Dimension 6 Works together with parents to improve learning Developing parents’ support for their...

Dimension 6 Works together with parents to

improve learning

•Developing parents’ support for their children’s learning

•Active involvement of parents in school activities

•Collaboration and representation

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Indecisive Know-It-All


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Agreeable



Complainer Silent



Aggressive



Negativist

Your parents?

Kunc

1 what education practices interfere with a sense of belonging for parents and why? How might this be corrected?

2 what can you do to further that sense of belonging among parents?

What are the benefits of parents getting involved?

The benefits for the children are:

• It is easier for children to learn when they get encouragement at home• They will do better and achieve more when their parents are involved• Children get access to more activities in and out of school when there are moreadults to help• Their concerns can be sorted out quicker when their parents have a positiverelationship with school staff• They are happy when their parents are enjoying events in the school.

The benefits for parents are:

•Their children do better when they are involved•They are better able to help and encourage their children•They have more information about their children’s education•Parents can build their own confidence and skills•Where there is a positive relationship between parents and their child’s school there are benefits all round•Parents get reassurance that their children are receiving a good education.

A Parent’s View

“I read that Albert Einstein's mother asked him each day after school

"Did you ask any good questions today?”

I used that approach with my son to encourage discussion about school.”

Jenni A, Lincoln, NE, USA

http://www.forbetterlife.org/billboards/confidence

Accessed 15 Feb 2009

http://www.forbetterlife.org/billboards/confidence

The benefits for the school are:

• Parents bring skills which complement teachers’ skills and expertise• Parents contribute their time, so together parents and teachers are able to do moreactivities with pupils than teachers can do on their own• Pupils' attainment and behaviour improve• Parents have ideas about how the school can best support the children• Teachers have people with whom they can talk over ideas and get help whendeveloping plans for the school• Parents can give advice and help around reaching other parents

Active involvement of parents in school activitiesParents’ contribution to school activities; support for parents whose children have individual needs; support for parents in the development of their own skills and knowledge

A school is good to the extent that…A school is good to the extent that…. A school is excellent to the extent that….

It invites parents in the school to attend socialactivities, school shows and prize giving

Parents participate in debates and discussions about education, and use their skills to contribute to school improvements. Parent representatives areinvolved in school development groups, working parties and committees. They also represent the school’s views in wider educational debates.

Parents work with staff and pupils to raise funds for the school. A wide range of parents is involved in social and educational activities, in supporting tripsand activities and in assisting the school in sharing its achievements at special events and concerts.

It takes active steps to involve adult helpers in contributing to the life of the school. Some parents help the school promote effective partnerships withother parents and with employers. For example, they provide career/vocational role models for young people. Parents talk about their work,culture or lifestyle as part of the curriculum, and contribute to careersguidance.



It offers some support to parents in developing their own skills and knowledge, particularly in relation to parenting and supporting their children’s learning. Staff find out what parents want to know and co-ordinate information,events, classes and support groups for parents. The school enables groups of parents who have particular needs to support each other and their children.

It brings together parents with specific needs and interests, working with partner agencies. They form support groups and forums which benefit bothparents and their children, focusing on education as well as common interests.

It consults parents on key issues relating to school life and provision.

What parents think is important for the school and for their own children has a significant influence on the school’s vision. They help to formulate theschool’s priorities for improvement.



It actively seeks out the views of parents and the wider community on its strengths and areas for development.

It consults effectively with parents on the improvements and changes it is planning. It asks them for formal feedback on specific events, the quality of education, school leadership and on the way the school is run.

It ensures that parents are fully involved as it implements its plans for improvement.

It involves parent representatives alongside pupils and staff in identifying improvements. Parents are confident in contributing ideas, expressingconcerns and making suggestions. Parent representatives communicate regularly with the rest of the parent body, systematically canvassing Opinions and views.

In your groups: Distribute the abstracts on Page 31, 32 and 33.

Each person should read their designated abstracts and share with the group what they are about. When finished answer the following:

•How do you support parents to support their children’s learning?

•What are your top 5 tips?

SupportingParents

-SupportingLearning

Develop role of parent helpers

Lesson Observation for parents

Develop Focus Groups

Pupil Progress Reports

Use Understandable Language in

Communications

Create Involvement Opportunities

Help Leaflets

Updates

Telephone Calls

Learning and Teaching Evenings

Well being information

Eastfield Primary SchoolInspection 22 April 2008

The school’s success in involving parents, carers and families

The school had achieved a high level of success in developing partnerships with parents and the local community.

•Parents received useful briefings about the school through helpful newsletters, leaflets and a school handbook.

•Teachers produced informative written progress reports for parents each year. They encouraged parents to be partners in supporting children’s learning through curriculum workshops.

•The school provided appropriate information to parents about sensitive aspects of health and responsible relationships.

The school had excellent links with parents and the local community.

In the nursery class, parents frequently helped staff in the playroom and were actively encouraged to be involved in their children’s learning.

Very good opportunities were available for parents and staff to discuss children’s progress.

In the primary classes, pupils’ work was sent home on a regular basis for parents to comment upon.

