St Mary's Church of England Primary School & Nursery

Parental Engagement

We understand that pupils’ learning is maximised when a productive relationship exists between the pupils, parents, governors and staff. School life is a partnership between all of those involved.

Aims

• To enhance and widen our children’s education through the involvement of parents and the community wherever possible.
• To foster and promote a partnership based on mutual respect between parents, children and all those working within our school.
• To ensure that St Mary’s C.E. Primary School is an environment that values parents and carers and is sensitive to family needs from all cultures and backgrounds.
• Recognise that parents and carers are the most important influence in a child’s life and that school is most effective when there is partnership between parents, children and school.
• St Mary’s C.E. Primary School seeks to provide helpful communication with parents about the progress of their child, and how they can assist in their child’s learning.

Communication

• The education of a child is a partnership between home and school and good communication between parents, children and teachers is essential. Each child has a communication book/homework diary where messages can be written between school and home.
• The Headteacher and staff are available at mutually agreed times via the school office in the morning and after school to see any parents.
• We provide regular information to parents/carers through newsletters and the school website. Paper copies are available upon request.
• School maintains an electronic messaging service, ‘Parentpay’ which provides information via email/text.
• Parents or carers of a child with a disability are asked to keep the school fully informed about any relevant issues, so that the school can make all reasonable efforts to meet the requirements of that child.
• A calendar or annual events is sent home to parents at the start of the Autumn Term. This is also available on the school website.

Engagement

• We have parental representation on the Governing body who represent the views of the parents.
• We have an active PTA group who work voluntarily to raise money for the school and organise social events for the school community.
• We welcome parents into school to help with trips, reading, or sharing their skills in the classroom. Regular helpers have a DBS and are given a copy of the ‘Information for visitors to school’ leaflet which details important information including safeguarding.
• The school will consult parents and carers, both formally and informally, about their views on school life, children’s learning and new initiatives. Parental views are sought formally through a biannual questionnaire. Areas for improvement are then fed into the school development plan.
• Parents are invited into school for a range of events including worship, productions, end of term services at church etc.
• Parents of children who are to be admitted in September are invited to bring their children to school on two occasions in June for transition visits.
• At the beginning of each school year, pupils and parents are asked to sign a ‘Home/School Agreement’ which makes clear the expectations we have at St Mary’s in terms of behaviour and support from parents as well as what parents can expect from the school.
• Foundation Stage staff visit the parents of children being admitted to Nursery in their own homes at the beginning of the school year.
• Any children entering Reception class who have not attended our Nursery will have the opportunity to meet with a member of the Foundation Stage staff, prior to their children starting school.

Supporting Learning

• We encourage parents to play an active part in their child’s education. In the Early Years Foundation Stage we have sessions for parents to play and learn with their child during the school day.
• In the Early Years Foundation Stage parents are encouraged to share their child’s development through their child’s thinking book and electronically using the online Seesaw system.
• The school provides online tools and resources to support homework and learning.
• The school maintains ‘How to help’ resources on the school website, which aim to help parents support their child’s learning in specific areas e.g. phonics, mathematics, writing and early years.
• Curriculum letters are sent to families electronically at the start of each term, detailing the aspects of learning each child will undertake. These are also available on the school website.
• At the beginning of each school year, parents are invited, as a group, to meet their child’s class teacher to discuss matters relating to general classroom and school organisation.
• The school holds an annual education event. Parents may come and experience aspects of the curriculum for themselves or hear about current issues of importance in workshop sessions. They can also ask questions pertaining to their child’s current curriculum.
• The Foundation Stage offer learning opportunities for parents to discuss how they may best support their child’s learning within areas of the EYFS. These include: how to play with children to support learning; reading, writing and mathematics.
• There are three Parents’ Evenings during the school year when parents, and sometimes parents and pupils,  are invited to meet the teachers to discuss their child’s progress.
• There is an induction evening for new parents in May and parents, should they so wish, have the opportunity to speak individually with the Headteacher before their child starts school.
• Parents receive an annual report detailing their child’s attainment, effort and targets to support future learning.