Parent Survey Template for Schools and Childcare Programs
Fourteen questions a school or childcare center sends to families once a year, one survey per child.
- 14questions
- 4 to 5 minto complete
- One per childnot one per family
- Any stagepreschool to high school
The 14 parent survey questions
A parent survey asks the parents and caregivers of children at a school or childcare center how the year is going for their family: how well the school keeps them informed and listens, and whether their child is safe and happy there. All fourteen are ready to send when you create a poll or survey from this template.
The child this answer is about
A family with two children answers twice, once for each.
- Which stage is the child you are answering for in this year?the answer every other score is split by.
What the school tells you
Newsletters and report cards, judged by the people they are written for.
- The school keeps me informed about what my child is learning.
- The school explains my child's progress in terms I understand.a low score usually points at report card wording.
Reaching the school
Three items a school can act on quickly.
- When I contact the school, I get a reply in a reasonable time.let the parent decide what reasonable means.
- I know who to contact when I have a concern.an easy fix: publish a named contact for every grade.
- The school takes my concerns seriously when I raise them.
Safety and welcome
What a parent sees from the school gate; the student satisfaction survey asks the students themselves.
- I am confident that my child is safe at school.
- My child looks forward to going to school.parents see the morning at the door; staff rarely do.
- The school handles student behavior fairly.
- I feel welcome at the school.
Reaching every family
Language and route decide who answers next year.
- The school sends information in a language I read comfortably.
- How would you prefer the school to contact you?use the answers to set next year's routes.
In your words, then overall
One optional box, then the rating every other answer leads up to.
- What is the one thing the school could do better?ask for one thing and the answers can be counted.
- Overall, how satisfied are you with the school this year?
Sending parent surveys for schools and childcare centers
Send one survey per child to every parent or caregiver on your roll, once a year in the same month. Spring gives families most of a year to judge and the school the summer to act. Tell them in one line that answers are reported as a group.
Share the link by email, text and a paper copy at pickup, in each language your families read. In fall 2021, 10.6 percent of US public school students were English learners, three in four of them Spanish speakers.[1] Question 12 sets next year's routes.
Read every score by the stage in question 1, so each team sees its own. For feedback on one teacher's lessons, the students answer the teacher evaluation form. For one after-school program, use the program evaluation survey.
Parent survey FAQ
Why are parent surveys important?
They show a school what families see from outside: whether messages arrive and whether a child is happy to go in. Asked the same way every year, they show which of last year's changes families noticed.
Can a daycare or preschool use this parent survey?
Yes. Parents pick Preschool or childcare in question 1, and in the editor you can change school to center throughout. Many centers add one item on the daily update and one on how settling in went.
Is a family survey the same as a parent survey?
Yes. Many US districts say family survey or family engagement survey so that grandparents, guardians and other caregivers feel included. The questions stay the same; change parent to family in your introduction if you prefer that wording.
Michael Hodge, survey methodology · Updated 25 September 2026 · How templates are reviewed
Sources (1)
- National Center for Education Statistics. English Learners in Public Schools. Condition of Education, May 2024. nces.ed.gov
Ask your families how the year went
Fourteen questions, one survey per child, four to five minutes. Put your school's name on it in the editor and send it before the summer.
Use this template