1. ITE session Involving refugee parents and communities

2. Aims To increase understanding of the impact that parents and community involvement makes on pupil attainment To develop awareness of some of the barriers experienced by refugee parents and carers to being involved in schools To understand some of the key factors for successfully engaging with refugee parents and communities

3. Working With Parents 1: Welcoming Parents (Bruce Grove Primary School) Pre-session activity: Feedback and discussion

4. Partnership with parents carers and the community Parents and carers play a crucial role in the education of their children. They are a child’s key educator and know them better than anyone else There is a wealth of research evidence that shows that children do better when there is a close working partnership between home and school The involvement of parents and carers from different communities and their relationship to a school is a focus for Ofsted school inspections

5. The duty to promote community cohesion

6. What is community cohesion? The DCSF define community cohesion as the working towards a society in which: There is a common vision A sense of belonging by all communities The diversity of people’s backgrounds and circumstances is appreciated and valued Similar life opportunities are available to all Strong and positive relationships exist and continue to be developed in the workplace, in schools and in the wider community

7. Engagement and extended services A key aspect of schools’ contributions to community cohesion is how it provides opportunities for families and the wider community to take part in activities which build positive interaction and achievement for all groups.

8. Parental involvement and pupil achievement Parental involvement is a key factor in pupils’ achievement and this is the case across all ethnic groups. Research identifies that: Parental involvement has a significant effect on pupil achievement throughout the years of schooling A father’s interest in a child’s schooling is strongly linked to positive educational outcomes Educational failure is increased by a lack of parental interest in schooling Many parents want to be more involved in their children’s education

9. Key themes around engaging minority ethnic parents (including refugees) 1. Recognising diversity within and across ethnic groups A starting point for encouraging more refugee parental and community involvement is recognising there are different communities with different experiences Individuals from within and across different communities should also not be viewed in ways that label or stereotype them

10. Key themes around engaging minority ethnic parents (including refugees) 2. Challenging racism and negative perceptions Some school practitioners may make assumptions about refugee parents on the basis of their background, and these can be unfairly judgmental Negative perceptions need to be challenged

11. Parents and carers from Somalia Consultation in a south London local authority in 2006. Somali parents, carers and community representatives identified that schools needed to: Develop better home-school links Make better use of the skills in the community Provide more out-of-school hours learning activities Have higher expectations of Somali children and young people Be more aware of how Somali families had been affected by the conflict in Somalia and their experiences as refugees

12. Parents and carers from DR Congo and Ivory Coast Consultation in a south London local authority in 2006. The research found that: Parents and carers were concerned about their children’s progress Parents needed support to understand the English school system and the National Curriculum Parents wanted to know how to help their children with homework, peer pressure and bullying Parents wanted more opportunities to learn English

13. Key themes around engaging minority ethnic parents (including refugees) 3. Addressing barriers Refugee parents and carers may face a range of barriers to being involved in schools

14. Activity 1 Barriers to involvement

15. 1 st 2 nd 3 rd 4 th 5 th

16. Key themes around engaging minority ethnic parents (including refugees) 4. Empowering parents Refugee parents are keen to be involved in schools and also having a say on what services are provided In some schools, there have been successes in involving parents and carers in roles where they can have some influence, such as in parent groups and as governors

17. Working With Parents 2: Involving Parents (Bruce Grove Primary School)

18. Activity 2 Involving parents

19. Key factors for successfully engaging refugee parents Taking a holistic approach Recruiting staff from local communities Building social capital Having a member of staff dedicated to parental engagement and involvement

20. Team working and collaboration Promoting better engagement of parents, including refugees, is a responsibility for everyone in a school However, some practitioners may take a leading role including:  The parental involvement coordinator  Home-school liaison workers  Extended services coordinator  Ethnic minority achievement (EMA) practitioners

21. The role of ethnic minority achievement (EMA) practitioners EMA practitioners have a key role in many schools in supporting the involvement of parents, carers and communities. Their work includes: Ensuring there is a welcoming school ethos Advising on a range of ways to make sure that parents and carers from diverse backgrounds are listened to and consulted about their needs Developing strategies to ensure that parents understand the school’s approach to teaching and learning

22. The role of ethnic minority achievement (EMA) practitioners Developing ways that parents can support children’s learning Identifying ways for parents to contribute to the curriculum Developing links with local supplementary and community schools, as well as community organisations Ensuring that parents know that home languages have an important role in children’s learning Ensuring that the school values bilingual skills Supporting evaluation of initiatives that encourage parental involvement

23. www.southwark.gov.uk/YourServices/educationandlearning/manage ment/EthnicMinorityAchievement/EMAT.html

24. QTS standards Q4: Communicate effectively with children, young people, colleagues, parents and carers. Q5: Recognise and respect the contribution that colleagues, parents and carers can make to the development and well-being of children and young people, and to raising their levels of attainment. Q32: Work as a team member and identify opportunities for working with colleagues, sharing the development of effective practice with them.

25. Further activity In a school where you are teaching, identify:  The practitioners who have a lead role in developing parental involvement  Approaches and activities that aim to engage minority ethnic parents, including refugees  Some positive outcomes for parents, pupils and the school