Parents were informed of learning targets for each planning block.

Parents of pupils in the primary stages were welcomed at the school and were kept well informed about the life and work of the school.

Friockheim Primary 2008Partnership with parents and the community

Parents had appropriate opportunities to view resources used for sensitive issues in health education.

They received regular and informative reports on pupils’ progress.

Parents’ views had been sought regularly and the school had responded positively to their views.

The newly formed Parent Council and the PTA provided active and high quality support.

Parent support through fundraising had enhanced outdoor learning and play opportunities for pupils.

The …parental volunteers… contributed very effectively to the work of the school.

parallel play Barth

Turn to your shoulder partner.Turn to your shoulder partner.

Come up with some examples of where Come up with some examples of where you might see parallel play in Scottish you might see parallel play in Scottish schools?schools?

Internal capacity is the power to engage in and sustain continuous learning of teachers and the school itself for the purpose of enhancing pupil learning. Such a school can take charge of change, irrespective of its source, and can thrive in a changing environment.

A key role of the Leader is to help develop a Connected School:

• where people share ideas rapidly and effectively across the whole school;

• where the leader encourages many people to be leaders - to have a point of view and to mobilise others in pursuit of that view.

Somewhere in your organisation, groups of

people are already doing things differently and better. To create lasting change, find these areas of positive deviance and fan the flames.

Richard Pascale & Jerry Sternin,Richard Pascale & Jerry Sternin,““Your Company’s Secret Change Agents”, HBRYour Company’s Secret Change Agents”, HBR

Innovativeness in adopting the drug Tetracycline

Key factors of interconnectedness

• regular involvement in hospital meetingsregular involvement in hospital meetings

• sharing a workspace with one or more colleaguessharing a workspace with one or more colleagues

• being a source of advice/ information to colleaguesbeing a source of advice/ information to colleagues

• being a person other doctors could discuss patient being a person other doctors could discuss patient

issues withissues with

• being seen as a friendbeing seen as a friend

• being a permanent staff memberbeing a permanent staff member

• reciprocatingreciprocating

Creating the Conditions for Partnership

Key factors of interconnectedness for partners when working with the school

• •regular involvement with the school e.g. meetings, fairs, regular involvement with the school e.g. meetings, fairs,

school showschool show

•mixing with other partners and school staffmixing with other partners and school staff

•the school is seen as a source of advice/ information to the school is seen as a source of advice/ information to

partners and partners and vice versavice versa

•school staff are approachable and are seen as people school staff are approachable and are seen as people

that you can discuss school/pupil issues withthat you can discuss school/pupil issues with

•partners are seen as friendspartners are seen as friends

•partners are seen as a full members of school communitypartners are seen as a full members of school community

•reciprocatingreciprocating

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go

T S EliotT S Eliot

Four-Column Versions of the Map

1

Commitment

2

What I’m Doing or Not Doing That

Prevents My Commitment from

Being Fully Realised

3

Competing Commitment

4

Big Assumption

I am committed to the value or the importance of ….

I may also be committed to….

I assume that if….

Supporting my staff to exercise more individual initiative

(1) When they ask me to get involved or take over, I don’t refuse. (2) I don’t delegate as much as I could.

(3) I get drawn into things when I should refer them to the colleague who is incharge of that area

Not having my staff feel like I’ve abandoned them; not having my staff unhappy with me; not having our work product be less than I think I could do on my own, even if it means disempowering or failing to empower my staff

The quality of our work, when I transfer authority, does fall below what I could produce my maintaining more control, than I will be seen as a failure!

From: How The Way We Talk Can ChangeThe Way We Work

By: Robert Kegan & Lisa Laskow Lahey

Four-Column Versions of the Map

1

Commitment

2

What I’m Doing or Not Doing That

Prevents My Commitment from

Being Fully Realised

3

Competing Commitment

4

Big Assumption

I am committed to the value or the importance of ….

I may also be committed to….

I assume that if….

Partnerships and parental involvement in our school

I don’t support ideas for partnership

…being in control. ..being the only one to take initiatives with parents and outside Agencies

..preventing partners and parents getting too cosy with staff

..I am not in control things will go wrong and the image of the school and my reputation would suffer

…if I allow other people to take partnership initiatives they will become independent of me and my role will be diminished

..parents are involved too closely they will see how poor we are

SCSSA material based on From: How The Way We Talk Can ChangeThe Way We Work

By: Robert Kegan & Lisa Laskow Lahey

A reflective exercise

1. What has to change round here to allow you to perform at your most effective level?

2. I want this change because I am committed to the value of……..

3. What thing are you currently doing or not doing that get in the way of your column 1 value?

4. I think that column 2 arises because, in addition to my column 1 values, I also want… or am afraid of….

5. What would be the most horrible consequences if I changed my column 2 behaviours?

1

Commitment

2 3 4

I am committed to the value or the importance of……

From: How The Way We Talk Can ChangeThe Way We Work

By: Robert Keegan & Lisa Laskow Lahey

Dimension 6 Works together with parents to improve learning Developing parents’ support for their...

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