Introduction - Aiming for Equal Partnership Effective communication means there is a two way flow of information, knowledge and expertise between parents and practitioners (EYFS, card 2.2, Parents as Partners) Partnership is not just about developing positive relationships with parents. It is about respecting and valuing each other's knowledge and contribution as equals. Aspects of establishing equal partnership will be unique to each setting because the parent groups in the community will have their own needs and strengths. Bernadette Duffy and Lucy Draper have written about starting from where the parents are, at the Thomas Coram Children's Centre in London: 'When we are thinking about partnership with parents, we need to think about what we wish to achieve in our particular setting. What are the characteristics and needs of the community we serve and how will we reflect this in what we offer?' (p.156). It is true that some parents and families will be easier to reach out to than others. Equal partnership means inclusion, and settings will need to be creative in the opportunities they provide to encourage harder to reach parents to get involved. There are many situations that can hamper equality of partnership. Some parents may think that the practitioner has all the expertise, or have poor memories of their own schooling, while practitioners may lack confidence in approaching parents (Duffy and Draper). Perhaps fathers feel the odd ones out in a female environment and a teenage mother might be trying to juggle a child with work or education. Families where both parents work full time can be hard to reach because they are rarely at the setting, and parents for whom English is a new language can find communication challenging. However, the two way flow of partnership is not really equal if it only occurs between the families a setting sees all the time or finds it easy to get in touch with. It has to happen across the broad spectrum of families with a variety of opportunities to suit different needs. At the Thomas Coram Centre practitioners ask themselves 'Are different kinds of parents equally involved, though not necessarily in the same ways?' (Duffy and Draper, p.161). Getting to know each other 'Partnership' implies building and maintaining positive working relationships with parents' (EYPs Standards, p.64) The home visit The starting point for partnership has to be getting to know the parents, and for them to get to know the setting. Many settings use an initial home visit as the beginning of this process. Practitioners can observe the child in a familiar environment, and parents often feel more comfortable in their own space. There may, however, be parents who are not willing to have a home visit, and settings need to be respectful of this (Smidt). It is useful to know what you want to achieve from this first home visit, and how you will go about it. Vicky Hutchin explains why: 'Gathering information is key, ensuring that planning is appropriate to really welcome new children and to meet their needs and interests' (p.68). This may take the form of a few questions about the child and their family. These need to be informal, with room for a chat and sensitivity towards different cultures and family set ups. The home visit might also include time for reading a story with the child, or a game or toy brought from the setting to play with. The practitioner might ask if they can take photos which can be displayed when the child comes to the nursery. During all of this the practitioner is beginning a relationship with the parent as well as the child, and learning about that particular family and the community in which they live. The Parents, Early Years and Learning project, (PEAL), 2006, noted that 'home visits help to break down cultural stereotypes as practitioners gain knowledge about varied family practices, cultures and histories; they learn that all families are very different'. Settling In The settling in procedure needs to be parent and child friendly. Sandra Smidt suggests sending a special invitation to the child and the parents for their first session, with clear instructions about what the settling in procedure involves. She also advises giving plenty of notice to new parents if you require them, or another significant adult, to be present for the first few sessions. Working parents will appreciate time to organise this. Making time to get to know parents is an important part of the settling in period and a priority for the relevant Key Person. Settings can make arrangements for the key person to be available for a chat at the beginning and end of the sessions. Standard 32 of the EYPS programme says that 'this means being approachable and creating time and space to listen to parents'. Sharing what their child does in those early sessions allows the parent to begin to get to know the setting, just as visiting the child at home enables the practitioner to get to know the child and their family. At the Thomas Coram Children's Centre they film the children and use this as a very immediate and accessible way of sharing with the parents (Duffy and Draper). Settings may also run introduction sessions on how children learn for new parents and create welcoming and informative displays that express the ethos of the setting. Getting Parents Involved Excellent settings share child-related information between parents and staff, and parents are often involved in decision making about their child's learning programme. (EPPE Project, 2004). After building initial ties between parents and practitioners, settings need to find ways of sustaining parental involvement in their child's learning and in the setting. Continuing to make time for parents is extremely important, including daily opportunities for a quick chat at the beginning and end of sessions. More formal meetings with parents should also be organised at regular intervals to review and plan a child's learning programme together. Consultation with parents about a policy issue or project at the setting can be discussed at larger meetings or via a questionnaire for parents who cannot attend. Nurseries have to think about the timing of any meeting. It can be more convenient to hold two smaller sessions on the same topic but at different times, to reach as many parents as possible. Parental involvement in the running of a setting is part of the EYFS which states that 'in true partnership, parents understand