The Education Endowment foundation defines Parent engagement as:

“the involvement of parents in supporting their children’s academic learning.”

We recognise that working with families is key. Parents are our partners in our pupils education and play a pivotal part in our academy intent with the ‘Child’ being at the heart of everything we do.

At the Newark Hill Academy we both support and encourage this so that parents feel involved and informed about their child’s education and pupils are able to celebrate and share their achievements.

We aim to provide a warm and welcoming environment for our families so that parents feel able to approach school with any issues, concerns or comments and feel both welcome and comfortable on site.

​Communication

Parents comment that communication between Newark Hill Academy and home is excellent and they feel well informed about what is happening in school. We communicate in the following ways:

• Group Call Email and Text messaging service
• Weekly Newsletters (Digital through Microsoft Sway-link will be sent every Friday at 3:30pm via email)
• School website
• Expressions app for dates, information and reporting absence in addition to messaging the academy
• Sharing updates on Facebook and/or Twitter
• Senior Leadership Team available on the gate each morning as they ‘Meet and Greet’

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Parents knowing the progress of their child

We share progress of learning 3 times per academic year:  In December and March thses are progress reports and in July there is a full end of year report.

There are Family Consultation Evenings are in the Autumn and Spring term with individual appointments. In the Summer term, parents are invited to make an appointment to speak to their class teacher after they have received their end of year report.

We offer an “open door” policy whereby parents can telephone or email to ask to meet with the child’s teacher if there is a particular issue to be discussed. This can also happen at the end of the day if appropriate.

​Contributing to your Child’s Learning

The academy strongly priorities reading as the essential homework for all year groups.  We strongly encourage family members to listen to their children read and provide the academy with feedback to how went.

In addition to this, Years 1 and 2 get Maths homework on paper.  Years 3 to 6 should complete a reading task each week set on Microsoft Teams and other Maths and English homework is set via Microsoft Teams or other online tools like; Mathletics, LbQ, Reading Eggs, Times Table Rockstars to name a few.  This homework is optional, but recommended.

Our ‘Newsletter homework projects’ provides lots of opportunities for parental engagement. We set a number of open-ended cross curricular tasks over the year which allow for individual creativity to shine through.

The website has Knowledge Organisers available to inform families explaining each term’s topic and the key learning points.

At times, individual teachers may contact parents to offer advice and support with areas of the curriculum your child may need further assistance on.

Here are some more example of how parents can contribute to their children’s learning:

• Supporting your children with homework
• Science Passport – includes things parents have done with pupils
• Early Years Wow Moments
• Early Years viewing and contributing to tapestry with a weekly summary of learning.
• Early Years Home Academy communication books
• Termly family STEM challenges homework
• SEN and Early Help Meetings

Celebrations and Events for Parents

Over the year there are a range of opportunities for parents to come into school to share and enjoy their child’s “learning”. These include:

• Celebration of Learning events for every end of topic from Year 1 to Year 6.
• Science Fair – parent and child category is offered to all families
• McMillan Coffee Morning in September
• Stay and Play sessions for new pupils and parents/carers to Early Years
• New parent information meeting for EYFS
• EYFS Phonics and Early Reading Workshop in September
• Year 6 SATS Meeting in March/April
• Reading Cafes each half term
• Family Consultation Evening in November and March
• EYFS Nativity Performance in December
• Harvest Festivals in September and October
• Sports Day in July
• SRE Year 5 Parents Meeting in April or May
• Christingle Service at St Marys Church
• Year 6 Production and Prom in July
• Maths Parent Workshops Autumn term
• Visit the classroom to see Maths in Action Spring term
• OPAL workshops events
• EYFS Road Safety Workshops with Local Authority in September/October                 

Parental Feedback and Actions

We send out an annual questionnaire for Parents every Summer term and we actively encourage parents to respond and give us their honest views so that we can continue to improve and develop which will be actioned where required.

The weekly newsletter offers parents to contact the Principal on the academy gate or via email should there be any concerns.

How Parents can get involved?

Parents can get involved by volunteering at our academy.  We often have opportunities for helpers on trips.  Being a ‘Reading Buddy’ where a parent listens to many children is a role we seek.  In addition to this, supporting our PTA events by volunteering for the Summer Fete or Christmas Bizarre is a good way for parents to become involved.

This statement will be annually or before if there are any changes.

Updated October 2024.