Review of the best practice in parental engagement

This report presents a review of studies of interventions aimed at supporting and improving parental engagement in the education of children aged 5-19, and which also offer evidence on educational outcomes. The overall aim of the review is to:
• identify key themes and messages for practitioners and school leaders.
• highlight findings and conclusions from the evidence reviewed
The review is confined to studies of interventions aimed at supporting and improving parental engagement in their children’s education and which offer evidence on educational outcomes. Priority is given to studies undertaken in the period 2000 – 2010, although earlier, frequently cited studies are also included. The authors adopt a broad interpretation of ‘parental engagement’, which includes learning at home, school-home and home-school communication, in-school activities, decision-making (e.g. being a parent governor) and collaborating with the community.