Task 3: Parental Partnership Working- Early childhood studies
For a fruitful society to be developed, it’s been said to work from the roots of strong families that help to build strong communities, which will overall lead to a flourishing society (DCSF 2010:2). When it comes to Home/school relationship, partnership between parents proves to improve the needs, wishes and experience of children and their families (Atkin and Bastiani, 1988, p.6-7).In this short essay, I will be exploring the term ‘parental partnership’ and how it reflects on practice
Parental partnership typically starts when the child enters the schooling system and the parent and the teacher meet for the first time, this is outlined as ‘partnership’ as it’s the start of home/school relations to begin to form a close relationship bond (Atkin and Bastiani, 1988, p.24). This partnership should be an element of continuity and development between the child, parent, and teacher (Atkin and Bastiani, 1988, p.24).
The influence that the family has on the setting and the setting of the family demonstrates a mutual relationship (Fitzgerald, 2004, p.1). It gives the parents and the setting achievement for the child and an educational outcome (Fitzgerald, 2004, p.93). It is key for time and effort to be put in place for effective parental partnership in the practice, as well as this staff can acquire skills and working in a team to gain relevant partnership experience (Fitzgerald, 2004, p.93). To make the practice firmer in parental partnership working, it can be done by regularly evaluating the setting e.g. giving out questionnaires to parents, identifying any relevant issues is also key as it helps us achieve effective partnerships and maintain a two-way communication (Fitzgerald, 2004, p.94).
According to the EYFS, it’s important that ‘knowledge is shared between parents and practitioners’ (Kamen, 2013). The pen green loop targets the child and expands on different ways to support that child in their development. This includes in taking information from staff and sharing it with the parents and then acting upon that parent’s knowledge (Kamen, 2013).
The study of home/school matters is rapidly coming of age in the 21st century. For significant changes are now taking place both conventional wisdom and in extensively acknowledged practice (Fitzgerald, 2004, p.69). Research has demonstrated that many educational problems is based on determined variations of family, class and background and areas of social and educational need. This can lead to professed barriers between teachers and parents/families (Atkin and Bastiani, 1988, p.8)
When dealing with ethnicity in parental partnerships, it’s key to recognize differences and not treat all families with the equal ethnicities as a homogenous group (Jordan et al., 1998; Thompson, 2001). It is often assumed that ethnicity is linked to skin color and the place where the person was born, however, it holds a greater understanding of the individual such as their family origin, religion, food, characteristics, gender roles, music and literature (Fitzgerald, 2004, p.71). By implementing appropriate partnership working children, families and staff can build a community of learning and care (Fitzgerald, 2004, p.71).
Reference For Task 3:
Atkin, J. and Bastiani, J. (1988). Listening to parents. 1st ed. London u.a.: Croom Helm.
Fitzgerald, D. (2004). Parent partnership in the early years. 1st ed. London: Continuum.
Jordan, L, Reyes-Blanes, M. E, Peel, B. B., Peel, H. A. and Lane, H. B. (1998) ‘Developing teacher-parent partnerships across cultures: effective parent confer- ences’, Intervention in School and Clinic, Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 141-7.
Kamen, T. (2013). Observation and Assessment for the EYFS. 1st ed. London: Hodder Education.