Updated on
July 20, 2026
Parental Engagement
Discover strategies to enhance parental engagement in schools, fostering a supportive and collaborative educational environment.
Parental engagement means schools and families working together to support a child's academic learning, including positive learning interactions at home and purposeful communication with school. Evidence suggests that well-designed approaches can improve attainment, but effects vary, so schools should identify barriers, communicate positively and evaluate whether their chosen approach works for their families.
Why Parental Engagement Matters in Education
Key Takeaways
- Positive average effects vary: EEF reports an average of four months of additional progress, but most evidence concerns home reading and implementation effects are mixed.
- Make support specific and inclusive: Offer age-appropriate learning activities or strategies, communicate positively and personally, and identify barriers that may prevent families from taking part.
- Build two-way communication: Give families practical information and genuine opportunities to ask questions, explain barriers and contribute their perspective. Check whether the approach reaches different groups rather than assuming the same format benefits every learner.
- Define and monitor the outcome: Decide what the approach is intended to improve, listen to families and evaluate whether it works across different groups.
Types of Parental Engagement
Parental engagement can include practical home-learning activities, modelling learning strategies for families and positive, personalised communication about learning. Direct parental help with homework is not generally linked to higher attainment; support with routines, goal-setting and self-regulation may be more useful, particularly for older learners.
Families can support learning through positive conversations, shared reading, routines, goal-setting and communication with school. The useful form of support depends on the learner's age, the intended outcome and the barriers a family faces.
Choose a small number of approaches that fit the school community, such as modelling a specific learning strategy, sending personalised learning updates or holding two-way conversations. Review whether the approach reaches different families and improves its intended outcome.
15 Evidence-Based Strategies to Increase Parental Engagement
5 Communication Strategies for Parent Engagement
School-family communication can support learning when it gives families clear, practical ways to help and gives schools information about barriers. The effect depends on the approach and context, so schools should define the intended outcome and monitor it.
1. Clear and Transparent Communication
Keep parents informed with concise updates. Use newsletters and emails for school events and learner progress. Online tools can share grades and assignments quickly. This helps home and school communicate, as supported by (Epstein, 2011) and (Goodall & Vorhaus, 2011).
2. Face-to-Face Communication
Offer more than one route for families to discuss learning, such as meetings, calls or accessible online options. Share specific information and listen to the family's perspective; attendance at an event should not be treated as the only evidence of engagement.
3. Digital Communication Platforms
Schools can use websites, messages, parent portals and social media to connect with parents. Share curriculum updates, learner achievements and practical home-learning prompts. Frequent, clear communication improves engagement when it helps families act on the information, not just receive announcements (Epstein, 2011).
4. Multilingual and Culturally Responsive Communication
Use translated resources and consider all families (Epstein et al., 2002). Provide interpreters at meetings when necessary (Kraft et al., 2014). Respect different family communication choices (Comer & Haynes, 1991). This inclusion helps welcome families and remove barriers (Christenson & Sheridan, 2001).
5. Two-Way Communication Channels
Use surveys, feedback forms or scheduled conversations to learn which communication routes families can access and what support they find useful. Report how the school responds so the exchange remains genuinely two-way.
Overcoming Barriers to Parent Engagement
Schools should identify practical barriers such as time, language, access, previous experiences and unfamiliar school processes. Ask families rather than assuming why participation differs, then test whether the chosen adjustment improves access.
Time Constraints and Work Commitments
Parents find it hard to juggle work and school (Epstein, 2011). Schools can help by offering flexible meetings (Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 2005). Consider evenings or weekends, plus virtual options (Christenson & Sheridan, 2001). Learners benefit from varied parental engagement, like online help (Hill & Craft, 2003).
Language and Cultural Barriers
Language and cultural barriers can make school communication harder for families. Use translation, interpreters, plain English and trusted community links so parents can understand what their child is learning and how to help.
Socioeconomic Challenges
Financial constraints can hinder parental support for learners (Epstein, 2001; Lareau, 2003). Schools should provide free resources and transport to help families attend events. Understanding the income impact on engagement helps create inclusive activities.
Measuring the Impact of Parent Engagement
Set intended outcomes before implementation and review the approach over time. Combine participation data with family feedback and the learning, attendance, behaviour or wellbeing measure the activity was designed to influence.
Monitor whether different groups find communications helpful, feel heard and can participate. Then examine whether the chosen approach is improving the specific outcome it was designed to support.
Review participation patterns to identify groups that may be missing from a particular activity, but do not use attendance alone to label a family as disengaged. Combine the pattern with family feedback before deciding what support or change is needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between parental involvement and parental engagement?
Goodall and Montgomery describe involvement and engagement as points on a continuum rather than a strict either-or distinction. Engagement centres on supporting learning, while involvement with school can still build relationships and create routes into that support.
How can teachers increase parental engagement in schools?
Share concise, specific guidance that families can act on and provide an accessible route for questions. Monitor whether the communication reaches different groups and influences the intended learning, attendance, behaviour or wellbeing outcome.
What are the benefits of parental engagement for primary school children?
Research shows parental engagement is associated with better attendance, behaviour and attainment. Parent values for education can shape learner motivation and expectations; this aligns with broader motivation theories, but the direct parental-engagement evidence should come from sources such as EEF, Desforges and Abouchaar, and Hill and Tyson.
What does the research say about parental engagement and academic achievement?
Parental involvement aids learner progress, says the EEF. Strong home learning habits predict learner success. Carer support helps disadvantaged learners (Feinstein & Symons, 1999; Sylva et al., 2004).
What are the common barriers to effective parental engagement for families?
Parents cite time, past education issues, or language as barriers. Some feel they lack knowledge to aid with schoolwork. Schools should use clear language and offer flexible ways for learners to engage.
What are common mistakes schools make with parental engagement?
One-way information, assumptions about non-attendance and unexplained school language can weaken family communication. Ask families which routes are accessible, invite questions and use clear language rather than treating attendance at events as the only sign of engagement.
Further Reading
For further academic research on this topic:
- Education Endowment Foundation. Working with parents to support children's learning.
- Henderson, A. T., & Mapp, K. L. (2002). A new wave of evidence.
- Desforges, C., & Abouchaar, A. (2003). The impact of parental involvement, parental support and family education on pupil achievement and adjustment. DfES.
Desforges and Abouchaar (2003) reported associations between at-home parenting practices and achievement while distinguishing this from weaker evidence for school-led interventions. Goodall and Montgomery (2014) offer a conceptual continuum from involvement with school towards engagement with learning. Use both as context alongside current EEF implementation guidance and local evaluation.
- Epstein, J. L. (2010). School, family, and community partnerships: Your handbook for action. Corwin Press. This comprehensive guide provides practical frameworks for developing effective partnerships between schools and families.
- Henderson, A. T., & Mapp, K. L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family, and community connections on student achievement. Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. A broad evidence review that should be read with attention to study design, context and the specific intervention being considered.
- Jeynes, W. H. (2017). A meta-analysis of the relationship between parental involvement and Latino student academic achievement. Education and Urban Society, 49(1), 4-28. This research specifically examines engagement strategies that are most effective for Latino families.
- Wilder, S. (2014). Effects of parental involvement on academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Educational Review, 66(3), 377-397. A comprehensive analysis of multiple studies showing the quantitative impact of different types of parental involvement.
- Goodall, J., & Montgomery, C. (2014). Parental involvement to parental engagement: A continuum. Educational Review, 66(4), 399-410. This study explores the distinction between basic involvement and deeper engagement, providing insights into more meaningful partnership approaches.
External References: EEF: Parental Engagement | Review of Best Practice in Parental Engagement (DfE)
