Inform | Involve | Enable

Email, call, meet: the art of keeping guardians informed

Published March 2023

Without doubt, a critical stakeholder in education is whoever is ‘responsible‘ for the student away from school. This is typically the parent, but not always. Guardians come in many forms, for example, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, foster or temporary carers.

It is important to begin with the above, as informing this group of stakeholders requires a clear understanding of the home situation of a student. Sometimes students with an unconventional guardian may be forthcoming, but it is part of our duty of care to know through appropriate sources.

Why?

Education is maximized when there is coordination and cooperation between all required parties. The student is at the centre of this but the school (teachers, heads of year etc.…) must maintain a working partnership with students’ guardians, involve them, inform them and consult with them as they provide valuable insight into the student and support us in enhancing what they learn or do at school.

Meetings

Meetings are a crucial tool for making the most of this. Meetings may be online, not necessarily face to face, although there is merit in both. Meetings help to build relationships.

Face-to-face meetings have the advantage of interpreting non-verbal cues related to wider body language and not just facial expressions. The challenge of finding a suitable space in a busy school out of the parents’ evening calendar can be challenging but is worth the investment.

Online meetings are usually more convenient. The flexibility they offer is very appealing to guardians with less flexible work schedules. Teachers should be duly compensated if they are working out of their contracted or standard working hours.

Conferences

Conferences are opportunities to involve another party in the partnership through meetings. These are usually reserved for students with special or specific educational needs or those experiencing challenging circumstances. For example, a conference for student suffering from depression would include a teacher, counsellor, and the guardian.

Conferences can be used for all students as an avenue to broaden the remit of the partnership. For example, students with a particular career interest may be paired with a mentor who is able to attend a meeting and present pathways to all parties or even just be available to answer any questions.

Calls

Making the time to speak to a parent via the phone without waiting for a formal event such as a parents’ evening or pre-planning may just be the intervention needed. Calls can be awkward as the visual cues we use to stop, start, or pause speech are not present. Have a loose plan when making a call. Always start with a suitable introduction and ask if the present time is convenient.

Finding a quiet space to make a call can be tricky in some schools so book a room so the time you have set aside to make the call is not wasted. It may also be worth having another colleague close by should you need assistance during the call or, if the call becomes difficult, be able to offer cues for navigating or just to tell you when to end the call or end it on your behalf!

Many teachers are often tempted to call from their personal mobile. There should be separation between personal and professional use of devices so, if that is the case, hide caller ID or, even better, see if your school approves the use of online voice calling software such as Skype or even Zoom where you can call without camera use.

Emails

Emails can be very helpful but must be used carefully and purposefully. I encourage all teachers to send an introductory email to the guardians of students and use it as an avenue of contact. The response one usually receives from such an email gives you an idea of which parents to engage with this contact option. It facilitates the sharing of student work samples, schedule, and other documentation but only where there is clear engagement.

Support

As important as making contact with guardians is, staff must be trained and supported to get the best out of it. New teachers and admin staff would benefit from role-play opportunities to test their adaptability and minimize existing biases. All staff require refreshers in this area and having a system of regular training and review of the process is essential.

Staff are also likely to follow through when a process is meaningful. Invite a diversity of guardian stakeholders to be part of the training and support process for staff. If you are developing communication templates, consult with these stakeholders. There may be language, access to technology or literacy issues you need to consider.

Scenarios

No discussion on informing guardians is complete without a review of scenarios. Difficult conversations are most often encountered in this aspect of education compared to others. For example, what happens when a parent will not listen or takes the student's side? Always bring the parent back to wanting what is best for the student, and that you are on the student’s side too.

Keeping parents and guardians informed is an essential part of educating students. How to do it well may be taken for granted by some schools. Investing the time in training all teachers to maximize contact with parents will benefit all stakeholders.

Questions worth asking today?

Does your team have contact milestones for parents and guardians? □

Do you have a guide on the various modes of contact? □

Are there training opportunities related to these? □