Parenting support
Research has shown that good parenting in the home makes a big difference to children's outcomes. Schools which work in partnership with parents to support their children's learning and development can expect significant, consistent and lasting benefits.
By providing access to information sessions for parents at key transition points in their children's lives, parenting programmes, family learning sessions and signposting, schools can help children's learning and behaviour.
How can schools develop access to parenting support?
The parenting support know how leaflet (published 26th June 2006) — provides more detailed information about each aspect of the core parenting support offer including case studies and practical tips.
Some ways schools are providing support to parents:
- Getting national charities like Parentline Plus to set up workshops for parents at the school, utilising their toolkits for schools and signposting parents to their free helpline.
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Encouraging parents to support their children's learning. Read how Blue Gate Fields Infant School in east London have successfully engaged parents and helped to improve the confidence of pupils and parents.
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Using the Family Links Nurturing Programme which provides structured ten week courses for both parents/carers and children. The Parent Programme improves parents' confidence and skills, enabling them to maintain effective positive discipline while understanding their own and their children's emotional needs. The Children's Programme offers personal, social, health and citizenship education.
- Offering family learning classes whereby parents learn alongside their children and find out how they can help their child with school work. Many schools have found that the workshops have helped to improve standards at the school. Read how Tidemill Primary School in Lewisham has developed workshops and the benefits these have had.
- Providing information sessions for parents at key transition points in their children's lives, particularly starting school, and moving from primary to secondary school.
- Providing information on the advice and support available to parents — through national helplines and websites, and through local family support services.
- Setting up 'dads and lads' groups or working with local providers to do this e.g. YMCA. These clubs could involve activities such as gardening, making go-carts and sports. Downside middle school on the Isle of Wight is providing a motorbike club and other after school activities to encourage fathers to engage with education. Part of this includes a time trials club whereby fathers and children help create score cards and lap sheets during the trials which can help raise literacy and confidence levels and build capacity for further learning. Read more here.
- Developing 'parents' rooms' to encourage informal and formal learning. Read how Beecroft Junior School in Bedfordshire are seeing benefits from doing this.
Chapter 6 of the Children's Centres Practice Guidance revised in November 2006 includes useful tips on providing advice and support to parents.
Information for parents can be found on the Parents Centre website.
This page was last updated on 22nd May 2007.
