How to deal with 5 common questions from parents: practical tips for teachers

Why is positive parent communication important in schools?

Good relationships between school and home can make conversations about homework, progress, teaching approaches and additional support much easier to manage.

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) describes parental engagement as teachers and schools involving parents in supporting their children's academic learning. Its guidance highlights positive, personalised communication, practical support for learning at home and two-way conversations as useful approaches. Strong parental engagement is underpinned by mutually respectful relationships between parents and teachers.

That doesn't mean teachers need to agree with every request or be available at all times. Clear boundaries matter too. Parents should understand how the school communicates, when staff are available and what routes are available if they have a concern.

Here are five common questions teachers may hear from enthusiastic or concerned parents, along with practical ways to respond.

1. "Why does my child receive different homework to their friend?"

It is understandable for parents to notice when homework appears different, particularly if children talk about their work outside school.

Start by keeping the conversation focused on their own child rather than discussing another pupil's learning. Explain that children can have different starting points, strengths and areas for development, so activities may sometimes be adapted to help individual pupils make progress.

The important thing is to explain the purpose behind the homework. What skill is being practised? How does it connect with classroom learning? What should the child be able to do afterwards?

If appropriate, give parents practical guidance on how they can support home learning without completing the task for their child. This could include reading together, discussing a topic, practising key vocabulary or encouraging the child to explain how they reached an answer.

Clear expectations around homework can prevent a simple difference between tasks from becoming a bigger concern.

2. "Why is my child not being taught in the right way?"

Parents may have their own ideas about how a subject should be taught, particularly in areas such as phonics, reading or maths where methods may differ from their own experience at school.

Rather than becoming defensive, ask what specifically they are concerned about. They may simply need a clearer explanation of the school's approach.

You could explain how the method fits within the curriculum, share examples of classroom resources or learning materials, and show how skills develop over time. When appropriate, schools might also provide information about particular approaches through workshops, curriculum evenings or home learning resources.

The EEF recommends helping parents understand practical strategies they can use to support learning, rather than simply expecting them to provide generic help.

A clear conversation can often resolve concerns quickly and give parents more confidence in what their child is learning.

3. "Are you challenging my child enough?"

Parents naturally want their child to reach their potential, but challenge does not always mean giving pupils more work.

Explain what appropriate challenge looks like for their child. That might involve applying existing knowledge to unfamiliar problems, explaining their reasoning, working more independently, using increasingly sophisticated vocabulary or developing greater depth within a topic.

Sharing a child's strengths alongside their next steps can make the conversation much more useful than simply saying they are "doing well".

Where appropriate, you can also suggest activities parents can use at home to build on classroom learning. Reading books, practical maths activities, questioning techniques and subject-related activities can all support learning without turning home life into another classroom.

Most importantly, reassure parents that progress is being monitored and that teaching is adapted when pupils need additional support or greater challenge.

4. "How does my child compare with the rest of the class?"

Parents sometimes ask this because they want reassurance that their child is progressing appropriately.

Avoid ranking pupils or discussing another child's attainment. Instead, bring the conversation back to the individual pupil and the expectations relevant to their age, curriculum and stage of learning.

Talk through their strengths, areas for development and the progress they have made. Where the school uses assessment information, explain what it means in straightforward language and avoid unnecessary educational jargon.

Parents are usually better served by knowing what their child can do now, what they need to develop next and how school and home can support that progress than by knowing where they supposedly sit within the class.

This also creates a healthier conversation around achievement, where success is based on progress and learning rather than competition between children.

5. "Can we meet with you more often?"

Some parents will want frequent updates because they are worried about progress, while others simply want to stay closely involved with their child's education.

Listen to the reason behind the request before deciding what is appropriate.

If there is a genuine concern about learning, behaviour, SEND or wellbeing, additional communication may be useful. For routine updates, explain the school's normal communication arrangements, including parents' evening, email, reading records, communication books or other home-school communication systems.

Setting clear expectations is important for teacher workload too. Staff should not feel that they need to respond instantly to every message or arrange repeated informal meetings when established communication routes can provide the information parents need.

EEF guidance on communicating with families also highlights the importance of considering frequency, timing, audience and possible barriers when planning effective communication.

How can teachers handle difficult conversations with parents?

Even when a parent is frustrated, a few simple principles can keep the conversation constructive.

• Listen before responding: Give the parent an opportunity to explain their concern fully. Sometimes the issue they initially raise is not the issue they are actually worried about.
• Keep the conversation focused on the child: Bring discussions back to the pupil's learning, progress, wellbeing and next steps rather than allowing the conversation to become personal.
• Use specific examples: Examples of work, assessment, classroom activities or agreed targets are usually more useful than broad reassurance.
• Avoid comparing pupils: Discussing individual progress protects confidentiality and creates a much more productive conversation than comparing one child with another.
• Explain what happens next: End the conversation with a clear next step. That might be continuing to monitor progress, sending an update, trying an agreed home learning activity or arranging another conversation at an appropriate point.

If a concern cannot be resolved through normal communication, staff should follow their school's published communication or complaints procedure. Department for Education guidance requires maintained schools to have and publish procedures for dealing with complaints.

How can schools make communication with parents easier?

Consistency across the school can prevent confusion. Parents should know who to contact, how communication works and when they can expect a response.

Schools can support this by:

• setting clear expectations for email and message responses;
• making important policies easy to find;
• explaining curriculum approaches in accessible language;
• using parents' evening effectively;
• providing practical guidance for home learning;
• using positive communication as well as contacting families when something has gone wrong;
• listening to parent voice and acting on useful feedback; and
• making sure communication is accessible to families with different needs.

GLS has previously explored both effective communication with parents and the value of parent voice in building stronger school communities.

How does GLS support schools with parent communication and learning?

At GLS, we know that good communication is easier when staff have clear processes and dependable resources behind them. Schools. We get you.

Practical tools such as reading records, planners and communication books can help schools create consistent links between classroom learning and home. Classroom resources, phonics resources, literacy resources, maths resources, exercise books and assessment resources can also help teachers clearly demonstrate what pupils are learning and what their next steps might be.

These resources do not replace professional judgement or meaningful conversations with families. Instead, they can make everyday learning more organised and give parents clearer ways to understand and support their child's education.