Parent engagement ideas: how schools can move from reactive to proactive engagement

How parent engagement often becomes reactive 

When many international schools think about parent engagement, the focus is often on the moments when communication becomes necessary. That might mean: 

• A behaviour concern 

• An attendance issue 

• An academic challenge 

• A complaint that needs addressing 

But by the time many of these conversations happen, the relationship between school and family is already under pressure. For many schools, however, the problem lies in a lack of visibility more than anything else. 

Schools often work hard to communicate with parents, but this lack of visibility means engagement can feel fragmented, reactive and difficult to measure. The result is that important opportunities to build trust and strengthen relationships are missed. 

The strongest schools take a different approach. Rather than waiting for a problem to trigger communication, they create regular opportunities for parents to engage with school life. 

Why parent engagement matters 

Strong relationships between schools and families can have a significant impact on students' experiences at school. Parents who feel informed, included and connected are often better positioned to support their child's learning and wellbeing. 

But more than simply sharing information, parent engagement is about creating a genuine partnership between home and school. This means creating opportunities for parents to engage with and participate in school life throughout the year. 

Signs you could engage parents more proactively

1. Parents only hear from the school when something is wrong 

One of the clearest signs of reactive engagement is that communication is largely problem-driven. Parents may hear from school when: 

• Attendance starts to decline 

• Behaviour concerns emerge 

• Academic performance drops 

• A complaint or issue needs resolving 

While these conversations are important, they shouldn't be the only interactions families have with school. When communication is associated with problems, parents begin to view contact with the school negatively.  

Similarly, having no communications outside of issues that need resolving can make parents feel disconnected from the wider school community. 

2. Engagement only happens in isolated moments 

Many schools put significant effort into parent engagement opportunities: parent-teacher conferences, sports days, performances and open events all play an important role.  

The challenge is that these moments can become isolated touchpoints rather than part of an ongoing relationship. A parent may attend one parent-teacher conference, then have limited interaction with school for months. 

This makes it harder for schools to understand engagement levels and creates fewer opportunities to build trust over time.  

The most effective parent engagement ideas focus on creating a consistent experience throughout the year, rather than relying on a handful of key events. 

3. You miss opportunities to build community 

Schools are about far more than classrooms. Clubs, performances, enrichment activities, showcases and community events all create opportunities for families to connect with school life. 

As you might expect, the parents who attend these activities are often the ones who feel most engaged with the school community. 

These events offer valuable opportunities to strengthen relationships, celebrate student achievements and encourage greater participation from families. 

However, many schools have limited visibility into which families attend events, how often they participate and where there are opportunities for greater engagement. As a result, schools can miss valuable opportunities to strengthen their wider community.

What proactive parent engagement looks like 

Proactive parent engagement is built around ongoing relationships rather than isolated interactions. Instead of waiting for a reason to contact parents, schools create meaningful opportunities for families to connect throughout the year. This could include: 

• Regular touchpoints: communication is consistent, relevant and timely, and takes place throughout the year 

• Parents hear the good as well as bad: teachers contact home to celebrate good behaviour or academic progress, not just to share a problem 

• Easier booking experiences: parents can quickly and easily book meetings, reducing barriers to engagement and increasing participation 

• Greater participation in school events: families are encouraged to engage with clubs, performances, showcases and enrichment activities 

• Clear visibility of engagement levels: schools can understand how parents are interacting with different aspects of school life 

Why visibility matters 

Many international schools face what our recent school management report describes as ‘the patchwork problem’ – having access to valuable information but struggling to connect and act upon it.  

The same challenge exists in parent engagement. Schools know who attended a parent-teacher conference or school performance. They know which students participate in clubs or school trips. But they often struggle to see the bigger picture:  

• Which families are highly engaged?  

• Which families rarely participate?  

• Where are opportunities to strengthen relationships?  

And this is especially important for international schools, where parents are often more likely to be absent and affluent neglect is a significant challenge. But without visibility, parent engagement becomes reactive rather than strategic.

Building stronger connections through school life 

The strongest schools increasingly view parent engagement as an ongoing journey rather than a series of standalone events. Every interaction contributes to a stronger relationship: 

• Parent-teacher conferences

• School performances 

• Clubs and activities 

• Enrichment events 

• Information evenings 

• Community celebrations 

Together with smaller communications in between each event, these touchpoints help schools move from simply communicating with parents to actively building a connected school community.

Creating a more connected approach to parent engagement 

Many schools are already exploring new parent engagement ideas to strengthen relationships with families. The opportunity lies in improving visibility and making participation easier, rather than just creating more events. 

Solutions such as Tes Parents' Meetings help schools simplify bookings and strengthen communication between home and school.  

Similarly, Tes Clubs and Events helps schools more easily manage activities, events and participation in less time, providing greater visibility into how families engage with the wider school community. 

Together, these solutions help schools move towards a more connected approach to parent engagement, helping families feel informed, involved and connected throughout their child's school journey. 

Meet with our expert team to explore how Tes Parents' Meetings and Clubs and Events can help your school strengthen relationships, increase participation and create a more connected community.