Communicating successfully with parents and carers

Featuring three Edurio award‑winning trusts, top in the country for parent/carer communications

This new joint report from Edurio and Sparrowhawk Communications, written by Jessica Shepherd, brings together insights from more than 72,000 parents and carers across England who completed the Parent Experience Survey, as well as case studies from three high-performing trusts. It shows that, while families feel broadly informed, communication is not always clear, consistent or genuinely two-way.

Whether you lead a school or oversee strategy across a trust, this report gives you the evidence and examples to act with confidence.

Meet the award‑winning case studies

Recognised by Edurio as top in the country for parent/carer communications, these trusts share what’s working:

• Nova Education Trust: one consolidated communications hub and routine “You Said / We Did” updates to close the loop.
• Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust: co-created a simple communications contract with parents and introduced a trust-wide Communication Standard, +14% satisfaction in a year.
• Big Education Trust: café-based consultations, everyday visibility at the school gate, and streamlined channels so families always know where to look.

What’s inside

Explore best practices and practical moves you can use now:

• The four principles seen in high performers: Clarity & coherence, Two-way communication, Respect & trust, Follow-through & feedback.
• Award‑winning case studies from Nova Education Trust, Ted Wragg Trust and Big Education Trust.
• Evidence and insights from 72,000+ parents and carers across England.
• Clear next steps to build clarity, enable two-way feedback and follow-through.

Why it matters

Use this report to:

• Set clearer expectations and a single source of truth for families.
• Turn feedback into visible action and rebuild trust where it’s thin.
• Make the trust’s role clearer to parents and carers.
• Lift satisfaction by embedding predictable rhythms and a warm, child-centred tone.

Who it’s for

Trust leaders, headteachers, communications and engagement leads, governors, and anyone shaping parent/carer partnerships.

Complete the short form to get your digital copy when it launches over the next couple of weeks.

We’ll email the PDF to view online.