information for practice

• Parental engagement is viewed as a ‘good thing’ by teachers, parents and students although interpretations of the term vary. Parents view parental engagement as offering support to students while teachers tend to view it as a means to improved behaviour Students view parental engagement as being primarily about moral
support and interest in their progress.
• Schools that successfully engage parents in learning, consistently reinforce the fact that ‘parents matter’. They develop a two way relationship with parents based on mutual trust, respect and a commitment to improving learning outcomes.
• Parents who are viewed as ‘hard to reach’ often see the school as ‘hard to reach’.