Working in partnership with parents and carers

About this resource

This Department for Education guidance explores how early years settings can build positive partnerships with parents and carers to support children’s learning and development.

It offers practical ideas for involving families, from helping children settle into a setting to sharing information about their interests and learning. The guidance also considers barriers that can make it harder for some parents and carers to get involved, and how two-way communication can help build trusting relationships.

The resource encourages settings to make partnership working meaningful and manageable, without creating unnecessary paperwork.

Using this resource

This resource is designed for: 

• mental health leads

• senior leaders

• early years practitioners and other education staff working with parents and carers.

Learning outcomes

This resource addresses the following learning outcomes:

• Develop strategies to engage parents, families, carers, virtual school heads and the local community in promoting a culture of wellbeing within and outside school hours.