How can Schools Engage More Effectively with Parents?

Be Clear and Consistent

Where possible, communication between teachers and parents should be concise, transparent, and respectful. Clarity can ensure children feel safe and settled in their environment. Therefore, by removing uncertainties which arise through poor communication, schools are relieving any unnecessary anxieties children may experience.

Where communication in schools is clear, administrative follow-up tasks should be reduced, so it is in a school’s interest to make sure their procedures for making announcements and sharing updates are both strategic and well thought out.

Schools should share how they are going to communicate with parents and carers. Where apps or websites are involved, it is crucial that parents understand how to navigate them. Schools can do this easily by sharing demos and quick tutorial videos, or by holding support events.

Staff should be aware of the school’s expectations surrounding tone of voice, as this should remain consistent across all channels, from social media posts to headteacher updates.

Make it Accessible

Communication should be accessible to everyone in the school community. Schools should therefore be aware of accessibility needs to make sure that their communication reaches as many parents and carers as possible. Although electronic methods are most widely used by schools in the UK, they may need to amend their approach for selected families. Group sessions for parents and carers, for example, can help to forge bonds with ‘hard-to-reach’ families.

Schools should also consider the range of languages spoken by the school community.

Where digital communication is prioritised, schools should also consider the importance of maintaining face-to-face contact with parents and carers. This can be through termly catch ups, community groups, curriculum events, webinars, or fundraising events. Although it can be useful to provide paper copies of key documents, schools should be aware of their cost, effectiveness, and the wider environmental impact.

Involve Parents in Decision Making

To find out which method of communication parents and carers find most valuable, schools can send out surveys and questionnaires. This means that decisions made surrounding communication are as informed as possible.

Schools should also ensure that parents and staff are aware of the expectations surrounding direct messaging on school platforms, such as Teams. Parents should not expect an immediate response to a message sent at 8 pm, for example. Guidelines should dictate where and when it is appropriate to send direct messages and when to expect a response.

Review and Plan

Where schools are looking to use home-school communication to spark a culture change, reviewing the effectiveness of their current strategy is essential. This process should not be laborious or time-consuming; it should allow the school to work smarter to ensure that their communication has the desired impact. Listening to all parents and carers, including those who are less involved in both their child’s progress and achievement and wider school life, will help schools to pinpoint what is working well, and what is not.

Suggest Ways that Parents can Help

Parents and carers can help children at home in numerous ways. Firstly, they can encourage their child to set goals, manage their time and workload, prioritise their wellbeing, and regulate their emotions. This kind of support will help them to navigate their learning more effectively.

Schools can also encourage parents and carers to be positive reading role models. Shared reading supports language development and literacy at all ages, especially in the Early Years. They can focus on the interactivity element of reading, so parents feel confident discussing texts with their children. Schools can encourage a book swap service, train parents how to use the school library, and involve them in summer reading initiatives.

Schools can also promote fun, collaborative games that families can enjoy at home to support different areas of the curriculum – they can share these on the school’s website and social channels.