Parent-school interactions

This article sets out the case for investment in parent–school partnerships, drawing on evidence, including the EEF Toolkit, linking this work to around +4 months of additional progress. It shows how one twilight funds a co-led, measurable start you can track against your own data.

Parents want partnership, not platitudes, on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Drawing on responses from 5,866 parents, this article sets out the strain: one in three has requested assessment; 58% report long waits; 1.6 million children have needs only partly met; lessons disrupted for 2.9 million. It offers practical, low cost changes schools can act on now: clearer behaviour, early classroom adjustments, regular check ins, and action on the income gap.

Most teachers enter the classroom with training in pedagogy, assessment, and safeguarding, but not in how to work with parents. This article explores why parent-school partnerships are essential to student success and teacher wellbeing, and argues that training in family engagement must become a core part of Initial Teacher Education.

What if school absence isn’t about defiance, but disconnection? This article challenges the rise in punitive attendance measures and explores how broken trust between families and schools is driving the crisis. With insights from policy, parents and practice, it asks: are we punishing families when we should be listening to them? Read on to understand why connection, not compliance, is key to getting children back into school.