Managing Relationships and Communications with Parents - Wednesday 20 November 2024 (HMC, 12 The Point, Market Harborough)

This course is for: Senior Leaders (and those aspiring to such roles), pastoral middle leaders and others who have a good deal of interaction with parents

Description

What will you gain by attending?

  • Building a positive culture of school/parent relations
  • What parents say, how they say it and what they really mean
  • Different types of parents and how to deal with them
  • Handling difficult conversations and formal complaints
  • Participants' case study surgery

Course Programme

Time

Session

09:30

Arrival, registration, and coffee

10.00

Welcome and introductions

 

10.15

Session 1: Setting the tone for parent interactions

11.05

Refreshment break

11.25

Session 2: What parents want (and what they need)!

12.30

Lunch

13.30

Session 3: Handling difficult conversations

14.30

Refreshment break

14.50

Session 4: Handling difficult conversations (including participant case studies)

15.50 – 16.15

Closing remarks and depart

 

Course Director Biography

Chris Jeffery has been Head of two HMC schools over more than 18 years, and retired in the summer of 2023. Most recently he was Head of Bootham School (co-ed, boarding, city centre, Quaker, lightly selective, established) and before that The Grange (also co-ed but day; semi-rural; significantly selective, very young). Previously he was Deputy Head at The Perse School, having moved there to establish the role of Head of Middle School and create a thus-far-missing pastoral structure, after starting his career as History teacher and Head of House at Bristol Grammar School, his own alma mater.

Chris took the lead within HMC in bringing student and staff wellbeing closer to the heart of its work, being founding Chair of the Wellbeing Working Group which transmogrified into the Pastoral and Safeguarding Committee at the end of a further stint in the hot seat. He has presented regularly on wellbeing issues, at various HMC events (including Heads’ part II and the Deputies’ conference), IAPS annual conference and in schools.

At Bootham, Chris developed an innovative weekly parent programme and he counts the strength and relatively trouble-free nature of relationship with parents at both schools he has led as one of his most proud achievements.

2023-24 Course Delegate Feedback

"The course was great- it pulled together a lot of threads for me and helped me think about structuring conversations better and thinking more clearly about the desired outcomes. It was really good to be able to share experiences and ideas with other colleagues and I have a couple of practical ideas I can use straight away."

"I am absolutely delighted I went; it was worth the hassle of the travel, not only to meet others and know you're not alone, but for the experience and advice of Chris."

 "Has turned my thinking on its head. Came away with actionable points. Chris is clearly very experienced and thus others can really learn from him. Pitched and paced perfectly."