in the education of Traveller children, providers, trainers and workers in related fields.
    Purchase this book from Amazon: Traveller Education: Accounts of Good Practice

CD Roms / DVDs/ Multimedia resources

  • Be Roma or Die Tryin’ DVD
    The short documentary is co-produced by the Roma Support Group and Hi8us South and has been created by young Polish Roma refugees from East London. It is a journey through their heritage and across their city, examining Britain’s ignorance of Roma culture while celebrating the new life they have made for themselves.
    The DVD of the film, costing £13, is accompanied by a Class Discussion and Activity Pack reflecting UK Key Stage 3 National Curriculum components. It can be ordered through the film’s website: www.beromadvd.net.
    For further information please email beromadvd@btinternet.com
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  • The Speak Out project explores the issue of Racist Bullying of Travellers in school and gives advice on combatting it.
    The Speak Out project CD contains interviews with young Travellers, telling of their experiences of racist bullying.
    This CD can be obtained from;Margaret Wood
    Team for Traveller Education
    CPDC, Foster Road, Trumpington, Cambridge, CB2 2NL, 01223 508700
    Email: margaret.wood@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
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  • Sticks and Stones Video
    How do young Gypsy and Irish Traveller Children deal with racial abuse they encounter?
    From name calling, to physical abuse through violent and fatal attacks. This DVD documents the experiences of young Gypsy and Irish Traveller children.
    Made by East Sussex Traveller Education Service in consortium with Brighton & Hove. Funded by Brighton & Hove Children’s Trust.
    Copies available from FFT office
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  • Fairground Resource CD Rom,
    Cambridgeshire Team for Traveller Education has just released an exciting new CDrom exploring Cambridge Midsummer Fair. It covers all aspects of the fair from its history, stretching back some 800 years, to today’s manifestation as the largest fun fair in the East of England. Midsummer Fair retains strong links with both Showmen and Gypsy Traveller communities, this CDrom features contributions from the events organisation team, the police, Showmen’s children, Gypsy Travellers and children visiting the fair. It has many applications across the primary and secondary curriculum.
    The CDrom has won an award from the East of England Broadband Consortium in 2005 under the category “Use of Digital Assets within the Classroom”. It costs £15 for a single user licence.
    For more, and to order, goto:http://c9f.e2bn.net/e2bn/leas/c99/schools/c9f/web/public
    /webpages/html/midsummer_fair.html
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  • A Gypsy’s Wish
    Kelly is a sixteen year old Gypsy who dreams of one day becoming a singer. She soon learns that adversity clouds the path forward and she must learn to overcome the racial and cultural sterotypes placed upon her and her music.
    The film is written, produced and directed by members of the Gypsy Community, most of whom had no experience in video producing prior to making the film.
    http://www.gypsys-wish.co.uk/index.html
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  • Travellers Remember
    A series of digital stories featuring the reminiscences of Traveller families and their lives in the 1960s and 1970s can be found on the here.
    Also available on DVD for £10 (or £15 for 2) from Traveller Times, The Rural Media Company, Sullivan House, 72-80 Widemarsh Street, Hereford, HR4 9HG
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  • Judge Yourself not Others
    This short video was produced by a group of young Gypsy/Travellers from across Scotland. Their aim was to produce 3 short anti-racist adverts, along the lines of those used during the “One Scotland, Many Cultures” campaign.
    “In Feburary 2003 we all got together at Nethy Bridge near Aviemore and over the course of a weekend we learnt about operating cameras, sound equipment, direction, editing, filming techniques and so on”. See it for free here
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  • Pavee Lackeen
    Perry Ogden documented the experience of the young poor in Dublin with his photo book “Pony Kids”. His first feature moves on from those representations, offering an intimate portrait of the traveller community. It focuses on 10-year-old Winnie, who lives with her mother and siblings in a trailer on the side of the road in a desolate part of Dublin . She is at odds with her environment as she wanders the streets of the prosperous, modern city, while her family endure visits from the council, social workers and sympathetic activist groups, struggling with bureaucracy, prejudice and poverty. With a cast of mostly non-professional actors drawn from the traveling community.
    Dir Perry Ogden/Scr Perry Ogden, Mark Venner/with Winnie Maughan, Paddy Maughan, Rosie Maughan/Ireland 2005/87mins/35mm/Certificate 15 /Courtesy of Verve Pictures.
    Buy the DVD from Amazon: Pavee Lackeen [DVD] [2006].
  • Gypsy and Traveller Picture Library- to promote race equality. An essential pack of photographs on 4 themed CDs:· Vardos, Carts, Horses and Pets. £20 including p&p
    Contact: EMTAS (Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service, Durham).Tel: 01740 656998Â or email: freda.fielding@durham.gov.uk
    .
  • Prejudice and Pride (by Jake Bowers)
    Ormiston Children and Families Trust report and DVD looks at the issues and opinions of Young Traveller children in Cambridge about the issues that concern and affect them. ISBN 0-9542553-4-8
    DVD (featuring the thoughts & experience of young people from Travelling communities): £12.00 (inc p&p). Book and DVD set: £14.00 (inc p&p)
    They can be ordered fromsherry.peck@ormiston.orghttp://www.ormiston.org/opus54.html

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Historical Resources / Links

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Photographical and musical Resources

  • Lee Winters
    Romany Gypsy singer, songwriter, story teller and poet
    http://gypsyleeboy.tripod.com/
    .
  • Nigel Dickinson photographer
    Gallery of Photographs from across Europe.
    feature: Roma Gypsies – beyond borders
    http://nigeldickinson.com/gallery/albums.php
    .
  • Gypsy Art and Photographers in Hampshire
    http://www.hants.gov.uk/rh/gypsy/resources/art.html
  • OUR SITES: Museum of Childhood, East London, 2005
    OUR SITES was an outdoor exhibition of photographs shown at the V&A’s Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green. This exhibition was the culmination of On Site Arts’ Gypsy and Traveller photography projects on the three participating caravan sites.
    http://www.onsitearts.org/texts/com3.html
    and
    news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4637647.stm
    .
  • BBC Radio Kent’s Romany Roots:
    The Historical section has sections on “Horse Drawn Days”, Hop-Picking, Settling Down and more. The Gallery has amazing old photos of Gypsy Families and sites.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/romany_roots/
    .
  • Historical Gypsy Photographical Collection
    http://sca.lib.liv.ac.uk/collections/colldescs/gypsy/index.htm
    The Gypsy Collections include several thousand photographs – prints in their original albums, glass negatives and lantern slides – of Gypsies in various countries, with an emphasis on Britain and Ireland. Most of the photographs were taken by Gypsy Lore Society members Fred Shaw (d. 1940) and Ivor Evans (1886-1957) between 1900 and 1940.
    .
  • The National Fairground Archive
    http://hri.shef.ac.uk/fairground/index.html
    The National Fairground Archive (NFA) is part of the University of Sheffield Library Special Collections. This online image database contains 1000 photographic images selected from the full database situated at the NFA at the University Library in Sheffield.
    .,
  • Barrie Law’s commercial site Romany Gypsy Photograph Collection
    http://www.romanygypsy.com
    A beautiful collection of modern photographs, including wagons and Appleby Fair
    .
  • Derbyshire Gypsy Liaison Group:
    http://www.dglg.org/gallery/
    .
  • Jo McGuire
    http://www.jomcguirephoto.com
    Best known for her acclaimed collection on British Gypsies & Irish Travellers. Goto Galleries section, then click on Photojournalism 2.