Parents and Families Matter!

I was listening to a debate about private education and how schools in the private sector have so much to teach those of us who have spent our lives in the public sector. I recognise that there are always things to learn and the impact of private education on the development of character is obvious to everyone.
However, no-one mentioned that parents and families really, really matter when it comes to education and learning and more than ever we need all our schools to connect powerfully with young people through working with their families and the communities they live in. The research suggests that a great school can achieve great things but it's impact on a child's life only amounts to around 12-15% of the child's success. A great family and a great mum has a massively more important and influential role accounting for up to 30% of a child's success. And surprisingly a great community, an aspirational community, also matters hugely to a child's success. Sadly, while it helps, going to a great school is not the only answer to the problems we face and we must recognise that the answers to the real challenges we all face in raising standards and achieving world class outcomes for our children lie in tackling poverty, deprivation and poor parenting and in building equality and equity at the heart of everything we do.

Chris