Why is parental support important in education?

As a parent, you only want to help your child achieve the best they can in their academic life and parental support can be invaluable in making that happen. When schools and parents work together and are on the same page, they can have a really positive impact on attainment and the overall wellbeing of the child. This is why it is so important for parents to be part of their child’s education and work in partnership with their school from when they start their learning journey right the way until after their last exam. 

By taking a more active role in your child’s education and supporting them with their school work etc, you can get a clear view of how they’re doing, if there are any subjects they are struggling with, and how their learning is affecting their mental health. If you do find that your child is finding particular subjects more challenging, you can take steps to get them additional support via online tutoring. 

How does parental support and involvement benefit child education? 

When parents play a part in their education, children do better in a wide variety of ways. These positive outcomes include:  

• Improved behaviour in school  

• Increased self-confidence and esteem.  
• Lower risk of exclusion from school  
• Greater interest in and excitement about learning 
• Better exam outcomes and overall results 

Connecting the dots between parents and schools 

In many cases, teachers want to work with parents and parents want to support their children in their education and school life. This is confirmed by an annual survey of more than 3,000 parents, known as the Parent Voice Report survey. 

2021 data from this survey showed 85% of parents wish to participate in their child’s learning. It also highlighted the major obstacle to them engaging more is lack of time (36%), followed by not being invited (28%), and not being certain of what they can contribute (25%). 

Being supportive in your child’s education can come in a range of ways, it will ultimately depend on how involved you want to be, and what you and your child feel comfortable with. Too much involvement in your child’s education can come across as controlling and won’t be beneficial to their education or their mental health as they should also have the freedom to learn and develop in their own way at their own pace. 

How can parents support their child’s education? 

As one of the closest points of overlap between home and school, homework is where parents can get most involved. Help with homework is generally perceived as supportive and will have positive effects on academic performance. Being an autonomous supportive parent involves focusing on the child’s learning not obsessing over their results. They offer help and only get involved to the level determined by their child. Other examples of how parents can support for their child’s education include: 

• Go to parents’ evening’s and have meetings with teachers 
• Attend school events in which their child is participating 
• Be a volunteer at the school e.g., on school trips or for events 
• Encourage parent involvement in activities the child is interested in 
• Look into extra help in the form of GCSE tutors if their child is struggling with their school work 

Where can I find private tutoring near me? 

If your child needs extra help with a specific GCSE subject, you can find an experienced and professional online tutor from My GCSE tutor. Our detailed tutoring profiles help you get a clear insight into each tutor so you can find the right fit for your child. Contact us if you have any questions.