It is recognised that parents and carers play a vital role supporting their children’s settling in and achievement. ‘Parental involvement has a significant effect on pupil achievement throughout the years of schooling' (The impact of parental involvement on children’s education, DfES, 2003).

The 'Parents and community' and 'Effective home–school liaison' areas of the site identify reasons why it is especially important that schools admitting newly arrived pupils from overseas involve their families in their children’s learning.

Family learning needs

Families have their own learning needs. Meeting these can help them support their children’s integration and learning.

Ofsted’s Family learning: a survey of current practice (2000) recognised the contribution that family learning can make to raising standards in schools. It also recognised its potential for helping to build strong communities.

Pupils' experiences included:

• accelerated development of oracy and pre-literacy skills
• improved numeracy and literacy
• positive behavioural and attitudinal changes
• enhanced confidence and self-esteem.

Parents’ experiences included:

• improved literacy and numeracy
• progression to further courses and qualifications
• increased confidence in contacts with schools
• a greater understanding of child development
• better relationships with children.

Many family learning opportunities focus on teaching literacy. While this is seen as beneficial, Ofsted recommends that schools promote family learning opportunities that also offer a broad and balanced curriculum. ‘In the small number of authorities where the family learning curriculum was broad, providers had had greater success in attracting participants from disadvantaged or under-represented groups…’ (Family learning: a survey of current practice, Ofsted, 2000).

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The 'Who are international new arrivals?' area of this site explains some of the circumstances of the pupils and their families before their arrival in school in England. It is important to remember that each pupil’s family circumstances may differ. Many newly arrived pupils from overseas may be in contact with extended family networks where effective support can be offered from a variety of adults and older siblings. Others may be separated from their primary carers and unable to easily access adult support for their learning in the home.

The learning needs of the families of new arrivals may include:

• understanding the English education system and school expectations and routines
• understanding the way their child is taught and what they learn
• learning how they can support their child’s learning effectively. Some families may come from a culture where there is no tradition of parental involvement in school learning
• learning English
• understanding their entitlements and where to get support
• knowing about the local area
• knowing how to access community networks
• being informed about after-hours provision and other out-of-school activities, and why their child may benefit from attending them
• skills such as literacy, numeracy, ICT, cooking, sewing, parenting, childcare and first aid
• engagement with art, music, sport and educational visits
• involvement in other educational and recreational activities that promote understanding of and engagement with the wider community.

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Promoting family learning: some suggestions

Parental involvement and family learning can be promoted through a school’s initial welcome. The 'Admission procedures' area of this site provides guidance on effective procedures that facilitate good communication with parents and carers. The 'Initial assessment' area of this site provides guidance on extending a school’s knowledge of the needs of each newly arrived pupil’s family.

In addition to effective admission and initial assessment procedures, schools can promote family learning opportunities by:

• developing partnerships with outside agencies, services and community groups to ensure newly arrived families gain access to information and activities outside the school
• making the school facilities available to community and supplementary education initiatives after school and at weekends
• researching funding and local partnerships available to develop family learning activities in the school or off-site
• consulting with parents to identify priorities and to enlist participation
• identifying the needs of participants for crèche facilities and refreshments
• disseminating information in translation about family learning opportunities
• providing family learning activities with a strong focus on parental involvement in their children’s learning
• making sure that activities promote family socialising and networking.

Case study

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

This case study demonstrates how one school has worked to develop family learning activities that effectively support children’s achievement in the curriculum and the integration and well-being of families new to the area, including refugees.

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Useful weblinks

Please note: QCA is not responsible for the content of external sites

DfES: Parental involvement
This website has been designed to help schools get the most from parental involvement. It offers some suggestions on how to achieve effective partnership with parents and how best to manage and use home/school agreements.

DfES: Parents Centre
The Parents Centre is for all parents and carers who want to help their child or children to learn. It offers support, information and advice about children’s learning and the English education system.

Ofsted: Family learning: a survey of current practice
This report (2000) contains information about 28 local authorities in which family learning programmes were inspected between April 1998 and July 1999.

Teachernet: Family and community
This section of the Teachernet site is about working with and involving parents and families, and making links with the wider community outside school hours.

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Further resources

Home from home: a guidance and resource pack for the welcome and inclusion of refugee children and families, Salusbury WORLD/Save the Children, 2004

Home from home is a resource pack that provides guidance for the successful inclusion of refugee children and families into school. The materials have come from the experience of staff at Salusbury WORLD, an innovative refugee project based at Salusbury Primary School.

The effective practice described in this pack will be relevant to anyone who works in support of children’s education in both primary and secondary sectors: teachers and teaching assistants, learning mentors, home/school liaison workers, educational psychologists and others.

The pack is divided into clearly signposted sections for quick and easy reference. It includes a section on involving parents, including guidance and extensive links to information on family learning.

An order form can be downloaded from the Salusbury WORLD website.

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