Supporting Learning at Home
Why Home Learning Support Matters
Children often benefit when families are actively involved in education.
Support does not require parents to be teachers. Small, consistent actions can make a significant difference.
Examples include:
- Encouraging reading
- Talking about learning
- Helping with routines
- Supporting homework where appropriate
- Encouraging attendance
- Promoting healthy sleep
- Supporting emotional wellbeing
- Celebrating effort and progress
Practical Tips
- Create a quiet learning space if possible.
- Establish routines.
- Encourage curiosity and questions.
- Focus on progress rather than perfection.
- Maintain regular communication with school.
Useful resources:
- BBC Bitesize:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize
- Oak National Academy:
https://www.thenational.academy/
- National Literacy Trust:
Parents' Evenings
What Are Parents' Evenings?
Parents' evenings provide opportunities to discuss:
- Academic progress
- Attendance
- Behaviour
- Wellbeing
- SEND support
- Future goals
Parents should feel able to:
- Ask questions
- Request clarification
- Discuss concerns
- Share information about home circumstances
Questions You May Wish to Ask
- How is my child progressing?
- What are their strengths?
- Are there any concerns?
- What support is available?
- What can we do at home?
- How is attendance affecting progress?
- Are there wellbeing concerns?
Take notes during meetings where possible.
School Meetings
Understanding School Meetings
Schools may arrange meetings regarding:
- Progress reviews
- Attendance concerns
- SEND support
- Behaviour concerns
- EHCP reviews
- Safeguarding matters
- Transition planning
Preparing for Meetings
Before attending:
- Read any documents provided
- Write down questions
- Bring relevant evidence
- Consider bringing an advocate if appropriate
- Keep copies of correspondence
After meetings:
- Request written notes if available
- Record agreed actions
- Monitor progress
Education During Separation
Supporting Children During Family Changes
Parental separation can affect education, attendance, behaviour and wellbeing.
Children may experience:
- Anxiety
- Confusion
- Changes in routine
- Emotional distress
- Concentration difficulties
Schools should be informed of significant changes where appropriate.
Helpful Approaches
- Maintain consistent communication.
- Avoid involving children in adult disputes.
- Share relevant information with school.
- Focus on the child's needs.
- Encourage emotional support.
Useful resources:
- Citizens Advice:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
- Family Lives:
https://www.familylives.org.uk/
- Cafcass:
Supporting Additional Needs
Children with SEND or Disabilities
Families may need additional support when children have:
- Autism
- ADHD
- Dyslexia
- Dyspraxia
- Learning disabilities
- Physical disabilities
- Sensory impairments
- Mental health difficulties
Parents can:
- Work with the SENCO
- Request assessments
- Participate in reviews
- Keep records
- Seek independent advice
Useful links:
- SEND Guide:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-guide-for-parents-and-carers
- SEND Code of Practice:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25
- Contact:
- IPSEA:
Family Support Services
Early Help & Family Support
Families may benefit from support when facing challenges relating to:
- Education
- Attendance
- SEND
- Mental health
- Housing
- Finances
- Parenting
- Family relationships
Services may include:
Early Help Services
Support before problems become more serious.
Family Hubs
Local support for families.
Parenting Programmes
Practical parenting support.
Youth Services
Support for young people.
Useful links:
- Family Hubs:
https\://www\.gov.uk/guidance/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-programme
- Find Local Council:
https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council
- Family Lives:
Parent Support Groups
Peer Support for Families
Many families find support through local or national groups.
Benefits may include:
- Shared experiences
- Emotional support
- Information sharing
- Advocacy advice
- Community connections
Support groups may focus on:
- SEND
- Autism
- ADHD
- Disability
- Mental health
- Home education
- School attendance
- Family wellbeing
Useful organisations:
Contact
National Autistic Society
ADHD UK
Mencap
Family Lives
Parent Rights in Education
Parents and carers may have rights to:
- Receive information from schools
- Participate in educational decisions
- Attend meetings
- Request records
- Raise concerns
- Access complaints procedures
- Request SEND assessments
- Challenge certain decisions
- Receive information in accessible formats
Useful links:
- Education Information:
https://www.gov.uk/browse/education
- School Complaints:
Family Wellbeing & Mental Health
Parents and carers also need support.
