Using the Four Pillars of Parental Engagement to Drive School Improvement

A new website won't fix parental engagement if the real problem is that parents don't feel heard. Listen first, then plan, and the four pillars of knowledge, environment, culture and communication give you a structure for both.

You'll find your starting point from data you already hold, what parents are saying online, and regular ways of listening rather than one survey a term. Then you'll use the four pillars to decide what active engagement should look like in your school. That means telling parents clearly the minimum you need from them, making the building and website welcoming, building trust with parents who had a hard time at school themselves, and writing to them in plain English, adult to adult.

If you've inherited a school where engagement is poor and absence is high, there's practical advice on where to start.