Parents: The Source of Success in England State Schools
In UK state schools that demonstrate high academic success, teacher quality, school administration, and educational policies matter, but so do the relationships parents build with the school and the support they provide for their children's education. This situation brings back into focus the question of how much of the achievement gap in state schools stems from the education provided by the school and how much originates from the family and socioeconomic conditions of the students.
In successful state schools, it is noteworthy that families support the academic and behavioral expectations set by the school. Parents taking an active role in ensuring their children attend school regularly, arrive on time, complete their homework, and prepare for exams allows the school's educational policies to be sustained in the home environment as well.
Children of families who embrace the school's high expectations are able to progress in stronger alignment with the school throughout the educational process. Therefore, academic success is considered a result not only of the teaching activities that take place in the classroom but also of school-family collaboration and the learning environment the student has at home. The debate in the UK points to a broader issue regarding educational policies: in order to reduce the achievement gaps between schools, it is necessary not only to improve the instructional capacity of the schools but also to create conditions that enable families from different socioeconomic groups to support their children's education equally.