ABSTRACT
Whilst it is acknowledged school as an institution to support children’s learning there is also an expectation, of political leaders, that teachers also work with the children’s families. Just as education policy, shapes how children are prepared for school and their experiences of learning, education policies can also influence how teachers and parents work together. This chapter provides an overview of the changes in English government’s policy expectations of how teachers work with parents and families. The discussion includes an analysis of the EYFS which highlights the expectations of ECEC practitioners and teachers when working with parents. Whilst it is perceived by some politicians and professionals that parents, particularly from disadvantaged communities, do not prepare children for school the research found that the parents in this study did prepare children for the institutional transition and for academic learning. The chapter ends suggesting the emphasis on ‘readiness’ is detrimental to the relationships between groups of adults that are supporting children during the transition to school.
