What does the new schools white paper mean for how schools communicate?

The new schools white paper announces some crucial updates for how schools in England are expected to communicate with parents - and it's important school leaders know what's going to change.

Ultimately, the white paper aims to improve education for every child, creating an environment where they can thrive - hence the white paper's name, Every child achieving and thriving.

That means all children. However, the paper acknowledges that some children do not always receive the full support they need to thrive. That includes children from working-class or disadvantaged backgrounds and children with SEND.

There are around 1.7 million children with SEND in England, adding up to about one in five children attending English schools. Yet, as the white paper points out, "too many children with SEND have been told they cannot thrive in mainstream schools". 

One key area the white paper highlights for improvement is how schools and parents communicate with each other. 

So what do schools need to know?

1. There are minimum standards for communication

The white paper announces statutory minimum expectations for how schools and parents will communicate.

What's important is this is a two-way expectation: not just for schools, for parents too.

As part of these new requirements, schools will need to frequently share information with parents about:

• Attendance
• Behaviour
• Curriculum
• Academic progress
• Upcoming events and activities

Schools are not expected to do this alone. The white paper explains that schools will be given tools to support engagement. This will include case studies of successful parental engagement strategies and guidance on effective approaches. Existing programmes like ParentKind's Parent Friendly Schools Accreditation are mentioned as resources schools can use to support best practice.

Schools will also be expected to use technology to share up-to-date information and updates. The days of sending students home with a printed letter for parents to read are gone - it is now expected that schools will make use of apps and websites to keep parents informed.

High-quality communications has always been a driver of a school's reputation and positive word-of-mouth amongst parents, but now it's also a statutory requirement.

We've spoken before about how schools prioritise high academic performance and staff retention whilst parents value clear, high-quality communication and engagement from schools. Is that mismatch about to shift?

2. Communication goes both ways

There are minimum expectations for how schools communicate with parents, but there are also expectations for how parents communicate back.

Schools should expect and receive respectful communication from parents and carers, with a focus on mutual cooperation. Parents are also encouraged to engage with their child's progress and keep schools updated on attendance.

One key takeaway is the introduction of Reintegration Support Partnerships. These will take place following suspensions and will involve a formal meeting between schools and parents "leading to an agreed plan and responsibilities".

The DfE will consult on a proposed model and provide supporting resources as part of the refreshed guidance for statutory suspension and permanent exclusion.

3. The new complaints process

The white paper announces that a new process for how complaints are handled will be introduced, aiming to simplify the experience.

It comes hot on the heels of the news that parent complaints to schools saw a massive rise in 2025, with more than five million formal complaints made last year (ParentKind, 2025).

The new digital complaints system will "improve coordination between multiple bodies, improve complaints data collection, and stop complaints being escalated through multiple avenues in parallel".

New mutual expectations for complaints handling will help schools manage expectations around timeframes and outcomes.

The DfE has also worked with ParentKind and the Inclusive Education Trust (IET) to create a step-by-step guide for parents, called A Parent's Guide to School Complaints. This will have a focus on resolving issues with schools before they become a complaint.

It is crucial to mention that the white paper reiterates that "abuse of staff will never be acceptable, whether in person or online". 

4. New inclusion strategies

Schools will be expected to "proactively plan" an annual inclusion strategy, which will detail the support offered to pupils. This will replace the existing SEN information reports, which schools are currently expected not just to create, but to make available on their websites.

Ofsted will assess how annual inclusion strategies are applied throughout the school, along with whether staff are fully equipped to deliver the support mentioned in the strategies. 

This dovetails neatly with the introduction of Ofsted's new inclusion standards, which we examined in a recent blog.

5. More complete pictures of schools

The introduction of the new School Profiles service will give parents a more rounded picture of schools.

School Profiles will include a range of information on individual schools, including:

• Ofsted's most recent report card
• Up-to-date data on attainment, progress and attendance
• Information about the achievement of higher attaining children (for example, the numbers of children achieving level 7+ at Key Stage 4)

The DfE describes School Profiles as a "one stop shop" for parents to access relevant information about schools. The public version is expected to launch publicly in 2026/27.

The white paper makes it clear: children's education sets the foundation for not just their future, but the future of the society they will create. Schools cannot work alone in implementing these new expectations - support from both parents and the DfE will be crucial to making these standards a reality.

But it's also clear that how well schools can match these new standards will reflect on them and their reputation. Schools now face both a challenge and an opportunity, and those that respond to the white paper's call for action will be the ones who pull ahead.

The full white paper can be read here.