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Parents want to be more involved, but face barriers to parental engagement

Picture of Gemma Davis
Gemma Davis
Programme Director

Parental engagement has been in the news recently and is rightly moving up the agenda of schools and the wider education sector. Effective parental engagement is one of the most powerful and cost effective measures schools can take to improve attainment, attendance, behaviour and wellbeing. 

Our experience at Learning with Parents has shown us that parents overwhelmingly want to support their children. The data from the 2026 Parentkind National Parent Survey bears this out. 85% of parents questioned said they want to be more involved in their child’s education, while almost half (48%) said they want to spend more time supporting their child’s learning at home. Yet parents often face barriers in doing so.

Why parents want to be involved, but find it difficult

The report highlighted a number of barriers that parents face:

    • 44% say they simply don’t have enough time
    • 21% say nobody has ever asked them to help
    • 19% say their school doesn’t give them clear information 
    • 13% say they find the idea of getting involved intimidating
    • 13% say they’re not sure what skills or knowledge they’d even offer

 

While some of these barriers are trickier to address, our work has shown us that with a little effort and thoughtful design, schools can help overcome them.

The parental engagement gap

Both the Parentkind National Parent Survey and the Parent Voice Project show a recent decline in parental engagement. The proportion of parents who feel involved in their child’s education has fallen from 80% in 2023 to just 59% this year. Nearly a quarter of parents (23%) now say they don’t feel involved at all — up from 9% three years ago. The Parent Voice Project’s year-on-year tracking shows a similar pattern running through almost every measure of the parent-school relationship. 

And engagement isn’t falling evenly. The Parentkind report shows that 74% of more affluent households feel involved, while the figure for lower income households is 46% – a gap of 28%. Differences are also regional. In London, the proportion of engaged parents is 76%, while in Yorkshire and the Humber it is 54%. 

A parent and child reading together: parental engagement at home

Similar patterns emerge from the Parent Voice Project. Their data shows parents from lower-income families are twice as likely as wealthier parents to say they receive less communication than they’d like (21% versus 10%). Almost half (48%) say schools rarely or never invite them to give feedback.

To narrow the gap, schools must actively design their approach to engagement to include time-poor, low-confidence, or unfamiliar parents. We know that schools have a lot on their plate and teachers are often trying their best in challenging circumstances. Luckily, there are plenty of small, easy wins that can make a big difference.

How schools can improve parental engagement

The good news is that parental engagement is now firmly on the radar of teachers, school leads and the government. Many schools are already doing excellent work, the Department for Education now has a dedicated Parental Engagement team and Parentkind are calling for the government to mandate that every school have a named parental engagement lead. 

Whatever the policy route, the underlying need is clear. Here are some small, easily actionable things schools can do right now to improve parental engagement:

A parent and child doing a maths activity

1. Build positive relationships with parents

Schools can ask themselves ‘What is the first impression my school gives to parents and how can we build on this?’ This could be as simple as learning parents’ names, or staff being available at the school gates. Schools need to demonstrate that they respect and value parents in an equal partnership.

2. Provide low-pressure opportunities to engage:

Many families can feel intimidated, or may have had poor experiences with school themselves. Arranging relaxed, informal events can make a big difference.

3. Make communication a two-way thing:

Lots of parents report that they don’t have the opportunity to feedback to schools, or don’t believe schools will take their feedback into account. It’s important that schools provide this space for parents and crucially, respond to their suggestions.  

Longer term, schools can look to build parental engagement in a more consistent way. This starts by embedding it as a practice and bringing all staff on board. Only 10% of teachers we surveyed said that they have received training on parental engagement. This is something that we are actively working to change, as we launch our CPD programme this Autumn.

Join the Parental Engagement Forum

Parental engagement is a knotty issue and we’re still learning how best to build it. You can join us on the journey by joining our Parental Engagement Forum: a free monthly space for MATs, schools, and education organisations to come together to network and share learnings and best practice.

Join our Parental Engagement Forum

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Optional Additional

I consent to my quotes being used to promote Learning with Parents’ work, for advocacy, communications and marketing materials or to advertise the product to other schools, or for any other purposes in line with our charitable goals and values. I understand that neither my name, nor any identifying features, will be shared.

We know that supporting children’s learning at home is not always easy for families and we are currently working with your child’s school to gather insights into the barriers parents face to engaging in their child’s learning. These insights will help us develop our programme so that we can support all parents.

We are running parent voice workshops to gather feedback from parents and carers. The insights provided will be used by Learning with Parents to make improvements to our platform and shared with other organisations working in education to strengthen practices. A publication written based on the insights from these discussions will be available on the Learning with Parents website.

Feedback collected will be analysed to identify trends by the Learning with Parents. The feedback you share may also be shared with researchers from another institution. All feedback will be stored and shared anonymously. Data will be held for 5 years to allow for any re-use and will be destroyed after that.

We will record audio of the session to help us transcribe your feedback afterwards. These recordings will not be shared with anyone outside of Learning with Parents and will be deleted within three months.

Your participation is voluntary and you can withdraw your consent at any time.

