| |
 |
|
Headteachers and senior managers
A wide range of management issues need to be addressed, namely:
- Does the school have a home-school liaison policy? Is it reflected in the school development plan and the working practices of all teaching and non-teaching staff? For more on this, see the section on Partnership with Parents.
- Who manages the on-going process of ensuring that the agreement is valued by all parties? This is a challenging and time-consuming task. The headteacher or a senior manager would give the process some status; or this might be an appropriate task for a member of staff who communicates particularly effectively with pupils and parents.
Piper Hill High School, Manchester is a special school for pupils with severe, profound and complex learning difficulties.
With the introduction of home-school agreements planned for September 1999, the Headteacher took the opportunity to extend the timing of the Annual Review Meeting, which is always held in the first half of the Autumn Term. This enabled her to discuss the purpose and contents of the Agreement with parents and carers. They were also asked to contribute anything to the Agreement that would be of benefit of their son or daughter's education. The parents/carers and Headteacher then signed the Agreement and it was filed with the Annual Review Record for future reference.
Through such a process, each item of the Agreement was discussed personally with each family. The School will repeat this exercise again next year with the new intake, and use the Annual Meeting with parents to update and revisit the Agreement as necessary.
|
|
- Is it clear who the contact point is for each pupil and parents if an issue arising from the agreement needs to be discussed? Is it:
- the class teacher?
- the head of year?
- the headteacher?
- the member of staff responsible for the agreement?
If this has not already been made clear in the agreement itself, steps should be taken to make sure that parents and pupils know who it is best to raise questions or problems with.
- A whole school approach is essential if all parents, carers and pupils are to value the document and make full use of it. It is important that, though one member of staff is given overall responsibility for the agreement, others take it seriously.
- Is there a strategy to ensure that the agreement is given a high profile? For instance:
- is it placed in the school brochure or handbook?
- does it appear in the pupil planner?
| At Mortimore Special School (in Lambeth), the home-school agreement is copied into the Home School Liaison Book along with individual targets and regular notes showing parents and carers how they can help their children at home.
|
|
- is it on display in each classroom?
| Keir Hardie Primary School, Newham has enlarged its agreement to 168cms by 120cms and placed it in the school foyer and hall. It has also placed large sheets of paper alongside the agreement in the hall, requesting parents and pupils to add their signatures as a reaffirmation of their support for the agreement.
|
|
- is reference made to it in school newsletters?
- are school assemblies used as a means of raising its profile?
- is the agreement discussed from time to time at staff meetings?
- is it discussed with parents either at parents' meetings and/or on more informal occasions?
| Calverton Primary School, Newham uses parents' meetings to discuss (with parents and pupils) a termly target that is incorporated into the home-school agreement. This is reviewed at subsequent termly parents' evenings. The Headteacher is of the opinion that this is proving to be one of the most successful features of the agreement, and it is claimed that the pupils enjoy a considerable sense of achievement from attaining their targets, whilst parents appreciate having a clear focus for helping their children at home, and being more involved in their childrens' education. Click here to download Calverton's home-school agreement in PDF format. |
|
- are applicants for teaching posts at the school questioned on the role of parents in their children's education?
- is the effectiveness of the agreement discussed at the School Council, in circle time or PSHE lessons? This will contribute to the monitoring, review and evaluation of the agreement.
- Are teaching and non-teaching staff provided with training opportunities for working with parents?
- What procedures are in place to resolve a contested issue?
- Are teaching and non-teaching staff encouraged to establish new and innovative ways of involving parents and carers in their children's education?
An example of how an agreement has been used and developed over the years follows.
Walker Comprehensive School, which serves a less advantaged area of the east end of Newcastle upon Tyne, established its home-school agreement fifteen years ago. Over the years, it has been evaluated regularly and updated to ensure that it remains relevant to the needs of all parties. It is also an integral part of the induction process for pupils and staff.
A copy of the agreement is held in the Students' Planner and Staff Handbook. Parents also have a signed copy. It is therefore a working document referred to regularly by form tutors and house staff, particularly to reinforce school policy.
It has proved effective in maintaining a very high standard of uniform.
It has also helped raise awareness of the school's anti-bullying policy so that students, parents and teachers are clear about their responsibilities in combating incidents of bullying.
It is used positively to promote the school's behavioural policy, so that expectations are clear and agreed from the outset.
It also contributes to the drive to raise standards by promoting the importance of homework and regular attendance and participation in after school hours activities.
An additional 'curriculum agreement' has also been established for Key Stage 4 students with learning difficulties who opt for the ASDAN (Award Scheme Development Accreditation Network) Silver or Bronze Key Skills course.
|
|
|
|
