Helping to increase parental involvement 

 

• Build a reputation as someone who listens without judgement and tries to help. Do you inspire confidence? Do you know what you are talking about? If you do not know the answer, who does? Mandy Thorpe, Somerset PSA
• Reach those parents who have previously had little contact with schools. Also smile and say hello to the child on the street. The parent will ask the child who you are. Slowly you will not be a stranger. Word of mouth, you reputation and competence matters. Parents have come to me because I have helped their friend. Katie O'Brien, PSA Plympton St Maurice Primary School
• Improve home/school link - invite family members into school to take part in an activity with their child i.e. family bread making, play sessions, parenting sessions etc. Support and encourage parents to attend parents evening, play to learn sessions, transition meetings, encourage parents to share worries or concerns with teaching staff or anything relevant which could impact on the child. Build up relationships by offering coffee mornings/drop-ins. Jenny Joslin, Somerset PSA 
• I’ve started a crèche for every parents’ evening and have got the PTA to help with this. We found that childcare was a huge barrier – the mums tended to come and the dads stayed at home doing the childcare. The impact has been tremendous – e.g. at the last curriculum evening, attendance was up two or three times. The parents were grateful and said they were much more relaxed and able to focus on the evening.  It’s important to build trust. I try not to be ‘in your face’ but hang around the school gate at the end of the day and chat. I then note down any issues parents have told me about so I can ask them next time ‘How’s it going?’ Parents now regularly drop in to see me to talk about any worries.  We run the Glebe Academy, bringing in guests (mainly parents) to talk about what they do. Parents also support gardening club and our Healthy Eating scheme.  Julie Mayo, PSA, The Glebe Infants School, North Somerset
• A stepdad was concerned about his stepson and a referral was made to the PSA at the child’s school. She realised that the family’s concerns required involvement by more than one agency and so raised a CAF. The parents attended a CAF panel (the boy chose not to attend but the PSA ensured how views were included) and it was decided that support from a number of agencies would be beneficial. As it was just before the summer holidays, I offered, as PSA Manager, to act as temporary Lead Professional, with the PSA resuming the Lead Professional role in the new term. She would coordinate the case, acting as the main point of contact for the family.  Holiday activities were accessed through the Extended Schools service and the Youth Inclusion Support Project at the Youth Offending Team so that the boy had something positive to do and his parents were given respite. The CAMHS Multi Agency Family Therapy Service (MAFTS) offered an initial appointment which all members of the family attended. It came out that the boy’s older sister was having difficulties with school work and attendance and, with the family’s permission, this was referred to the Education Welfare Service so that a meeting could be called at the start of term to support her. The family agreed to come for further appointments with MAFTS.  Kate Wilcox, PSA Manager/Family Therapist MAFTS 
• Two children were exhibiting poor behaviour in school and so were referred to me. Visiting the home, I noticed that dad was very controlling, mum was tearful and the children were just ‘too good’. I arranged to see mum alone and found out more about the situation and the pressures on the father. Coincidentally, dad had had a difficult meeting with the headteacher about another matter and this gave me the opportunity to follow this up and offer him support. He has taken up the offer of counselling and this has led to improvements at home and with the children’s behaviour at school. We are in a good position to help because we’re not teachers and not social workers. We reveal a bit of ourselves – that we’re parents too and know their issues.  Millie Hamblin, PSA, Southern Brooks Community Partnership, Patchway, South Glos.

 

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