Models of partnership A number of different models have been used to describe the form that partnerships can take. Epstein and Saunders (2002) describe a continuum of partnership models. Although it is unlikely that practice in a particular setting will exactly reflect one model, the models can provide a potential starting point for practitioners to reflect how current practice and procedures view families and, based on this, consider what developments can be made to enhance partnership with families Protective model This operates along the lines of a business, and requires parents to delegate responsi- bility for education to the setting as the aims of home and the setting and the roles of practitioners and parents are different. School-to-home transmission model This model recognizes the importance of the family but only places an emphasis on one-directional communication from the setting to the home and assumes a level of parental agreement with decisions taken by the setting. In this model there is likely to be little sharing of ideas between the setting and community. Curriculum enrichment model This model recognizes the benefits of collaborative learning between practitioners,