× EXIT Opening the School Gate | Planning for engagement Involving key staff When planning a strategy, find out who has the capacity, skills and interest in engaging migrant and refugee families in your school. You may have staff with particular expertise or experience who should be involved. Coordination of parent support activities is vital and this may involve some out-of-hours activities and administration. You might consider appointing a Community Liaison Officer (bilingual if possible) to implement some of the initiatives outlined in this resource. You will need to provide support to all staff involved and share the workload so that issues are not marginalised within the school. Broad support from all staff is crucial for the success of the strategies you put in place. Professional development may be required to allow all staff to reach a shared understanding about the needs of culturally diverse families. The attendance of the school principal and coordinators at meetings sends an important message to parents/carers about the value of their involvement. The school environment should encourage teacher interest and involvement. All teachers, welfare staff, school counsellors and EALD specialists have a significant role to play. What you can do Involve all staff in creating a targeted family engagement policy and related strategies. What you can do? Support staff through professional development Use existing models and resources to support a whole-school approach to engaging migrant and refugee communities Appoint a coordinator and/or group of staff to assist with engaging migrant or refugee families Inform all staff about the strategies the school is using Delegate key staff, including CLOs, to make contact with family members Community Liaison Officer (CLO) One of the roles of the CLO is to assist with communication between the school and migrant or refugee parents. CLOs who are bilingual can provide support to parents from particular language backgrounds. They can also provide important information to staff in relation to the cultural practices and concerns of some communities. But it is important to note that CLOs are sometimes placed in a difficult position within the school. Some parents rely on the CLO for information about their child’s individual situation, which may or may not be part of their role. It is important to advise parents of the role of the CLO and the way they can be an effective conduit for communication between the school and its community. Resources 1 Strengthening family and community engagement Course menu Introduction 1 Welcome tour 2 Getting started 3 Overview 4 Benefits of engaging families 5 Issues for migrant and refugee families 6 Issues for schools Planning for engagement 1Overview 2Involving key staff 3Identifying the target groups 4Targeting communities 5Working with community partners 6Setting objectives 7Allocating resources Planning meetings & events 1 Overview 2 Deciding on a format 3 Setting the agenda 4 Seeking parent and student input 5 Choosing an appropriate time 6 Finding a suitable location 7 Arranging childcare 8 Arranging catering 9 Arranging transport 10 Inviting families 11 Translating information 12 Arranging interpreters Meeting management 1 Overview 2 Arranging seating 3 Preparing and managing interpreters 4 Greeting parents 5 Keeping the discussions on track 6 Building trust 7 Exploring expectations about school involvement 8 Explaining practical systems and roles 9 Seeking feedback from parents 10 Sustaining parent involvement Ongoing support 1 Overview 2 Creating a welcoming environment 3 Seeking consent 4 Addressing parent concerns about camps 5 Catering for cultural dietary needs 6 Discussing welfare concerns with parents 7 Addressing discipline issues 8 Reporting on student progress 9 Holding parent-teacher meetings 10 Creating opportunities for meaningful involvement Acknowledgements 1 Acknowledgements Resources 1 Strengthening family and community engagement
× EXIT Opening the School Gate | Planning for engagement Involving key staff When planning a strategy, find out who has the capacity, skills and interest in engaging migrant and refugee families in your school. You may have staff with particular expertise or experience who should be involved. Coordination of parent support activities is vital and this may involve some out-of-hours activities and administration. You might consider appointing a Community Liaison Officer (bilingual if possible) to implement some of the initiatives outlined in this resource. You will need to provide support to all staff involved and share the workload so that issues are not marginalised within the school. Broad support from all staff is crucial for the success of the strategies you put in place. Professional development may be required to allow all staff to reach a shared understanding about the needs of culturally diverse families. The attendance of the school principal and coordinators at meetings sends an important message to parents/carers about the value of their involvement. The school environment should encourage teacher interest and involvement. All teachers, welfare staff, school counsellors and EALD specialists have a significant role to play. What you can do Involve all staff in creating a targeted family engagement policy and related strategies. What you can do? Support staff through professional development Use existing models and resources to support a whole-school approach to engaging migrant and refugee communities Appoint a coordinator and/or group of staff to assist with engaging migrant or refugee families Inform all staff about the strategies the school is using Delegate key staff, including CLOs, to make contact with family members Community Liaison Officer (CLO) One of the roles of the CLO is to assist with communication between the school and migrant or refugee parents. CLOs who are bilingual can provide support to parents from particular language backgrounds. They can also provide important information to staff in relation to the cultural practices and concerns of some communities. But it is important to note that CLOs are sometimes placed in a difficult position within the school. Some parents rely on the CLO for information about their child’s individual situation, which may or may not be part of their role. It is important to advise parents of the role of the CLO and the way they can be an effective conduit for communication between the school and its community. Resources 1 Strengthening family and community engagement Course menu Introduction 1 Welcome tour 2 Getting started 3 Overview 4 Benefits of engaging families 5 Issues for migrant and refugee families 6 Issues for schools Planning for engagement 1Overview 2Involving key staff 3Identifying the target groups 4Targeting communities 5Working with community partners 6Setting objectives 7Allocating resources Planning meetings & events 1 Overview 2 Deciding on a format 3 Setting the agenda 4 Seeking parent and student input 5 Choosing an appropriate time 6 Finding a suitable location 7 Arranging childcare 8 Arranging catering 9 Arranging transport 10 Inviting families 11 Translating information 12 Arranging interpreters Meeting management 1 Overview 2 Arranging seating 3 Preparing and managing interpreters 4 Greeting parents 5 Keeping the discussions on track 6 Building trust 7 Exploring expectations about school involvement 8 Explaining practical systems and roles 9 Seeking feedback from parents 10 Sustaining parent involvement Ongoing support 1 Overview 2 Creating a welcoming environment 3 Seeking consent 4 Addressing parent concerns about camps 5 Catering for cultural dietary needs 6 Discussing welfare concerns with parents 7 Addressing discipline issues 8 Reporting on student progress 9 Holding parent-teacher meetings 10 Creating opportunities for meaningful involvement Acknowledgements 1 Acknowledgements Resources 1 Strengthening family and community engagement
