Parent Feedback & Engagement

Opportunities for Parental Engagement

It is well known that students whose parents are engaged with school and their learning attain better and enjoy school more. Research suggests 82% of students say their parents’ support affects how well they do at school; those with 2 involved parents enjoyed school 51% more and got higher grades than those who didn’t (Robins and Dempster, 2021).

We understand parents have differing amounts of time and understanding about how to be involved and engaged with school, so the College has ensured a range of different ways in which parents can know more about how they can support their child through the secondary years. We are also keen to keep an open dialogue with parents so we continue to learn more and understand how our parents want to and are able to engage and give us feedback so that together we can better support the young people through their time at the College and into their future lives.

Subject Feedback Evenings

 Following Parent Feedback in 2020-21 these events have moved online pending further review. One evening annually per year group focused on subjects with concise, focused 5-minute appointments per subject. They provide an overview of attainment and progress in each subject with targets for improvement. These evenings are well attended by parents with over 90% attendance over the last 5 years.

Whole Year Group Events

There are opportunities every year for parents to come onsite and receive or exchange information relevant to their son/daughter’s progress and experience

Year 6:         Welcome Evening Induction to Year 7

Year 7:         Tutor Evening to feedback on the start to secondary school

Year 8:         Options Evening focused on information and guidance about subject choices

Year 9:         Tutor Evening and Welcome to Key Stage 4

Year 10:       Revision Strategies

Year 11:       Future Choices -post 16 choices

Year 12:       Progression Evening

Parent Questionnaires and Feedback

Parental feedback is gathered through:

  1. Surveys conducted at parent’s evenings.  The results are analysed, contact is made to gather further information where needed and then we propose actions to support change to improve students’ and parents’ experience. ​
  2. Actions: The link here gives access to the summary survey results from the 2022/23 academic year and the actions that are currently taking place as a result of your feedback. For previous versions of this document please contact the college: Parent Feedback 22-23
  3. You Spoke… We listened: Where parents raise concerns with us constructively and collaborate with us to resolve aspects of concern we are able to move our practice forward for the benefit of staff and students. This might mean clarifying understanding or changing practice. This document linked here, details this consultation over time

Learning Walks

These are an interactive opportunity to come on site and receive information about a given topic followed by a chance for Q&A before a tour of the College seeing the given topic in practice. previous examples have included:

  • KS3 Digital Curriculum: an understanding of the iPads and their use in the curriculum, why and how they are used to enhance student learning
  • Year 11 Revision: an understanding of effective (and ineffective) revision strategies, exploration of useful resources and an understanding of how revision is taught in lessons.
  • Welcome to Sixth Form: an understanding of the differences between KS4 and KS5 and how students can be prepared and supported with the expectations of independent learning in the Sixth Form.

Parent Forums

 Forums are a strategy used by the College to help with key decision making, where parent feedback is gathered in more informal (quantitative) ways around topics which affect all stakeholders. previous examples have been uniform and methods of reporting.

SOHCC

 The Supporters of Heathfield Community College are a thriving parent group who run our pre-loved uniform sales and organise fund-raising activities which support the students’ enrichment activities. They are always keen to meet new people and welcome more into the team: https://www.facebook.com/heathfieldccuniform