ABOUT US
Just Add Parents is a campaigning and training organisation formed to give schools the confidence and skills to create a positive parent community. It was launched in 2020 by a team with experience in education and communications. This gives the team a perspective that spans pedagogy, policy and school leadership, as well as public relations, reputation management, community communications and brand.
Just Add Parents’ first aim is to support schools during the coronavirus pandemic, in recognition of the fact they need to engage parents like never before. In the longer term, it will help school leaders and teachers gain a firm grasp of the fundamentals of modern communication, community building and engagement. Just Add Parents’ approach builds on the insights originally laid out in the Plowden Report and the subject of a wealth of educational research and policy intervention ever since.
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Pete Sigrist
Co-founder
Pete has worked at the leading edge of brand and corporate communications for 20 years in fields as diverse as finance, technology, media, consumer brand and education. He was head of communications at Tes Global, responsible for engagement with teachers, school leaders, universities and governments in the UK and worldwide. He was the communications director for a group of independent schools in the UK, sitting on the SLT of the International Community School, London. Pete has also represented a number of schools as a professional communicator covering public relations, parent communications, branding, marketing and crisis communications.
He conceived Just Add Parents as a campaign to encourage greater cross-cultural transfer from the world of professional communications into the world of professional education.
Simon Roundell
Co-founder
Simon discovered his vocation as a teacher over 15 years ago, following a career in business. During his training (IOE, University of London) he worked in the state sector in London, teaching secondary business and economics and taking an active role in sport, as a qualified coach. He has taught in a number of settings, including state and private sector in the UK, as well as a period teaching in international schools abroad. He was a Senior Examiner for AQA. Simon is currently Head of Business at Wellington College and is also involved in pastoral care. He is heavily engaged with parent communications as a teacher and also in other whole school capacities and Wellington College is highly respected for the quality of its public communication.
He co-founded Just Add Parents after recognising the potential benefits of helping all parents gain the confidence and skills they need to play an active role in the learning community.