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Month: August 2025

Parental Engagement: Listening First, Partnering Always

“A school striving for family involvement often leads with its mouth—identifying projects, needs, and goals and then telling parents how they can contribute.
In contrast, a school striving for parent engagement leads with its ears—listening to what parents think, dream, and worry about. The goal of family engagement is not to serve clients but to gain partners.”
— Larry Ferlazzo, 2011

Introduction

Schools succeed best when families and professional educators work as partners. Yet, in many places, the relationship between home and school is still shaped by one‑way communication: schools talk, and parents listen. This model often produces compliance but not genuine collaboration.

Parental Engagement offers a different path. Instead of telling parents what is needed and how they should help, it begins by listening to what families value, what they worry about, and what they hope for their children. When families are invited to share their experience and insight, they become co‑owners of the school’s mission rather than guests in the building.

This matters because research consistently shows that strong Parental Engagement improves children’s learning outcomes, attendance, well‑being, and confidence. It also improves school culture: trust grows, conflicts decline, and decision‑making becomes more transparent. Parental voices enrich school strategies, making them more inclusive and reflective of real community needs.

This guide brings together:

  • A clear explanation of what Parental Engagement means and how it differs from traditional involvement.
  • Step‑by‑step strategies for building lasting partnerships with parents.
  • Practical tools, checklists, and examples that can be applied immediately.
  • A curated set of trusted resources and insights from Parents International.

Its goal is simple: to help schools and families listen to one another, act together, and create stronger partnerships that benefit every child.

What Is Parental Engagement (and What It’s Not)

Involvement vs Engagement

For many years, schools have spoken of “parental involvement.” Parents were invited to school fairs, asked to supervise trips, or encouraged to fundraise for new equipment. These activities have value: they support school life, build community spirit, and show children that education matters.

However, involvement is not the same as engagement. Parental involvement often means fitting families into roles defined entirely by the school: attend this event, volunteer for that project, sign this form. Families support what already exists but have little say in shaping it.

Parental Engagement is different. It recognises parents as their children’s first and most important professional educators. Their insight, cultural knowledge, and hopes for their children are valuable to teachers and school leaders. Engagement means creating opportunities for parents to share those perspectives and influence decisions. It treats families not as helpers or clients but as equal partners who have something essential to contribute.

Why Parental Engagement Matters

Research consistently shows that when parents and schools work as partners, children learn more effectively, behave better, and feel safer and happier in school. The Desforges Review in the United Kingdom found that parental support at home can have a greater effect on learning outcomes than many aspects of school quality itself.

When schools actively listen to parents, three things tend to happen:

  1. Children benefit academically and socially. Homework becomes more consistent, attendance improves, and students see a unified message about the value of learning.
  2. Trust grows between families and schools. Misunderstandings are reduced because parents feel their voices are heard.
  3. School strategies improve. Decisions reflect the real priorities of families rather than assumptions made within the school alone.

This is particularly important in diverse communities. Migrant families, parents of children with special educational needs, and those experiencing economic hardship often feel excluded from school life. Parental Engagement offers a way to break down these barriers by creating an inclusive environment where every parent feels their input is welcome.

Even for school‑aged children, much of their learning takes place outside of school: at home, in their communities, and through everyday life experiences. Parental Engagement helps schools recognise, celebrate, and build on this broader learning. When families and schools work together, children experience a learning continuum where their experiences at home and in the community are valued as part of their education, creating stronger motivation and more relevant learning pathways.

Common Barriers to Engagement

Even schools that want better collaboration can face obstacles:

  • Past negative experiences: Some parents associate schools with judgement or failure and feel unwelcome as a result.
  • Language and cultural differences: Families may not fully understand school procedures or may feel their cultural background is not respected.
  • Lack of time or resources: Parents working multiple jobs or caring for relatives can find traditional meeting times impossible.

