1st May 2008

Home access and parental support

Exploiting technologies to support parental engagement including online reporting

Mike Briscoe – Director, Institutions, Leadership and Safeguarding

I can share and contribute to my child’s learning

when I’m away.

Helps me support my children’s school work.

Gives me information about which websites I can encourage my children to use

What parents say (Parents’ Involvement in Children’s Education survey 2007)

57% would like to be updated termly or more often

79% would find web access to reports on their child very or quite appealing

Helps me contact schools via email and receive training in using ICT

“Parents we consulted over the last six months all said they wanted to be more involved in their children’s education. And schools see the benefits of greater engagement with parents...We know from schools around the country that if families are going to be involved really effectively, they need a good two way flow of information - a channel which is more efficient and more frequent than a once a year written report, or a letter home when there is a problem or a cause for celebration.

Jim Knight, Minister of State for Schools and Learners at the BETT Show January 2008

What is government saying?

The parent premium

Parental involvement in a child’s schooling between ages 7 and 16 is a more powerful force than family background, size of family and level of parental education.Feinstein, L & Symons, J. Oxford Economic papers, 51 (1999)

Achievement Parent effect School effect

Age 7 0.29 0.05

Age 11 0.27 0.21

Age 16 0.14 0.51

Effect of parents / effect of school

What is it that makes a difference?

A father’s interest in a child’s schooling is strongly linked to

educational outcomes for the child

(Hobcraft. CASE briefing Nov 1998)

It is the ‘at-home’ relationships and

modelling of aspirations which play the major part in impact on school outcomes

(Desforges 2003)

Very high parental interest is associated

with better exam results than for children whose parents show no

interest (NCDS 1999)

…It’s what parents do,

rather than who they, are that

counts

Pupils’ achievement in the schools where the impact of parental involvement

was [judged to be] outstanding had clearly

improved. (Ofsted 2007)

They [parents] should be supported… providing the

results of periodic assessments for parents in

an easy to understand format,

(2020 Vision: recommendations)

Parents will be contacted by a staff member at secondary school before their child starts at the school;

Parents will be able to attend information sessions at the new school;

Every child will have a personal tutor who knows them in the round, and acts as a main contact for parents;

Parents will have regular, up to date information on their child’s attendance, behaviour and progress in learning;

Parents Councils will ensure that parents’ voices are heard within the school;

Parents’ complaints will be managed in a straightforward and open way.

Department for Children,

Schools and Families

The Children’s Plan

Building brighter futures

Presented to Parliament

by the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and

Families

by Command of Her Majesty

December 2007

Parental engagement

Learner

Parent School

Community information

Access from home

Parents resources

Access to resources

Home and course work

Access to materials

Online reporting

Parent and learner days

Electronic reports

Email exchanges

Mobile phone alerts

SMS

texting

Learner

Parent School

Home Access

Programme

Real-time reporting

Computers for Pupils

What do teachers think?

What do heads think?

Empowering Children and Families enabling home access to technology for all

Videos available on rm.com

Access to technology at home can offer

• increased opportunities to access resources, support and interaction

• continuity of learning between school and home, but also to bring informal learning to school

• improved motivation and engage learners

• development ICT skills and competencies

• improved attainment

• provide a focus for dialogue between parents and learners that supports motivation and achievement

• help support a ‘culture of learning’ within the wider community.

What is the problem?

• The high growth in computers and connectivity is now slowing

• 39% of UK households still not online

• 1.5m school age children with no access to a home computer

• 2.5m school age children don’t have access to the internet at home

• Real imbalance between the have and have nots

• Increasing digital divide

• Impact in many schools on offering opportunities to all

What is being done?

• Minister’s Task Force– January 2007 – April 2008

– Report to Minister May 2008

• Public consultation

• Testing ideas and exploring opportunities

• Focus on benefits for all– Not just learners, but the wider family

– Focus on education, but does not ignore other benefits

Achieving Universal Home Access will provide everyday benefits for all

Learner

Family & Learner

Family and Society

Personal Cost Savingse.g. energy, holidays insurance

Communications(potential for free phone calls)

Social Networking(Opportunities for all)

Skills and employability(e.g. 10 unique community users for every computer)

Government Services(CLG savings – estimate at £80m)

Health(NHS Direct)

Parental Engagement

Online ReportingHome ICT

=+0.5 grade=+9% 5A-Cs

Improved behaviour and lower truancy rates

Future activity

Maximising benefit

Convincing parents

Removing barriers

• Advice and guidance for schools

• Training and support for parents

• Links between government schemes

• Support for learners

• Linking home access to other benefits

• The value of technology in supporting learning

• The type of access learners need

• How they can use technology for other benefits

• Making purchase easier

• Reducing cost for most disadvantaged

• Identifying suitable solutions

• Reducing admin burden

Learner

Parent School

Home Access

Programme

Online information

Computers for Pupils

Computers for Pupils

• 2 year initiative to provide 100,000 pupils in the most deprived homes with computers and internet access

• Over 1000 schools

• Second year - 50,000+ homes benefiting already

• Becta mini-competitions and connectivity offer

• Additional funding so more learners can benefit (Now £90m)

• 10% of most deprived backgrounds will have benefited from chance to access technology and the internet from home

• Funding solely for the technology

Why now and what can you do?

• Currently, only certain groups have access and support

• Universality makes it worth making changes e.g. communicating with parents, engaging pupils

What can be done

• How much do you take advantage of home access?

