Engaging Parents for Better Student Wellbeing

By David Morris

When schools, parents and the local community engage with students, they all benefit academically and emotionally.

Parental involvement is essential for nurturing students’ wellbeing and academic excellence. When parents are actively engaged in their child’s development, education and school life, studies show that students benefit through higher achievement, better attendance and increased motivation.

Additionally, schools that involve the local and wider community create a strong support network that promotes students’ mental, social and emotional health. This article explores the value of parental and community engagement for student wellbeing, strategies that schools can take onboard to encourage it and how to measure its success.

The Importance of Parental Engagement for Student Wellbeing

Parental engagement requires much more than attending the regular school events on the academic calendar. Research from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) indicates that active parental involvement can contribute to as much as four months of additional academic progress, particularly for children studying within primary school settings. By providing support at home, engaged parents not only improve their children’s attainment levels at school but also strengthen their overall emotional health.

In addition, a 2023 Parentkind survey found that 41% of UK parents feel their involvement boosts their child’s happiness and motivation. This shows that children benefit greatly from a learning environment where both home and school jointly reinforce the shared values of learning and education.

Engaging the Wider Community

Schools thrive when student development and wellbeing takes place not only in school, but also in the larger community. For example, partnering with local organisations brings schools vital resources and support. According to the Department for Education, schools collaborating with community organisations report a modest yet meaningful reduction in student behavioural issues.

Community partnerships, be they with local businesses, healthcare providers or non-profits, provide students with expanded support and further opportunities for growth. For example, a local library can host reading programmes, or a community centre might offer after-school activities that promote social skills. Such partnerships help students to feel that they are surrounded by a supportive network that cares about and actively develops their propensity for engagement and success.

Ways Schools Can Encourage Parental Participation

Schools can encourage parental involvement in various ways. The following are three effective strategies:

1. Flexible Volunteering Opportunities
   With many parents delicately balancing work and family responsibilities, schools can offer volunteer roles that fit into hectic schedules. Flexible options like virtual volunteering give parents opportunities to contribute to school life from home or during non-traditional hours. For instance, parents could remotely host virtual career talks, moderate online book clubs or assist with event planning. Schools can also consider “micro-volunteering” tasks—smaller activities like managing and coordinating school supplies or assisting with online fundraisers, which can be done at parents’ convenience.

By providing accessible options such as these, schools demonstrate respect for parents’ time, which can enhance parental satisfaction and involvement, as well as benefiting greatly from their contributions. Research from the National Education Association supports the notion that remote and flexible volunteer roles help broaden parental participation, especially when in-person involvement isn’t consistently possible.

2. Interactive Workshops and Events
   Workshops for parents on essential topics such as mental health, digital safety and effective study techniques empower parents to support their children. Schools could host these both in-person and online in order to better meet the varied schedules, individual needs and interests of as many parents as possible. Topics might include how to recognise signs of stress in children, strategies for setting digital boundaries (within the broader topic of Digital Citizenship), techniques for promoting resilience and any number of other topics. Schools could partner with qualified organisations like the NSPCC to provide expert-led sessions on these subjects.

These events also provide a valuable opportunity for parents to ask questions, learn about potentially less recognised aspects of supporting their children, connect with other families and build a support network. Group discussions and Q&A sessions foster a sense of community, which can help parents feel more engaged and motivated to participate in future school events, share advice and better support their children.

3. Regular Feedback Channels
   Clear and ongoing feedback channels ensure parents have a voice in school activities and policies. Conducting regular digital surveys is an effective way for schools to gather insights and better understand students’ needs, as they are quick, convenient and allow parents to provide input on recent events, new initiatives and overall school direction. Additionally, schools could establish a parent advisory group (such as a PTA group) that meets regularly with school leadership to share community feedback.

According to the Education Endowment Foundation, initiating flexible communication strategies, like regular surveys and feedback channels, can increase parental satisfaction with overall support and delivery of education by a school by up to 20%. Schools can analyse this data to track trends, adjust strategies and create a more responsive environment that better meets the needs of both families and students.

Communication Is Key!

Transparent and consistent communication is critical for building trust and keeping parents informed. The 2023 Edurio report highlights that 68% of parents feel more engaged in their child’s development when schools provide digital updates, such as newsletters or in apps that track student targets. These tools allow parents to stay informed on their child’s progress, upcoming school events and wellbeing resources, allowing them to more easily support their children.

Digital platforms like school portals, email newsletters and apps such as ClassDojo, ParentMail and School Gateway provide parents with convenient access to school information and their children’s academic progress at any time and on a consistent basis. ClassDojo allows teachers to share photos, videos and updates about classroom activities in real-time, fostering a stronger connection between home and school. ParentMail streamlines school communications, combining messages, forms and payment options, so parents can easily stay in the loop with the school’s administration and handle school-related transactions in one place. School Gateway goes further by giving parents direct access to attendance records, homework assignments and behavioural reports, providing a comprehensive view of their child’s school life.

By utilising these tools, schools can also share details about wellbeing initiatives, academic goals and strategies for at-home learning support, ensuring that all families stay connected, informed and in a position to better support their child. This accessible, ongoing communication enables parents to feel and actively become more involved in their child’s education and supports a collaborative, constructive and inclusive school environment.

Measuring Success: The Outcomes of Community Engagement

To assess the effectiveness of parental and community engagement, schools should employ clear measurement strategies. Research from the Department for Education links active parental involvement with better outcomes for students across many areas of child development, particularly in resilience and mental health. By tracking this data, schools can gain insights into which methods work best and identify areas for improvement. Such analyses ultimately foster a more supportive and effective educational environment.

Feedback forms, surveys and participation rates in school ECAs and wider projects are valuable tools for evaluating engagement. Schools can also monitor student attendance, behavioural data and academic performance as indirect indicators of engagement. By sharing results with and receiving feedback from parents and community partners, schools foster a collaborative and more comprehensive approach to delivering higher standards of education and wellbeing.

Final Thoughts for Better Student Wellbeing

When schools, parents and the local community come together to engage with student development, students benefit greatly in both academic and emotional aspects. Parents actively engaging in their child’s education help to create a positive learning environment, while community partnerships offer additional resources and support. By prioritising engagement with other nurturing parties, schools can cultivate a culture of education that values and cultivates each student’s holistic development.

With age-appropriate PSHE, Wellbeing and RSE resources, Muse Wellbeing equips schools to support students’ mental and emotional development, focusing on building resilience, emotional literacy and positive social behaviours. These resources provide provision, plans and resources for schools to more easily foster wellbeing as a core part of daily learning and practice. Muse also encourages schools to engage parents and the wider community in student development, ensuring students receive the holistic support they need to excel both academically and personally.