At Brian Jackson College, we understand that supporting our pupils’ development goes beyond the classroom. A holistic approach — where education is a shared journey between school and home — is at the core of everything we do. Strong, trusting relationships with parents and carers are fundamental to this vision, and our parents’ evenings was a key opportunity to nurture those partnership.
On Tuesday 13th May, the Heckmondwike provision held its first parents’ evening, welcoming families into the school between 4:30pm and 7:00pm. The event provided a dedicated space for parents and carers to speak directly with subject teachers, discussing their child’s academic progress, behaviour, and overall wellbeing. Together, staff and families explored strategies to support learning and identify areas for further development, laying the groundwork for better supporting our pupils and improving educational outcomes.
In addition to subject teachers, key members of the school team were on hand to offer guidance and support. The Attendance Lead and Behaviour Lead were available to address concerns and explore positive interventions. The Nurture and Wellbeing Lead shared details of bespoke support programmes, while our school counsellor offered private appointments, providing advice on mental health services and resources for managing exam-related anxiety — particularly timely for pupils preparing for GCSEs and mock exams.
Our careers advisor also joined the evening, offering drop-in sessions for pupils from all year groups to discuss future pathways, from post-16 education to employment and training opportunities.
The evening was a fantastic success, with 16 families attending — many bringing siblings and other relatives, creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere. It was especially rewarding for the team from Fresh Futures to meet with parents and carers in an informal setting, building meaningful connections beyond the usual school day.
Feedback from parents and carers was overwhelmingly positive. Here are just a few of the comments we received:
“I never thought I’d have a parents’ evening as positive as this —I can’t believe how far he has come.”
“The change in him at home is massive. He’s back to being my happy son again.”
“I used to have to fight with him every day to get him to school. Now he’s up and ready every morning — no arguments, no meltdowns. It’s amazing.”
“This is the first proper parents’ evening I’ve been invited to. In the past, I was only called in to talk about her behaviour. It means so much to come here and hear something positive.”
A Fresh Futures, we’re incredibly grateful to all the families who attended and helped make the evening so special.
