Non-fiction

Parent Power

This is the one-stop book for any parent who wants their child to get the most of the British education system (formerly published as The New School Rules).

You name it, it’s probably in this book: choosing the right school for your child, how to help your child get the best results, how to help them settle into school, what to expect from your school, when and how to make a complaint, how to deal with bullying, drink, drugs… It’s all here. The book is truly comprehensive in that it looks at both primary and secondary schools, state and private, selective and non-selective, single and mixed sexed. It is jam-packed with advice and also parents’ own stories.

Why should you be reading a book written by me, and not one of the other numerous leaflets, books, websites that offer advice to parents about schools? The answer to that is simple: I am one of the few insiders who tells the truth. What you read in this book is not government propaganda, left or right-wing rant, cynical sniping or over-optimistic piffle.

The book is big and comprehensive. It’s got a great index so you won’t have to read it all the way through if you don’t want to, but you will find what you want to know quickly and easily. The chapters are:

  • Getting your child into a good school
  • Getting the most out of your school
  • How to tackle the big problems
  • Does your child have special needs?
  • Getting involved with your child’s education
  • Your experience and your child’s experience
  • When schooling causes conflict
  • What makes a good school
  • Getting the most out of the National Curriculum
  • Some New School Rules for the government
  • The five essential New School Rules
  • A great photocopiable section which enables you to evaluate your school
  • A guide to revision guides and a reading list
  • Loads of useful websites
  • A comprehensive glossary.

Reviews

“Informative, clearly written and with a well worked and original organising principle, it is, to coin a phrase, ‘the book no parent can be without’.”

Former Teacher Of The Year, Phil Beadle, in The Times

“Choosing a school for your child can be a baffling and stressful experience. Teacher Francis Gilbert has written what could become the bible for parents”

The Yorkshire Post
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