Parents Helping Shape Futures

Hartlepool College has proudly launched its new Parent Voice Forum, a dedicated group designed to ensure parents and carers play an active role in shaping the future of the College.

The Parent Voice Forum brings together parents of students currently studying across a range of programmes, including apprenticeships, T Levels, vocational qualifications, and learners resitting maths and English. The initiative directly supports the College's strategic ambition to deliver an aspirational curriculum that meets the needs of learners, parents and carers, while strengthening transformational partnerships with key stakeholders. Earlier this year, the group came together for its first face-to-face meeting, marking the beginning of what will be an important and influential partnership between parents, carers and the College. During the session, members were presented with a keepsake book highlighting the College's core purpose of transforming lives and reinforcing the important role parents and carers play within the Hartlepool College community.

The first meeting focused on understanding how the College can better support parents and carers through clear, accessible information and meaningful engagement. Forum members shared valuable insight into the College's planned website redesign, particularly around the information and guidance available to parents of Year 11 pupils considering their next steps, as well as those with children already studying at the College. The Parent Voice Forum has also helped shape the College's Corporate Strategy 2026-2029, ensuring that the views of parents and carers are reflected in plans to transform lives, strengthen communities and support sustainable economic growth across the region.

Laura Watts, a member of the Parent Voice Forum, said:

"As a parent, it's incredibly reassuring to know that Hartlepool College genuinely wants to hear our views and involve us in decisions that affect our children's education and future careers. Parent Voice gives us a real opportunity to share ideas, raise questions and help shape the support, information and opportunities available to both current students and the young people who will join the College in the future. It feels like a true partnership between parents and the College."

Fellow Parent Voice member Lee Connor added:

"What impressed me most was the College's commitment to listening and acting on feedback. Parent Voice gives parents and carers a meaningful platform to influence how the College develops, from the information provided to families through to the wider student experience. It's encouraging to know that our opinions can help make Hartlepool College an even better place for future learners and ensure young people have the support they need to succeed."

Our college staff also welcomed the opportunity to clarify some common questions about the College’s role in creating employment and apprenticeship opportunities, helping parents to better understand how the College works with employers and partners to support students’ progression and career outcomes. The Parent Voice Forum will meet quarterly on a face-to-face basis, with regular communication via email in between meetings to enable quick decision-making and the sharing of live feedback. Crucially, the College has committed to acting on recommendations from the Parent Voice, ensuring parent insight directly informs future priorities and decision-making.

Gary Riches, Deputy Principal and Chief Executive at Hartlepool College of Further Education, said:

“I am absolutely delighted that we have launched Parent Voice at Hartlepool College. Listening to parents and carers is integral to every decision we make for our learners, and this group will play a vital role in shaping how we support students to succeed. Their insight, challenge and ideas will help us continue to improve and ensure we are meeting the needs of both learners and their families.”

The College is keen to stress that Parent Voice is not an exclusive group. Hartlepool College warmly welcomes additional members, including parents and carers of young people currently in Year 11 who want to influence and shape what the College does, helping to make it an even better place for their children when they leave school. The College will continue to strengthen its parent engagement through its communications and student support channels, offering exciting new platforms for information and guidance extending beyond our current offer to students.

Parents interested in joining Parent Voice or finding out more are encouraged to contact the college at enquiries@hartlepoolfe.ac.uk and we will be in touch about future meeting dates.