Chloe Smith MP pledges support for more parents to play an active role in education

Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North, last week met with representatives from Parentkind to discuss how to support parental engagement in education in Norwich.

Parentkind, previously known as PTA UK, is a national charity that champions the parent role in education and is the leading membership organisation supporting Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) and other parent groups in schools nationwide, with over 13,700 member schools across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Parentkind welcomed MPs from constituencies across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to an event in Westminster where they learned about the benefits of parental engagement in a child’s schooling, how they can support their constituents to get involved and promised to promote the value and importance of parental involvement in education to help children achieve their potential.

Chloe was pleased to hear that there are 21 schools in her Norwich North constituency that are Parentkind members, who are being supported by the charity with practical advice and information to help them support their schools and work with them to give pupils the best opportunities for a positive education.

During the session, Chloe was delighted to sign up to Parentkind’s pledge which states:

“I consider the active participation of parents an essential ingredient in the success of our children’s education and I commit to supporting education policy that brings homes and schools together for the good of all children and society, where more parents are engaged in their child’s education in more ways."

Acting CEO Michelle Doyle Wildman said: “We are hugely encouraged that so many MPs have pledged their support to Parentkind’s mission. Whether it’s supporting learning at home or volunteering at school, there is substantial evidence of the enormous positive impact that parental involvement throughout the school years has on a child’s education. As well as greatly enhance how well a child does at school, it’s very fulfilling for parents of all kinds.  

“We look forward to working with Chloe over the coming months in our efforts to establish parental participation in schools as an essential part of school improvement plans and positive outcomes for every child.”

Local MP Chloe Smith said: “I was interested to hear about the work Parentkind does in Norwich North to encourage and support parents taking an active part in their children’s education. From my work ad chair of the Youth Board of the Norwich Opportunity Area, I know just how important the influence of parental involvement can be to young people reaching their full potential.”

Data from the Department for Education shows that parental involvement in a child’s education can have a more powerful influence on a student’s school performance than household income, family background or levels of parent education.

Parentkind will be continuing its work at a local and national level. If you are a parent or carer, PTA or parent group, teacher, school leader or governor,  you can find out more about how Parentkind can support you and what they are doing in your local area by visiting https://www.parentkind.org.uk/ or get in touch at info@parentkind.org.uk