Parents in Partnership

Frome Valley First School

Crossways

Background

• Moved to new site last September

• Previously in Owermoigne

• Over 90% of children bussed to school

• Didn’t see the parents

• Communication with them a real issue!

We had …..

• Half-termly Newsletters• Termly curriculum statements• Home-School diaries• Reading records between home and

school• Parent interviews twice each year• Informal – Harvest, Nativity etc• Website – early stages of development

But we needed to do more …

• We recognised the need to get parents involved

• Involving parents is known to raise standards

• And then we were inspected

Assessment for Learning

• Shirley Clarke project

• Started with teaching methods

• Changes in marking of children's’ work

• We needed to tell the parents!

• We need to get them on board in order for them to support their child’s learning

The first Information Evening

• AfL information evening

• Lots of parents came

• High level of interest, many questions

• Evaluation indicated the requests for more such evenings

Next Information Evening

• Parents requested one on Reading

• It bombed! 4 parents!

So we had a rethink …….• We decided to tell parents what’s in it for them –• - understand what their children are doing in the

classroom• - help them with their homework• - develop their own skills, even in Maths!• - and we put on an Open Morning straight after

the event for parents to come and see it in action• - and we gave them a leaflet to take away

And the format of the evenings ..

• Tell parents the Aims of the meeting and how long it is likely to last

• Bums on Seats! Tell them we will put on the evening if there is sufficient interest

• Don’t do it on a Beavers/ Cubs/ Rainbows/ Brownies etc night

• Put on a crèche, pre-school leaders may help

Parent’s participation

• We have done Maths – parents very reluctant to participate in practical activities

• Videoing the children very popular!

• All teachers involved in presentations

• Leaflets – we gave them a leaflet to take away

• Evaluations ……

Act on evaluations!

• We produce a summary of the evaluations following an event and sent it out to all the parents

• Indication of future events

• Report to Governors

• Put in Ofsted file!

• Act on the evaluations – future events

School website

• All leaflets given out at Information Evenings are put on the website – and tell parents they are on there!

• Other AfL information there also including children’s work

Governor’s Annual Meeting

• No longer a requirement

But:• A valuable opportunity we chose to keep

Governor’s Annual Meeting

• Stage manage the meeting• Give parents 2 topics to discuss• 3 positives and 1 or 2 areas to clarify• Written summary to parents after the

meeting• Keep the evidence!

• A genuine consultation meeting with parents as stakeholders

The principles ……

• Tell parents of the opportunity

• Establish interest in the event

• Provide it! (and eliminate any excuses)

• Those present complete an evaluation

• After the event - summarise the discussions in a written form to all parents

• Act on this, or not, but tell parents in any case

What’s next for us …..

• Family Literacy and Numeracy, get parents involved

• Webster-Stratton parenting skills

• Surgeries for parents of children on the SEN register

• Parents’ Council

Parents in Partnership……so in summary,• Ask them what they want• Respond – positive and negative, but give

reasons• Take action!• Tell them what you have done and what

the outcome is• Tell them the next step• And give them a leaflet …….

Finally …..

• All stakeholders can be challenging

• Parents are positive if they are informed knowledgeable and feeling confident

• Listen to their views! Invite comments, tell them the school is listening and responding

• Take a deep breath and bring them on board!