BEST PRACTICE

Engaging families

Building positive relationships with parents and carers is a key in supporting children’s early development – and a requirement of the EYFS – here’s how you can engage with families...

Image

The importance of parental engagement is embedded into early years education policy, with a “strong partnership between early years educators and parents and/or carers” required under the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS 2021).

Key person

It is the key person’s role to ensure that every child’s learning and care is tailored to meet their individual needs, and to engage and support parents in guiding their child’s development at home. The key person is therefore the essential link between home and the setting.

Welcoming environment

Settings need to create welcoming and inclusive environments where all parents and carers feel valued and respected. They need to reflect on their own accessibility, such as whether meetings are arranged at convenient times and how they are publicised to parents. If parents have English as an additional language, settings will need to consider the use of interpreters and whether information can be translated or perhaps presented visually.

Regular two-way communication with parents is key. In addition to formal progress meetings, many settings invite parents to attend sessions, and make time for the key persons to talk to parents informally at drop-off or pick-up times. Generally, settings should aim to use a variety of means to communicate with parents such as newsletters, display boards, suggestion boxes, a digital photo frame, or video clips of activities to be shared securely.

For parents whose availability is restricted by work commitments, it can be more difficult for them to engage with their child’s setting. In these cases, educators need to consider other methods of communication, perhaps via email or text.

It is important for settings to be inclusive to both mothers and fathers. Both should be spoken to openly and warmly regarding their children and staff should feel just as confident about working with fathers as mothers, discussing ways to address any inequalities. If your setting lacks engagement with fathers, for example, you should find out more about their circumstances and attitudes to the setting and consult them on how they would like to get involved rather than making assumptions. For instance, events such as annual dads’ day for fathers to join in the activities of the setting are very popular.

Building relationships

Organising a home visit is a good way to establish an initial relationship with parents prior to the child starting at the setting and to observe the child in the home environment. This is particularly important when the child has a special educational need or disability. The settling-in process provides opportunities to forge relationships and find out how parents would like to get involved in their child’s learning and the life of the setting.

Parents should be able to express their views, make suggestions and ask questions that will inevitably lead to a better understanding of their child’s learning and development. Undertaking regular questionnaires with parents is just one way to actively seek, evaluate and act on the views of parents.

Shared understanding

Educators have an expert knowledge and understanding of child development, teaching and learning, while parents have an in-depth personal knowledge of their child’s personality, likes and dislikes. When educators and parents share information, a more holistic view of the child’s progress can be formed. Early years settings should share their expertise and experience with parents on a range of topics such as developmental milestones, the EYFS or the different ways children learn.

Give parents a voice

Give parents the opportunity to get involved in the life of the setting by volunteering as a helper, or in charity settings, as a trustee, or invite them to join a parent forum to give their views on how their children should be supported.


Find out more
This is was adapted from the Alliance mini-guide 'Engaging mothers and fathers'. For this, and more helpful guides, visit the Members’ Area of our website at portal.eyalliance.org.uk.