Dr Diane Delaney, Connect’s Associate Trainer, shares her passion for strong home-school partnerships which shines through Connect’s professional learning offer
For almost 80 years, Connect (formerly the Scottish Parent Teacher Council) has focused on building relationships between families and education staff. With its strapline ‘Supporting Partnerships in Education’, the Connect team regularly takes calls from, and engages with, headteachers, teachers, local authority education leaders and parental involvement officers. Uncertainty about the role and responsibilities of Parent Councils, parents’ rights and sometimes challenging relationships are common queries. Working closely with parents, carers and parent groups, the organisation is uniquely placed to inform its professional learning with diverse parental experiences and family contexts. In short, Connect builds bridges, grows knowledge and develops confidence in parents, carers and education staff.
Since COVID-19, home-school partnerships have been under greater pressure than ever before. We know from our parent surveys during the COVID-19 years that some families felt abandoned by the education, health and social care systems. We see the continuing impact on trust, attendance, health and wellbeing, the attainment gap and the struggle to provide support for those families and children who need it. To address some of these challenges, school leaders and staff have told us they need more opportunities for free, accessible professional learning to support their parental involvement and family engagement practice.
In response, Connect has launched its new professional learning offer to educators. Of the 32 Scottish local authorities, 28 now have shown commitment to parental involvement by taking out Connect membership for their Parent Councils. Importantly, this gives staff, parents and parent groups access to Connect’s extensive resources, recordings, templates and professional learning opportunities. With the expertise and resources offered by Connect to both staff and parents, we urge educators to take up our professional learning opportunities to maximise the transformative potential of trust-based relationships between home and school. With easy-to-access digital on-demand films and micro learning opportunities to fit in with busy schedules available through MyConnect, our online library, educators can boost their parental engagement practice as well as attend our live online sessions when they can.
Why does this matter so much now, perhaps more than ever before? Because some of those most pressing aspects of Scottish education – provision for children with additional support needs, school attendance, inclusion, closing the attainment gap, health and wellbeing, children’s rights – involve working well, and closely, with parents, carers and families. These priorities are challenging and complex, but the evidence is clear that strong relationships with families make a significant difference.
Covering topics such as strengthening partnerships, building relationships, dealing with disagreement, children’s rights and inclusion, Connect’s resources equip educators with the knowledge, confidence, and practical strategies to embed meaningful family engagement across policy, practice and culture. Our resources are aligned with children’s and parent’s rights and Scotland’s national education values, law and policy.
When educators feel confident in family engagement approaches, communication improves, barriers reduce, and children (and their families) are better supported to progress and achieve. Leadership in creating an outward-looking, welcoming school environment is key to how staff, children, young people and their families feel about their school and learning.
Available free to educators who work in local authorities which take out Connect Membership for their Parent Councils, Connect’s professional learning is available through MyConnect (register here). Find out more about Connect