Parent Involvement, Communication and Liaison

Parental Involvement

We aim to promote active partnership between parents, teachers and governors to strengthen educational growth.  We regard parents as full partners in the education of their children and welcome their involvement in our academy activities.

There is pleasure and joy for all in sharing children’s education with parents in the academy. Parental/carer help in the academy contributes to high achievement, especially in areas such as reading.  During the last academic year many parents have helped on a regular basis and the academy is very grateful for their continued support. Volunteer parents are always being sought and a meeting is held in September where the Principal is available to give more information on this.  Please approach teachers if you would like to help in any way. A policy on parental help gives guidelines to parents and information sessions for parents are also run by the academy.

Parents are invited into the academy on numerous occasions to share their children’s progress and to look at their children’s work.  Meetings may be arranged at any time if there is cause for concern. The first point of contact is the classteacher, with the Principal also available when required.

Parent / teacher consultation evenings took place last year in the autumn and spring term to discuss the education and welfare of individual children to set targets and strategies for their future educational and social development. Reports were sent out in the summer term. In the summer term there is an additional opportunity to consult with teachers about reports, or any other issue concerning their child’s development.

Parents were also invited in to the many presentations performed by the children to celebrate and share the work they enjoy in the academy. These are special occasions for parents, families and the community.

Academy improvement questionnaires are regularly undertaken and the academy is very grateful for all the feedback on its performance.

Communication and Liaison  

At St. John’s  you are encouraged to contact teachers via the academy office or the Principal as appropriate. 

Text Messaging

The academy uses a ‘text messaging’ service to parents.  This system allows the academy to contact parents in emergency and urgent situations.  The academy will use the mobile number given on the data collection form under priority contact 1.  Where a parent is living in a separate home and is unable to receive a forwarded text from the child’s first home please advise the academy by letter so that an additional mobile number can be added.  If you have not given a mobile number any message will be sent to the house phone.  Again, please contact the academy in writing if this is not appropriate.  This is an OUTGOING service only.

Homework

St John’s believes that homework develops further links between home and the academy and provides opportunities for pupils to reach higher levels of attainment and make greater progress. Homework can extend a child’s learning, develop study skills and prepare for lifelong learning. The academy has a detailed homework policy. Tasks such as reading, English work, mathematics exercises, learning logs, spelling, tables, finding out exercises and finishing off work, which began in the classroom, may be included when relevant to the children. Homework is submitted via Seesaw.