Schools themselves also face challenges:

  • Limited training: Many teachers have little formal preparation for working with parents as partners.
  • Rigid communication systems: Letters sent home or one-way messages rarely invite dialogue.
  • Assumptions about “hard-to-reach” parents: In reality, these parents are often the ones who most want to be engaged but least trust the school environment.

Addressing these challenges requires humility and patience. Schools need to ask parents what works for them, listen carefully to the answers, and adapt their practices accordingly. That may mean offering meetings at different times, providing translation, or using trusted community members to facilitate conversations. The effort pays off: when parents feel respected, they respond with commitment, creativity, and trust.

Another common barrier is communication itself. Many teachers perceive parents as uninterested, while parents often see schools as unwelcoming or even hostile. Research shows these are rarely differences in actual interest—both groups care deeply about children’s education. Instead, they stem from communication gaps and mismatched expectations, as highlighted by Brookings research. Overcoming these gaps requires schools and parents to create more open, two‑way dialogue built on trust and clarity.

Key Takeaway

Parental Engagement is not about asking parents to do more of what the school wants. It is about creating space for their voices and building shared ownership of the learning process. It replaces one-way communication with a dialogue and turns parents from spectators into co‑designers of their children’s education.

How to Build Parental Engagement

Parental Engagement is built through consistent practices that invite families into meaningful partnership. It cannot be achieved through one-off events—it must become part of a school’s culture. The following seven strategies are drawn from international research and real-world programmes that have produced measurable results.

Step 1 – Listen Before Acting

Why it matters
Many schools design family initiatives without first asking parents what they care about. This can lead to misunderstandings, low participation, and wasted effort. Listening helps schools learn what families truly want and creates a culture of mutual respect.

Practical actions

  • Start with informal listening sessions—small groups, simple questions, no agenda.
  • Use surveys or suggestion boxes to reach less vocal parents.
  • Offer translation to ensure all voices are included.
  • Respect confidentiality—explain clearly how parent feedback will be used and ensure responses are treated as confidential. This creates a safe space for open, honest dialogue.

Evidence from practice
The Brookings Family–School Engagement Playbook documents how schools that began engagement efforts with structured listening activities saw greater alignment between family priorities and school goals. These schools adopted shared action plans more quickly and reported higher parent satisfaction and cooperation (Brookings, 2021).

Step 2 – Build Trust Through Relationships

Why it matters
Parents are more likely to engage when they feel welcome, respected, and valued as equals. Trust makes difficult conversations easier and increases the likelihood that parents will stay involved over time.

Practical actions

  • Set up peer-led welcome activities for new families.
  • Pair experienced parents with newcomers as mentors.
  • Create informal spaces for conversations between parents and staff.

Evidence from practice
In the Parent’R’Us programme, schools trained mentor parents to serve as peer connectors. These mentors helped new families understand school routines and reduced anxiety. Schools involved in the programme saw increased participation from families previously labelled “hard to reach,” and parents reported feeling more confident engaging with school staff (Parent’R’Us Toolkit, 2021).

Step 3 – Share Decision‑Making

Why it matters
When parents help shape school policies and priorities, they are more likely to support them. Shared decision‑making builds ownership, trust, and transparency—and often leads to better decisions.

Practical actions

  • Invite parents to serve on policy committees and school improvement teams.
  • Use co-design methods when reviewing homework or digital learning policies.
  • Train staff and parents together in participatory decision-making tools.

Evidence from practice
The PHERECLOS Open Schooling Toolkit describes how schools involving parents in stakeholder panels successfully co-developed STEM and inclusion policies. In pilot sites, parental representation in governance bodies increased, and resulting policies received stronger support from both staff and families (PHERECLOS, 2022).

Step 4 – Remove Barriers and Bias

Why it matters
Parents are often excluded not by lack of interest, but by practical and emotional barriers—scheduling conflicts, language gaps, or fear of being judged. Removing these barriers creates a more equitable environment and shows respect for different circumstances.

