I am a trainee head teacher and would like to know what makes a school good or bad at communicating with parents and getting parents involved in the wider school community

[HastingsJo]

HI I'm an experienced Primary teacher and am undertaking the NPQH - head teacher qualification. As part of my learning I'm looking at what, for parents, makes schools good or bad and communicating and building a relationship with parents. I want to make my school, when I become a head have the best relationship with parents as possible to enable to maximise their child's learning. If you have any experiences or thoughts you'd like to share I'd really appreciate it - I've also put together a 5 minute survey which I'd be really grateful if you have time to complete. Many Thanks
Jo
www.surveymonkey.com/s/parentschoolcommssurvey

Yup we have had the sandwich board in the playground saying 'there is an important RST(?)( something to do with pshe i think) meeting this morning for class such and such parents.'

There was apparently meant to be a letter about it a week before but no one managed to send it out, then we get the 'this is important, you are bad if you don't turn up' undertones. Nice.

Interesting to read other comments, esp. when I disagree.... :).

DS twice been on the SEN register (different reasons), I've never have had a separate meeting with SENCO about it, still don't see the need.

I would prefer not to have NC levels reported except in y2/y6 years; so many threads on MN about "My child didn't make only made one SL progress". It's obviously unnecessary micro-management/monitoring to report NC levels so frequently.

Texts are okay, but if I forget to charge my phone or turn it on I end up not getting contacted by alternative means.

I would like to see the HT circulating in playgrounds most afternoons.

School website could be more up to date & informative.

Our school newsletters are better than they were, now have calendars & lists of upcoming events.

I've done a whole thread about how awful the teacher-lines-them-up-and-takes-them-in-system (in mornings) is, I know MNers mostly disagree; me and seemingly everyone at DC school (that includes the teachers themselves, from what I hear) still HATE it.

I totally understand why so many things at school happen with last minute notice, but wish it didn't have to be that way.

I absolutely agree with giving lots of notice for things and not relying on children bringing home pieces of paper. I've lost count of the number of events I've missed because either the DC involved lost/written on/scrunched up/eaten the piece of paper, or the teacher had run out(!), or there was insufficient notice for me to arrange to be there.

Emails work very well, although an email that you then have to print out so you can sign the slip on the bottom and return it to the school is barking mad.

And, please, in the name of all that is holy,
a) put a school calendar on your website,
b) put some detail on it for each and every event, and
c) keep the bastard thing up to date.

My DD's school used to have an excellent and valuable on-line calendar. I checked it regularly. The head changed and it's not been updated properly since. It's maddening. My DS's school has a fantastically up to date calendar but doesn't have any detail. Eg, It will have "Y7 Trip" without saying that they have to be at school at 8am with a packed lunch and wellies. Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory...

Totally agree that Head/Deputy in the playground at morning and afternoon is excellent idea (our Head does it ).

Clear, detailed weekly newsletters.

Meet the teacher meetings at beginning of new school year.

I like a head teacher to be a head teacher not a teacher dressed up - I want her word to be the final word i expect her to know the answers to be able to offer me solid information,to be welcoming to be firm to be the 'boss' I like to have a good relationship with the head teachers but i dont want to be their friend ,I want to be able to question something and receive a straight civil answer back.

Every class should have a whiteboard on the door or window facing out telling parents what days p.e is,and whats going on in class that week if my dc do well or are helpful I want that recognising I dont want dribby drab chat every day I want strong positive conversation - I dont want to hear negatives but i want to hear how to improve any negatives.

I dont want the same kids on the football netball teams give all children a chance,I dont want my child to always have the same label sure he can be noisy but hes also a good friend v helpful etc etc.

If there is a special needs concern dont assume because school think its SN it is its possibly just another way to learn - special needs isnt a stigma -different is good.

I want to be able to see you for 5 mins on the same day I request a meet with you and I dont want you to use my christian name I call you mrs xxxxxx you call me mrs xxxxx.

its a priviledge to you that i choose your school to send my children to - respect that priviledge my dc are the most important thing to me.

