Engaging parents: building strong partnerships

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Overview

How effectively is your school engaging parents to improve pupil outcomes?

This training course aims to help staff develop strong partnerships with parents and carers based on effective communication. It explores the link between parental engagement and pupil achievement, and addresses institutional, social and cultural barriers that can inhibit parental engagement. The training course aims to equip participants with the skills, knowledge and confidence to effectively engage all parents in their children’s learning.

This course was developed in partnership with Dr Kathryn Weston, Director at Keystone Aspire.

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Audience

This training course is suitable for all teaching and support staff. It consists of four sessions, that are easily adaptable to the timings and needs of your school. 

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Sessions in detail

Session 1 - Introduction to parental engagement 

Objectives:

  • Explore current approaches to engaging parents
  • Understand the differences between ‘parental engagement’ and ‘parental involvement’
  • Explore research evidence and best practice case studies on effective approaches to parental engagement
  • Consider some of the most common barriers to parental engagement, and explore how to overcome them
Session 2 - Developing partnerships with parents 
Objectives: 
  • Explore what might influence parents' attitudes towards school
  • Look at how to develop positive rapport with parents
  • Explore how to build partnerships with parents through effective communication
  • Consider how to handle difficult conversations with parents
Session 3 - Encouraging family learning 
Objectives: 
  • Explore the link between family learning and pupils’ outcomes
  • Discuss the characteristics of a positive “home learning environment, and consider how to help parents create one
  • Explore how to set homework that promotes family learning
  • Look at how technology can be used to build home-school partnerships
Session 4 - A whole-school approach to parental engagement 
Objectives: 
  • Draw together evidence from the module to inform whole-school direction on parental engagement 
  • Explore how collective values regarding parental engagement relate to overall school vision
  • Encourage collaborative learning between colleagues, and explore how ideas will be put into action
  • Consider how any new approaches will be evaluated
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How it works

We've created The Key CPD Toolkit to take the time, cost and effort out of developing your own training.

"The CPD modules developed by The Key are an excellent resource."
Ben White, CPD research champion, Ashford Teaching Alliance

Using our training is simple:

1. Download the materials, created with subject specialists, and quality assured for your peace of mind

2. Quickly adapt the resources to meet the needs of your school 

3. Deliver engaging training, with the support of comprehensive facilitator guidance

4. Evaluate the impact of your training to identify areas where staff need further support