Home–School Partnership

What is it?
What happens in the programme?
Roles and responsibilities
Philosophy
Successful features
Key messages in different languages
Secondary Home-School Partnerships Programme

Roles and responsibilities

The role of the principal and board of trustees

The principal plays a key role in ensuring the success of the Home–School Partnership programme. The principal needs to have an excellent understanding of the programme and unite the school community in supporting it. The principal meets regularly with the lead team to discuss how the programme relates to staff and students. The principal also attends the planning meetings, the sessions (as appropriate), and the fourth workshop.

It is essential that the board of trustees also understands and supports the programme. Both the principal and the board of trustees have many opportunities to inform parents, families, and the wider community about the programme and to encourage people to participate.

The role of the lead team

An experienced teacher and at least one bilingual parent, working together, lead the families of each ethnic group participating in the programme, and then the school's lead team will include at least eight people.

The members of the lead team attend four training workshops before leading the six sessions for parents and families. Between the sessions, they meet to reflect on the feedback they receive, plan their delivery of the next session and practise for the demonstrations. They keep in regular contact with the principal and other key members of the school community.

The lead teams are crucial to the successful implementation of the Home–School Partnership programme. The team provides the essential links between the community and its school on which the programme depends. They nurture the growing home–school partnership developing between the school and the student's families.

The role of programme coordinator

One person from within the school, usually a teacher, is chosen to be the school's programme coordinator. Their role is to coordinate all aspects of the programme people, resources, and processes. (The role includes liaison with the facilitator if this person is not a member of the school's staff. If the facilitator is a staff member, that person could also undertake the role of coordinator.)

The coordinator also ensures that all the members of the staff are kept informed of, are comfortable with and are included in the home–school partnership. The person who undertakes this role needs credibility and proven leadership, communication and administrative skills.

How all school staff can contribute

All staff need to take ownership of the Home–School Partnership programme if it is to be a success. Although not all teachers will be selected as members of the team, the Home–School Partnership programme is an undertaking for the whole school. All staff have a significant part to play, and all will reap the benefits of the programme. All staff, then, need to be fully informed about both the content of the programme and the process of delivery. Their role includes:

• encouraging as many families as possible to participate in the parent sessions, by taking every opportunity to discuss the programme with them
• informing the students in their classes about the programme and encouraging them to talk about it, especially at home
• supporting the concepts and contents of the programme sessions within their own classroom programmes
• helping the lead teams when needed
• providing practical support for the parent sessions, for example, by offering pleasant surprises for the children and/or preparing refreshments.