Parents have told us about the importance of strong, supportive and positive relationships with education staff and the impact that these can have on them and their child’s learning.

This resource has been developed with parents of children with a range of additional support needs. These modules can help education professionals to understand parents’ perspectives and give practical tips about how to work with families. The modules also encourage self-evaluation and highlight useful resources to help education professionals to develop their practice.

What was done?

Children in Scotland has worked with parents and education professionals to develop a suite of modules to support staff to work effectively and meaningfully with parents of children with additional support needs.

Why?

It is essential that education professionals work effectively and meaningfully with parents to ensure that learning at school and home are connected. This helps to ensure that the voices of families are heard and they feel supported. Working together in partnership will help to deliver the best possible educational outcomes for children with additional support needs.

Downloads

PDF file: Module 1: Why positive communication makes a difference (1 MB)

PDF file: Module 2: Communicating whole school inclusion approaches to parents (821 KB)

PDF file: Module 3: Listening to families and understanding their views and experiences (1.7 MB)

PDF file: Module 4: The key elements of effective communication with parents (1 MB)

PDF file: Module 5: Finding the best ways to communicate (566 KB)

PDF file: Module 6: Positive communication strategies at key stages and transitions (1 MB)

PDF file: Module 7: Providing information and support for parents (1 MB)

PDF file: Module 8: Preventing, understanding and resolving conflict (652 KB)

PDF file: Module 9: Supporting positive communication with parents – additional factors to consider for secondary schools (780 KB)

PDF file: Resource list (107 KB)

How to use this exemplar to improve practice?

This resource can be used to help support education professionals to work effectively and meaningfully with parents and families to support all pupils to thrive. The modules contained in this resource build upon other parental involvement, parental engagement, family learning and learning at home resources but focus on the experiences of parents of children with additional support needs.

Education professionals are supported throughout this resource to undertake self-evaluation and identify improvements at their early learning and childcare setting or school.

This is a ‘Learning Together’ – Equalities and Equities Fund project – supported by the Scottish Government.