PiXL is dedicated to giving school leaders the knowledge and resources they need to give the best possible support to their students.
Our members get access to a wealth of strategies, resources and how-to guides, based on the latest evidence and school-led intelligence, as well as a range of other benefits.
Click the link below to download a free resource looking at practical ideas around managing Parent-School Relationships so that you get the outcome you need, see the impact and engage your team.
Why write this paper?
In recent months (and particularly post-pandemic) our members are telling us that you are finding it more difficult to work with some parents. The things we are hearing from many of you are:
- There are more incidences of parents making demands that you feel you can’t agree to.
- There are more angry emails, calls and unexpected visits into schools.
- There is a feeling that some parents are backing the school less than they did.
- The expectations of some parents seem to have increased.
- The previous home-school contract seems to have been broken (perhaps by societal changes).
- Facebook parent groups are a common way for parents to be communicating with each other.
- There are societal issues that are impacting on the nature of the conversations you are having.
- Student attendance is sometimes more difficult because sometimes parents are supporting them staying at home (or find getting them in too difficult so they don’t enforce attendance).
A Teacher Tapp survey recently commissioned by ASCL showed that when it comes to absence of students in school, the following reasons were given by schools:
- 87% taking holiday in term time
- 76% had an event at home/with family
- 66% too anxious to come in
- 51% too tired to come in
- 32% were kept at home because of disputes with the school
If nearly a third of schools are stating disputes with parents as a reason for non-attendance of children, we really do find ourselves in a new and challenging situation where relationships and communication appear to be breaking down. No one wins when that is the case.
We know that working with parents is crucially important – we are, after all, jointly working with their child as the two significant parties in their life. Schools are literally in loco parentis of their children during the school day and on trips, yet the way we work with students, and the way we work with parents too, may be totally different: there may be rules at home that are different to rules at school; a difference in aspiration, expectation and understanding about what school is. It may be that sometimes parents feel they have more aspiration for their child than the school, and sometimes it is the other way round.
This document provides some strategies, suggestions and practical ideas.
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PiXL’s work is truly remarkable and has been a saviour and sanctuary of common sense and really useful strategies at a time of madness!
Headteacher, PiXL Secondary school
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For me, PiXL is a community of like-minded learners who have a moral imperative to raise standards and support children and schools to be better – who wouldn't want to be in PiXL?
Executive Headteacher, PiXL Primary school
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PiXL provides a reassuring touchstone, and never more has that been so important to school leaders. PiXL is populated with like-minded and motivated colleagues who give due thought and consideration about how to best approach the myriad of decisions school leaders take every day. I've worked with PiXL for 8 years now and every meeting leaves me inspired to try new ideas, reassured about things my school is doing well and resolved to continually do better for the young people in my school.
Headteacher, PiXL Secondary school
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Post-16 support and resources are top quality — the adaptability of resources makes tailoring them to your students straightforward. The PiXL team are always open to suggestions and strive to ensure hard-working and innovative staff have a support base. They inspire teachers of all levels of experience.
Senior Leader, PiXL Post 16 school
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I can honestly say this has been one of the instrumental factors in our success story. The ideas, resources and expertise, which has been so willingly shared by the whole PiXL team, has enabled our Sixth Form to continually change and radically improve. Every single meeting has been packed with fresh ideas and practical tips to help students thrive, both academically and also as a well-rounded individual.
Headteacher, PiXL Post 16 school
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PiXL is more than just a network of schools; it is a welcoming organisation, with highly experienced people, offering unparalleled professional support and CPD. PiXL will continue to improve the education system and culture of the schools, Sixth Forms and colleges who introduce and embed their strategies, as it has already.
Senior Leader, PiXL Post 16 school
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We have used PiXL in our personal development package, in our interventions, in whole-school teaching and learning CPD and with our staff through PiXL Change. My respect for PiXL has grown and grown.
Senior Leader, PiXL Post 16 school
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PiXL has been a huge support network for our academies during these challenging times and has guided us, assisted us and provided us with resources to support our leaders, teachers and pupils. The PiXL team listen to us, take on feedback, ask us what we need and adapt their research and provision in order to suit all of our school’s different needs.
Executive Headteacher, PiXL Primary school
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As a member, PiXL provides our school with a wealth of professional development opportunities and high-quality resources for all areas of the core curriculum. Their approach of diagnosis, therapy, testing and revisiting enables us to easily identify children’s next steps on a one-to-one, small group and whole-class basis and then tailor our interventions and whole-class teaching to fill their gaps.
Executive Headteacher, PiXL Primary school
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The opportunity to work with such a strong, supportive, diverse team of highly–skilled professionals from across the country, as a PiXL family, has been a very valuable experience in developing the breadth and depth of my knowledge and skill–set, both as a teacher and a leader. Schools, staff and children lie at the heart of everything they do. The question on everyone’s lips is always: ‘What do schools need?’
Executive Headteacher, PiXL Primary school
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The beauty of PiXL is that you can pick and mix what you need and make it work for your school; you can be as PiXL as you want to be – it's a continuum.
Headteacher, PiXL Secondary school
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I trust my leaders with PiXL: PiXL leadership moves with the times and develops all tiers of leaders, ranging from my new middle leaders to my most experienced Heads of School. It has inspired them to question and challenge themselves, whilst holding their hand and supporting their next steps.
Headteacher, PiXL Post 16 school
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In a world of uncertainty, PiXL continues to show its true worth to schools across the nation. The integrity and humility with which the organisation works are quite unique in the world of education support and their drive to focus on the best for our young people is indubitable. Constantly offering support in key areas where the need is greatest, PiXL continues to be the greatest source of support imaginable.
Headteacher, PiXL Secondary school
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PiXL is completely driven by its values and moral purpose, acting solely in the interests of the young people in our schools by helping and supporting staff to choose the most appropriate, evidence-informed strategies and resources for their students. PiXL is an incredibly agile organisation in which the exceptional team is able to provide whatever support schools need in the interests of their students.
Senior Leader, PiXL Post 16 school