Parenting

Building stronger relationships between families, schools and communities so children can thrive.

Practical engagement that strengthens family confidence, belonging and connection to school.

The Family & Community Engagement Programme supports parents and carers to feel more confident, informed and connected to their child’s learning and wider school life.

Through workshops, family learning, early contact, parent voice and community-based support, the programme aims to strengthen relationships, improve belonging and help families navigate key moments such as transition. It focuses on building trust, reducing barriers and creating stronger connections around children and young people. 

Young people serving food at an outdoor school bake sale fundraiser decorated with bunting
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£5.5 million.

Total investment allocated by Ormiston Trust to support programmes and initiatives

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Over 20,000

Cumulative count of young people and participants reached through OT interventions to present day

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Four months’ additional progress

Families gain accelerated learning momentum through school connection

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Five months’ early-years progress

Young children advance faster with engaged parent support

How it works

When families and schools work together, young people thrive.

Three connected stages that build relationships, support learning at home and amplify parent voice.

Family and young person engaged in a discussion with an Ormiston youth worker at a community event

Trusted family-school relationships

Building early, practical and accessible relationships between families and schools.

  • Starts with proactive contact so parents and carers feel known, welcomed and informed.
  • Focuses on key moments such as transition, attendance concerns or changes in a child’s confidence and belonging.
  • Helps schools communicate in ways that are clear, accessible and responsive to family circumstances.
  • Builds trust with families who may feel less confident, less connected or less able to engage with school.
Two Ormiston staff members playing with a toddler using colourful stacking toys in a bright early years setting

Parent confidence and practical support

Helping parents and carers support learning, wellbeing and positive routines at home.

  • Provides workshops, guidance and family learning opportunities that respond to real parent needs.
  • Helps families understand school expectations, learning approaches, attendance, wellbeing and transition.
  • Builds parent confidence so families feel more able to support children’s development and education.
  • Offers practical support that strengthens routines, relationships and communication between home and school.
Two secondary school students sketching and writing notes outdoors on a sunny day

Community connection and parent voice

Creating networks, partnerships and co-designed approaches that reflect family experience.

  • Creates spaces for parents and carers to share views, shape activity and influence how support is designed.
  • Builds peer support through parent networks, community groups and trusted local relationships.
  • Links schools with community organisations and local partners where families need wider support or opportunity.
  • Helps schools understand barriers to engagement and respond in ways that reflect local context and lived experience.

Case Studies

Discover how Ormiston's network of schools and programmes are transforming young people's lives—real stories of ambition, achievement, and lasting change across England.

From remarkable turnarounds to world-class provision, our case studies showcase the impact of strategic leadership, targeted investment, and unwavering commitment where disadvantage is greatest.

  • Gateway Learning Community: Thrive Project 

    Gateway Learning Community is piloting the Thrive Project, a school-based community and parental engagement hub designed to strengthen family support, pupil wellbeing and belonging.

    View casestudy

  • Lansdowne Primary Academy: Community Allotment 

    Lansdowne Primary Academy is creating a community allotment, transforming unused school land into a growing space for pupils, families and the wider community.

    View casestudy

  • Ormiston Families: Mpower Cambridgeshire 

    Mpower Cambridgeshire supports women with multiple and complex needs who have experienced, or are at risk of, having their children removed into care.

    View casestudy

Get Involved

Ready to make a difference in your community?

Contact us to learn about volunteering and project opportunities.

Tel: 0207 266 7940

Email: Enquiries@ormistontrust.co.uk

Engage with our futures programme today

Learn more about Ormiston Trusts programmes

We support children, young people, and families across four core programmes.

Each programme is designed to build resilience, unlock potential, and create lasting positive change.

Action

Giving young people a voice and platform to drive social change through community-led youth action projects.

Action

Enrichment

Providing diverse activities and experiences that broaden young people's horizons and unlock their potential.

Enrichment

Futures

Empowering young people to explore career pathways and develop the skills needed for their future success.

Futures

Stories & Updates

Catch up on the latest stories from our programmes, community achievements, and national initiatives.

View all news