In fact, by September 2010 all secondary schools are expected to provide this information through secure online access to provide parents with online reports. All primary schools are expected to follow suit by September 2012
This is not about replacing or duplicating traditional methods of involving parents, such as parents' meetings or annual reports, nor should it place an extra burden on teachers.
It aims to provide parents with up-to-date information at appropriate points through the year, to maintain their interest and enable a richer dialogue between parents, learners and the school. It should help children to feel that their parents are involved and care about their achievements.
Schools sometimes find it complicated to identify who they need to talk to about an individual's progress, and online reporting can make it easier for information to be provided to the right person in a convenient way. Acocks Green Primary School in Birmingham encourages parents to use online messaging and to keep up to date with their child's progress online. They have also offered evening computer clubs to help parents who aren't up to speed with the new technology. Feedback from parents has been extremely encouraging.
As well as getting a positive reaction from parents, schools that are already using ICT in this way have experienced long-term time-saving benefits for staff. Schools have always collected and managed a range of learner information; online reporting is about making more effective use of this data to allow staff to work more flexibly and conveniently in the management and use of information.
A recent report by the Government's top behaviour adviser recommended the use of online reporting and text alerts to provide instant feedback to parents. Sir Alan Steer's report said that new technology had the potential to assist in tackling poor behaviour and cutting truancy by giving instant feedback to parents, allowing them to intervene early when necessary and monitor their child's attendance and punctuality.
His recommendations recognised how important technology can be in engaging parents and helping them to support their children. In the last year, Becta has offered support to more than 600 secondary schools to use technology to help with attendance and behaviour interventions.
By developing the role of the school in the community, and making learning and development more approachable, we can make engagement easier for parents who are busy or less motivated, or perhaps feel uncomfortable in a school environment. Schools need to encourage learner independence while maintaining parental involvement, but some parents worry about the lack of opportunity for involvement in their child's education as children grow older. Close parent teacher links are as necessary for adolescents as they are for five year olds.
To develop effective online reporting to parents, schools will need to think about the relationship between themselves, parents, and learners. They need to consider where they are on the journey towards online reporting and allocate responsibility within their leadership team for addressing the issues around parental engagement. Schools need to review how staff currently engage with parents as well as how information is managed across the whole school. It is important to work together with all stakeholders, including staff, parents, governors and learners, to agree the way forward.
www.becta.org.uk/schools/parentalengagement
