The building and maintaining of relationships underpins our philosophy and approach to Family Learning at Braes High School.
Initial impressions of school life matter, and we aim to establish a positive and nurturing relationship with learners and their families. We employ various strategies to ensure families have a positive interaction with our school. Our Primary 7 transition events facilitate a smooth transition from primary to secondary school life for both students and families. Additionally, we offer 'Enhanced transitionevents' tailored to families supporting young individuals facing barriers in transitioning to secondary school. These events include
an informative evening for parents and the school to establish initial contact, while the enhanced transition offers a more personalized experience catering to individual needs in a smaller setting through participation in practical subjects.

After establishing this rapport and integrating the young individual into the school community, our objective is to sustain and strengthen the connections between families and the school. Friends at Braes (FAB) help support school initiatives that will be of benefit to both learners and families, while and our Parent Council comprises of parents/carers and supporters who actively
engage in school events, and represent the views of parents/carers. These efforts aim to bolster family-school partnerships.

Another significant approach has been the Braes Brew and a blether that brings parents and carers together to meet in a relaxed
and welcoming environment to get support and gain new skills. This group is jointly run by our Bernardo’s home-school partnership.

In order to ensure families see us as part of their support network, we work with a Household Support Officer who ensures families get the funding and help they are entitled to. This includes checking what benefits familiesshould be able to access and providing welfare checks to ensure young people and families are able to reach their full potential in Braes High School.

We encourage families to actively participate in school life while also seeking support from the school. This fosters a conducive atmosphere for learning at home through family engagement in various activities. For instance, the reintroduction of our 'Family Fun Day' aims to create a relaxed environment for the community to interact with our partners and staff. Our objective is to ensure inherent family involvement in all facets of school activities, thereby strengthening the cohesive bond within the school community.