Building stronger partnerships

Oaks Park High School believes that successful education is built on strong partnerships between home and school. Undertaking the Leading Parent Partnership Award gave the school an opportunity to strengthen these relationships even further while ensuring every family felt welcomed, valued and involved in school life.

The award also provided a structured framework for reviewing existing practice and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.

Understanding the challenges

As part of the award process, the school reflected on how effectively it engaged with parents and carers, particularly those from vulnerable or harder-to-reach families.

This review highlighted opportunities to strengthen communication, remove barriers to engagement and ensure all families could easily access support when they needed it.

Implementing meaningful change

Following the review, the school introduced clearer systems for monitoring attendance at parents' evenings and other school events. Families who were unable to attend received more personalised follow-up, with staff offering alternative opportunities to meet, visit the school and discuss any concerns.

These changes helped develop stronger relationships built on trust, openness and regular communication.

Creating positive outcomes

The improvements have led to increased attendance at school events and greater engagement from families across the school community.

Parents and carers now feel more involved in their children's education, enabling staff and families to work together more effectively to support students' attendance, wellbeing and academic progress. The stronger partnership between home and school has created a more collaborative environment where students benefit from consistent support both inside and outside the classroom.

Continuing the journey

Although the award marks an important milestone, the school sees it as the beginning of an ongoing journey.

Future priorities include expanding opportunities for parental involvement, further improving communication channels and continuing to provide targeted support for vulnerable and harder-to-reach families. Regular reviews will ensure every parent continues to feel included, listened to and supported.

Reflecting on the experience

Deputy Headteacher Salise Hassan and Headteacher Joanne Hamill described the award as an extremely positive and rewarding experience.

'The award gave us a clear framework for evaluating and improving our parental engagement. It recognised our strengths while helping us develop even stronger partnerships with families, ultimately benefiting our students.'

A recommendation for other schools

Oaks Park High School would encourage other schools to undertake the Leading Parent Partnership Award. The process not only celebrates existing good practice but also provides practical guidance for strengthening relationships with families, helping schools create a more inclusive, supportive and collaborative community that has a lasting impact on student success.

Interested in achieving the same impact?

The Leading Parent Partnership Award (LPPA) helps schools build lasting, positive relationships with families and communities. It provides a clear framework to strengthen communication, inclusion, and collaboration—ensuring parents are active partners in every child’s education.

👉 Find out more about the award and how your school can begin its journey today.