Parental Engagement - EEF's Evidence Day…

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7 March, 2019 —
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Parental Engagement – EEF’s Evidence Day (Matt Martin)

Engaging with parents in a multitude of ways

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by Unity Research School
on the 7th March 2019

Mum and two children parental engagement benjamin manley 515701 unsplash

"...as a school it is crucial that small and personalised strategies are focused on to ensure the greatest chance of success."

As a class teacher and school leader, a large part of my thinking has always been about how to improve the efficacy of school-parental relationships. As such I was delighted to be able to take part in a “deeper dive” around the recently released EEF guidance around “Working with parents to support children’s learning.” The day was a thought provoking journey around the current research regarding this area and below are some of my key takeaways.

Three things I’ve learned:

A positive home learning environment can make a significant impact on the learning of pupils,regardless of socio-economic background.
Homework can have an impact but needs careful consideration (see below)
Giving things out to parents is unlikely to be effective without added structure, tips and support.

Two top tips for parental involvement:

1. One of the key areas in which parents are involved in school life is through homework. Research suggests the following to ensure it has the greatest impact:

Quality matters more than quantity
Tasks should be linked closely to main class teaching
Teachers should provide timely and specific feedback
Parents can help by encouraging a regular routine, and good study habits
Parents can help by showing interest and encouragement
However be cautious about encouraging direct parental involvement in homework tasks (especially for older children)

2. Continue to encourage all those practices which we know create a positive home learning environment. This includes:

Reading to a child
Songs and nursery rhymes
Praise and answering questions
Regular bedtimes and mealtimes
Positive interactions
Playing with numbers and letters

Key to all of the research was that as schools we are already engaging with parents in a multitude of different ways, and that the first step towards engaging with the research is to critically review what already takes place. The emphasis in the research is on simple practical strategies, and so as a school it is crucial that small and personalised strategies are focused on to ensure the greatest chance of success.

Read the EEF’s Parental Engagement news and access the Guidance Reporthere.