Engaging with Families
Printed from : www.engagingwithfamilies.co.uk
Supporting the Home Learning Environment
The home learning environment includes the conversations, reading, games and routines that take place outside school. Families do not need special equipment or expert knowledge to make a difference. Talking about the day, sharing stories and counting together during everyday tasks all contribute to a child's readiness to learn.
Schools can help by sharing simple, practical ideas that fit into busy lives. When guidance is linked to what is already happening at home, parents are more likely to try it, and teachers gain a clearer picture of each child's experience beyond the classroom.
Did you know....?
You can use existing assets within your community to support and enhance children’s school experience and their educational outcomes.
Looked After Children and Their Carers
Looked after children and the carers who look after them have particular needs for stability, information and recognition. Schools that work closely with carers, social workers and families can help children feel that their education is a shared commitment rather than a source of extra pressure.
Engagement with carers benefits from patience and continuity. Keeping the same contacts in place, sharing progress in plain language and celebrating small achievements all help to build a relationship that children can rely on.
"Me and my dad walked up a hill together and he was telling me about the different trees. When we got to the top he told me to look at the view and remember it because it was special and that every time we looked at it we'd remember each other and how much we love each other."
What does the research tell us?
The research on family engagement looks at what happens in homes and classrooms over time, not only at single events such as parents' evenings. Studies across Scotland, the rest of the UK and other countries point to the same pattern: when families feel welcome and understand how they can help, children tend to make stronger progress.
The evidence is strongest when it is applied with care. Approaches that treat families as partners, rather than as recipients of advice, are more likely to build trust and to last beyond a single project cycle.
Where to go next
The pages below set out the strategy, the evidence and the supporting approaches in more detail. Each one is written to help schools, parents and communities plan family engagement that is practical, respectful and focused on raising attainment.
Communications and Actions
Good communication is the foundation of family engagement. Messages should be clear about why they are being sent, what the family is being asked to do, and what will happen next. Two-way channels, where families can reply and be heard, matter as much as the information sent out by the school.
Communication only leads to change when it is followed by action. Schools that record what they have agreed with families, review progress together and report back on outcomes show that engagement is a working process rather than a set of good intentions.
Engaging with Fathers
Fathers and other male carers are often underrepresented in school life, not because they care less but because traditional events may not suit their working patterns or the way they expect to be involved. Engagement that speaks directly to fathers, using the places and activities they already attend, can widen participation.
Projects that focus on shared activities, such as learning sessions, outdoor days and practical workshops, give fathers a clear role. Being invited to contribute, rather than only to listen, helps to build the confidence that supports their child's learning.
Supporting Schools to raise attainment and close the inequity gap
Schools are at the centre of this work, but they cannot close the gap in educational outcomes alone. Families bring knowledge of their children, their routines and their hopes, and when that knowledge is shared with teachers, decisions about learning become more accurate and more useful to each pupil.
Social, Emotional, Behavioural Support
Children's wellbeing and behaviour are closely tied to their relationships at home and at school. When families and staff share a consistent approach to emotions and behaviour, children receive the same messages in both settings, which makes expectations easier to understand and follow.
Support works best when it is early and proportionate. A short conversation about a change in mood or attendance can prevent a problem from growing, and it allows families to contribute their own knowledge of what helps their child settle and feel safe.
Supporting Vulnerable Families
Vulnerable families often face barriers that are invisible from the school gate, including insecure housing, caring responsibilities, health problems and the stress of managing money. Engagement that asks these families to attend meetings at fixed times can unintentionally exclude the very people it is meant to reach.
Effective schools offer flexible contact, clear and jargon-free information, and a named person families can trust. Small steps, such as a text message about a child's progress or a home visit arranged around work patterns, can open the door to more substantial partnership over time.
Did you know....?
Family engagement in school has a bigger influence on a pupil's achievement than socio-economic background, parents education level, family structure and ethnicity...
Who is this resource for?
This resource has been designed to support parents, schools and communities access the very latest Scottish, UK and international research and evidence around what works to support effective family engagement strategies.
It has a particular focus on engaging with vulnerable families and those living in our most deprived communities with a view to raising attainment and achievement of all and closing the inequity gap in educational outcomes.
How to develop your strategy...
Did you know....?
There are a number of funding opportunities available to support parent engagement projects