What do we do?

What do we do?

Parent Councils play an active role in supporting parental involvement in the work and the life of the school, while also providing opportunities for parents to express their views on children’s education and learning.

The Parent Council, as a statutory body, has the right to information and advice on matters which affect children’s education. The school and the education authority must consult with the Parent Council and take their views into account whenever decisions are being taken on education provided by the school.

The Parent Council is a group of parents selected by members of the Parent Forum to represent all the parents of children at a school. Parent Councils are very flexible groups and the Parent Forum can decide on the type of group it wants to represent their views. Parents might decide they want a representative from each year group in the school. They might want to include pupils, other teachers at the school or parents from a feeder or secondary school. This flexibility allows parents to choose a Parent Council which reflects their school and will encourage parents to get involved.

The type of things a Parent Council could get involved in include:

• Supporting the work of the school
• Gathering and representing parents’ views to the headteacher, education authority and HMIE
• Promoting contact between the school, parents, pupils, providers of nursery
• Fundraising
• Organising events
• Being involved in the appointment of senior staff.

The main features of Parent Councils are:

• The Parent Forum decides on the type of Parent Council and constitution that is right for the school.
• The Parent Council should establish a written constitution, detailing such information as aims, purposes, membership and meetings.
• Only parents of children at that school can be members of the Parent Council.
• The Parent Forum

Why get involved and how can I help?

Parents, carers and family members are by far the most important influences on their children’s lives. By becoming involved in the life of your child’s school you can show your child that their education is important to you.

How does my child benefit?

When children see their parents and other family members getting involved in the school it:

• shows you are interested in what the school is doing
• lets them see you value what they are learning
• gives younger children a sense of security
• helps them learn about the wider community
• helps them learn from their parent’s example.

How do I benefit?

Parents like to be involved because they:

• get to know the teachers and other parents
• gain a better understanding of how the school works and how children learn
• can see how their own child relates to other children and teachers
• have the satisfaction of knowing they are making a useful contribution to the school and to children’s learning
• can be a positive role-model to young people.

How does the school benefit?

Schools benefit because:

• they have a wider range of experience and skills to draw on
• they develop closer links with the parents and the school community
• teachers are grateful for extra help.

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