Strand Leader – Wendy Packer

Involving parents/carers in their children’s education is key to raising aspirations and levels of achievement. Parents/carers who take an active interest and role in their children’s education and the life of a school are generally seen as a definite asset. However, it is often the families we wish to see who are reluctant to come into school. Parental involvement with schools often differs according to the age range and the local community. Determining how to encourage and include all of our families is the challenge accepted by the team who form the PPS.

The foci for the PPS is three fold: researching into ways to develop parent/ carers involvement in their children’s learning; developing ways to offer more opportunities to the adult to extend their own learning and developing the school community.

Using a research and development model we are looking to involve parents and young people in identifying ways in which families can become more involved with the school. The first meeting of the PPS confirmed that this is a dedicated group who are keen to share and develop ideas: working smarter together rather than harder alone.