Policy for Involving Parents, especially Dads, to raise Children’s
Achievement
This policy is based on “Engaging Fathers Involving Parents, Raising Achievement” the DfES
Document 2003.
We recognise the importance of a successful home-school partnership and the important benefits
of involving parent participation in the life of the school and sharing information.
We recognise that Dads and Mums impact on their child’s development in similar and different
ways and that taking action to include both parents in the life of the school and their child’s
learning can make a positive difference to the child’s achievements, motivation and self-esteem.
Context
At Kyson, 15% of our children have two homes, one with Mum and one with Dad and 7% of our
children have no contact at all with their birth father.
Currently nationally, there is considerably lower participation by Dads than by Mums in schools and
family learning initiatives. Father figures have a powerful influence on children and young people
and we believe engaging productively with them is important.
We recognise that where Dad is non-resident because of a breakdown in a relationship it is
perfectly proper and safe for the Dad to have contact with his children through the school.
However, we recognise that working collaboratively with both parents is in the interests of the
child. If there are barriers to the Dad’s involvement such as contact, legal or other serious issues
these need to be fully understood by the school. At times there may be a reluctance from the
mother for the father to be involved. We recognise that these are extremely sensitive issues that
need to be handled with great care.
Research undertaken by the National Family and Parenting Institute in 2003-04 makes clear that
both Mum and Dad involvement are important for the children and one is not a substitute for the
other.
The research shows that the sort of activities with which fathers are more likely to engage are:
 where fathers have been consulted
 activities built around dynamic active learning
 activities explicitly targeted at Dads
 Dad-child activities
 activities where they can share job related expertise
The research suggests a series of characteristics that will help to build successfully on our existing
practice:
 An explicit and shared recognition by all staff and Governors that engaging effectively with
Dads will make a significant difference to children’s and young people’s learning.
 Policies and practices targeted on engaging Dads (and Mums).
 A recognition that successful engagement with Dads will take time, creativity, persistence
and effort, particularly at the outset.
 A school environment that sends out positive messages about the engagement of Dads with
their children and their lives at school.
 A clear strategy for communication with Dads and Mums, especially non-resident Dads.
 Discussion with all staff about the attitudes and skills required to work effectively with
Dads (and Mums).
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Networking with other schools to share good practice.
Programmes with sufficient flexibility in timing to meet the varying needs of Dads.
An Audit of Current Practice
We maintain a “Separate Parents Contact List” which we use to ensure separate parents are
emailed or posted newsletters, class letters, reports, learning posters and targets.
Throughout each school year there are numerous activities with which both Mums and Dads are
comfortable to engage:
Parent/teacher consultation evenings each term (we encourage separated parents to come
together)
Class assemblies twice a year
Productions once each year for each year group
Sports Day once a year
Various PTFA Fundraisers (designed to appeal to a broad socio-economic range)
Year 2 DT activity days
Homework – spellings, reading, timestables and discussion/talk
School activities which generally engage more with Mums than Dads:
“Working School” visits each term
Regular volunteer class helpers
Governors annual “CCC”
Volunteer helpers for day trips
Where do we want to be?
We want to improve the participation of our Dads in school life and their child’s learning.
Starting points that we hope will become regular features across the school calendar to engage
especially with Dads are:
A Spring term Dad’s and children football afternoon
A Summer term Dad’s and son’s cricket afternoon
A sharing books afternoon each term, where Dads read to and listen to their own child/ren
A Fathers Day celebration and “Message/Card to my Dad”
It is hoped that our new Mathletics/games software for use at home by Year 3-6 children will
appeal to Dad’s too.
How shall we know if we are successful?
We will see lots more Dads in our school and taking up our invitations to join us for particular
activities. Also, in our next confidential Parent Questionnaire Spring 2011 we shall ask for specific
feedback. Our Governor CCC response sheets will invite parents to comment and suggest further
ideas and our parent Governors will seek the on-going views of Dads.
Conclusion
We are committed to a fully inclusive school environment and community and wish to actively seek
the involvement of Dads in their child’s learning. We want all parents and especially Dads to feel a
valuable part of their child’s learning process and to feel confident and welcome to take up
regular opportunities provided by the school to spend time learning alongside their child.
November 2009