Welcome WHAT challenges do

you currently have

with parental

engagement?

What do you want

to achieve from

today’s session?

School as an Extension to FamilyFiona McMillan

Go to www.menti.com and use the code 37 36 91

Why is parental engagement important to

you?

Parental Engagement

How does this make you

feel?

Government will raise awareness of the

importance of physical activity for children and

young people, and make messages such as

“at least 60 minutes a day” as recognisable as

“5 a day”

Raising Awareness

of parents agreed that the school had helped their child make healthy

choices about physical activity

18% 87%55%55%

55%

David O'FarrellHeadteacher

St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School

Overview

• We are a 2 form entry Nursery and Primary School in the London Borough

of Harrow with 460 children on roll

• We are a Learning Hub for PE/Sport which means that all events and

training comes through us and one other school and we are financed by the

other schools in Harrow paying into an SLA; this includes membership of the

YST, entry into all competitions and access to all training for the year

• I am the Headteacher Lead in the Borough for Sport and the Headteacher

Ambassador for Harrow on the London Board of the YST

Our Challenges with Parental Engagement

• The high and increasing levels of poverty (often hidden) locally

• The increasing amount of support that we provide with our funding because of the issue of

using FSMs as the benchmark for Pupil Premium funding e.g. providing uniform, lunches,

clubs, trips etc

• The levels of EAL with our largest numbers being our ‘white other’ children; predominantly

Romanian and Polish families (52.5% EAL/Minority ethnic groups 78.2%)

• Lack of engagement

• Levels of obesity (awareness of healthy diets)

• Levels of tooth decay– Harrow tops the table for numbers in the country

The Steps We Have Taken

• We have set up our own Food Bank that serves between 10-15 families. The number should be higher

but we have the problems of pride and diet to overcome– we are working on this. Food is provided by

our local Parish and our parents

• We work with a charity called Caritas as part of our Diocese’s Food Poverty work. We offer days during

the holidays when focus families come in to be educated on topical issues such as tooth decay or

healthy eating then they make a meal with their children to eat together. Further training is offered to all

families as part of our Parent Education Programme

• As the lead school it gives us access to other schools – their PE leads and Heads. This has enabled

joined-up thinking to take place and to introduce new initiatives such as a clear Code of Conduct for our

sporting events and initiatives such as a shared action point on each Schools’ Development Plan which

supports our planning for training needs

The Overall Outcome

• No child is excluded or looks different– fully inclusive

• Our parents are using our Food Bank so our children are being fed

• Our children are getting fitter through our healthy school initiatives such as the daily mile, our outdoor gyms,

our re-organised PE lessons with the starter being a fitness focus and our participation in a wide variety of

sporting events organised by our PE department

• Our Parents are more aware of and are using the services such as free dentist and health care

• The children in the Borough get a very good offer of sporting events with a full calendar covering the whole

academic year with events aimed at all levels and abilities

• The PE Leaders are well supported and work closely as a Harrow team, adopting joint and new initiatives

readily to benefit their school communities

John DeadmanDirector of Sport

Dr Challoners Grammar School

• State Grammar school in Amersham, Bucks

• 1,350 pupils including 450 in VI Form

• 90 Girls in VI Form

• “Outstanding” (OFSTED; November 2019)

Sport & PE at Challoner’s

● PE Team of six full-time staff;

● 1 x ‘PE Assistant’ and 1 x ‘PE Administrator’;

● 20 x ‘non-PE’ staff & 12 x 6th Form ‘Active Leaders’ that support our Extra-

curricular sports programme*;

● All Weather pitch, Tennis/Netball courts, small Fields, 2 x Sports Halls (large &

small), Fitness room;

*Value your staff!

● Lots of boys! 25% from ‘Prep’ (Independent) schools;

● Demand for competitive sport opportunities is HIGH;

● Demand for recreational opportunities is HIGH;

● ‘Elite’ sport vs ‘Mass participation’;

● Resources (staff & facilities);

● Parents!

Challenges

• LIKE to be ‘involved’ in their child’s education;

• THINK their child is ‘the best’ (usually);

• COMPARE their child to others;

• HATE not knowing what’s going, being ‘misinformed’, or lack of communication;

• Ultimately though - they want the best for their son/daughter and want them to be

happy...

The ‘challenge’ that parents present..

Steps taken to address this...

The Process (March-May 2014)

• E-mail from parent (& subsequent meeting);

• Questionnaire / Survey (Year 8 & 9 pupils);

• Parents ‘Forum’ re: Sport at Challoner’s;

• Formation of the ‘Parents Sports Strategy Committee’ (PSSC)

Outcomes / Impact

• Sponsorship (6 x £1,200/year deals)

• 5 x hugely successful ‘Celebration of Sport’ events

(50/50 ‘Commitment’ vs ‘Attainment’ in Sport)

• * Paid Activities

• * Communications

Paid Activities

● Badminton, Tennis & Squash coaching; Fencing; Golf; Sailing; Mountain

Biking; Strength & Conditioning; Kung Fu; Swimming; Climbing; ‘Multi-Sports’

● Over 700 boys have benefited during the past 5 years

● ALL school sports facilities used every lunch / after school

● £ raised for PSSC to use*

Money raised by the PSSC (through ‘Paid Activities’) has been

used to provide:

● Bursaries

● Active leaders

● Staff kit*

● Equipment

● External coaches

● Rewards trip to WWFC

● Celebrity guests

• Parents ‘on board’ with philosophy & ethos;

• Increasing ‘consistency’ of information; pupil-parent-school links stronger;

• Very few ‘enquiries’;

• Hardly any ‘complaints’!

Communications: Impact

• ‘PSSC’ is now embedded into the culture of our school - we have created a

sustainable system;

• 2019 saw a new cycle of committee members;

• ‘SOCS’ software being introduced as a new ‘web-platform’ for sports

information;

• Less complaints; more “Thank You’s”?!

The Future

Any Questions?

What next…..

Now consider…

HOW can we

overcome some of the

challenges?

WHY is parental

engagement so important?

What one thing are

you going try/do

differently?