Parents
Working with your parents
Nick Bannister reviews some recent research and talks to primary leaders about how schools can take their parental engagement to the next level
Engaging with parents can no longer be an arm’s length, superficial relationship based on parents’ evenings and occasional information sharing. Today there needs to be a deeper relationship in which school and parent understand that they are partners working towards the same objectives. “There’s a strong sense from schools that the child’s best interests are served by the school working collaboratively and in partnership with parents,” according to Leadership for Parental Engagement, a report from the National College for School Leadership. The publication features research from schools, children’s centres and clusters around the country and attempts to capture the key characteristics of leadership approaches that led to successful parental engagement. Leaders should model behaviours that create effective relationships, such as listening to and talking with rather than to parents, supporting and encouraging staff to work effectively with parents, and monitoring the impact of the work, the report states.
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Distributed leadership – enabling others to develop leadership skills – also makes a real difference. Parent support workers who work with skill and authority make a signifi cant difference to the lives of individual children and families on a daily basis. The report continues: “Creating opportunities for them to grow and develop in the role is something that needs careful planning and
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eal parental involvement seems an obvious key ingredient in the success of any school.
consideration of CPD, including supervision, which for some is a key means of support but for others is as yet embryonic.” Vision matters too. A belief that parents and children matter creates a powerful motive for gaining the commitment of staff, parents and the community. The report adds: “Communication is key, and ensuring the vision is embedded throughout the culture of the school, children’s centre or cluster is critical for sustainability. “However, this takes time and parental engagement work often starts with the individual parents and families who are struggling most. Here, although the work focuses on helping them to support their child’s
“We want the parents to do all the talking. It’s not about the teachers dominating the conversation. We want to know what they think and how they feel. The teacher listens and the conversation is written up in plain English. It’s very focused and contains actions for us rather than the parent”
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