Proactively engage with parents, before difficult conversations arise
If you've got a challenging conversation with parents coming up immediately, skip ahead to the next section, 'Get the environment and people right'. Otherwise, read on.
Focus on building strong, trusting relationships with parents and carers from the start. This will make it easier when they come to you with concerns, or you need to have a tricky conversion with them.
If you can, have a dedicated parent liaison officer and/or 1 person on the SLT responsible for parent engagement, to lead on this.
Share this parents' guide to school complaints with parents/carers, and talk them through it. It sets out the right way to raise a concern or complaint. This guide comes from ParentKind, in partnership with the DfE and Ofsted.
Consult with parents/carers on policies and procedures – so they feel like they have a voice. Get tips on bridging