Best Practice

Remote learning: How to handle objections from parents

Parental engagement Senior leadership Coronavirus Remote education Digital divide
Whether you have individual pupils self-isolating, or groups of pupils learning from home, you may come across objections from parents about the remote learning you are providing. Ciara Lamb looks at some potential concerns and how we might respond


The first thing to say when planning remote learning is that you must be clear on your approach and expectations. Doing this will help you to head off any objections early on, get parents on board with your approach and leave less room for confusion.

Avoid over-promising here – set out the minimum you will provide so that anything extra is a plus and you are not at risk of overloading your teaching staff.

Send a letter to parents explaining how your school will provide remote learning to pupils if required, so that parents feel better informed. Make sure you include a summary of your remote learning plans, what pupils will need to have at home, what is expected of pupils and how parents can help. Or, if you want to deliver the message more personally, you could record an FAQ-style video and upload it to YouTube.

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