Frequently asked questions

The National Parents Alliance (NPA) is a new independent, non-party-political national membership organisation for parents and carers.

We are building a permanent organisation through which parents and carers can find trusted information and support, connect with others, contribute their knowledge and experience, and have greater collective influence on the policies, services and decisions that affect their children and families.

Parent-led. Family-centred. Independent.

NPA membership will be open to individual parents and carers with children and young people under the age of 25.

We intend this to include parents and carers across different family circumstances and every stage of childhood, education and the transition into adult life.

When an existing member's youngest child reaches 25, their relationship with NPA won't simply end. They will be invited to move into a Continuing Membership category, recognising their previous membership and contribution and enabling them to remain involved in appropriate ways.

Organisations won't become individual NPA members. Instead, eligible organisations will be able to become NPA Organisational Affiliates.

This will provide a way for organisations whose work or purpose is relevant to children, parents, carers or family life to connect with the wider NPA network while retaining their own identity and independence.

Affiliation will not mean that an organisation endorses every NPA position, or that NPA endorses every position or activity of an affiliate.

Individual parents and carers will remain at the heart of NPA.

NPA doesn't want to replace the many parent organisations, specialist groups and grassroots campaigns already doing valuable work.

We want to help connect and strengthen them.

Alongside Organisational Affiliates, we plan to develop an NPA Parent Campaign Network, providing a way for grassroots and emerging parent-led campaigns to connect, share experience and access wider networks and infrastructure while retaining their independence.

Education will be NPA's first major area of focus.

It is where families spend a significant part of their lives and where there are already many important questions about parent participation, support, choice and influence.

But children and families don't live their lives in institutional silos. As NPA develops, there may be good reasons to explore other issues that directly affect children, parents and family life.

Start with education. Prove the model. Expand deliberately.

No. NPA is independent and non-party-political.

We want to work constructively with governments and opposition parties, public bodies, schools and universities, professionals, researchers, charities, community organisations, businesses and others whose work affects children and families.

But NPA does not belong to any of them.

Our responsibility is to our members, our purpose and the evidence.

No.

Parents and carers don't all think alike, and NPA shouldn't pretend that they do.

We want to understand where parents agree, where they disagree and how experiences differ between families and communities. We will use surveys, research, conversations, working groups and other forms of participation to build credible evidence about what parents and carers actually think and experience.

Agreement is evidence. Disagreement is evidence too.

We are building NPA around three simple ideas:

SUPPORT. CONNECT. EMPOWER.

That means developing trusted information and guidance; helping families navigate complicated systems and find appropriate expertise and support; connecting parents with one another and with relevant organisations; creating opportunities to participate in research and working groups; and turning shared parent experience into evidence, representation and advocacy.

Over time, we also intend to develop practical member services and benefits, including specialist support and family legal support and protection. Some of these services are still in development and will be introduced as NPA grows.

Our ambition is to make NPA a trusted first port of call when parents and carers need information, guidance or help navigating a problem.

However, NPA is still in its founding phase and does not yet operate a general casework, legal-advice or complaints service.

As our member-support services develop, we will make clear what assistance is available and how members can access it.

When one family encounters a problem, we can help them navigate it. When many families encounter the same problem, we can help change it.

Special Interest Groups will give parents and others with relevant lived or professional experience an opportunity to explore particular issues in greater depth and contribute knowledge, evidence and ideas to NPA's work.

Our first groups are likely to explore areas including SEND, AI and Education, Social Media and Devices, Sport in Schools, Curriculum, and Enrichment and Wider Opportunities.

These groups are still being developed, and others will emerge in response to the interests and priorities of NPA's growing parent community.

No.

Registration for NPA's Founding Community is free and does not commit you to becoming a paying member later.

We want people who register now to be able to follow NPA's development and, if they choose, help shape what comes next.

Yes. When full NPA membership launches, we intend to introduce a small, affordable annual membership fee.

A genuinely independent national organisation needs sustainable infrastructure. Member funding will help NPA develop useful services while remaining accountable to the parents and carers who choose to belong to it.

NPA may also receive appropriate donations, grants, sponsorship and other funding, but financial support must never buy control over NPA's research, priorities, advocacy or decision-making.

Funding can support NPA's work. It cannot buy NPA's voice.

We are currently building NPA's foundations and aim to launch membership before Christmas 2026.

People who register for our Founding Community will be kept informed as the membership offer develops and will be among the first invited to join.

Yes — and we hope many parents, carers and supporters will.

NPA is an ambitious undertaking and our initial Founding Team cannot build it alone. Over time there will be opportunities to contribute professional or specialist expertise, lived experience, research, communications, technology, administration, community-building and other practical skills.

You can indicate that you're interested in volunteering when you Register Your Interest. There is no commitment at this stage.

The simplest way is to Register Your Interest and become part of our free Founding Community.

You can simply follow our progress, or choose to become more involved by taking part in surveys and research, sharing your experiences and ideas, volunteering, contributing expertise or participating in future groups and activities.

You decide how involved you want to be.