Practical actions

  • Offer hybrid in-person/online meeting formats.
  • Provide childcare or hold meetings during flexible hours.
  • Use empathy-building activities in staff training to reduce unconscious bias.

Evidence from practice
The Parents Engage Teacher Training Materials include activities like Draw the Hard-to-Reach Parent, designed to help professional educators reflect on their own assumptions. Schools using these tools reported more inclusive communication strategies and increased participation by migrant families and those previously disengaged (Parents Engage, 2022).

Step 5 – Include Every Family

Why it matters
Inclusive Parental Engagement ensures that families of children with special needs, migrant backgrounds, or facing social disadvantages are seen and supported. This strengthens the entire school community—not just targeted groups.

Practical actions

  • Review inclusion practices using self-assessment tools.
  • Provide professional development on trauma-informed and culturally responsive engagement.
  • Invite underrepresented families to co-lead initiatives, not just attend them.

Evidence from practice
In the Better Together Training and Mentoring Framework, schools used inclusion audits and mentoring models to adapt practices for families of children with SEND. Schools reported improved confidence among these parents and noted a spillover effect: other families became more active when they saw inclusion as a norm rather than an exception (Better Together, 2021).

Step 6 – Create Safe Spaces for Advocacy

Why it matters
Parents are not just support systems for their children—they are often powerful advocates for better schools and communities. When schools encourage advocacy, they benefit from new ideas, stronger networks, and increased public trust.

Practical actions

  • Use stakeholder mapping to identify shared interests between schools and families.
  • Provide parents with training in policy literacy or advocacy methods.
  • Involve families in community-based education initiatives.

Evidence from practice
The PHERECLOS Toolkit highlights schools where parents co-led local advocacy campaigns—such as improving access to safe transportation or supporting inclusive STEM education. These efforts increased parental visibility in public life and strengthened school-community ties (PHERECLOS, 2022).

Step 7 – Make It a Culture, Not a Project

Why it matters
Short-term initiatives fade. For Parental Engagement to thrive, it must be part of how the school operates—not an add-on. Embedding engagement into school routines and values makes it sustainable.

Practical actions

  • Include Parental Engagement in staff development plans and school strategy documents.
  • Make engagement roles part of job descriptions or leadership responsibilities.
  • Set aside time each term to review and update engagement practices.

Evidence from practice
In schools that implemented the Parent’R’Us model, embedding engagement into school governance helped sustain results beyond the funded project period. Engagement remained active because staff and parents had shared ownership of both the tools and the culture (Parent’R’Us Final Report, 2021).

Resources

Tools

Building Parental Engagement is easier when schools use practical, field‑tested tools. The following instruments, developed and tested through international programmes, help schools move from good intentions to measurable action.

Engagement Readiness Checklist

What problem does it solve?
Many schools want stronger family partnerships but struggle to identify where to start. Engagement efforts can feel ad hoc, focusing on one event or initiative rather than a long‑term approach. The Engagement Readiness Checklist addresses this by showing schools exactly where their strengths and gaps lie before launching new activities.

Why use it?
Drawn from the Parent’R’Us Toolkit and Parents Engage Teacher Training Materials, this checklist ensures schools examine five critical areas linked to effective Parental Engagement:

  1. Listening practices – Is there at least one structured activity each term for listening to parents? (Brookings Playbook)
  2. Parent leadership roles – Are parents represented in advisory boards or mentoring programmes? (Parent’R’Us)
  3. Accessibility – Are meeting times, locations, and languages flexible and inclusive? (Parents Engage)
  4. Staff readiness – Have teachers been trained to recognise and address unconscious bias? (Parents Engage)
  5. Inclusion – Are there active strategies to include families of children with special needs or from migrant backgrounds? (Better Together)

Using this checklist at the start of an engagement strategy helps schools focus resources where they are needed most and provides a baseline for measuring progress.

