Parent engagement in education is about parents and carers, schools and communities working together to support children’s learning, development and wellbeing. 

Parents and carers who are engaged and interested in their child’s learning and their life at school can play a positive part in building their child’s academic, social and emotional growth. This can help improve their learning outcomes as well as their belief in their ability to learn and the importance and value of education.

Below are some resources to help parents and carers engage with their child’s learning and development.

NSW EDUCATION STANDARDS AUTHORITY (NESA)

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is an independent statutory authority responsible for school curriculum, assessment, teaching and regulatory standards in NSW schools. NESA has developed the new K–10 syllabuses being phased in across NSW and is also responsible for developing and managing the Higher School Certificate.

View NESA's Parent Guide for more information on navigating the NSW school system. You can purchase published NSW syllabuses, handbooks of exceptional student work, HSC exam workbooks and other quality educational resources for teachers, students and parents via the NESA Shop.

School A-Z QUICK GUIDE

The NSW Department of Education offers an A-Z quick guide of common topics of inquiry for parents and carers. From 'attendance' to 'wellbeing', the site provides an indexed guide of important links and information about your child at school.

'Gearing up for Parent Engagement in Student Learning' toolkit

The new Parent Engagement toolkit from Catholic School Parents Australia (CSPA) has been developed for families and schools to help make the transition into primary and secondary school a great experience for children and young people.

Over 22 modules, this information will assist the relationship between parent and child to flourish into a meaningful partnership between home and school towards improving the learning and wellbeing of students.

Learning Potential

The Learning Potential website is an Australian Government site with tips and ideas to help you nurture your child’s learning and potential. Learning Potential has hundreds of regularly updated articles, videos and resources on all aspects of your child’s learning and development, from the early years to the end of high school. Browse by category, or search by topic.

Learning Potential also offers its content via an app, which can be downloaded on the App Store or Google Play.

The website includes a resource space for primary school parents, to support your children's learning at home. It contains ideas, activities, games and videos to practice together, that reinforce and build on the Australian Curriculum concepts and skills your child will encounter in the classroom.

GOVERNMENT PARENTING ENGAGEMENT RESOURCES

The Australian Government Department of Education and Training has compiled a webpage of links and resources that provide information and support on parent engagement. 

These include links to other relevant Australian Government sites; links providing help for parents, carers and families; links to parent engagement research organisations.

There is also a list of links to relevant research reports about the value of parent engagement in learning. 

COUNCIL OF CATHOLIC SCHOOL PARENTS NSW/ACT

Parents play an important role in your child’s learning, faith-development and well-being – and children generally do better when there are connections between the different spaces they learn in, such as home and school.

The CCSP website provides information, links and tips about creating strong, authentic partnerships between home and school for your child, and engaging with your child's education.

See their website for the latest news, resources, and hot topics for parents, and to follow CCSP's 'Partners in Learning' blog.

NAPLAN resources

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. 

NAPLAN tests the sorts of skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life, such as reading, writing, spelling and numeracy. The assessments are undertaken nationwide, every year, in the second full week in May. Find more information on NAPLAN on the NAP website.

Further information for parents and carers:

• NAPLAN Online information brochure for parents and carers  (Visit the NAP website to access this information brochure in a variety of languages).
• 'Helping students get ready for the NAPLAN tests' information brochure from Michael Grose and Parenting Ideas.
• Understand the benefits of NAPLAN testing in this infographic from NAPLAN and ACARA.
• Understand how to read your child's NAPLAN report from NAPLAN and ACARA.
• Some tips on using tests to benefit your child's future learning from Learning Potential.