As the former Principal of Fairholme College, Dr. Linda Evans was a cornerstone of the school’s restorative journey for over two decades. Since 2004, she championed Restorative Practices (RP) as the primary framework for navigating the daily relationship complexities of the school community, believing there was no better alternative for fostering authentic connection. During her tenure from 2009 to 2025, Dr. Evans embedded a restorative culture that prioritized empathy and growth. She has now transitioned into a new season focused on family, research, and further writing within the field.
The question must be, of course, what is best for the child? The literature would seem to be clear (Desforges and Abouchaar, 2003; Fan and Chen, 2001; Goodall and Vorhaus, 2011) that what is best for children is that their parents are actively engaged in their learning, especially that which takes place outside the school.
I admit that when nudged by the Head of Junior School at my school to be involved in a research project around parent engagement, I was sceptical. I think when she had asked me, I’d just spent the past hour or so in deep listening mode – principal to disenchanted parent. Gosh, how much more engagement can we do, I pondered, as I considered the plethora of parent events on the calendar for the term ahead, the meetings that would invariably ensue over the following weeks, along with speeches, articles etc created directly for parents. But I sensed her keenness and as principal, felt the importance of supporting her leadership in that space. I agreed to be involved. What has unfolded more than five years down the track is a passion for the benefits of engaging with parents in an intentional, considered way and a deep belief in the power of doing things differently – looking at our parent and family connections through a different lens. I am ever grateful for the nudge to be involved in a research project. It changed my practice in so many positive ways.
Debbie Pushor, Professor of Curriculum Studies at Saskatchewan University in Canada, describes the move in some schools, to intentional engagement of parents in teaching and learning as a “gentle revolution.” Despite decades of research that indicate the valuable impact of parent engagement in their children’s learning, particularly as it occurs out of school, schools have still traditionally held fast to an arm’s length approach to parent contribution, relegating it to the controlled, school-directed spaces of volunteerism and event attendance.
Typically, teachers and school administrators have held tenaciously to their place as education knowledge leaders and, as such, have been known to metaphorically draw the demarcation line between home and school thus implicitly declaring that ‘never the twain shall meet.’ Perhaps this approach has been born of bruising parent complaints or aggressive parent teacher interviews or epic emails of doctoral thesis length, penned vitriolically, and sent in the early hours of a morning. Thus, the filter through which we educators think, and view parent engagement has been faulty, distorted by those soul-destroying moments which have led us to determined late night searches on SEEK to find new ways to earn our salaries. In doing so, we have eclipsed access to a population of oft wonderfully wise or academically motivated adults with a thirst to be part of their child’s learning.
Lead researcher in the field, Joyce Epstein, proposes a model of six levels of engagement which describe actions undertaken by parents in relation to their child’s learning. These levels include parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making and collaborating with the community. Yet as educators we are inclined to equate the place and activities of a parent in a school setting as attendance at events, not limited to but including parent teacher interviews and volunteering at school-led, school-sanctioned events or activities.
What can happen when we invite parents and families in to the learning space? Legitimising a rich conversation around curriculum between home and school is a gift in households where too much time is spent on the transactional – “What time will you be home?” “How are you getting there?” “Have you got a clean uniform?” An opportunity to contribute to their child’s classroom learning may allow a deeper conversation to weave its way from school to home and back to school – it sets the scene for more collaborative conversations between parents and teachers too. But because we have always done school this way, means that a shift in perception is not without its challenges. As schools, if we want to engage with, rather than involve our parents, then our own perspective, our lens needs to move beyond the metaphoric “bake sale” paradigm. It does not mean that we are placing parents in the drivers’ seat, from whence they choose the school’s direction. It is a focus shift that prominent educational researcher, Hattie is alert to, as well. Hattie (2023) writes of parents not as “first teachers” but as “first learners”. He says, prophetically that “as parents learn, so do their children.” The influence of families collectively sharing a positive language about learning, cannot be understated, according to Hattie.
Research reminds us that learning outcomes are enhanced when learning occurs ‘within the whole village,’ when learning beyond the school gates adds value to the school experience – and vice versa. From a restorative perspective it makes sense – after all, as psychiatrist, and author Bruce Perry says in his text ‘What Happened to You?’ “We all require some reciprocal social feedback to stay engaged.” Thus, learning occurs optimally with a full circle of participants and values the voice of all. Goodall and Weston (2020) caution that “it is a mistake to think that learning only happens in the classroom – the old staple argument of ‘if they’re not in school, they’re not learning’ is clearly wrong. Young people spend most of their time out of school – they are only in school for 15 to 25 per cent of their time.”
