Estyn 2009 reports that, where there is good practice in planning parental involvement, schools understand that parents:
- Like to be involved in their child’s school.
- Want the school to know them personally as individuals and be kept well informed about the progress made by their children.
- Need clear information about day-to-day matters that affect their children.
- Feel more confident if they know the staff and have a basic understanding of the curriculum.
- Are willing to support school events.
- Like to have clear rules for their children that are applied consistently.
1) Ways to be involved in our school:
- Contribute to all surveys and questionnaires which respond to your views.
- Attend performances such as Harvest, Christmas and class liturgies to see your child perform.
- Engage in home school challenges.
- Support events such as Sports Day or tournaments.
- Read our newsletters and special ‘House Magazines’.
- Come to our Annual Open Evenings
- Support the ‘Friends of St Mary’s’ with fundraising.
- Offer help with specialist events, e.g. gardening and coaching.
- Come along to special sessions such as our ‘Maths Café’ and ‘Seeing is Believing’.
2) How we can get to know you as individuals and be kept well informed about progress made by children:
- Attend termly parent/ teacher meetings which can be arranged at a time convenient to parents.
- Ask for an individual parent/ teacher appointment more regularly just to catch up with the teacher.
- Respond to the Annual Report to parents.
- Attend open afternoons to look at children’s work along the child in their learning environment.
3) How to find clear information about day to day matters that affect children?
- School website.
- School newsletters with ‘dates for the diary’ and regular letters with updates.
- School information boards.
- The School council have their own noticeboard in the KS2 cloakroom area.
4) How can I feel confident that I know the staff and have a basic understanding of the curriculum?
- The school website and prospectus show our staff team.
- At the annual open evenings parents can be formally introduced to all staff and their roles, and can also chat to staff informally.
- All staff are happy to make appointments to meet parents.
- Half termly topic webs provide overviews of curriculum learning and specific examples English and Maths covered.
- Year group overviews are available on the website.
- ‘Seeing is Believing’ gives parents a chance to see staff teaching in their classrooms and engage in a specific learning challenge with their children.
5) How can I support school events?
- By attending events offered such as:
- Seeing is Believing
- Maths Café
- Class Liturgies
- Open afternoons and evenings
- Performances
- By making donations of appropriate items
- By offering supportive comments to staff to reflect efforts and commitments
- By encouraging children to participate in a range of our excellent after school clubs
6) Like to have clear rules for their children that are applied consistently:
- All new staff have a full induction on behaviour management.
- All children create their class charters at the start of each year and fully understand their rights and responsibilities.
- Our Behaviour Policy is available on the school website.
- School rules are visible in all classrooms and around the school in the form of ‘charters’ as a visible reminder to all children.
- House Points are given for positive behaviour and attitudes and are celebrated weekly in our ‘Celebration Assembly’.
