Learning Partnerships with Parents
Quality partnerships require a reciprocal commitment from Longreach State High School staff and parents to work together to improve student learning and wellbeing.
Learning is not limited to the classroom. The beliefs, expectations and experience of parents are powerful determinants in students' achievement. Effective partnerships can help to raise parents' awareness of their ability to improve their children's learning and wellbeing. Understanding the school, home and community contribution to student learning helps cultivate a holistic learning environment.
Every day
At Longreach State High School our staff will:
- Model best practice by being friendly, caring and welcoming to parents to create a supportive environment and positively influence the behaviour of students.
- Recognise, acknowledge and utilise the expertise of staff.
Early in the school year
At Longreach State High School our staff will:
- With consideration of the school community, work with parents to identify ways they can help their child's learning at home, for example: — provide advice about spaces and routines for homework — encourage parents to take a supportive interest in their child's progress and set clear expectations for outcomes — provide activities that parents can use to enrich learning in areas of interest or need — include practical activities in homework that involve parents, especially in literacy and numeracy.
- Consider a school-based community liaison officer to facilitate communication between parents, the community and the school.
Throughout the year
Longreach State High School will:
- Offer professional development that gives teachers strategies to enhance communication with parents.
- Discuss parent engagement strategies and ideas at staff meetings.
- Involve students and parents in the development of individual curriculum, behaviour and personalised learning plans.
- Offer parent workshops, information sessions or webinars on commonly asked queries.
Once a year
Longreach State High School will:
- Identify different aspects of parent participation occurring in the school and which staff members are responsible for supporting each aspect.
- Collect and analyse feedback from parent and teacher surveys.
- Establish a clear process for parents to provide feedback to the school about what is working well, along with suggestions for improvements.
(Queensland Government, 2020)
Community Collaboration
Effective collaboration provides opportunities for Longreach State High School to develop a better understanding of their broader community and to build strong relationships within the Longreach context.
Community members and organisations offer unique knowledge, expertise and perspectives that Longreach State High School can use to enhance student wellbeing and make learning more authentic and connected.
Community approaches to improving learning make it possible for Longreach State High School to form strategic partnerships with families and community organisations. This type of collaboration can help address issues external to our school and better support students' wellbeing and ability to come to school ready and able to learn.
Early in the school year
Longreach State High School will:
- Collaborate with staff and parents to determine a school vision to address students' learning, health and wellbeing needs, and to identify members of the local community who could complement and support the school to achieve this vision.
Throughout the year
Longreach State High School will:
- Reach out to the local community to determine potential partners.
- Build networks that have the potential for long-term sustainability.
- Establish relationships with community organisations, including disability organisations, to access expertise and perspectives that support improved learning and wellbeing outcomes for all students.
- Work with local community and business groups to develop shared policies and approaches to supporting effective learning and positive community outcomes.
- Develop relationships with key community personnel.
- Work with local industry to develop opportunities to enhance student learning.
- Include succession planning when developing partnerships.
- Consider options for guests to conveniently engage with the school.
- Consider how the school can formally recognise community partners or celebrate their mutual partnership.
Once a year
Longreach State High School will:
- Design, develop or review community collaboration strategies that support learning and wellbeing appropriate for students at different ages and stages of development.
- Invite local businesses to be involved in a 'careers expo' to showcase career opportunities to students.
- Use initiatives such as Mental Health week and Deadly Choices to invite health and wellbeing partners to present workshops for students, parents and teachers.
One-off
Longreach State High School will:
- Consider how successful past students can be involved in events such as award ceremonies or graduations.
- Establish school alumni to encourage ongoing support from past students, families and staff. This can be especially useful where alumni also represent local cultural communities.
- (Queensland Government, 2020)
Decision Making
Parent and community involvement in Longreach State High School decision-making encourages greater ownership and ensures local needs are reflected. Decisions about student needs should involve effective consultation and collaboration with stakeholders and open and transparent communication at all stages of the process.
To support informed decision-making, parents and community members need to understand the purpose, aims and background to the issue, as well as the findings of any relevant evidence-based research. Reciprocal trust and ownership of decisions assists in successful implementation.
