Parental partnerships
At Barleymont we strongly believe that
- Parents make a crucial difference to children’s outcomes.
- Parents are children’s first and most enduring educators.
- Each unique family must be welcomed and listened to.
- Practitioners have a responsibility to work with all families.
we recognise parents’ commitment to their children’s early development and education and give priority to working with parents.
Research tells us that regardless of the quality of settings, the most important predictor of children’s future outcomes is the quality of the home learning environment, so involving parents in their children’s learning is the most significant factor in enabling children to do well.
The benefits are greatest when practitioners and families work in respectful partnership to develop ways to support children both at home and in the setting.
Parents and carers have a rich knowledge of their children’s personalities, preferences, interests and skills. Hence we make time to listen to parents’ concerns and value what they say about the way in which children learn and behave at home.
Working in partnership with parents and carers is central to the early years foundation stage (EYFS) and to all the work that we do with families and their children.
The relationship begins with parents/carers visiting our setting which helps us and informs us on how to sensitively settle their child.
We like to know all about the child from the parents/carers so we could understand fully the unique needs and interest of the child, about their family, community, culture and personal histories. We ask parents/carers about what they expect from us as a nursery and early years practitioners as we value parents and carers immensely as children’s first educators.
For settling in we Invite parents and carers to be with the child in the first week as we get to know the child and the family. We settle children together as It’s about working together to share knowledge and understand children’s interests and discover how best to support their learning. Parents are fully supported in settling their children fully in the setting.
We communicate with our parents via our app Famly and through termly parents newsletters. We liaise with parents/carers through regular meetings, sharing information about children’s progress and achievements, and inviting parents to participate in events and activities. Being culturally sensitive and respecting different family backgrounds and experiences is also central to our parental partnership ethos.