Action Planning Template

What problem does it solve?
Even when schools and parents agree engagement is important, many initiatives lose momentum because they lack structure and clear next steps. The Action Planning Template solves this by providing a simple cycle for turning shared ideas into visible results.

Why use it?
Developed from the Parent’R’Us action cycle and Brookings Playbook alignment sessions, this template has been used successfully in schools to convert listening into action. It avoids the trap of endless discussion by focusing on quick, visible wins that build trust.

The six steps:

  1. Select one focus area – e.g., homework policy, digital safety, inclusion practices.
  2. Hold a listening session – bring together parents and staff in a structured dialogue.
  3. Identify shared priorities – using tools such as belief alignment frameworks (Brookings).
  4. Create a joint action team – include parent representatives in planning and delivery.
  5. Implement one quick win within three months – ensure parents see tangible outcomes.
  6. Review results and agree next steps – keep the cycle alive for continuous improvement.

This process creates a rhythm of engagement, showing parents their voices matter and helping schools build credibility quickly.

Inclusion Tools

For schools working to ensure equity:

  • Better Together Framework – offers a self‑assessment for inclusive practices and mentoring models for families of children with special needs.
  • Parents Engage Training Materials – include reflection activities such as Draw the Hard‑to‑Reach Parent, designed to challenge stereotypes and design inclusive outreach.

These tools have been used in pilot schools across Europe to broaden participation and increase confidence among parents who previously felt excluded.

Key message:
Schools don’t need to invent new systems from scratch. Field‑tested tools exist and have been proven to build trust, remove barriers, and deliver quick wins—all critical steps toward sustainable Parental Engagement.

External Resources for Parental Engagement

Many high-quality resources already exist to help schools and communities strengthen Parental Engagement. The following examples are particularly useful because they focus on listening to families, sharing decisions, and building genuine partnerships.

Harvard Family Research Project – Family Engagement for Continuous Improvement

This long-standing resource hub provides research, case studies, and planning tools designed to help schools improve continuously in how they engage families. It highlights how ongoing dialogue with parents leads to measurable improvements in student outcomes and school climate. For schools starting out, the templates for self‑assessment and planning are especially practical.

Joyce Epstein’s Framework of Six Types of Involvement

Epstein’s framework has become a global reference point for schools aiming to build stronger family-school-community partnerships. It covers six dimensions, from communication and volunteering to decision‑making and community collaboration. Schools that use this model find it easier to move from one‑way parental involvement to true Parental Engagement, because it explicitly includes shared leadership and governance.

Janet Goodall & Kathryn Weston – 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Engaging Parents

This practical book gives professional educators short, actionable ideas for connecting with families in everyday situations. It emphasises conversation and partnership rather than compliance and includes strategies for overcoming common barriers, such as parents feeling unwelcome or unsure how to contribute.

Brookings Institution – Family‑School Engagement Playbook

The Brookings Playbook focuses on aligning beliefs and priorities between families and schools. It offers structured conversation starters, strategy libraries, and a belief alignment tool to help schools design engagement initiatives based on what parents actually value, not what schools assume.

UNESCO – Happy Schools Framework

This framework links student well‑being with school culture and highlights the importance of welcoming families as part of the learning community. It encourages schools to consider happiness and belonging as key outcomes of Parental Engagement, not just academic success.

Global Family Research Project – Digital Family Engagement

With more learning taking place online, schools need new strategies to involve families in digital education. This resource explains how to work with parents on technology policies, online safety, and digital learning environments, ensuring that digital life at home and school is aligned

Key Takeaway:
These resources complement Parents International’s own materials by offering diverse perspectives, proven models, and practical tools. They all reinforce the same principle: effective Parental Engagement begins with listening and grows through shared action.

Parents International Blog Highlights

Parents International has built a strong library of articles focused on family‑school collaboration. These posts show how Parental Engagement works in practice and why listening to parents is central to creating strong partnerships.

