Leadership
Improve Engagement with Parents and Carers
Turn thin turnout at parents' events into engagement that helps children, starting with a clear idea of why you want parents involved.
- 25 minutes
- 9 modules
- 0.5 CPD hours
- Certificate
Members
14 days free, then £70 a year or £7 a month.
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What you'll learn
- Decide why your school wants parent engagement and what success looks like
- Find out what parents and carers need to know, beyond the vocal few
- Choose places and channels that suit families, not only school events
- Plan a response when parents' behaviour is the problem
- Pick from 10 ideas that have worked in other schools
About this course
Low turnout at information evenings is a common complaint, and so is the vocal handful who always come. Before trying harder, ask a blunter question: why do you want parents and carers engaged, and what would success look like for the child?
With that answer, the rest gets easier. You'll look at what families want to know (sometimes the pupils can tell you) and where they'll come to learn. One school ran sessions at the local mosque and saw attendance rise. You'll also get ideas for turning round a difficult relationship, including what to do when parents smoke and swear outside the gates.
The ideas come from years of coaching school leaders. Ten of them have worked in other schools, such as good-news postcards home and giving parents time to talk to each other at events.
- For governors, middle leaders and senior leaders. All phases.
9 modules
Open in order
- 1 min
Introduction
- 3 min
We’re all on the child’s team
- 2 min
Why do you want to engage?
- 4 min
What do they need to know?
- 3 min
Where can we make it happen?
- 6 min
How can we switch things around?
- 3 min
What if the parents are the problem?
- 5 min
10 ideas for making it work
- 1 min
Wrap up