Thriving Lives Toolkit Webinar, Session 4: Parents are Engaged (Survey Tool Focus)
Posted in News
The fourth session of the Thriving Lives Toolkit webinar series focused on the principle of parent engagement, featuring valuable insights from Alexander First School. Dr. Mariam Khokar (Headteacher) and Naomi Corcoran (Deputy Head and SENCO) shared their experience working with a high proportion of service children—70-75% of their student body—highlighting the challenges and strategies involved in engaging parents despite high mobility rates.
Dr. Khokar explained that Alexander First School, located on an MoD housing estate, faces unique challenges such as high pupil turnover and emotional strain on students adjusting to new environments. Despite this, the school has made significant strides in building social inclusion and valuing student identity. A key finding from their research was the importance of involving parents in their child’s education, even when families are aware they may only stay for a short period.
Challenges in parent engagement stem from mobility and varying levels of parental involvement. The school addressed this through targeted strategies, including building trust with families, encouraging participation in school activities, and promoting a sense of belonging. Initiatives such as having animals on-site and involving parents in school events helped foster this connection.
Peter Rose also contributed to the webinar by discussing the parent engagement survey tool within the Thriving Lives Toolkit. He provided a detailed walkthrough of how the tool can help schools assess and improve parental involvement, offering a structured approach to measuring impact and identifying areas for improvement.
The session underscored the importance of consistent, thoughtful engagement with Service families and the value of adapting strategies to address the transient nature of military life. The insights shared provide a strong foundation for other schools working to enhance support for Service children.
