How to use this exemplar to improve practice

This guide provides background context and information for practitioners and educators who work with parents and families and/or who are involved in delivering training to the workforce.  It should be used alongside the Strategic Framework for Parental Involvement, Parental Engagement, Family Learning and Learning at Home. The guide ensures all parents and families are supported to be involved and engaged in their child’s and their own learning, taking account of and addressing barriers to participation that is key to improving outcomes.

Practitioners and educators are encouraged to use the accompanying PowerPoint slides below when delivering training. These slides can be used and adapted to suit local context.

In addition to this guide, there are Professional Learning Activities which practitioners and educators across all sectors can access to increase and develop their knowledge and skills. These can be accessed from the Professional Learning section of the website.

Downloads

PDF file: Professional Learning Guide (2.9 MB)

Powerpoint file: 1. Definitions (2.2 MB)
Powerpoint file: 2. Legislation (1.9 MB)
Powerpoint file: 3. Re-aligning beliefs (1.4 MB)
Powerpoint file: 4. National PIE Census Data 2021-22 (479 KB)
Powerpoint file: 5. Involving parents in improvement planning (1.4 MB)
Powerpoint file: 6. Involving and engaging parents and families (1.2 MB)
Powerpoint file: 7. Back to Basics (1.5 MB)
Powerpoint file: 8. Family Learning (2.5 MB)
Powerpoint file: 9. Learning at Home (2.4 MB)
Powerpoint file: 10. Benefits of involving parents and families (1.4 MB)
Powerpoint file: 11. Barriers to involving and engaging parents and families (1.3 MB)
Powerpoint file: 12. Workforce Development (1.3 MB)
Powerpoint file: 13. Gathering data and measuring progress (1.6 MB)

Explore this learning and assessment resource

Equipping the workforce and ensuring they have access to, and are signposted towards professional learning opportunities, resources, case studies, research and current examples of good practice is vital.

It is also important to ensure that staff have the required competencies, skills and values needed to work with parents and families to support their child’s and their own learning journey.

Developing the workforce can be challenging during ever changing complex economic and financial circumstances but it is crucial to building trusting relationships.

A Professional Learning Guide was developed to support practitioners and educators in local authorities, settings, schools, national parenting organisations, initial teacher education providers, third sector and relevant stakeholders who work with parents and families to fulfil their legislative duties and requirements contained in national documents and strategies when delivering professional learning to the workforce. 

This is to ensure that practitioners are informed and equipped:

• to support parents and families to become involved in the work and life of the school
• to support parents and families to engage in their children’s and their own learning
• when making arrangements and/or developing approaches to support and engage parents
• and that the existing and future workforce is developed to support children and families improve their health and wellbeing.