Parenting Support in Europe

This article reviews how different European countries approach parenting support. It highlights successful strategies where schools collaborate with community organisations to reach families who may feel excluded from traditional school events. The emphasis is on building trust and listening to parents before designing support services, a key step in effective Parental Engagement.

Parental Engagement in Happy Schools

Based on UNESCO’s Happy Schools framework, this article explores how positive school climates depend on strong family partnerships. It argues that well‑being and belonging grow when schools see parents as co‑creators of school culture, not just helpers or spectators. Examples show how even small gestures—such as informal welcome events—can transform relationships.

Family–School–Community Partnerships and Student Achievement

This post discusses research linking partnership models with better learning outcomes. It explains how involving families in decision‑making and programme design improves attendance, motivation, and behaviour. The article encourages schools to shift from one‑way communication to two‑way dialogue, the foundation of genuine Parental Engagement.

Parental Support Literature Review (Desforges, 2003)

A summary of a landmark review showing that what parents do at home often has a greater impact on learning than what happens in school. The article urges professional educators to support parents as at‑home educators, providing resources and encouragement rather than simply asking for compliance.

100 Short Ideas on Parental Engagement

A review of Janet Goodall and Kathryn Weston’s book offering simple, actionable strategies. The post highlights how teachers can build stronger connections with families through short conversations, flexible communication, and collaborative goal‑setting.

Digital Citizenship and Parental Engagement

Two articles focus on how parents and schools can work together to manage children’s digital lives. Topics include online safety, screen time balance, and co‑developed digital learning strategies. Both stress that parents need to be partners in technology decisions affecting their children.

EEPN Research & Parent’R’Us Programme

These posts describe peer mentoring initiatives where parents coach one another, supported by schools. They show how parent‑to‑parent support can reach families often labelled “hard to reach,” turning them into active contributors to school life.

Key Takeaway:
Parents International’s blog offers a wealth of ideas for schools seeking to build Parental Engagement based on trust, listening, and collaboration.

Parents International Library Highlights

Beyond blog articles, Parents International offers in‑depth training materials and frameworks to support Parental Engagement at every level—from classroom practice to policy development. These resources are designed for practical use, giving schools and communities tools they can adopt immediately.

Family–School Engagement Playbook

This guide, adapted from global best practices, provides conversation starters, alignment tools, and strategy libraries to help schools and parents define shared goals. It is particularly useful for schools seeking to align teacher and family expectations, moving from one‑way information delivery to genuine two‑way Parental Engagement.

Parent’R’Us Toolkit

This mentoring programme trains parent leaders to support their peers, often reaching families who feel disconnected from school life. It includes checklists, outreach materials, and strategies for building trust. By focusing on parent‑to‑parent support, schools can create safe spaces for dialogue and build confidence among families traditionally hesitant to engage.

PHERECLOS Open Schooling Advocacy Toolkit

PHERECLOS focuses on connecting schools with wider community stakeholders. Its advocacy planning and stakeholder mapping tools are ideal for schools looking to broaden their reach, bringing parents into conversations about local education priorities and co‑designing community projects.

Better Together Training and Mentoring Framework

This resource emphasises inclusion, particularly for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). It provides reflection exercises, mentoring models, and self‑assessment tools, showing schools how inclusive practices support not only vulnerable children but all students. It frames Parental Engagement as a driver of equity and inclusion.

Parents Engage Teacher Training Materials

These training modules build teacher confidence in engaging culturally diverse and migrant families. They include active listening exercises, conflict resolution techniques, and creative communication approaches, equipping teachers with practical skills for building trust and overcoming bias.

Parents Engage Migrant Training Package

This complementary toolkit focuses on engaging migrant and refugee parents. It offers trauma‑aware practices, flexible participation strategies, and resources to help schools recognise and value the expertise these families bring to their children’s education.

Key Takeaway:
These library resources are not theoretical documents—they are practical tools. Each one helps schools and families build trust, share decisions, and create inclusive learning environments, demonstrating that Parental Engagement is both achievable and sustainable.