As a senior English teacher, I loved sharing learning beyond the classroom. I intentionally invited parents in – metaphorically and even – in person. It was as simple as a Friday afternoon request – “Email your parents and ask them if they can remember a poem or poet they studied when they were in Year 12.”
“What? Email them now?”
“Yes, email them now.”
Within minutes, it seemed, return emails pinged their way into the classroom. Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Less Taken’ took prominence. Shakespearean sonnets were cited. Banjo Patterson made an appearance. A parent replied saying- “I’m still emotionally scarred by my experience with William Blake.” Another shared the first poem she learned for an Eisteddfod, aged six. Her daughter asked – “Can I read the poem?” Of course. What mattered for the students was that parents’ voices entered our learning space and were heard, shared, and celebrated. What mattered, I am sure, were the poetry conversations that occurred beyond the school gates, conversations over the weekend that would never have occurred otherwise. That is the power of inviting parents in – not for them to stand metaphorically, clipboard in hand at the back of the classroom to critique your lesson or pedagogy but simply to gift an opportunity to join in and hence extend the learning.
But that might not be your context – you might not have a cohort of poetry-reading parents. Bear in mind that parent engagement has gained greatest traction in low socio-economic areas. One of the trail-blazers in this field, Professor Janet Goodall coins the phrase – ‘the home is the first classroom’ she found, as have a plethora of others that the most effective forms of parent engagement take place in the home environment, and are not focused on homework completions or supporting the school, but rather on parental support for learning. Notably, it is generally agreed in the literature that the most powerful form of parental engagement in learning takes place between parents and their children and may well happen almost entirely away from school (Desforges and Abouchaar, 2003; Sylva et. Al., 2008).
As the new teaching year unfolds be brave in the parent space, challenge the dominant discourse with one of the following ideas:
- Instead of the obligatory phone call to parents to let them know their son/daughter has failed an assessment, make contacting home obligatory when a child increases their results by a grade.
- Front load contact – email your class’s parents, phone when there is good news, send a photo when you catch out a reluctant learner, fully engaged in an activity. Don’t be a bearer of unwelcome news without first having established positive contact. Connect before you correct.
- Prior to organising any event, ask the question – “Where is the parent voice in this event. How are parents represented in this event. What do parents need to make this event worthwhile?” and respond accordingly. Be brave in following up with parents who don’t attend events. Ask parents who attended what went well, what could have been included or excluded. Seek their feedback. Listen with soft ears.
- Invite parents to discuss an idea raised in class during the week, at home, around the dinner table or its metaphoric equivalent. Make this entirely invitational, never mandatory. You may never know what conversations occur and that is OK.
- When a child demonstrates a social emotional deficit – and you share this with parents. Connect before you correct. Seek out their experience at home. Work collaboratively to reach a way forward. Ask – How do you best manage his frustration when you see that he cannot master a concept? Do you see that at home?
- Approach conversations, including Parent Teacher Interviews curiously, not furiously. Seek to hear each family’s wisdom. Avoid filling every moment with your teacher’s voice. The person sitting in front of you has known the child in your classroom for that child’s lifetime. They know stuff you don’t.
- Communicate with, rather than communicate old news. Live reporting of results is a progressive step, but it is still, according to Family Engagement expert, Steve Constantino – old news. How can you share what is going to happen or what you are hopeful might happen in the future?
Yes, it takes a village to raise a child. “Before we suggest ideas for how parents can practically support their children’s learning at home, it is important that schools understand the nature of family life in …” [2026] (Goodall and Weston, 2020). It is important that we shift our lens and capture a view that sees parents as sharing common ground, rather than adversarial territory. First comes the acknowledgement that learning is not a private relationship between teacher and students, it is a much broader village that raises a child. Perhaps when you look at your class list/s and your head runs to its typical narrative about tricky parents, challenge yourself to shift your lens – invite all parents in, even in the smallest of ways, and relish the new perspective. In doing so, invite learning to occur deeply and richly – beyond the school gates.
The [enduring] question must be, of course, what is best for the child?
Linda Evans
lindaaclough@gmail.com
