1. Effective parental partnerships
Trevor Folley

2. Professor Charles Desforges
Leading Learning for Sustained Reform
2009 presentation
Emphasise narrowing the gap

3. How does the relationship between parents and their child’s setting/school change over the years?
10 minutes then feedback – flip chart

4. The impact of parental involvement on pupil achievement and adjustment Professor Charles Desforges and Alberto Abouchaar (2003)
Some key findings:
Parental involvement has a significant effect on children’s achievement
Parental involvement takes many forms
In essence parenting influences through shaping the child’s self-concept as a learner and through establishing high aspirations
The level of involvement is associated with social class, poverty, health, and parental perception of their role and confidence in fulfilling it
It is strongly influenced by the child taking an active mediating role

5. Recent developments ‘Go Compare’ ‘Parent View’
New performance table info (next year)
The government claims these changes represent ‘the most ambitious open data agenda of any government in the world.’
‘Go Compare’ allows parents to compare schools against an array of criteria
‘Parent View’ – Ofsted new online qnr that will allow parents to give their views on their child’s school at any time
Next year – changes to performance tables will give parents more information about the progress of pupils in care, those eligible for FSM and those performing at high, middle and low levels
NOT REALLY ABOUT STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS WITH PARENTS!!!

6. For many parents this is the only conversation they have with teachers about their child’s learning.
Dr Janine Spencer – Brunel University – 2009
In collaboration with learning product provider, Leapfrog, Brunel University surveyed 2000 parents of children under ten, to gauge their opinions on parents’ evening.
Key bits:
Not enough time
Parents don’t prepare or ask the right questions
Teachers can be reluctant to be blunt – understandably since the lack of time and ongoing relationship

7. What do parents want? DCSF research 2007
96% agreed that it was extremely important to make sure their child attended regularly
86% said the school provided clear information about their child’s progress
92% said the school was welcoming
Around ¾ felt that it was extremely important to help with their child’s homework (58% did so most of the time)
Informal discussions were seen as the most useful way of finding out children’s progress
⅔ said they would like to be more involved in their child’s school life (73% where felt uninvolved)
Telephone survey of 5032 parents/carers – children aged 5-16 (maintained schools)
Nationally representative sample.
Conclusions:
- parents want to be involved – they need to be supported to do so effectively

8. What does Ofsted want? ‘Schools and parents’ 2011
Audit and use parents’ skills and expertise as a resource
Tailor communications with parents to suit individual circumstances
Use parental complaints as a stimulus for improvement
Evaluate impact of parental involvement on outcomes for pupils
In secondary – enable parents to engage more directly with children’s learning

9. The challenge
Developing a partnership with parents that empowers them to be co-educators

10. Categories of contingent elements for sustaining improvement.
Outcomes
Qualitative and quantitative
Opportunities (e.g. forums)
Celebrating – feeding back parental efficacy
Behaviours
What would we see?
Systemic enablers
Systems and structures, roles, technology, protocols, processes
Structured conversation
Understanding and skills
Knowledge too – what information to parents need – how can they use it?
Attitudes and beliefs
Success is driven by those with a positive attitude and commitment to the value of the objectives. Two beliefs are essential: it is worth doing and it has a chance of succeeding.

11. In a nutshell parents need to…
recognise their responsibility
believe they can make a difference
have the necessary knowledge, understanding, skills and opportunities
do something
see it making a difference

12. Successful partnerships with parents
Where to start?
Activity – card sort

13. They should start with mine to get comfortable with the categories – then add their own (starting with the top right-hand corner)
Opportunity for people to network with regard to the to top quadrants (How did you make it work?)
Flipchart additions – see if Leo will do this for me

14. Further info and resources
Password for today’s slides and resources: George
or just write to me