Communicating with parents during COVID-19 was key at Alloa Academy. Staff used a number of strategies to regularly update parents on their child's online learning and continually asked their opinions on school matters. During the first lockdown parents asked staff at the school to let them know what their child should be learning while online at home so that they could better support them. After consultation with parents, staff created a monthly Learning Overview to give them a snapshot of what their child would be learning in advance. This has been a great resource for parents to use at home for learning conversations, checking up on homework and to know where their child should be in their learning while not in school.

Here are some examples:

• Seniors
• BGE

Alloa Academy offered live Question and Answer sessions with parents.  From the feedback received, an Interactive 'YOU SAID, WE DID!' document was created. This hyperdoc included informative videos, successes, improvements and additional information and resources  to help better support young people and their parents/carers as online learning continued.

Parents of senior pupils also asked for some information and strategies to help support their young person at home with studying for their qualifications. Staff then created a Study Smarter - Skills and Tips hyperdoc to send out.  This provides a range of platforms, strategies, parental informative videos and guides on how to utilise these apps to assist in their child's studying.

These resources as well as the continued communication with parents has increased parental engagement at Alloa Academy.  Parents have also stated that they feel more confident in supporting their child’s learning.