and contribute to the policies in the setting' (card 2.2, Parents as Partners). Practitioners can also run small information sessions on a wide range of topics such as dealing with tantrums, bed wetting or healthy eating (Smidt). Some settings organise further home visits which include a special activity. The PEAL project noted that one setting arranged 'read-a-story' home visits, where the key person would walk home with the child and share a story with them there, taking photos of the experience to be displayed or made into a book. At another setting a 'treasure basket' loan scheme had been set up for babies, where parents borrowed a basket full of objects to explore at home with their baby and then reported back on their experience. Local trips out are a great way of involving parents, and on their return children can help display photos on a wall or an interactive whiteboard. These act as prompts for parents and children to talk about what they did and can encourage other parents to accompany their child another time (PEAL). Home loan schemes are also effective in involving parents in their child's learning. These might include toys, games or books to borrow. Smidt suggests having a meeting or sending home a leaflet for new parents about a home loan scheme to explain why it is a valuable activity and how it is organised. Parents should also be involved in recording their child's development. This can be done in different ways. A child's Special Book with notes and photos written both by parents and practitioners can be organised to move between home and nursery. Margy Whalley explains that at the Pen Green Children's Centre in Corby they loan out a digital camera for parents to record their child's activities at home, and regularly send home film clips of the child in the setting for parents to watch. This addresses the needs of parents who may have low levels of literacy, or have English as an additional language, and therefore might be less comfortable with recording in writing. Whatever their approach, practitioners need to be sure that they 'Provide formal and informal opportunities through which information about children's wellbeing, development and learning can be shared between the setting and families and parents/carers' (EYPS, Standard 32). Targeting particular parents – Focus on Fathers 'Fathers' involvement in their children's early learning and development leads to improved educational, social and emotional outcomes for children' (PEAL, 2006). This section focuses on engaging with fathers as an example of how to encourage a particular parental group to become more involved with their children's learning. There are other groups that might need particular targeting, such as working mums, teenage parents or grandparents. When thinking about a certain parental group it is a good idea to begin by evaluating what your own experience or attitudes are. As part of the Parents as Partners in Early Learning study (PPEL) in 2008, early years settings in Plymouth set up a 'Kids and Dads' project where 'practitioner training before the event revealed how many early years staff felt quite unaccustomed to collaborating with fathers' p.1). This highlighted the fact that fathers were less involved with settings, as well as the need for staff to gain confidence in working with fathers. Dads can be harder to reach because they may be working full time, or they may be separated from the child's mother. Letters and emails about trips or events can be sent separately to both parents, or clearly headed to the mother and father so that the dad feels included. Simply asking fathers how they want to get involved, with a short questionnaire sent directly to the dads, is a good way of finding out how to encourage inclusion. It has been shown that fathers are often put off by the idea that a setting can be a very female environment. One evaluation in the PEAL project reported 'many dads comment that they value the fact that they are able to come into a female space together rather than being the sole man'. It noted that some settings have special Dad's Weeks where fathers are personally invited to come in small groups with other dads to join in with their child. Practitioners can use this as an opportunity to talk informally with dads about learning through play and the importance of the father's role. The PPEL project acknowledged that 'learning through play is a powerful tool for engaging fathers' (p.4). Local trips are another way of including dads. Having small trips just for dads means that they can be with other men and their children. Displaying photos of dads' visits around the setting helps to keep up a dialogue about fathers and show that they are welcomed and valued. Linda Thornton says staff should 'think about the setting from a parent's point of view and aim to help parents and children feel that the setting is 'their place''. This is relevant to all parents and carers, who should be able to feel that the setting is a space for them, whoever they are and whatever parental group, or groups, they fall into. With some creative thinking and an appreciation of diversity, partnership with parents will have many positive outcomes for the staff, the parents and the wider community. But the bottom line is that it benefits the children, contributing to their well being and development and putting them at the heart of partnership. References EYPS Guidance to the Standards, www.cwd.council.org.uk Effective Provision for Preschool Education (EPPE), 2004, www.education.gov.uk Parents as Partners in Early Learning (PPEL), 2008, www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk Parents, Early years and Learning (PEAL), National Children's Bureau, London, 2006 The Early Years Foundation Stage, 2007, DfES publications Involving parents in their children's learning, Margy Whalley, 2001, Paul Chapman, UK A Guide to Early Years Practice, 2nd edition, Sandra Smidt, 2002, Routledge, London Lucy Draper and Bernadette Duffy, in Contemporary Issues in the Early Years, ed. Gillian Pugh, 2006, SAGE Publications, London Supporting Every Child's Learning, Vicky Hutchin, Hodder Education, London, 2007 How to nurture relationships with early years parents, Linda Thornton and Pat Brunton, www.teachingexpertise.com Parents as Partners in Children's Early Learning and Development, Helen Wheeler, www.teachingexpertise.com
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