The Education Endowment foundation defines Parent engagement as:
the involvement of parents in supporting their children’s academic learning.
At Hill Farm 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.
Parents comment that communication between Hill Farm and home is excellent and they feel well informed about what is happening in school. We communicate in the following ways:
- School App
- Fortnightly Newsletters
- School Twitter (X) page
- Letters home
- School website
- Firefly school platform
- Text messaging
We provide 3 opportunities per academic year for parents to receive information about their child’s academic progress. There are Parent’s evenings in both the Autumn and Spring term with individual appointments. In the Summer term we share an Annual Report with parents.
In addition we offer an “open door” policy whereby parents can come in or telephone and ask to meet with the child’s teacher if there is a particular issue to be discussed. Staff email addresses are available and for non-urgent communication can contact their child’s class teacher via email with a response expected within 2 working days.
Class teachers are available every evening, should you have a query about your child’s learning. The Headteacher and members of the senior leadership team are available morning and evening if you would like to discuss any other concerns.
During parent’s evenings, we ask parents to complete a questionnaire and actively encourage parents to respond and give us their honest views so that we can continue to improve and develop.
Over the year there are a range of opportunities for parents to come into school to share and enjoy their child’s learning and share their success. These include:
- Fortnightly celebration assemblies
- Class assemblies once per year
- Christmas Performance
- Christmas Carol Service
- Christmas fair run by the Hill Farm Events Team
- Family picnic run by the Hill Farm EventsTeam
- SEN information drop-in and coffee mornings run by the SENDCo once per term.
- Mental Health and wellbeing workshops run by the Coventry Mental Health Specialist Team.
- Phonics and Early Reading workshops
- Oracy workshops and showcase run by the CPT English Specialist.
- Sports day
- Community Library
- Musical showcases for class tuition and individual lessons
- Each year group selects 2 parent engagement activities per year whereby parents can come into school and share/join in with a learning experience
- Whole School activities such as DT week showcases.
- Harvest Festival
- Mother’s Day service
- Easter Bonnet Parade
- Book fairs and reading events
- Sports matches
- Choir performances
- New to Reception welcome meeting
- SAT’s information meeting
- Parent volunteers
- Representation on Hill Farm the governing body
- Dedicated Family Support Worker available as a contact point for all parents/carers.
