🤝 Positive formal Parent Partnership Meetings. ✅

"At Woodlands we are committed to open relationships and communication with families to support the development of their child."

The National Quality Framework and the national Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) ask educators to go beyond traditional parent involvement activities to form ‘respectful supportive relationships’ with families.

NQS: Quality Area 6 – Collaborative partnerships with families and communities.
Standard 6.1 Supportive relationships with families, Element 6.1.2 - Element 6.1.3.
Standard 6.2 Collaborative partnerships, Element 6.2.1 - Element 6.2.2 - Element 6.2.3

https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/acecqa/files/QualityInformationSheets/QualityArea6/QualityArea6BuildingPartnershipsWithFamilies.pdf

What are they?

Parent partnership meetings are an important part of children's learning and the starting point for creating a respectful collaborative partnership with the families at Woodlands. It is a way that shows families that we value their knowledge and voice that will support each child and their learning needs. 

It is important at Woodlands we build on and maintain respectful, supportive relationships with families. It is a way for Families to have opportunities to be involved in the service and contribute to service decisions that effect their child/ren's learning needs. 

When and how are Parent partnership meetings conducted at Woodlands?

The formal partnership meetings will be taking place a minimum of 2 times per year, 1st one in January, then the next in June. These partnership meetings will support you to gather documentation that will directly support you to gather children's individual goal and be able to support a part of your evidence in the Curriculum planning. 
This document is to be shared to families once you as the Educator/Teacher have put together strategies that support the conversation had with the families. 

NOTE: If families can't make it due to work or other commitments, then don't force them. If they are unable to make the scheduled time and date you have booked, they try to talk to them through drop of and pick up if it is suitable. If the meeting is still not available for the family, then fill in the educator and strategy section. 

How to access this document:
Playground → Tables → New table → Provider → select Positive partnerships      

NOTE: When having these positive partnership meeting, it is very essential that you are passing on any change in routine of the child to the Leadership team, for them to update the information Child's Xplor profile. 

Sending out communication when requesting Parent Partnership Meetings:

Dear families,

We would like to welcome and invite you to book in a Positive Partnership Meeting with myself (enter name); your child's primary educator. Our partnership meeting will be shared on Playground/Xplor to ensure you are aware of the discussion, the meetings can be either over the phone, or in person in the family lounge area and will only go for about 10/15min. 

The aim of these regular meetings is for us at Woodlands to have the opportunity to sit down and have a discussion about your thoughts and educational needs for your child, and as the Teacher/Educator, I along side the team will build on strategies that will support you and your child's needs and voices. To foster a genuine commitment to, and the value of parent’s and educator’s/teacher role in developing children at Woodlands Long Day Care & Kindergarten, we invite all parents to make an appointment. This meeting will be to discuss yours and the educator’s/teacher's plans, goals and development of your child.

Communication Options:

 

In-Person: Parents are welcome to come into the Woodlands Campus and sit down with their child's teacher.

Phone Call: Your child's teacher will call you on the nominated phone number.

Google meets: The Leadership team will support your child's teacher to organise a google meets at the appropriate time. 
Note: families need to stick within the dates and times specified, this is the time the primary educator will be off the floor. 

Dates: Enter date of partnership meeting.

Time frame available: (example 10am-2pm,)

Attach link to book Positive Partnership Meeting or attach the google meets link: (attach link to 'campus appointment' calandly). 

Please comment with the time you are available bellow. 

Thank you

(sign of with your name)

(position in Campus)

Outside of these positive partnership meeting that support the curriculum and children's individual learning, Woodlands also offers Parent Partnership meetings every Fridays. Parents can book in a meeting with their child's educators via an online booking system available on the centre's online website. This can also be shared by the leadership team. Parents are able to ask any questions or express any concerns they have. 

NOTE: Parent Partnership meeting's are to be scheduled on 'Calendy' this can be booked with the support of your Leadership team. 

The Nominated supervisor, the Educational Leader, will consider:

• How is collaboration with families valued and reflected in your service’s philosophy, policies and everyday practice?
• Do educators show respect for the lifestyle and traditions of families?
• Do educators understand the requirements of the National Quality Framework?
• How do educators use and share resources and information for families on ACECQA’s family focused website, Starting Blocks? 

How to prepare for a Parent partnership meeting?

When meeting or engaging with parents and carers you may consider:

• Projecting a positive attitude in order to strengthen your relationship with the family.
• Respect differences in views and ideas.
• Find out about parents' needs, goals and concerns.
• Empower families with shared decision making.
• Providing families with accessible information about the purpose of the meeting. This includes advance copies of documents to be discussed and a list of who will be present.
• Make sure that parents/carers are informed about the roles of meeting attendees, including those who have not been involved before.
• Make accommodations for cultural needs, sensitivities and protocols.
• Make a record of the meeting and distribute it to participants. This may include key discussion points and areas for action. 

Reflective questions to consider?

• Do we really know what families value?
• Do we really question our own practices?
• How can we ensure our parent partnerships embrace opportunities and as we do with children how can we ensure we approach each family as an individual?
• We encourage you to question your practices and think of one family that you have found harder to engage. Try a different strategy and see if it changes the relationship.

NOTE:  Room Leader's/Educator 's are also able to request a Parent partnership meeting with families. 

🟢 A parent may book in for a Parent partnership meeting for various reasons. These may include:

• To gain an insight into the curriculum/ room routine/ planning & programming.
• To gain insight into child's progress and development.
• To discuss concerns relating to an educator or a complaint that has been made.

🟢 Room leaders/Educators and the Leadership team may request a parent partnership meeting in instances where:

• A parent has made a complaint or has expressed a concern.
• To discuss developmental/educational concerns and/or challenging behaviours.
• To gain insight into parent's goals, culture and home routine.
• To implement a behavioural guidance plan.