Building Partnerships with Parents

Every child does better when the adults around them talk to each other. This parent partnership training helps your team build genuine two-way relationships with families, starting from the very first phone call. It covers first impressions, the many ways you can communicate with parents and carers, and how to include families whose first language is not English.

Why parent partnership matters

The more parents and practitioners share about a child, the better placed both are to help them. When parents are involved, children tend to be more motivated to learn, behave better and attend more regularly. Staff gain too: you learn far more about a child’s needs and home life, and involved parents tend to feel more positive about the people caring for their child. How you communicate matters. A setting that passes on bad news far more often than it celebrates a child’s achievements can leave parents feeling they cannot help.

Working with parents is a key part of the Early Years Foundation Stage, and Ofsted wants to see how you put it into practice. The lesson links to the EYFS statutory framework, including the key person role, the information you must share with parents and the progress check at age two, and to the DfE’s guidance on working in partnership with parents and carers.

What’s in the course

1. Why partnership is worth the effortWhy every child matters, and why working with parents is central to a child’s learning and development.
2. When the relationship startsThe first phone call, and why a family forms a view of your setting before they walk through the door.
3. First impressionsWhat parents see first: the car park, the entrance, the room and you.
4. Ways to communicateFace to face, letters home, notice boards, your website, social media and messaging apps, with the strengths and limits of each.
5. The benefits of partnershipWhat parents, children and staff each gain from good two-way communication.
6. Trying something newNewsletters, open days, workshops, home visits and “special persons” days, and why there is no one size fits all.
7. Home languagesWelcoming families who speak other languages and involving parents in translation.
8. Assessment10 questions. Pass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.

What you’ll learn

• Why the partnership starts with the first phone call, and why answering quickly, professionally and with a smile matters
• How to check first impressions, from a tidy, safe car park to a clean, inviting entrance with a parent notice board
• The limits of each channel: a letter home can sit unfound in a child’s bag, and a notice board needs to be clear, in date and easy to read
• How to make information work for parents whose first language is not English and for parents who cannot read
• Why balancing good news with concerns keeps parents involved in their child’s learning at home
• Everyday ways to involve families, from parents’ evenings and workshops to open days and “special persons” days
• Why your communication should be aimed at fathers as well as mothers
• How greeting families in their home language, and asking parents to help translate notices and labels, can help every family feel welcome

Who this course is for

• Key persons, who talk to families every day at drop-off and collection
• Practitioners and new starters learning how to build relationships with parents
• Room leaders and managers reviewing how the setting welcomes and communicates with families
• Staff who answer the phone or show new families around

How it works

• OnlineStudy on any device and pick up where you left off.
• Interactive moduleShort slides you work through at your own pace. About an hour in total.
• 10-question assessmentPass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.
• CertificateIssued when you pass. NFAQ accredited.

Frequently asked questions