I home ed btw

I like a Head Teacher that looks you in the eye when speaking to you. My left shoulder is so not interesting.
Ooh, and a firm handshake.
The ability to follow up on what you have promised.
To do their best for all children not just the NT ones.
I will always be amazed how Ds' headteacher in his primary school got the job.

Ah, this thread alone shows some of the challenges for a decent Headteacher - what pleases some parents displeases others.

For example, Ragged thinks that reporting NC levels once a year is 'unnecessary micromanagement' which is her opinion which is of course fine, but my opinion is that as teachers are monitoring NC levels pretty much all the time now,it makes sense for me to have an update once a year!

Good luck with the interview panel, by the way - it's a.......thorough process!

Crikey! I don't even know what our headmistress looks like. As far as I am aware, she is never in the playground at dropoff / pick up times. I guess that she is at assemblies, but the ones that parents are invited to always seem to be on one of the few days each week that I work. I suppose what I'm trying to say is, think about how parents want to be treated. We want good, open lines of communication which as someone else has said should be two way. We want to feel that we are being actively listened to. And finally, please treat me as an equal who wants my child to succeed just as much as a headmistress does.

I agree about the advance notice. Even though I have a good relationship with the school, I have an ongoing "discussion" with the headteacher that she should give out dates for the assemblies and parents' evenings at the beginning of the year Telling people a couple of weeks beforehand means that many working parents just can't shuffle things around enough to be able to attend - and everyone loses out :(

Email would work well but you would need to make that a choice, as many parents/mothers (at least at our school which has a large Asian community) don't have access to the internet.

Try and have a set day that you send home communications, so that parents know to check the bags that day. We did try using red plastic sleeves (which we on the PTA suggested) to make them more visible - but that seemed to fall by the way side. However, important communications are often photcopied onto red paper to make them more visible.

Depute or head teacher should be seen regularly in the playground at going-home time. (Ours usually are but that's 'cos they are trying to police the double parking outside the school).

The Parent Council (Scotland, has now replaced both the School Board and the PTA) has both parents and teachers on it and we both feel listened to, iyswim. We regularly discuss communication - although in our case, the major issue is how to involve and communicate with the Asian parents who either don't speak good/any English or volunteer for the Parent Council.

LIKES

• Weekly newsletter
• Head visible at drop off for quick chat/available for longer meetings
• Head approachable to children and parents

DISLIKES

• Short notice of events - working parents must find it a nightmare

Your best possible approach as a new Head is to never appear to be banning things/breaking with traditions, even if that's what you're doing. Always come up with a good viable alternative at the same time. It's a change, not a ban.
A silly example but it's had a disproportionate effect - new HT banning the playing of Bulldog in the playground. She had good reasons, she didn't express them well, she didn't come up with alternative playground activities and she has a whole cohort of small boys who resent her as a result. Always explain yourself, even if you don't really feel that you should.

And re communication - I agree that emailed newsletters are good. Better if it's regular as clockwork - every Friday or every last Friday of the month or whatever - so that parents learn to expect it. Forget the random slips of paper in bookbags which will get lost. List as many dates at the start of the year as you possibly can - if for whatever reason you have to through in another Inset Day then wear a hard hat.

Sending out a list of topics to be covered over the year and when is good. Family Learning sessions are great - come in for an hour and we'll try to explain how we teach Maths in Yr4/this is how you can help your child with their fine motor skills in Reception, that sort of thing. It keeps parents feeling involved.

But I know from bitter experience that you will never manage to communicate everything to everyone. There is always someone - you can text, email, write, use a pigeon, whatever, but there will always be someone who will deny all knowledge.

Get parents on board for the earliest stages of school - get involved with your local childrens centre if there is one, that way you can identify families that might need some extra support

At my school the Head initiated extra lphonics lessons once a week for the familes of the lowest achieving children in the class- the children came as well as the parents and were given work to do at home. A small lunch was provided each week too.

However there do seem to be parents who feel they can run the school better than the Head and are always in suggesting changes so its keeping them on board too without giving in

Oh yes and please smile at parents. Please approach them as equals, not as silly little children that you are better than and know so much more than.

Yes you are a leader of the school but to lead is to serve. You're only there because they let you be there. You're supposed to be working for them not in opposition to or behind their backs.

