At Michael Primary School, we believe that it is essential to develop strong partnerships with the home if our children are to achieve their full potential. Parents and schools working as partners can only increase pupil achievement and help to develop positive attitudes about self and school.
The key factor in the home-school partnership is the relationship between the teacher and the parent. Teachers are professionals who manage a variety of instructional resources. Parents are an essential resource in the learning process of their children.
We are already working well together to secure effective home-school relationships. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that we continue to build upon those things already in place in a more efficient, consistent and effective manner, as well as generating new ways of strengthening the partnership.
We aim that:
• Every aspect of the school climate is open, helpful, and friendly.
• Communications with parents are frequent, clear, and two-way.
• Parents are treated as partners in the educational process.
• Parents are encouraged, both formally and informally, to comment on school practice
and to share in the decision making.
• The school encourages volunteer participation from parents and the community at
large.
• The school encourages fund raising for the good of the pupils and local and national
charities to develop children’s awareness of citizenship.
• The school recognises its responsibility to forge a partnership with all families in the
school, not simply those most easily available.
• There is collaboration between all key stakeholders.
To fulfil these aims we shall:
• Create opportunities for parents to come into the school on a regular basis, e.g. information and reporting evenings, family learning events, school assemblies, open days, concerts, sports events and shows.
• Create clear and positive communication links with parents, where they know they
can approach the school with a problem and it will be positively and promptly acted upon. This is achieved through a planner that all children use. These have been tailored to suit the age and requirements of the children.
• Share responsibilities for implementing school policies e.g. promoting positive behaviour, healthy snacking, homework and school uniform.
• Establish mechanisms e.g. questionnaires, suggestion box and discussions, for seeking parents’ view through all areas of development at Parents’ Evenings and open events.
• Encourage the use of the school for local activities which provide social opportunities for the pupils and encourage family learning.
• Provide parents with a user-friendly informative school prospectus.
• Issue regular letters of information and newsletters which showcase pupils’ work.
• The Parents Forum will meet with the Senior Leadership Team on a termly basis
discuss any relevant issues. A summary of this meeting will then be circulated to all parents.
Reviewed - October 2015 Next Review - October 2017