John Bastiani has been the coordinator of the National Home-School Development Group since its formation. A former tutor at the University of Nottingham's School of Education, he has recently been the director of the RSA's 'Parents in ~ Learning Society' Project. He is a member of several national advisory groups, runs INSET courses around the UK and is a freelance consultant on home-school matters. Sheila Wolfendale has been a primary school and remedial reading teacher, an educational psychologist in several LEAs and is currently director of a Doctorate in Educational Psychology training programme at the University of East London. She has authored and edited many books, booklets, chapters, articles and handbooks on aspects of special needs, early years and parental involvement. She was awarded a Professorship in 1988 and in 1995 gained a PhD by published works.

• Introduction; Chapter 1 Managing the changing power bases – parents, schools, governors and LEAs, Alwyn Morgan; Chapter 2 Learning begins at home: implications for a learning society, Titus Alexander; Chapter 3 Good mothers are women too: the gender implications of parental involvement in education, Kathy Maclachlam; Chapter 4 ‘It hurts me in my heart when my child brings home a book’ – reading at home for bilingual families, Diana Stoker; Chapter 5 Empowering pupils through home–school links, Conrad Chapman; Chapter 6 Home–school liaison: the mainstreaming of good ideas and effective practice, John Bastiani; Chapter 7 The PSP experience in Liverpool: towards a city-wide service; Chapter 8 The contribution of parents to children’s achievement in school: policy and practice in the London Borough of Newham, Sheila Wolfendale; Chapter 9 Home–school projects: influencing long-term change, Anne Houston; Chapter 10 Home works: shared maths and shared writing, Ruth Merttens, Alan Newland; Chapter 11 Making school more visible to parents: an evaluation of the Harbinger Video Project, Roger Hancock, Anne O’Connor, Helen Jenner, Gavin Østmo, Geoff Sheath; Chapter 12 Setting up a parents’ advice centre: partnership or PR?, Sarah Gale; Chapter 13 Parents and secondary schools: a different approach?, Emma Beresford, Angus Hardie; Chapter 14 Home to school is a long way: facing up to the issues of developing home–school alliances in rural areas, Tanny Stobart;