Newsletter – Building Trusting Relationships with Parents

How Can You Develop Trusting Relationships With Parents And Carers?

The best way to build solid relationships with parents and carers is to include them in your learning community. They may have attended your school, lived in your area for many years or even be completely new to what you have to offer. Whichever groups your parents fit into, you can support them as they go through their child’s learning journey. Keep in communication with parents via newsletters, emails, social media and make sure your website is up to date and reflects your ethos and vision. Invite them in to talk to students about their work or experiences. Create time frames of when important messages should be sent out so your parents know exactly what you are offering and when, such as transition events, parents evenings, fundraising activities, alumni events and more. Send postcards with ‘well done’ messages to students, ensure parents and carers are involved with diaries they need to complete that reflect communication both from and to the school.

In this way, your parents will see the efficiency of your learning establishment which will not only reinforce their confidence in you as an educator, but also give them a chance to learn about the challenges facing schools, how they can best offer support to their sons and daughters and in addition, how they can learn the new techniques now on offer which should result in their own skillset being enhanced. Give your families as much help as you can with meetings at appropriate times plus extra curricular sessions such as breakfast clubs, meet ups and coffee mornings. Don’t forget to try and set up key processes such as applications, options, uniforms etc. online so that all parents can access these even if they are not able to be there in person. The earlier you begin building relationships with parents, the stronger the trust and emotional connection will be for them to support your students with you throughout their learning journey.