Developing Partnerships

Parent Engagement: Building a Welcoming Community and developing a Parent Friendly School

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When parents are engaged and involved, everyone
benefits, and our schools become rich and positive
places to teach, learn and grow.

What is the role of the P&F?

P&F Teams in the Broken Bay Diocese are encouraged to support
and help parents to engage with their school and to engage in the
education of their children.

Research shows ....
          # that children do better at school when parents are engaged with their
              child’s learning and wellbeing both at school and at home.
Research indicates that...
          # that parents should be partners with schools in their child’s learning
              and that education is a shared responsibility of schools, parents and
              communities.

What guides your work?

P&F teams are encouraged to facilitate this engagement as part of their
goals and leadership responsibilities in the P&F Constitution;
Your committee’s Diocesan Parent Council (DPC) Representative
provides a link for your P&F team between the CSO and your school
and can provide you with research, ideas and resources to plan activities and engage parents;
The Family-School Partnership Framework provides directions for school communities developing partnerships.

What can the P&F do?

It is recommended that P&F teams provide leadership to their school communities in the following 3 areas:

1.     Building positive relationships and a welcoming school
         environment

P&F Teams are encouraged to develop a positive and welcoming school climate
in which all parents’perspectives,needs,values and ideas are heard and considered
in the planning of events and meetings.

The opportunities for parents to be involved in and engaged in activities and for
communication strategies to reach all parents need to be investigated.

2.     Parent engagement in learning and wellbeing

Parent involvement that is focused on student learning has the greatest impact    on student achievement. P&F Teams are encouraged to provide opportunities for parents to become aware of their vital role in their child's learning and well-being both at school and at home.

P&F efforts should look into engaging parents in ways that create stronger educational and pastoral relationships between the school and parents.

3.      Supporting Schools SIP goals and Strategic Planning

Schools in the Broken Bay Diocese have 3 year Strategic Plans. Each year the school leadership team implement 3 School Improvement goals (SIPs) in the domains of
            *   Teaching and Learning,
            *   Student Wellbeing, and
            *   Mission.

P&F goals and activities should support their schools leadership team in the implementation of the schools SIP goals.
             # P&F strategies should be linked to the educational and pastoral
                 goals of the school;
             # P&F Executive meetings and general meetings should always reflect
                 on and work with the SIP goals;
             # Resources to support these goals include people, time and knowledge
                 and the 'alignment' of these towards agreed SIP goals requires P&F
                 teams to 'know' their community.

RESOURCES

From Presentation by Danielle Cronin (CCSP), Nov 2013

The Family-School Partnership Framework is a resource to
guide and support family-school
partnerships

Ideas for ....
Welcoming activities and outreaching communication

Download: How Family/Parent Friendly is your P&F?

Fostering Parent Engagement

Supporting SIP Goals