Partnership with parents

Partnership with parents

HLEParenting and the quality of the home learning environment has been found to have a greater impact on children’s achievement than any other aspect of children’s lives. What parents do with their young children at home, is the single most important factor in helping children learn and develop, it is more important than social class or parental qualifications. The effects of positive early home learning experiences have been found to benefit children’s educational attainment into secondary school. 

The home learning environment is not just about learning opportunities available. It includes relationships parents have with children and experiences children have with their families.

Early years practitioners are in an excellent position to inform, support and guide parents in helping children to learn at home.

This page is designed to provide settings information to share with parents. It includes ideas for activities, resources and advice to enhance the knowledge and skills of parents and carers.

You can find more information in this short video clip: Foundation Years Vodcast: Tips to improve the home learning environment | From pregnancy to children aged 5 years

 

Seasonal updates

Guide to Services and Activities for Families in Bolton

HLE page

Encourage families and colleague to read and share the 'Guide to What's on for Families in Bolton'. This guide is for parents-to-be and families with children 0-19, or up to 25 years with SEND.

The guide lists services and activities that take place in hubs, libraries, and centres (free unless stated).

Download the guide here: Guide to Services and Activities for Families in Bolton: 22 April to 18 July 2025.

Printed programmes are usually available in Family Hubs, Libraries, and other locations whilst stocks last.

The programme can also be accessed on the Bolton Council website which is enabled with a ReachDeck toolbar to support greater accessibility. For example, a user can highlight text to read aloud, or translate pages into other languages. When visiting the council page, look for the 'red and white ReachDeck logo' at the bottom right hand corner of the screen; click on it to enable its use.

 

Spring Activities for Families

It spring, and the perfect time for enjoy simple, fun ideas to help support healthy development in children as the weather warms. Here are some low tech, low cost ideas to try and share with parents to try at home: 

 

Transition from Nursery to Reception

 

Start Well Story

Focus book: Handa's SurpriseHLE

Kids Book Read Aloud Handa's Surprise I By Eileen Browne I StoryTime with Miss Randall (youtube.com)

Songs and Rhymes of the month | Bolton Start Well

Communication and Language Development

Handa's Surprise - Match the animal to the fruit - Matching pairs (wordwall.net)

Physical Development

Eating healthy is linked to wellbeing: Activity-Get-healthy-with-Handas-Surprise.pdf (ndna.org.uk)

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Create a musical instrument: Make Homemade Music with These 6 DIY Instruments - Learning Liftoff

Let's dance! Use your musical instruments and let's dance to some traditional african music: Preschool Learn to Dance: Big African Animals (youtube.com

 

Advice, Information, and Financial Support

My Life in Bolton

Parents can find advice and information for all aspects of life ranging from childcare to local activities and more at: www.mylifeinbolton.org.uk 

Benefit calculators

Good websites to share with families to check if they are checking the benefits which they are entitled to. 

Bolton Holiday, Activities and Food #HAF programme

Whilst the programme is aimed at children and young people on benefits related free school meals #TeamBolton’s HAF programme offers many FREE sessions to all school aged young people, as well as a free Urban Outreach packed lunch every weekday if you need it! Look out for Council run sessions in your local community, parks and youth centres.

Gambling support

If you're worried about gambling for yourself or someone you know, go to www.chapter-one.org. There's never been a better time to do so. 

 

Supporting the prime areas of learning

Communication and Language 

Physical Development

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Specific areas

Literacy

Mathematics

Understanding the World

Expressive Art and Design

Bolton resources

Other resources

Online Safety 

Screen Time

Home Safety

Car Safety

First Aid

Healthy Eating

Oral Health

Water SafetyHLE

School Ready

 

Guidance and documents to share with parents and carers

What to expect in the Early Years Foundation Stage: a guide for parents - Published by the East London Research School and the Department for Education (DfE) - published September 2021. Why not signpost parents to learn more about their child's development by sending out pages 100 - 103 of the guidance?
DOWNLOAD A FREE COPY or ACCESS TRANSLATED GUIDES (URDU, BENGALI etc)

Home Matters: making the most of the home learning environment - Published by a consortium of charities, funded by the Department for Education (DfE). This is guidance for schools, nurseries, local authorities and public health partners. See working with parents from page 15 for some helpful ideas to supporting families in the home learning environment.
DOWNLOAD A FREE COPY

Birth to 5 Matters - This document supports parents to understand the stages of development from birth through to five years using the guidance published by Early Education on behalf of the Early Years Coalition.
DOWNLOAD A FREE COPY

The Education Endowment Foundation talk about the impact of parent engagement projects and how to implement successful strategies in your setting.
READ MORE