In this episode, Dr Emma Kell and Clemmie Stewart discuss how parents/carers can build successful relationships with schools. Emma and Clemmie also share their practical tips for breaking down barriers between home and school and ways you can work together by using effective communication.

Dr Emma Kell has almost 25 years of experience as a teacher and leader in UK secondary schools and she currently teaches in Alternative Provision. She is a qualified Performance Coach and speaks and writes regularly on teacher wellbeing and engaging parents with schools. She has completed a doctorate on teacher well-being and parenting at Middlesex University and is the author of How to Survive in Teaching, A Little Guide For Teachers: Wellbeing and Self-Care and A Little Guide for Teachers: Engaging Parents and Carers with School.

Clemmie currently holds the role of leading learning and teaching across a group of 14 schools. She is an experienced school leader, having been a headteacher for seven years, recently overseeing two schools. Further to this, she has also been an Education Partner for a Multi-Academy Trust, supporting Primary Academies on the South Coast. 

Emma and Clemmie recommend the book You are Awesome: Find Your Confidence and Dare to be Brilliant at (Almost) Anything by Matthew Syed. Alongside this, they also suggest The Happy Self Journal.

You can find out more about Emma on Twitter @thosethatcan  and Clemmie @CStewart_CS

Emma and Clemmie share three tips during the episode:

1. The importance of training staff on how to build effective relationships with parents.

2. As a parent or carer, go into schools with a positive open mind.

3. Do your research by going into schools, meeting people, and asking probing questions.

The My Family Coach podcasts covers every aspect of children’s behaviour, all in handy 15 minute (ish) bite-sized chunks. Each episode features a new guest chatting about a different aspect of behaviour and leaves you with three handy tips to use at home.