ABSTRACT
The importance of home–school liaison and partnership with parents has become increasingly recognised in the UK. When considering liaison with the parents of bilingual children, it is vital that schools are aware of the provisions of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act, 2001, which make it unlawful for schools to discriminate in carrying out any of their legal functions, including home–school liaison. The active involvement of parents from bilingual communities is particularly significant in assisting their children’s academic achievement (Cummins 1986; Lucas et al. 1990; Siraj-Blatchford 1994; Gregory 1997; Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) 1998). All children, teachers and parents want and deserve the best education that can be provided. For education to be the most effective possible, these three groups need to be able to communicate. Where a gap exists between the language/culture of the school and the home it can cause frustration and anxiety for all participants, but this need not be the case.
