Families of Year 7 students at Coombeshead Academy in Newton Abbot were given a unique opportunity to step into their children’s shoes this term during the school’s successful ‘Bring your Parent to School’ event.

In total, around 50 families took part in the morning, attending real lessons across a range of subjects at the Education South West school.

From building electrical circuits in a science class and baking crumble cakes in the food technology kitchen, to exploring colour theory in art, parents and carers experienced the high-quality teaching and strong student-staff relationships that define the culture at Coombeshead.

Halfway through the morning, guests enjoyed a well-earned coffee and cookie break before diving back into more lessons.

Throughout the day, the school’s Year 9 student ambassadors were on hand to help ensure everything ran smoothly.

The event is part of Coombeshead Academy’s wider commitment to working in close partnership with families.

By sharing what a typical school day looks like, the school aims to help parents better understand how to support their child’s learning and feel more connected to the school community.

The school would like to thank all parents and carers who attended, as well as the students and staff who made the event such a success.

Helen Coulson, Headteacher at Coombeshead Academy, said: ‘We were thrilled to welcome so many families into our classrooms.

‘Events like this are powerful because they show first-hand the warmth, ambition and engagement that exists in every lesson.

‘We want our families to feel like true partners in their child’s journey and the feedback we’ve received shows just how valuable this experience was’.

Matthew Shanks, CEO of Education South West, said: ‘At Education South West we believe that strong school-family partnerships make a real difference to a young person’s success. Coombeshead Academy is a brilliant example of a school building trust and connection with its community and doing so with warmth, creativity, and purpose’.