Primary school homework is a common practice internationally, historically viewed as an independent child activity, but more recently recognised as a family accomplishment. Parental involvement in homework has been principally discussed in relation to general and fixed typologies, with parent behaviours categorised into pre-defined 'types'. This…

COVID-19 impacted all aspects of children's lives. Research showed that teachers were most concerned about Communication and Language, and Personal, Social and Emotional Development, two of the three Prime Areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage which underpin all learning. The pandemic had a significant impact on early years settings.…

Following the nationwide lockdown, one thing is clear: the progress that children have made in terms of their learning varies hugely, further entrenching the educational inequity that exists and which fuels the lifelong social and economic divide. Drawing on research indicating that parental involvement in their child's learning makes a difference…

Purpose: This present paper draws on a doctoral study which provides an innovative insight into the extent to which parents influence their child's motivation to learn a foreign language. Methodology: An exploratory methodology was adopted to approach this study from multiple angles, using a sequential mixed-methods research design. A…

The Richard Taylor Primary School in Harrogate, North Yorkshire is committed to a focus on a whole-school vision to teach every child the wisdom, knowledge and skills to be a creative life-long learner, enabling them to shape their future. In so doing, they pride themselves on widening children's science capital and experience. Their recent…

Assessment for Learning (AfL) has long been identified as effective in supporting teachers to modify their teaching and learning with the aim of improving attainment but AfL practices are rarely applied to mathematics homework. Parental involvement in learning is also a key ingredient to success. This paper explores the benefits of using AfL…

Parental engagement is widely acknowledged to have a positive impact on children's achievement, and interventions to increase parental engagement have had some success in improving educational outcomes for children in mainstream settings. However, there has been little research on parental engagement in special schools, despite some studies…

Successive British Governments have promulgated policies and initiatives that have not only resulted in the marketisation of education but have, arguably, constructed a democratic deficit in relation to who represents the local in a neoliberal educational context. The article utilises a conceptual framework which encompasses notions of civility…

Purpose: This research explored the impact that the relatively new role of the Health and Wellbeing Lead upon the health and wellbeing of children and their families at this school. Design/methodology/approach: This case study took place in a primary school (children aged 4-11) in the South-West of England. Data was collected through activities…

Parental choice remains a central theme in education policy in England. Parents have the right to choose how their children are educated. For some families this choice is surrendered, with volition and intention, to their local authority which allocates school places after parents, statutory guardians and families have made their decisions. Where…

Early Words with Childminders is a programme aiming to support the practice of childminders by providing them evidence-based activities and strategies that foster children's early language development, and confidence and skills to engage with parents. Piloted between September and December 2023, the programme provides practitioners with training…

Assessment of deaf children has found that their early understanding in science is behind that of their hearing peers. Research shows that parental attitudes and behaviours can affect educational outcomes but few studies have considered the effects of attitudes towards science on parent/child interactions in the home and thus, the effects on…

This article investigates the relationship between school-level factors associated with school quality and progress in student attainment in English secondary schools. Furthermore, it examines the relationship between frequency of classroom observation of teaching (by school leaders or by fellow teachers) in English secondary schools and progress…

The closure of school buildings due to COVID-19 created a challenge for parents and teachers supporting children's remote learning. This paper presents findings of a study that explored whether parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) experienced an unusually challenging period and what obstacles they faced. An…

The argument for the importance of a parent's engagement with their child's learning over parental involvement with their child's school has been shown to be valuable in research literature. This study, conducted in England prior to the global COVID-19 pandemic, therefore aimed to understand how school leaders and their staff understand parental…