• How could home access assist you with your priorities?

• Have you reviewed your ICT strategic planning?

Learner

Parent School

Home Access

Programme

Real-time reporting

Computers for Pupils

The principles:

– Extending what is already good practice

– Making best use of what is already in place and available

– Efficient and effective practice (enter once, use many times)

– Not a duplication or replacement of the annual report

– Developing sustainable approaches and processes (including assessment and recording)

The rationale

To improve the quality of dialogue between schools, learners and parents to support the immediate, emerging and developing needs of learners.

Learner

Parent School

21

What can we expect?

The expectation is that by September 2010 all secondary schools will need to offer parents the opportunity for secure online access to learner information wherever they are and whenever they want and that primary schools must also meet the online requirement by 2012.

• Secondary schools should already be looking at how they can improve their practice and sharing that learning with others, they are encouraged to engage with this now and not to wait until the 2010 deadline arrives. 

• Many primary schools are already active and developing good practice, they too need not wait until the target date – they can already be benefiting from the move towards online reporting and start supporting the improvement dialogue right away.

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What can we expect?

The expectation is that by September 2010 all secondary schools will need to offer parents the opportunity for secure online access to learner information wherever they are and whenever they want and that primary schools must also meet the online requirement by 2012.

• Secondary schools should already be looking at how they can improve their practice and sharing that learning with others, they are encouraged to engage with this now and not to wait until the 2010 deadline arrives. 

• Many primary schools are already active and developing good practice, they too need not wait until the target date – they can already be benefiting from the move towards online reporting and start supporting the improvement dialogue right away.

Move to online access for all parents

2010 for Secondary schools

2012 for Primary schools

23

Exploiting technology affords an opportunity for information to be provided and/or accessed at appropriate frequencies, when it is relevant, at a time that best suits schools, learners and parents and to a level of confidence and quality that enables a richer dialogue between all parties (school, learners and parents).

From letter to Partners 6 March 2008:

Clarification of expectations: information

Ministers are pleased, in the light of the positive discussions, that schools and partners also wish to see a discernible difference in the quality and frequency of information between parents, learners and schools. 

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Exploiting technology affords an opportunity for information to be provided and/or accessed at appropriate frequencies, when it is relevant, at a time that best suits schools, learners and parents and to a level of confidence and quality that enables a richer dialogue between all parties (school, learners and parents).

From letter to Partners 6 March 2008:

Clarification of expectations: information

Ministers are pleased, in the light of the positive discussions, that schools and partners also wish to see a discernible difference in the quality and frequency of information between parents, learners and schools. 

What works in your school

-For learners-For parents

-For you

…it must be getting better

25

The good practice that already exists clearly shows that termly engagement is highly effective, however Ministers are content at this stage not to specify termly reporting provided that both current best practice is shared and adopted and there is discernible improvement against the current baseline. 

Clearly we all wish to see best practice become universally adopted and for technology to be exploited to show improvements in [for] parent/school/learner directly.

From letter to Partners 6 March 2008:

Clarification on expectations: frequency

26

The good practice that already exists clearly shows that termly engagement is highly effective, however Ministers are content at this stage not to specify termly reporting provided that both current best practice is shared and adopted and there is discernible improvement against the current baseline. 

Clearly we all wish to see best practice become universally adopted and for technology to be exploited to show improvements in [for] parent/school/learner directly.

From letter to Partners 6 March 2008:

Clarification on expectations: frequency

NOT

requiring

Thrice-yearly reports

if we demonstrate improvement

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Managing system change

Information management systems deliver a core - to share the important and appropriate data the school already collects to deliver annual reporting

Learning platforms and other technologies offer added-value - including secure parental access

Exploiting what’s already available• Better use of existing systems for reporting

– no new data demands

Reviewing current practice• Review of demands and expectations for data use and

management • Review of capability and capacity of existing systems • Review of existing practice

… helping schools build on current basis of annual reporting– Attendance– Behaviour– Special Educational Needs– Achievement– Progress reporting

… and develop improved practice• A range of approaches to improve systems, processes and

practice in schools

Learner

Parent School

Timely

Meaningful Manageable

MentoringDia

logu

e

Partnership

Exploiting technologies to support parental engagement including online reporting

Real-time access, reporting and dialogue

Absolute basis of reporting supported by ICT (MIS)

Aspirational and

innovating

Coherent and embedded

Moving in a number of

areas

Developing new

approaches

Little in place

20122010

MIS

???

A range of resource and advice

• Framework, guidance and actions

• Video case studies

• School experiences

• Presentations

• Advocates

• Hothousing

35

Framework for review

Practical guidance on how to consider

what is right for your school, to determine benefits and priorities Review material

designed to support peer review and assist with

action planning – content developed by school

practitioners

36

School experience and online diaries

Online, searchable and scalable school experiences (case

studies) and diaries showing

experiences, tips, ideas, support and links to resources

Home access engaging families

Video available on rm.com

Learner

Parent School

Timely

Meaningful Manageable

MentoringDia

logu

e

Partnership

Questions?

• An understanding of what parents say they want

• The opportunities to improve parental engagement

• Information about

–Home Access and Computers for Pupils programmes

–Real-time Reporting for parents

• Becta’s support for parental engagement and how to find out more

Visit us online at www.becta.org.uk

Contact: engagingparents@becta.org.uk

mike.briscoe@becta.org.uk