Parental Engagement FAQ

1. What is the difference between parental involvement and Parental Engagement?

Parental involvement is usually about supporting school‑led activities, such as fundraising, helping in class, or attending events. Parental Engagement goes further: parents and schools work together to set priorities, make decisions, and share responsibility for children’s learning and wellbeing. It is a partnership built on mutual respect and listening, rather than one‑way requests for support.

2. How can a school begin improving Parental Engagement?

A strong starting point is to create opportunities for parents to share their views and experiences. This can be through listening sessions, short surveys, or informal drop‑in conversations. What matters most is showing that their input leads to visible changes—whether improving communication, adjusting policies, or co‑creating projects. Even small, early successes demonstrate that parents’ voices matter and lay the foundation for deeper collaboration.

3. What roles can parents play beyond attending events?

Parents can take on a range of roles that make use of their experience and skills: serving on advisory groups, acting as peer mentors for other families, contributing to curriculum enrichment, or co‑leading projects on areas such as digital safety or wellbeing. When parents are seen as partners and leaders, not just supporters, the entire school community benefits.

4. How can engagement be made inclusive?

Inclusive engagement ensures all families can participate, regardless of language, work schedules, or confidence levels. This can mean flexible meeting times, translation and interpretation, accessible communication channels, and targeted outreach to families of children with special educational needs or from diverse cultural backgrounds. Creating a welcoming atmosphere where every parent feels respected encourages wider and more representative participation.

5. How can schools show parents that their voice really matters?

Trust grows when feedback leads to visible action. Schools should share what they have heard from parents and explain what has changed as a result. Even small steps—like revising a homework approach or improving how information is shared—signal that parental input has real impact. Transparency is key: communicate outcomes clearly and regularly.

6. Can engagement benefit the wider community?

Yes. Strong parent–school partnerships often lead to broader community initiatives, such as safe routes to school, digital literacy programmes, or family wellbeing activities. These collaborations build social connections, strengthen local networks, and create supportive environments where children and families thrive.

7. Does Parental Engagement increase teacher workload?

While engagement may feel like extra work initially, schools often find it reduces stress over time. Better communication and stronger trust mean fewer misunderstandings and more consistent support for children’s learning. Teachers frequently report smoother relationships with families and a more positive school climate as engagement becomes part of everyday practice.

8. How can schools measure success?

Counting attendance at events is not enough. Progress is best measured by looking at:

  • How many parents are involved in decision‑making roles.
  • Whether participation reflects the diversity of the school community.
  • The level of trust and satisfaction reported by parents and staff.
  • Visible changes implemented based on parent input.
  • Improvements in children’s outcomes, such as attendance, wellbeing, or achievement.

These indicators show whether engagement is becoming a genuine partnership rather than a one‑time activity.

To conclude

Parental Engagement is not an optional extra; it is an essential part of building a successful school community. When schools listen to parents, invite them to share ideas, and give them a voice in decisions, children benefit in every aspect of their education. Academic results improve, attendance rises, behaviour issues decline, and school life becomes more inclusive and welcoming.

The resources and strategies presented here show that Parental Engagement is practical and achievable for any school. It does not require large budgets or complicated programmes—it starts with a mindset of respect and partnership. Small actions, such as hosting a listening session or creating a parent advisory group, can lead to meaningful cultural change over time.

Next Step: Choose one strategy from this guide and put it into practice this term. Engagement grows one conversation, one shared decision, and one partnership at a time.

Let’s do this together

Parents International provides training, research, and practical tools to support schools at every stage of this journey. These resources exist to make it easier for schools to start listening, build trust, and act together with families for the benefit of all children.

We’ll be happy to hear from you, and support you with practical training sessions.

[email protected]

Further Reading

Janet Goodall

Karen Mapp

Debbie Pushor

Joyce L. Epstein