Thus is really interesting and insightful - I really appreciate your thoughts. I wonder if there are common themes also as to what encourages/discourages parents from attending school activites/events??

I hate the way that the PTFA is charged with making up interesting fundraising things when most of us don't want to bother, we'd rather just give the money and not have to turn up.

School events are normally dull or too loud...I'd rather give a tenner knowing it will all go on a new football goal than spend a tenner at a fair, knowing some of it will be used for expenses/prizes, and I've had a naff afternoon trying to stop my child getting her hair painted pink or eating 3 ice creams.

Is that not normal thinking? Does anyone enjoy these events?

Plus the incessant problem of 'please offer to help/a prize/sell tickets because our wonderful ptfa can't do it all by themselves'.

The reason no one is offering is because we're parents and we're all gotdamn busy all the time. No one wants to man a raffle stall, and no one has time to give an entire afternoon up when they don't even want to be there...we are at school all week, we have other things to do when it's the weekend.

Just ask for the money!

There are far too many events for working parents to possibly be able to attend. Class assemblies, sports day, homework expectations, phonics workshop, maths workshop, parent teacher interviews, school play, nativity play, bring your mum to school day, IEP review meetings, chats about DCs 'behaviour' ...... x how many schools you have DC at.....

Combined with very little notice.

I'd echo everyone else about adequate notice for school events.

As a new head please don't rush to make changes, even if they are for the better parents and children may need to be persuaded and certainly informed beforehand. That doesn't always mean consulted as you should be able to make decisions but some changes need to be aired in advance to allow time for initial negative views to subside.

If you are making any big changes do not inform the parents about it in a small paragraph in amongst the the dates for the end of year events and pleas for tombola prizes.

If parents have spotted the announcement and rush up to you with quite reasonable worries do not respond in an "I do not have to explain myself for I am Ceasar and I have spoken" way, you will only look a prat a couple of weeks later when you have to back down and have individual meetings with all the worried parents who are now not only worried but pissed off.

Oh, and if it is obvious to both you and all the parents that the issue is going to be a problem 8 months before it actually happens, don't leave it until the last couple of weeks of the school year to deal with it and the fall out.

Our head is fantastic in lots of ways, great Teacher, discipline is excellent, achademic standards great, I could go on but he un-does a lot of great work with poor communication and a rather "who are you to question me" manner.

Just posting quickly but will be back later with bad things but good things my dd1 school does:
Opens door for ten mintues every morning so parents can talk to teacher.
Email letters as well as print them
Senco does return your calls ASAP

I am quite sure that if PTA asked parents for a simple money contributions instead of running events, that the vast majority would give precisely nothing. (sadly)

There is a culture of "that's how things are done" at schools, and it takes a while to get the hang of it, I find. It makes the envt. unfriendly.

School fetes - aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!

I for one would much prefer to just hand over some hard cash and not have to go to the wretched planning meetings, angst about what we'll do if the weather is horrid and run around like a headless chicken on the day etc etc etc - but then I guess the same people would stump up who actually get involved in running the fete anyway, so we wouldn't make anything and the school is really hard-up. fete does bring in money.

Accurate information delivered with enough warning (a week if possible)

Different information formats work well as one can start becoming complacent to endless emails/letters, especially if the information isn't accurate or is delivered very late on in the day

Regular meet-ups with parents

Maybe a slot per week/fortnight when parents have access to a one-on-one with Head/Deputy if they wish to discuss something about children's progress

We have a notice board that's put up at entrance gate with important information for the day to remind parents that certain events are happening.

Not sure what the solution is with working parents but they do need to be kept in the loop more effectively. DW is a fountain of all knowledge because she does have a handle on what's going on but many people rely on her to pass on info/important news!

Regular walk abouts in the playground at pick-up/drop off times are a very good idea....

Flagging up INSET days at the beginning of the school year. Sometimes it can make a huge difference to people's holiday/travel costs if they can come back a day later than they think they need to...Have had various occasions when the main family hols could have been a week later (and thus about £500 cheaper) if only the Head had not left it till the end of the summer term to tell us that there would be two INSET days at the beginning of next school year....