Parent and carer engagement has a very distinct and wide reaching effect on children’s aspirations. Parents with low aspirations often pass this on to children. Furthermore, parents who do not understand the education system of which their child is a part may struggle to communicate aspirations to their children. For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, it is particularly important that parents and carers are not only engaged with their child’s learning and development, but have a ‘voice’ in that process.1
The special educational needs and disability (SEND) Code of Practice sets out what an inclusive approach should ‘look’ like (see box). The centrality of parent, carer and children’s ‘voice’ in shaping decisions concerning their lives is emphasised, while the greater focus on outcomes, as opposed to processes, reflects the more aspirational outlook. For those working in school, it builds on the curriculum and for those in early years, it builds on the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage. In practice, it means providing the right sort of support to ensure that children achieve, are confident, develop an ability to communicate their own views and make successful transitions through their education. Parents and carers should be ‘active’ participants in this process. This article will consider how schools and early years settings can involve parents and carers in that process.
The SEND Code’s aspirational outlook
The SEND Code of Practice 0-25, legislated by section 3 of the 2014 Children’s and Families Act, provides the guidance for practice.2 The Code of Practice is clear, for all those working with children with SEND and their families, that the following principles should underpin practice:
- take into account the views of children, young people and their families
- enable children, young people and their parents to participate in decision-making
- collaborate with partners in education, health and social care to provide support
- identify the needs of children and young people
- make high quality provision to meet the needs of children and young people
- focus on inclusive practices and removing barriers to learning
- help children and young people to prepare for adulthood.
“Parents and carers have a key role to play in raising their children’s achievement, improving their behaviour and reducing the attainment gap.”
The key to engaging parents and carers
As educators, practitioners, teachers and managers of schools and early years settings, there needs to be an awareness of the whole community in day-to-day practice. What are its values? What are the current tensions? What do teachers and practitioners hope to achieve for children in their care? How can it be done in an inclusive way, working both in and with the community? In order to answer these questions, practitioners must locate themselves as individuals within the community, becoming aware of their specific roles in helping the community to function inclusively and successfully.
The Field Review on poverty and life chances identifies that parents and carers have a key role to play in raising their children’s achievement, improving their behaviour and reducing the attainment gap.3 Harris and Goodall highlight the strength of parental engagement, which ‘is not about engaging with the school, but with the learning of the child’, where ‘engagement implies that parents are an essential part of the learning process, an extended part of the pedagogic process’.4 ‘Engagement’ of parents and carers has a particular meaning in practice.