Family wellbeing can affect:
- Attendance
- Learning
- Behaviour
- Relationships
- Emotional health
Support may be available through:
- GPs
- NHS services
- Family support organisations
- Local authorities
- Charities
Useful links:
- NHS Mental Health:
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/
- Mind:
- Family Lives:
Legal Rights
Parents and families may have rights relating to:
Education
- Participation in educational decisions
- Access to information
- School admissions processes
SEND
- Assessments
- EHCP processes
- Appeals
- Reviews
Equality
Protection from discrimination.
Data Protection
Access to personal information and educational records.
Useful links:
- Equality Act Guidance:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance
- ICO:
https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/
- SEND Tribunal:
https://www.gov.uk/courts-tribunals/first-tier-tribunal-special-educational-needs-and-disability
Evidence Standards
Good record-keeping can help families advocate effectively.
Useful records include:
- School reports
- Attendance records
- SEND documentation
- EHCP paperwork
- Meeting notes
- Emails
- Letters
- Medical evidence
- Behaviour records
- School communications
Good Evidence Practice
Keep:
- Dates
- Names
- Agreed actions
- Outcomes
- Copies of correspondence
Evidence should be:
- Accurate
- Relevant
- Organised
- Child-focused
Accountability & Escalation
If concerns are not resolved:
School Level
- Teacher
- Form Tutor
- SENCO
- Headteacher
Governance Level
- Governors
- Academy Trust
Local Authority
- Education Services
- SEND Teams
- Complaints Teams
Independent Routes
- Ombudsman
- SEND Tribunal
- Equality Advisory Support Service
Useful links:
- Complain About a School:
https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-school
- Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman:
- Equality Advisory Support Service:
Advocacy & Independent Advice
Useful organisations include:
Citizens Advice
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
Contact
IPSEA
Family Lives
https://www.familylives.org.uk/
SENDIASS
https://councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/information-advice-and-support-services-network
Quick Help Directory
Family Hubs
https\://www\.gov.uk/guidance/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-programme
Family Lives
https://www.familylives.org.uk/
Contact
SEND Guide
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-guide-for-parents-and-carers
SEND Code of Practice
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25
IPSEA
NHS Mental Health
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/
School Complaints
https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-school
Citizens Advice
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
Ombudsman
Equality Advice
Key Message
Parents, carers and families are important partners in education. Effective communication, early support, good record-keeping and understanding rights can help children and young people achieve positive educational outcomes. Families should feel empowered to ask questions, seek support, challenge decisions where necessary and work collaboratively with schools and services to meet a child's educational and wellbeing needs.
Important Rights & Support Families Should Know
Best Start Family Hubs
England's expanded Best Start Family Hubs bring together parenting, health, early-years and wider family support. Government information says the hubs are free to use and are intended to make support easier to access in one place.
Find Best Start Family Hub SupportSeparated Parents & Schools
DfE has specific guidance for schools and local authorities on parental responsibility, non-resident parents, court orders, educational records and disputes between adults.
Parental Responsibility GuidanceRequest an EHC Needs Assessment
In England, a parent can ask the local authority for an EHC needs assessment. Young people aged 16–25 can also request an assessment themselves.
EHC Assessment InformationSchool Complaint Route
Every state school in England must have a complaints procedure. Start with the school, keep copies of responses, and use the correct external route if the issue remains unresolved.
Complain About a SchoolParental Responsibility, School Information & Separation
Separation does not automatically remove a parent's legal relationship with their child's education. Schools should distinguish between parental responsibility, who the child lives with, who has day-to-day care and whether a court order changes what can be decided or shared.
Non-Resident Parents
DfE guidance warns schools not to assume that a parent who does not live with the child has no education rights. Schools should understand the legal position and relevant court orders rather than relying only on family living arrangements.
Educational Information
Depending on the school type and legal basis, parents may be entitled to school reports, communications or access to educational records. Ask the school to explain in writing if it refuses a request.
Court Orders
Schools should take account of relevant child arrangements, prohibited steps, specific issue or care orders. A school may ask for a copy of the latest order where it affects education or contact arrangements.
Changing School
DfE guidance highlights that major education decisions can require consultation between people who hold parental responsibility. Where adults cannot agree, independent legal advice or the family court may be needed.
Accessing Educational Records & Personal Information
Education Records
ICO guidance explains that people with parental authority can have a separate right under education regulations to request access to a child's education record. The rules vary according to the education setting and UK nation.