Your name will not be in any publications, nor will they be shared with anyone.

Learning with Parents is committed to processing information in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The personal data collected on this form will be held securely and will only be used for administrative purposes.

 

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You have the right to request to see a copy of the information we hold about you and to request corrections or deletions of the information that is no longer required. You can ask Learning with Parents to stop using your data at any time, in which case it will not be used in future but still analysis or quotes may continue to appear in publications already in circulation. To withdraw your consent, please contact: [email protected].

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Terms and Conditions

PARTIES


(1) LEARNING WITH PARENTS a registered charity (CIO) in England and Wales with charity number 1189812 whose registered office is Newminster House, Bristol, BS1 1LT (Company);


(2) Your school or setting (School);


WHEREAS


(A) The Company has developed a programme to motivate and empower parents to engage in their child’s learning.


(B) The School wishes to use the Company’s programme to help their children and families.


(C) The Company has agreed to grant access to sections of its website to the relevant school staff and families.


(D) The Company has agreed to provide and the School has agreed to pay for access to the Company’s website on the terms and conditions of this Agreement.


IT IS HEREBY AGREED AS FOLLOWS


1. Definitions


The definitions and rules of interpretation in this clause apply in this Agreement:


    

  • “Initial Price” is the price for the Initial Subscription Term. This is calculated by the “Price Calculation”.
    • 

  • “Initial Subscription Term” means the initial term which shall begin on the date this contract is entered into and end after one calendar year.
    • 

  • “Intellectual Property Rights” means patents, rights to inventions, copyright and related rights, trade marks and service marks, business names and domain names, goodwill and the right to sue for passing off or unfair competition, rights in designs, database rights, rights to use, and protect the confidentiality of, confidential information (including know-how) and all other intellectual property rights, in each case whether registered or unregistered and including all applications and rights to apply for and be granted, renewals or extensions of, and rights to claim priority from, such rights and all similar or equivalent rights or forms of protection which subsist or will subsist now or in the future in any part of the world.
    • 

  • “Learning with Parents Package” means a section of the Company’s website personalised for the School that contains the Videos provided by the Company via the Website or any other website notified to the School by the Company from time to time.
    • 

  • “Ongoing Price” means the price for the applicable Ongoing Subscription Term calculated by the Company. This will be shared with the school at least 30 days prior to the renewal date. It is dependent on the number of classes whose parents or carers are offered access to the Learning with Parents Package, as reported by the School in accordance with clause 4.5 below.
    • 

  • “Ongoing Subscription Term” means the term which shall begin at the end of the previous Subscription Term and last for one year.
    • 

  • “Permitted Users” means the School’s current staff, and parents and carers of pupils currently at the School, in each case as at the applicable time of use.
    • 

  • “Price” means, in respect of the Initial Subscription Term, the Initial Price or the Ongoing Price, in respect of the applicable Ongoing Subscription Term.
    • 

  • “Price Calculation” means the value calculated using the formula agreed upon initial sign-up, or updated upon renewal.
    • 

  • “Subscription Term” means the Initial Subscription Term or the Ongoing Subscription Term, as applicable.
    • 

  • “Videos” means the videos provided within the Learning with Parents Package which consist of short clips of children explaining school techniques and are supported by related activities that parents can complete with their child.
    • 

  • “Website” means mathswithparents.com, learningwithparents.com, learningwithparents.org, englishwithparents.com or any subdomain of those domains, as appropriate.
    • 



2. Learning with Parents Package


In consideration of the School paying the applicable Price to the Company (in accordance with clause 5 below) the Company grants the School a nonexclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access, and to allow the Permitted Users to access, the Learning with Parents Package during the Subscription Term.


3. Company’s Obligations


Subject to payment by the School of the Price (in accordance with clause 5 below), and compliance by the School with its obligations under clause 4 below, the Company agrees to:


3.1 provide the Learning with Parents Package to the School and use reasonable endeavours to ensure it can be accessed by the Permitted Users at all reasonable times.


3.2 work with the School to support increased parental engagement


4. School’s Obligations


4.1 provide the Company with such information and materials as the Company may reasonably require to supply the Learning with Parents Package and ensure that such information is accurate in all material respects;


4.2 ensure that only the Permitted Users use the Learning with Parents Package and that they do so inaccordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement;


4.3 allow the use of the School’s name and logo on the Company’s website and marketing materials;


4.4 no later than 30 days prior to each Subscription Term, provide an accurate estimate of the number of classes whose parents or carers will be offered access to the Learning with Parents Package.


5. Payment


5.1 The Company shall invoice the School up to 30 days prior to the start of each Subscription Term, or earlier if requested by the School, in respect of the Initial price or Ongoing Price, as applicable.


5.2 The School agrees to pay each invoice submitted by the Company within 30 days of the date of the invoice to the account specified in the invoice.


6. Intellectual Property Rights


6.1 No part of the Website including but not limited to the Learning with Parents Package and Videos may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means to anyone other than the Permitted Users without the prior express written consent of the Company.


