Engaging with parents and carers
Learn how governing boards can engage with parents as an important stakeholder group who offer rich and diverse insights into school life.

Parents are one of the most important stakeholder groups; they can offer governing boards rich and diverse insights into school life, ethos and culture.
This joint guidance from the °ÅÀÖÊÓÆµÏÂÔØapp (°ÅÀÖÊÓÆµÏÂÔØapp) and explains why parent participation in pupils’ learning is important, actions schools and trusts can take, and how boards monitor and support effective parental engagement.
Two separate guides are available for multi academy trusts (MATs) and single schools, covering:
- parental participation benefits
- effective engagement strategies
- overcoming barriers
- governing board monitoring and oversight
- how governance can be made visible to parents and other stakeholders
E-learning
Stakeholder engagement: the governance role
Using case studies and interactive questions, our bite-sized e-learning module explores what stakeholder engagement is, what it looks like when done well and how to go about doing it successfully in your school or trust.

Related content
-
Research
-
Guidance
-
Guidance
-
Research
-
Tools & templates
-
Research
-
Research
-
Guidance
-
Research
-
E-learning
-
NewsUpdated: 10/07/2025Latest updates
Annual Governance Survey 2025: School Finances and SEND System at Breaking Point
-
Blog
-
Governing Matters
-
BlogUpdated: 27/09/2024Latest updates
Empowering governors and trustees: °ÅÀÖÊÓÆµÏÂÔØapp at the Labour Party conference
-
Blog
-
Blog
-
Blog
-
Webinar
-
NewsUpdated: 08/09/2023Wellbeing
Annual Governance Survey 2023 reveals worrying trends in behaviour and safeguarding
-
Blog
-
Webinar
-
Blog
-
BlogUpdated: 26/11/2021Stakeholder engagement
Guest blog: The importance of governors and trustees engaging with parents and carers
-
Webinar
-
Governing MattersUpdated: 01/09/2021Stakeholder engagement
Stakeholder engagement: the fourth core function of governance
-
Webinar
-
Events & networks
-
Webinar
-
Events & networks