From Struggle to Strength: Pathways’ Parent Engagement Journey

Introduction

When Tom Neave became the Executive Principal of Pathways School, the school was facing significant challenges. At the time, the school was under-subscribed, operating in a building that was deemed unsafe and unsuitable for educational purposes, and the behaviour issues among the pupils were frequently severe.

These factors, combined with a complex relationship with parents, contributed to a highly challenging learning environment. 

Tom and his team recognised the need to build strong relationships with parents and the community to foster trust and engagement.

They implemented various initiatives to create a culture of collaboration and pride in the school, ultimately transforming Pathways into a thriving community: the school received Edurio’s Parental Engagement Award, receiving among the most positive feedback in the country, about the school’s efforts to engage parents in the academic year 2023/24.

This is the story of Pathways School.

About Pathways School and Eko Trust

Pathways School is located in Barking and Dagenham, an area facing significant socio-economic challenges, including high unemployment and an average life expectancy of just 59 years (compared to the national average of around 80).

The school caters to a vulnerable pupil population, all of whom have social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs, as well as complex challenges such as autism. 

Pathways School is part of Eko Trust, a group of ten Good and Outstanding schools located across East London, East Anglia and Brighton. Another school within the Trust, Kaizen Primary School, also received Edurio’s Parental Engagement Award. 

Pathways’ parental engagement transformation

Upon taking up his post in September 2023, Tom was aware that the school would transition to a new, purpose-built facility by November. This move was fraught with anxiety for both pupils and their families, as it involved changes in transport and the overall school environment.

Additionally, there was an Ofsted inspection just a few months after the move.

To help mitigate these challenges, the team adopted a multifaceted approach to enhance parental engagement, based on the belief that if they could bring parents on the journey with them (both metaphorically, and physically as they relocated) the transition would be smoother for all. 

Here are some of the approaches the school took:

As a result of these initiatives, parental engagement significantly increased, across both the proportion of positive responses and the response rate of their annual parental engagement survey increasing drastically to an estimated 90% of parents.

Beyond the survey, improvements are evident in the day-to-day interactions that staff have with the parents of the pupils they teach. Not only this, but pupils are doing better now than ever.

For example, the average reading age of pupils has improved from 7 to 13 in the secondary phase of the school, enabling better access to educational materials and fostering a culture of pride in reading among pupils. 

Under Tom’s leadership, Pathways has transformed into a thriving educational environment, demonstrating the power of community and collaboration in overcoming challenges.