ICO – Accessing Pupil InformationSubject Access Requests
Data-protection rights can also apply to personal data held by a school or public body. These rights are distinct from the education-record rules.
ICO – Subject Access RequestsChild's Own Rights
Children can have their own data-protection rights. Whether a parent can exercise those rights on the child's behalf can depend on the child's understanding and the circumstances.
Keep Requests Precise
State exactly what records or information you want, identify relevant dates and keep the original request and response together.
When a Child Needs More Support
Families do not have to wait until a child is failing completely before raising concerns. Start with the teacher or SENCO, describe the barriers and impact, and ask what assess-plan-do-review support is being used.
SEN Support
Schools should identify and support pupils with SEN and involve parents in reviewing progress and the support being provided.
SEND Support – GOV.UKEHC Needs Assessment
A parent can request an EHC needs assessment directly from the local authority if they believe their child may need an EHC plan.
Requesting an EHC AssessmentSENDIASS
Local Information, Advice and Support Services provide free impartial SEND information and support to children, young people and parents.
Find SENDIASSSEND Tribunal
Certain local-authority SEND decisions have a statutory appeal route to the First-tier Tribunal. Do not rely only on a school complaint if the decision itself carries a tribunal right.
SEND TribunalAttendance Concerns Should Start With Understanding Barriers
Ask Why Attendance Is Difficult
Possible barriers include illness, SEND, anxiety, bullying, transport, safeguarding problems, housing instability and family circumstances.
Agree Practical Actions
Ask who will do what, what support will be offered, when it starts and when the plan will be reviewed.
Keep Attendance Evidence
Keep attendance printouts, medical evidence, school messages, support plans, meeting notes and records of absences that have been incorrectly coded or disputed.
Escalate Unmet Need Separately
An attendance discussion does not replace SEND, safeguarding, disability or health-needs duties where those issues are contributing to absence.
Best Start Family Hubs
Best Start Family Hubs are intended to make it easier to find family support in one place rather than navigating many separate services.
Free Local Support
The government describes Best Start Family Hubs as free places where families can ask for help, meet other parents and connect with services.
Parenting & Home Learning
Current government guidance includes parenting support and home-learning environment interventions as part of the Best Start model.
Health & Wellbeing
Hubs can connect families with health services, infant feeding support, perinatal mental-health support and other local services.
Wider Help
The programme is also designed to connect families with relationship, employment, housing, money and other local support where available.
Choosing the Correct Complaint Route
Ordinary School Complaint
Start with the school's published complaints procedure. Keep the complaint, evidence, acknowledgement, decision and any appeal-stage response.
State School ComplaintsDfE Escalation
DfE can consider certain complaints after the school procedure has been completed, or where the school is preventing the complainant from completing it.
Complain to DfEWhole-School Concern
Ofsted can consider certain unresolved concerns affecting the school as a whole. It does not act as an appeal body for most individual disputes.
Complain to OfstedDifferent Legal Route?
Child protection, discrimination, data protection, admissions, exclusions, exam issues and SEND appeals may need another statutory or regulatory route.
Find the Correct RouteBefore, During & After a School Meeting
Before
Ask for the agenda and relevant documents. Write down your main concerns, questions, evidence and the outcome you are asking for.
During
Keep the discussion child-focused. Ask for explanations of unclear terms, identify who is responsible for each action and agree realistic dates.
After
Send a short email recording your understanding of the actions and dates. If school minutes are inaccurate, send your corrections promptly and keep both versions.
If You Need Support
Ask whether you can bring an advocate, friend or support worker. Request reasonable adjustments if disability or communication needs affect participation.
Parent & Family Support Across the UK
England
Use GOV.UK, your school or college, local authority, SENDIASS and Best Start Family Hubs for education and family-support routes.
Education – EnglandWales
Teulu Cymru and local Family Information Services provide family support. Wales uses the Additional Learning Needs system rather than England's SEN/EHC-plan framework.
Teulu Cymru Find Family Information ServiceScotland
Scottish law promotes parental involvement in school education. Parents and carers also have rights to be involved in discussions about additional support for learning.
Scotland Additional Support Parental Involvement GuidanceNorthern Ireland
nidirect provides information about parental education rights, school complaints and family/community support. Northern Ireland has its own SEN and education framework.
NI Parental Rights in Education Community Family Support