Parental Involvement - Teaching Expertise

It can be daunting and isolating for children with few English language skills to start a new school. Education writer Dorothy Lepkowska reports on a new programme designed to help them achieve their potential

Anne Clarke, principal of Benton Park Technology College, shares her thoughts on the problems of engaging parents in secondary schools

Former headteacher and current chair of governors Mike Walton argues that a closer relationship between parents and governors will benefit the whole school community read more

Two recent policy reviews have established the government’s priorities for spending on public services that help disabled and disadvantaged pupils

Michael Segal investigates how far a school can intervene when divorced parents disagree over an educational matter read more

Linda Bartholomew and Cathy Kennedy describe their initiative to capitalise on the links which health visitors can create between early years providers and families read more

Special needs consultant Patti Turner details the actions you need to take to ensure your school is fully meeting the medicinal needs of all children read more

Joanne MacDonald describes an innovative approach to drugs education for young children

Joan Sallis examines some of the different issues that affect governors in primary and secondary schools read more

Could the school be held liable for negligence if it doesn’t tell parents after an incident? read more

How do you respond if a parent starts complaining about your setting or your staff? Steve Mynard advises that you start with prevention

A long-term, focused relationship with parents can pay dividends, says John Welham. read more

Do you always know what messages your parents are taking away with them? Carole Farrar examines some of the messages that you may be giving out

A Case Study: Anita Brown, Deputy Headteacher, Ponteland Community High School, Northumberland. read more

G&T coordinator Jo Smith explains how to get the most out of working with parents. read more

Casterton Business and Enterprise College (CEBC) is one of three truly comprehensive Rutland secondary schools with 800 pupils on role in Years 7-11. Here they outline their approach to communicating and working with parents

Reticence to engage with parents on the part of schools can be deep-seated. Teachers may not be aware of the benefits that parents can bring to the learning experience and the students may not realise that they will benefit too. Julie McGrane looks at how parental engagement can be initiated and how schools can find the forms of engagement that work best

No matter how watertight the contract with parents, schools must implement it correctly and fairly if they want removal of a pupil to be upheld, says Mark Blois

What does ‘extended school’ mean to politicians, teachers and parents and what will it mean for more able pupils? Deputy head Paul Ainsworth explains

Casterton Business and Enterprise College (CBEC) is the hub of local learning, offering 11-16 education by day and a wide range of recreational and academic activities for young people and adults in the evenings and at weekends read more

Currently just 15.7% of all primary school teachers in England are men, yet 83% of parents would like to see more male primary teacherd. Why so few and why so great a desire for more? Former headteacher and education writer Steve Mynard finds out…

The key change to the curriculum at Key Stage 4 has been to increase the breadth of choice. Alan Monks, Deputy Headteacher, describes the impact on Ellis Guilford School and Sports College, Nottingham

Carole Farrar highlights how you can make the most of formal communications with parents. read more

Children can be affected by domestic abuse in many ways. Jenni Whitehead gives guidance on how schools can provide help for pupils and their families. read more

Carole Farrar continues her series on communication with parents. read more

Dr Barbara Spender considers the key questions underpinning Every Child Matters implementation from first considerations about individual school priorities, through visibility in specific curriculum areas, to evaluation and measurement of success

Carole Farrar continues her series by looking at ways to make the most of personal contact with your parents. read more

Jenni Whitehead looks at signs that show a young person may be at risk of abuse. read more

Q: Can a parent be prosecuted for not sending a child to school when there is an education supervision order in force?

Jane West looks at some misconceptions about giftedness and how to dispel them. read more

What help and support we can provide for early years children about to move into key stage 1? Helen MR Hann explores this issue

Helen MR Hann suggests strategies to help children transfer into the foundation stage. read more

John Cousins is a primary mental health worker, supporting children and their families. He explains what we mean by ‘transitions’ and how they can affect the child

How do you care for children’s emotional health and wellbeing as they enter nursery or playgroup for the first time? Helen M R Hann, an experienced foundation stage teacher, looks at the practical implications

EYU draws out the key points for early years education and childcare. read more

Carole Farrar starts a series on communicating with parents by looking at what makes effective communication. read more

Pat Barnes, education consultant and former head, suggests ways to manage and make the most of parental help in schools

Mobile phone bullying is on the increase but there is plenty of support available

Most LEAs ask schools to fill in some type of referral form. This prompt sheet will help you bring together all necessary information before picking up the phone. read more

The government’s 10-year strategy for childcare, Choice for parents, the best start for children, promised to establish a single coherent development and learning framework for all young children from birth to the age of five. The DfES is currently consulting on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which provides that framework. read more

What are the legal implications of truancy?

There is always room for enhancing the curriculum through the creation and development of special events in school that pull teachers, pupils, local businesses and the wider community together, writes Rosemary Cairns read more

Jenny Townsend reveals the approaches she used to improve parental engagement at her school

Former headteacher Edward Gildea explores the ways in which disagreements with parents can be resolved and used to improve the school’s partnership with them. read more

The DfES is to trial parent support advisers in 600 primary and secondary schools from September. read more

Michael Segal looks at the complicated issue of a parents right to insist on corporal punishment for their children, in line with religous freedom

Amelia Wallington looks at what schools can do to counteract increasing appeals from parents.

Family learning covers all forms of informal and formal learning that involve more than one generation, writes Melissa Gardner

In recent months, parents have been much in the educational news. The Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Ruth Kelly, wants them to be more involved in schools, possibly even helping to run them in some way. But many headteachers and their professional associations fear that this means interference rather than involvement. read more

To what extent do Parent Partnership Services work in supporting national strategies for promoting inclusion and reducing poor outcomes for some individual pupils with special educational needs? SENCOs who are often the link between PPSs, parents and their school will be interested in answers to this question and others in the findings of this new study. read more