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Proplr helps schools to improve parent partnerships. We do this by taking established evidence from the EEF and applying brand, media and technology expertise to modernise practice and parental engagement.
Parenting is changing and schools need to better understand what drives parents and where and where best to engage. Parent participation and partnership is key and with 83% of parents in just 3 years time' being Millennials (they are a very different tribe!) it’s time to rethink and evolve how schools communicate to avoid more parents falling out of love with school.
At Proplr, we passionately believe that parental engagement – particularly in early years and primary settings – is a fundamental pillar of student attainment in both the short and long term. Indeed we took the inspiration for our brand from the work done by Goodall and Harris for the DfE in identifying the optimal environment for students, the ‘sweet spot’ being the dark area at the centre of the ven diagram below. You’ll notice that the overlapping areas make the shape of a propeller…hence Proplr being our brand.
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Our founder is expert in branding and communication having won 27 advertising and marketing industry awards across many market sectors, including education. He has built successful EdTech businesses and worked in schools for the last 12 years, winning a BETT Award in 2017. This expertise and experience is now being drawn together to create a framework for parental partnership, and to use new social technologies to better engage Millennial parents,
Currently, parents are increasingly negative about school. Only 43% think that the quality of education in Great Britain is good (source Ipsos Global Education Monitor, 2023) and 28% no longer see school attendance every day as mandatory. So how exactly do Millennials parent, and what influences their decisions about learning?
For starters they are earning more, with APAC household wealth forecast to have increased by 33% by the end of last year versus the previous generation. Not only are they earning more but they are also extremely tech savvy, with 79% turning to social media as their parenting bible. They embrace the ups and downs of parenting, championing their bumps and parent status. Why? It’s all thanks to celebrities who have pivoted the conversation.
And we are not just talking about heteronormative married mother and fathers either. Millennial parents are highly diverse and proud of it. More diverse voices mean that they are increasingly globally aware and this is seeing them redefine what balanced parenting looks like.
Schools now need to engage with tech savvy, globally aware, more wealthy and more demanding parents, but how? Proplr has unpacked new ways to engage built around 4 key pillars revolving around social media because that is where Millennials are to be found.
Pillar 1 –Communication : have meaningful conversations that matter.
Millennial parents go way beyond simply stuffing children with knowledge, they’re helping themselves to understand themselves through meaningful conversations. When emotional literacy is a priority, helping parents tackle difficult topics is a big win to ensure relevance in their day-to-day routine.
Lego for example created ‘Build and Talk’ sessions to help parents cover topics like cyber-bullying and false information online. Schools can similarly provide content and resources via social posts to support parents and encourage community chats to foster collaboration and understanding.
Millenials are socially progressive and more aware of in equalities in the adult world, and with knowledge comes power. Rather than trying to ignore or conceal their differences, millennials are creating more conscious ways of parenting where differences are not only acknowledged but celebrated. Schools can appeal to these parents by helping them to champion inclusiveness from a young age.
For example, Crayola created safe spaces for kids to embrace their differences through ‘Colours of the World’ crayons which reflected 24 skin tones. Schools can similarly, using social media, provide engaging resources which help parents frame diversity as true beauty. Again, accessing a global community online is helpful in this ambition by ensuring that education remains relevant at home.
It’s always “taken a village to raise a child” but that village has now become a whole lot bigger. Community has always been important for parenting – even when populated by over-opinionated relatives. Parents trust each other and social media has taken this peer-to-peer interaction to another level. Schools should too.
For example, Dove recently created a ‘Real Mums Village’ in the metaverse to help parents connect to each other and share experiences, learn parenting tips and discuss their approaches in a more engaging and fun way.
Schools are far better placed to achieve this type of engagement because they already have parents in communities which are other wise known as classes. Schools are very well-placed an need to leverage new Group technologies to turbo-boost engagement.
Pillar 4 – Culture: leave the world a better place
It’s not just parents who are concerned about the fate of the world but children too. With an increased emphasis on eco-friendly practice in schools and the home, kids are becoming new catalysts for families to be more eco-conscious.
Schools need to remain relevant by helping parents and their children leave the world a better place for the future. They need to create new thematic learning projects, review their print outputs (do you really still need physical newsletters?) and apply topic-based learning to real world problems. Again, social media is the way to spark eco and value-based conversations and help show parents how to create a better and sustainable world for their children.
Parenting has evolved and schools also need to. Stick to the same tired approach and become increasingly irrelevant, or recognise the shift, put in place new ways to connect with parents and foster true participation and partnership for the next generation.
Proplr is by your side with the tools, expertise and passion to help you through this transition.Together, let’s help parents fall back in love with school.
Proplr. Go further, together.
