Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMA): Improving relationships with parents

• Date: Feb 2009
• Programme: Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMA)
• Focus: Improving relationships with parents
• Number in series: 8
• Phase: Primary
• Key stage: Key Stage 1
• Ref: 00164-2009PDF-EN-02
• % of free school meals: Below average

Background

This larger than average infant school serves an area of mixed housing on the outskirts of a northern city. The pupils come to school from a wide catchment area. The school shares a site with a neighbouring junior school, which is under separate leadership. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. The number of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is broadly average and of these about one third are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is broadly average. The school is an Eco School and has received a number of awards including Investors in People, Investors in Pupils, the Healthy Schools award, Artsmark Silver and Activemark Gold. The school is in its third year of the Black Children's Achievement Programme (BCAP) and has twinned with the Glisten Academy in Nigeria.

The school was inspected by Ofsted in October 2008 and with a focus on vulnerable groups and was judged 'outstanding'.

Key factors that motivated the intervention:

• As part of BCAP, the school is committed to raising the achievement of their black children and to improving their links with the black community.
• The school identified black children as a vulnerable group and targeted them specifically in all interventions, including those for gifted and talented pupils.
• The school wanted to find new ways to engage with the parents of black children and to improve the relationships between the school and these parents.
• The school wanted to encourage parents of black children to become more involved in their children's education.