Partnership working with parents / carers

The Home Learning Environment (HLE)

The HLE significantly impacts a child's future life chances, particularly in the development of early speech, language and communication skills.Improving the home learning environment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

A positive HLE is created through warm, loving relationships in a safe and stimulating atmosphere, fostering secure attachments and self-regulation. Parental involvement in early learning has a greater impact on children's well-being and achievement than any other factor. As a practitioner, supporting parents / carers to provide a positive HLE plays a crucial part in improving children's outcomes.

Effective practice in the early years includes:

  • Maintaining a strong partnership with parents / carers
  • Providing clear information about their children's progress
  • Encouraging parents / carers to chat, play and read with their children

Top tips when working with parents / carers

  • Provide parents with information on what children learn linked to the EYFS areas of learning through the play experiences and opportunities. This can be through:
    • Display of child-initiated learning activities
    • Focused activity day
    • Messy or sensory play weeks
  • Encourage parents to carry on learning activities at home by developing and providing resources and activities that can be borrowed such as:
    • Den kits to borrow
    • Story/rhyme sack
    • Curiosity baskets/bags
    • Take home bear and book
  • Provide parents with information on activities that take place in the school/setting and could also be completed at home, such as:
    • Baking activities
    • Shopping ideas
    • Creative activities
    • Sharing Nursery rhymes, songs and stories

Additional information can be found at:

Help for early years providers : Working in partnership with parents and carers (education.gov.uk)