1 Overview
1.1 What is meant by ‘partnership with parents’?
‘Partnership with parents’ is a familiar phrase in education. Without exception, all early years settings wish for a close, two-way relationship with children's parents and carers. There is considerable evidence of the value of partnership, but also reason to think that it is not a straightforward notion.
This study topic aims to support your understanding of what partnership might mean, how it can be interpreted, and how it might be put into practice in educational settings. We take a realistic view of the challenges that can arise when practitioners and parents endeavour to work closely together for the benefit of children's wellbeing, development and learning. But we suggest that the onus should be on practitioners, as professionals, to understand why some parents may be tentative about becoming partners. The course provides examples of partnership, and offers a framework for understanding the range of partnership practice that can be found in today's early education settings.