Effective parent-teacher communication has many advantages. It can lead to increased parental involvement, a more comprehensive understanding of a student’s strengths and challenges, and a stronger home-school partnership. These factors are crucial for students’ academic success.
Student planners are one of the most helpful communication tools for schools and parents. They provide insight into the child’s progress and allow parents, teachers and students to easily share their concerns and feedback.
Read on to discover how student planners can help to improve communication for schools, students and parents.
Informing Parents of Achievements, Activities and School Policies
Student planners serve as a continuous channel of information between school and home. This may be particularly helpful in primary schools – compared to letters home, planners are much less easily lost or accidentally discarded.
Through the weekly diary and teacher comments sections, planners can be used to update parents on:
- Their child’s achievements
- Extra-curricular activities
- Key dates for events such as sports days and parents’ evenings
- Reminders of or changes to school policies
This ongoing stream of information keeps parents in the loop on anything school-related and helps them to prepare their child for the week ahead.
Getting Parents Involved in Their Child’s Learning
Students can use the weekly diary section of their student planner to keep track of lessons, homework, school projects and upcoming tests. They can also record when an assignment is due, and mark it off when complete. This enables parents and guardians to become active participants in their child’s learning, allowing them to monitor their child’s responsibilities and ensure that deadlines are met.
Reviewing the planner also gives parents the opportunity to have conversations with their child about what they’re learning, how they’re progressing, and recognise when they need support. This involvement can lead to better academic outcomes and a deeper parent-child relationship.
Sharing Feedback through Teacher Comments
The teacher comments section of the student planner can be used to provide feedback on a child’s work, behaviour or progress. These comments give parents regular insight into their child’s performance, allowing them to identify potential areas for improvement and address any problems.
Similarly, praise for good work or behaviour can also be shared, promoting a positive reinforcement system. This is an excellent way to motivate pupils to work hard, do their best and feel proud of themselves when they succeed.
Encouraging Responsibility through Parent Signatures
Many schools encourage parents or guardians to review and sign their child’s planner regularly. This practice has many advantages:
- It ensures parents stay informed about their child’s commitments and achievements.
- It encourages students to use their planners consistently and share their progress with their parents.
- It promotes a sense of responsibility, as students know their work is being monitored both at home and in school.
Most student planners feature space for a parent or guardian signature at the end of each weekly diary section. Teachers can check the planner every Monday morning to ensure it has been signed, and add any comments or updates for parents to review.
Keeping Teachers in the Loop with Parent Comments
Another way in which planners help to achieve effective communication in schools is through the parent comments section. Bespoke student planners can be designed with a space for parents to share observations, concerns, or appreciation regarding their child’s schooling.
This two-way home-school communication helps to keep teachers updated on their students’ home life and challenges. By being aware of any issues that might be affecting a student’s learning, they can ensure they provide the necessary help. For example, this may involve offering counselling, providing support within the classroom or teaching organisational methods.
Allowing Students to Share Thoughts, Concerns and Goals
Many custom student planners also feature a space for students to note down their own reminders, goals and comments. This can be a valuable source of information for both parents and teachers, helping them understand the student’s perspective and address any issues promptly.
It also provides an easy way for students to share any concerns or issues with their teacher and parent simultaneously. This removes the pressure of having to voice their worries face-to-face, which can make students less likely to open up about their struggles or wellbeing.
Create Your Bespoke Student Planner 2023 with Penstripe
At Penstripe, we have years of experience in printing high-quality student planners, teacher planners and more. We offer a fantastic range printing options and bespoke pages to choose from, allowing you to create the perfect personalised student planner (UK) that suits the needs of your school.
Get in touch with our helpful team to discuss your requirements and specifications. View our catalogue for a full breakdown of the options available, or request a sample pack to experience the quality of our planners for yourself.
To learn more about our products or services, contact Penstripe today. Fill in our enquiry form, call us on 0113 231 0995 or email info@penstripe.co.uk.
Olaf Surtees has been with Penstripe for ten years; what he doesn’t know about teacher planners, student planners, and lesson planners isn’t worth knowing! He’s in charge of creating our blog content, helping teachers and administrators with helpful hints and tips, as well as our socials — see the links below to find out more.
