Working In Partnership With Parents And Carers - Session Fifteen

Learning environment and partnerships

Special educational needs and/or disabilitiesTraining toolkit

Working in partnership with parents/carers

Session 15

Session 15Working in partnership with parents/carers Learning environment and partnerships

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“Some parents were assertive and had learnt painfully through dealing with bureaucracies to make demands and… not to take no for an answer, but there were others who confessed to being too intimidated to approach the school and ask for help.

“Some, who themselves had a bad experience at school, said they lacked confidence to deal with teachers and drew attention to the imbalance in the power relationship.”

J MacBeath et al, 2006, The Costs of Inclusion


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Parents/carers of students with SEN and/or disabilities: extra pressures− Face higher costs− More likely to be in, or on the margins of, poverty− Mothers are less likely to be in work− More likely to experience marital breakdown


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Learning outcomes

You will: − understand the importance of effective communication

with parents/carers and the knowledge they bring to discussions about their child’s learning

− know how to involve parents/carers in their child’s education, in school and at home


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Learning outcomes (continued…)

You will: − understand how to develop effective channels of

communication between home and school− know the statutory responsibilities and rights of

parents/carers and teachers, and the boundaries of the two roles


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Learning outcome

You will be aware of the range of activities that contribute to effective partnerships between parents/carers and schools, particularly for students with SEN and/or disabilities

Activity 1


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Parents’/carers’ concerns at transitionWhen their children started secondary school, parents worried about:− bullying – 53 per cent− drinking/drugs/smoking – 20 per cent− happiness – 17 per cent− making friends – 15 per cent− peer pressure – 13 per cent− getting in with the wrong crowd – 13 per cent− doing well academically – 11 per cent

Mori survey, 2006


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Learning outcome

You will understand what factors can help to build effective partnerships between parents/carers and schools

Activity 2


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Learning outcome

You will understand the positive impact of parents/carers being involved in their child’s education

Activity 3


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The importance of involving parents/carers

− What effect does the involvement of parents/carers at primary school have on reading development?

− What effect does the involvement of parents/carers at secondary school have on reading development?

− Find a statement from the Desforges and Abouchaar review that indicates that parental involvement has a more powerful influence on learning than many other factors


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Involving parents/carers in their child’s education…… has been shown to have a positive effect on reading at primary school and a weaker, but still significant, impact on reading at secondary school


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The power of parents’/carers’ involvement

Desforges and Abouchaar found that:

“Parental involvement in a child’s schooling, for a child between the ages of seven and 16, is a more powerful force than family background, size of family and level of parental education”

DfES Research Report 433, 2003


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Learning outcomes

You will understand:− the impact of different ways of conducting meetings

with parents/carers− key elements of successful meetings with

parents/carers

Activity 4


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Structuring the meeting

− Allow enough time for discussion− Prepare any materials needed− Invite a friend of the parent/carer, or the ‘named

person’, if appropriate− List action points− Schedule a time for review


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Effective meetings

− Adopt a friendly and businesslike approach − ready to do what needs to be done

− Value the parent’s/carer’s and student’s contributions− Choose language carefully, and avoid jargon− Consider the parent’s/carer’s access needs, eg in

terms of language or communication


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Learning outcomes

You will understand:− the role of schools and local authorities in parent

partnership− that the statutory requirements and guidance are

designed to inform, support and involve parents/carers

Activity 5


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Education Act 1996

The Act requires schools to:− use their best endeavours to make appropriate

provision for students with SEN and/or a disability− publish and review an SEN policy− inform parents/carers of the provision being made− ‘have regard’ to the SEN Code of Practice


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Parents/carers and SEN procedures

Parents/carers:− can request a statutory assessment− must be consulted about statutory assessment− can submit their views− can ask for a particular school− can appeal against the decision of the local authority


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Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 and 2005Schools and local authorities must:− promote disability equality− not treat disabled students less favourably− make reasonable adjustments for disabled students− draw up and implement a disability equality scheme


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Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 and 2005Parents can:− take claims of discrimination to the Special Educational

Needs and Disability Panel (SENDISP), and

− ask for mediation to resolve disputes


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Duties on local authorities

− To identify, assess and provide, where necessary− To provide and publicise a parent partnership service− To have regard to the SEN Code of Practice


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Duties on local authorities (continued…)

− To publish the responsibilities of schools and the local authority for funding provision for SEN

− To provide education for students with SEN in mainstream schools, except under certain conditions


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Outside mainstream education

A local authority need not place a student with a statement in a mainstream school if it is:− against the parents’/carers’ wishes, or − incompatible with the efficient education of other pupils

(and there are no reasonable steps to prevent this)

Education Act 1996, Schedule 27


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Outside mainstream education (continued…)

Where a parent asks for a particular school the local authority must name it in the pupil’s statement unless it would be:− unsuitable for the pupil’s age, ability, aptitude or SEN− incompatible with the efficient education of other

pupils, or− an inefficient use of their resources

Education Act 1996, Schedule 27


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Learning outcome

You will learn how to produce parent-friendly information

Activity 6


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Information for parents/carers

Your leaflet should:− include the key information− use parent-friendly language− have accessible design and layout − explain how parents/carers can give feedback

on the leaflet− give a first contact point for further information


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Learning outcomes

You will:− reflect on your learning− identify points for action for yourself

Activity 7


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The case for effective partnership with parents/carers− Legal requirements− Practical benefits


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Practical benefits

− The school gains from the parent’s/carer’s knowledge of their child

− Earlier identification of students’ needs− Better informed response to needs− Joint approaches between home and school− Greater confidence for teachers and parents/carers− Better outcomes