Every day
Longreach State High School will:
- Be open, accountable and transparent in decision-making.
Early in the school year
Longreach State High School will:
- Encourage active participation in the P&C, school council and other school decision-making groups.
- Involve parents and the school community in developing the Code of Conduct for Students to align the behaviour expectations of the school to community expectations and build a shared understanding of what is expected.
- Enlist Indigenous education workers and community liaison officers to help build connections and to enable all parents and community members the opportunity to participate in consultation and inclusive decision-making. In particular, these staff may be able to help school leaders understand and engage with local protocols and processes about how communities make and communicate decisions.
- Offer training and skill development opportunities to parents and teachers to help them make the most of consultation opportunities.
Throughout the year
Longreach State High School will:
- Ensure consultation processes are flexible to reach a wide range of students, parents and community members. Use different modes of communication for parents who may find it difficult to engage in decision-making and if needed, use different languages to ensure all respondents can participate. Organise interpreters if required.
- Encourage student participation in decision-making processes. Develop the capability of student leaders so they can participate effectively in decision-making, as appropriate.
- Discuss and review strategies being used to encourage parent and community engagement at school leadership team meetings.
- Consider involving independent third parties in consultation activities to enable discussion of matters that are particularly sensitive.
- Welcome a diversity of views, beliefs, behaviours and preferences within communities.
- Establish networks to link parent and community leaders to the broader school community.
- Encourage the school's P&C to review the P&Cs Qld website for ideas on how to work with school leaders and to contribute to collaborative decisions.
Once a year
Longreach State High School will:
- Depending on the school community, formally or informally survey parents regarding their satisfaction with, and suggestions on, their involvement in the school's decision-making processes and suggestions for improvement.
- Evaluate if:
— consultative mechanisms about school priorities and needs have been effective
— goals are mutually set to meet the school's vision. - Seek feedback from the P&C and other partnership members to determine if it considers parent and community partnerships are influencing school decisions and improving student outcomes.
(Queensland Government, 2020)
School Culture
Respectful relationships between Longreach State High School, students, parents and the school community need to be actively cultivated and valued.
Nurturing a culture that respects and values difference amongst the whole school community is vital in supporting the inclusive engagement of all families.
Parent and community participation in student learning and the Longreach State High School community should be acknowledged and recognised. This involvement sends a clear signal to students about the value of education.
Every day
At Longreach State High School our staff will:
- Model and demonstrate the importance of positive and caring relationships.
- Consult key people for advice on engaging meaningfully with cultural groups in the school community for example Community Education Counsellors, regional and school-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teacher Aides, and community liaison officers.
- Access to bilingual personnel for parent-teacher meetings, as appropriate.
- Be visible to parents and students.
Early in the school year
Longreach State High School will:
- Ensure staff have an understanding of inclusive education and the Department of Education's commitment to ensuring schools are supportive and engaging places for all school community members.
- Provide a school calendar outlining key dates where parent engagement is encouraged. Include cultural events that are relevant to the school and broader Queensland community.
- Discuss the physical, attitudinal, communication and social environment of the school with parents and the community and look at ways to improve inclusion of students and parents with disability, illness or other needs that require consideration.
Throughout the year
Longreach State High School will:
- Collaborate with staff to build mutually respectful relationships across the school community and encourage staff to build relationships that will enhance student learning and wellbeing.
- Consider creating informal areas around the school where parents and teachers can meet.
- Seek advice from the community about the kind of school events and activities they value.
- Engage community members in designing and promoting learning experiences, school events and extracurricular activities.
- Invite and support a diverse range of parents and community members to become involved as guest teachers and speakers.
- Build parent, caregiver and community participation by offering activities, events and roles that are respectful and meaningful. Provide guidance to volunteers about their obligations, school protocols and cultures represented in the school.
- Formally recognise the contributions that volunteers make to the school (for example, thank you letters).
Once a year
Longreach State High School will:
- Establish a clear process for parents to provide feedback to the school on their beliefs/experiences in relation to inclusivity.
- Provide professional development for staff in English as an Additional Language or Dialect support, and cross-cultural awareness and communication.
- Develop/update a database of parent and community skills, talents and availability to draw on when appropriate.
(Queensland Government, 2020)