6.2 The School acknowledges and agrees that the Company owns all Intellectual Property Rights in the Website, the Learning with Parents Package and the Videos and except as expressly stated herein, this Agreement does not grant the School any rights to or in such Intellectual Property Rights.


6.3 The School shall promptly give notice in writing to the Company in the event that it becomes aware of any infringement of any Intellectual Property Rights owned by the Company.


7. Termination


7.1 Without limiting its other rights or remedies each party may terminate this Agreement with immediate effect by giving written notice to the other party if:


7.1.1 the other party commits a material breach of its obligations under this Agreement and (if such breach is remediable) fails to remedy the breach within 30 days after receipt of notice in writing to do so; or


7.1.2 the other party’s financial position deteriorates to such an extent that its capability to adequately fulfil its obligations under the Agreement has been placed in jeopardy.


7.2 Without limiting its other rights or remedies the Company may terminate this Agreement with immediate effect if the School fails to pay any amount due under this Agreement on the due date for payment.


7.3 If the Agreement is terminated pursuant to this clause 7 during a Subscription Term, there will be no refund to the School of the amount of any Price paid by the School in respect of that Subscription Term.


8. Renewal


At the end of each Subscription Term, this Agreement shall automatically renew for one additional year as an Ongoing Subscription Term unless written notice of non-renewal is provided to the Company by the School at least 30 days prior to the expiration of the then-current Subscription Term.


9. Indemnity


The School shall indemnify the Company for any loss suffered by the Company as a result of the School breaching its obligations under this Agreement.


10. Variation


No variation of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing and signed by the parties (or their authorised representatives).


11. Entire Agreement


11.1 This Agreement constitutes the entire Agreement between the parties and supersedes all previous agreements, arrangements and understandings between them, whether written or oral, relating to its subject matter.


11.2 Each party agrees that it shall have no remedies in respect of any statement, representation, assurance or warranty (whether made innocently or negligently) that is not set out in this Agreement.


11.3 Each party agrees that it shall have no claim for innocent or negligent misrepresentation or negligent misstatement based on any statement in this Agreement.


12. Assignments


Neither party shall assign, transfer, subcontract, or deal in any other manner with any or all of its rights and obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party.


13. Counterparts


This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when executed shall constitute a duplicate original, but all the counterparts shall together constitute the one agreement.


14. Third Party Rights


This Agreement does not confer any rights on any person or party other than the parties to this Agreement and where applicable their successors and permitted assigns pursuant to the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.


15. Governing Law


This Agreement and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales.


16. Jurisdiction


Each party irrevocably agrees that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with this Agreement or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims).


The parties acknowledge that they have read and understand this Agreement and voluntarily accept the duties and obligations set forth herein.

Nienke Alberts

Evaluation Manager

Nienke worked as a university lecturer for several years before moving into evaluation and mixed‑methods research in the education sector. She has led research at the University of Bristol on how best to support students and developed the evaluation framework for the London NCOP (now UniConnect). Nienke is passionate about using evidence to highlight and address educational inequalities, and has worked with organisations such as AccessHE and the Sutton Trust to identify biases and barriers within the education system.

Amie MacNab-Jack

Early Years Curriculum Lead

Amie began her career in education through the Teach First programme, but her passion for teaching started much earlier — in a makeshift childhood classroom, leading lessons for her teddies! Since then, her career has been shaped by a commitment to addressing educational inequality. She has worked across early years settings, supported disadvantaged families through her work with a charity and developed early years curriculum as a freelance writer. Her work is grounded in the belief that the early years lay the foundation for lifelong learning — and that lasting change in education starts with equity, compassion and a deep commitment to nurturing every child’s potential.

Aimee Christodoulou-Dunn

Marketing and Sales Lead

Aimee has worked in marketing and communications across the arts and charity sectors for several years, most recently for a music education charity before joining the Learning with Parents team. She is passionate about equity, diversity, and inclusion, and strives to champion these values in all of her work.

Libby Taylor

Fundraising Manager

Libby has spent the last five years in fundraising across universities and the not-for-profit sector in Australia. She’s passionate about education as a force for real social change and absolutely loves connecting with people and building partnerships that genuinely matter. Libby is driven by a commitment to tackling educational inequality and ensuring every child gets the chance to thrive.

Jo Seymour

School Partnership Manager

Jo spent 24 years as a dedicated primary school teacher, mainly in Key Stage 1, and held leadership roles in both KS1 and EYFS. Throughout her career, she was passionate about developing children’s love for reading and writing, serving as English Subject Leader for many years. She led a range of inclusive initiatives to promote reading for pleasure, both in school and at home, with a strong focus on engaging all families. Jo is now excited to be part of the Learning with Parents team, where she supports schools in strengthening parental engagement and helping to close the achievement gap for disadvantaged children.

Y'aaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Cap'n Chris Jarman

Technology and Systems Lead

Chris began his career as a software engineer, before transitioning to a leadership role during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he discovered how much he enjoys navigating chaos and uncertainty. He is passionate about mentorship and strives to help people develop and hone new skills.