Parents as Partners Leon Dawson

Government Policy In England and Wales, research findings have led to increasing Government interest in how the involvement of parents can contribute to raising the attainment of pupils and students, and securing their social development and well-being.

Key findings Parental involvement in children’s education from an early age has a significant effect on educational achievement, and continues to do so into adolescence and adulthood.1 The quality and content of fathers’ involvement matter more for children’s outcomes than the quantity of time fathers spend with their children.2 Family learning can also provide a range of benefits for parents and children including improvements in reading, writing and numeracy as well as greater parental confidence in helping their child at home. 3

Key findings- continued The attitudes and aspirations of parents and of children themselves predict later educational achievement. International evidence suggests that parents with high aspirations are also more involved in their children’s education.4 In 2007, around half of parents surveyed said that they felt very involved in their child’s school life. Two thirds of parents said that they would like to get more involved in their child’s school life (with work commitments being a commonly cited barrier to greater involvement).5 Levels of parental involvement vary among parents, for example, mothers, parents of young children, Black/Black British parents, parents of children with a statement of Special Educational Needs are all more likely than average to be very involved in their child’s education.5

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Our starting point Previous Leadership did not deal with the most difficult parents well Regular verbally aggressive interactions with staff Issues with pupil behaviour and dealing with conflict after Appointments being made several days after an issue

What we did….. Opened up the school in more ways than one Senior leader on duty every morning Started afresh with the most challenging families Parents as Partners Huge increase in family events

What we did… Redefined standards of behaviour in the school Sending positive messages home A dedicated Family Services Team Empowering parents through volunteering and training Employed an outside company to manage attendance

What we are doing now.. LPPA Encouraging the use of a wide range of communicating strategies, from traditional newsletter to the use of texting, and the school’s virtual learning environment. Giving guidance for simple but creative ways of providing curriculum information and practical advice that will enable parents and carers to support their children’s learning.

What we are doing now.. LPPA Developing joint parent and child enrichment activities, so that parents, carers and their children can enjoy learning together. Developing effective management strategies to build a sustainable approach to parent partnership across the school. Providing evidence that meets Ofsted’s requirement for parental engagement

Trying new things Changing how we use a captive audience Encouraging opportunities for staff/home contact Using technology to aid communication Improving our analysis and asking ‘So what!?’

The impact of what we do Improved punctuality, attendance and behaviour Improved pupil or student progress Increased parental involvement in consultation events and learning activities Increased number and range of parents actively involved with the school

References 1 Sylva, K Melhuish, E, Sammons, P Siraj-Blatchford, I and Taggart, B (2004) Effective Pre-School Education. Final Report. DfES. London: Institute of Education. 2 Goldman, R (2005). Fathers’ Involvement in their Children’s Education. London: National Family and Parenting Institute. 3 Brookes, G., Gorman, T., Harman, J., Hutchinson, D., Kinder, K., Moor,H., and Wilkin, A. (1997). Family Literacy Lasts, cited in Desforges, C and Abouchaar, A. (2003). The Impact of Parental Involvement, Parental Support and Family Education on Pupil Achievement and Adjustment: A Literature Review. DfES Research Report Gutman, L.M. and Akerman, R. (2008). Determinants of Aspirations. Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning Research Report 27. London. Institute of Education. 5 Peters, M., Seeds, K., Goldstein, A. and Coleman, N. (2008) Parental Involvement in Children’s Education Research Report. DCSF RR034.