We recognise the importance of ensuring we have a strong partnership with parents, and value parental involvement in the life of the school. Throughout this policy the term ‘parent’ is used to refer to parents, guardians and carers.
We believe that education is a collaborative enterprise involving parents, staff, students, governors, MDT and the Local Authority and a range of other agencies. We are committed to establishing and maintaining an effective and purposeful working relationship between home and school.
We aim to:
empower all parents to have an ownership of our school and their young person’s learning
have a strong partnership with all parents
ensure that all communication with parents is effective, clear and jargon free
actively involve parents in the education and progress of their child
make good use of parents’ expertise and willingness to enhance their own learning and that of their own child and other children and to actively involve them in school life
provide an effective induction for all groups of parents
establish, and act upon, the views and opinions of parents
To have a strong partnership and good communication with parents/carers informing them about what is happening in school, we:
ensure that all written communication is “user friendly”, useful and informative.
publish regular informative whole school newsletters
maintain and develop our school website, ensuring that it is updated on a regular basis
have an open door policy for parents to visit the school
hold parent consultations meetings twice a year, in addition to EHCP annual reviews
hold an Open Day/opportunities to visit for prospective parents
To actively involve parents/carers in the education, progress and well-being of their child we:
hold Induction Meetings
Send IEP progress reports home each term & inform parents of new IEP targets set each term
hold one EHCP review session each year
send termly written progress reports
hold regular workshops/ coffee mornings on various topics
seek to ensure that all relevant school policies are effective and easy to read; key policies are available on our website and as hard copies
request that all parents sign a home/school agreement
involve parents in supporting their child’s behaviour and well-being (refer to our Positive Behaviour Policy)
work closely with carers to maximise attendance and minimise lateness
To make good use of parents’/carers’ willingness to enhance their children’s experiences and to actively involve them in school life we encourage parents/carers to:
attend school performances, events and celebrations
where possible allow their children and young people to be involved in opportunities that fall outside of school hours.
use opportunities to have informal discussions with staff members
become parent governors
To provide good induction for all groups of parents/carers we:
ensure that our website is detailed, informative and up to date
provide opportunities for all prospective parents to find out about our school
provide opportunities for parents to discuss all transitional decisions
ensure information is produced and distributed appropriately, taking account of parental needs and views
To establish the views and opinions of parents/carers of the school we:
provide regular opportunities for parental questionnaires and inform parents of the results
ask parents to evaluate key events in school
seek parental consultation on key issues in school