Bringing PSHE to parents/carers: tools & techniques for positive engagement

Are you looking for strategies to effectively communicate the value of PSHE to your parent community?

Feeling unsure about how to respond to parents’/carers’ questions about your PSHE/RSHE curriculum?

Here’s an overview of some of our guidance, resources, and CPD training (next taking place 19^th November for primary schools and 27^th November for secondaries) specifically designed to help you engage confidently with parents/carers and build a safe, supportive environment for pupil learning.

Why engage parents/carers in PSHE education?

Building a strong partnership with your parent/carer community is essential to delivering a robust, effective, and fully compliant PSHE education.

The DfE’s statutory guidance on Relationships and sex education states that “all schools should work closely with parents when planning and delivering [RSHE]” and give parents “every opportunity to understand the purpose and content of Relationships Education and RSE”.

When parents understand the aims of the curriculum and feel actively involved, they are more likely to support your work in delivering a well-rounded programme designed with all pupils’ needs in mind.

Data from recent YouGov has shown that parents/carers are overwhelmingly supportive of PSHE education, but often seek a clearer understanding of the rationale and evidence for teaching various topics across the subject.

Practical guidance, resources and CPD

Our reference tool PSHE education: what it covers and why it works will help you to take an evidence-based approach when setting out your rationale for teaching each area of the curriculum, and enhance the development of a deeper, more reciprocal relationship with your school’s community of parents/carers.

Available either as a downloadable PDF or interactive webpage, this tool brings together the evidence base for the importance of PSHE, using prevalence statistics for various health and behaviour trends among children and young people, and impact evidence which shows how PSHE education can help keep young people happy, healthy and safe.

We also have guidance on Engaging with parents/carers about Relationships (and Sex) Education.

These guides will support you to communicate with parents about statutory Relationships Education (for KS1-2 pupils) and Relationships and Sex Education (for KS3-4 pupils). They include practical advice — including a template letter and parent workshop plan — on how to explain the statutory requirements and right of withdrawal from sex education.

Our Engaging with parents online CPD course (available for primary and secondary) will support you to navigate discussions with parents/carers about all aspects of PSHE including policies, lesson plans, resources, and pupil withdrawal. You’ll come away feeling better equipped to address parents’/carers’ questions around PSHE content — ensuring that your pupils have the best chance of receiving consistent, comprehensive support both inside and outside the classroom.

Key takeaways include:

• Schools’ statutory duties to consult with parents/carers, ensuring compliance with the DfE’s RSHE guidance.
• Best practice for sharing PSHE resources with parents/carers in a clear and accessible way, fostering open dialogue and opportunities for questions.
• Strategies for effectively engaging with your parent/carer community, including techniques for addressing concerns or objections.
• Practical support on responding to parental requests to withdraw pupils from specific elements of the curriculum while maintaining supportive, transparent communication.

 This course is ideal for:

• PSHE leads looking to communicate curriculum aims to parents/carers and facilitate a collaborative approach to the subject between home and school.
• Senior leaders needing to understand the statutory requirements around parental consultation in PSHE and lead school-wide efforts to strengthen parent partnerships.
• Class teachers responsible for delivering PSHE lessons who want to feel more confident in tackling parents’/carers’ questions on content and resources.

Next taking place 19 November (primary) and 27 November (secondary).