NEWSLETTER/S
PARENT PARTNERSHIP
As a parent of a child at this school you are automatically a member of the parent forum. The Parent Forum is composed of all the parents and carers of children at the school and nursery. As a member of the Parent Forum you can expect to:
• Get information about what your child is learning
• Get information about events and activities at the school
• Get advice/help on how you can support your child’s learning
• Be told about opportunities to be involved in the school
• Have a say in selecting a Parent Council to work on behalf of all parents/carers at the school
• Be invited to identify issues for the Parent Council to work on with the school
As a member of the Parent Forum, you are entitled to put yourself forward for membership of the Parent Partnership. Please note that if the number of interested parents/carers exceeds the number of places available then members will be decided by election.
Where you will find a link to the Scottish Government’s leaflet, “Parents as Partners – The Purpose and Role of Parent Councils”. The Head Teacher has a right and duty to attend all meetings of the Parent Partnership as the professional advisor to the Parent Council. These meetings are open to members of the public.
The Parent Partnership’s rights and duties include:
• Supporting the work of the school
• Representing the views of parents/carers
• Consulting with parents/carers and reporting back to the Parent Forum on matters of interest
• Promoting contact between the school, parents/carers, pupils, and the wider community
• Fundraising
• Taking part in the selection of senior promoted staff
• Receiving reports from the head teacher and education authority; and
• Receiving an annual budget for administration, training and other expenses
• Improving home school partnership and facilitating parental involvement
To contact the Parent Partnership, please contact the school (01236 794883). The local councillors for the school may attend all meetings of the Parent Partnership and have the right to speak but have no right to vote. Detailed information on eligibility for membership of school boards and procedures for electing parent representatives are available on request from the school. Minutes of all Parent Partnership Meetings are available below and parents/carers are welcome to attend any of the meetings.
Constitution (TBC for session 25/26)
Changes to Disclosure Scotland Services affecting Parent Councils, Volunteers and Groups
Please be advised of the new Disclosure (Scotland) Act which came into effect on 1 April 2025 where several important changes to the vetting process have been made. This impacts Parent Council members/parent helpers and those involved in activities with children.
Below are some of the key changes:
The new Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020, which came into effect on 1st April 2025, introduces several important changes to the vetting process, which impacts on Parent Council members within schools. Below are some of the key changes, From 1st April 2025, it will be a criminal offence for individuals to carry out a regulated role without being a PVG scheme member.
Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Membership – The Act requires that anyone working in regulated roles, including volunteers, must have PVG membership. This includes parent council members who are involved in activities with children and undertaking specific tasks/roles. The criterion for regulated roles is provided below.
Fewer Disclosure Levels – The Act simplifies the disclosure process by reducing the number of disclosure levels, making it easier to understand and manage.
New Referral Powers – Councils and integration boards now have new referral powers which means they can refer individuals to Disclosure Scotland if there are concerns about their suitability to work with vulnerable groups.
Definition of Regulated Roles – The Act provides clear criteria for what constitutes a regulated role. For example, parent council members who regularly help with school activities involving children will need to be PVG checked.
Age Definitions – The Act defines a child as anyone under the age of 18 and a protected adult as someone over 18 who may need additional support due to disability, illness or other factors.
Criteria for Regulated Roles
The role must involve:
- Working with children under 18 years of age
- Contact with children, which can be physical, verbal, written or visual communication
- Regulated activities such as teaching, caring, managing or providing personal assistance to children
- Contact and activities that are a regular part of role and not incidental
- Driving or escorting children in connection with transport services provided exclusively or mainly for children
- Significant power and influence over children
It should also be noted that if there is an opportunity for unsupervised contact with a child within the school, then PVG membership is required.
Legal Requirements
From 1st April 2025, it will be a criminal offence for individuals to carry out a regulated role without being a PVG scheme member.
What is the impact on Parent Councils, Parent Helpers and Volunteers?
The new Act means that we must ensure that all members of a parent council and parent helpers who are involved in activities with children are appropriately PVG checked and understand the new referral process. You can access more information from Disclosure Scotland around Parent Council’s and Groups by opening the graphic below.
How to apply for a PVG scheme disclosure
After considering whether the members of the parent council and any volunteers are carrying out a regulated role, the parent run group (includes Parent Council’s) can apply for a PVG scheme disclosure direct with Disclosure Scotland (with the group registering as an “accredited body” with Disclosure Scotland) or through another Accredited body who applies and acts on your behalf (known as an umbrella body).
Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services (VSDS) help the voluntary sector process checks and understand the disclosure system. This service is free of charge. Further details, including how to enrol your parent council to access disclosures through VSDS can be found on the Volunteer Scotland website which can be accessed by opening this link Disclosure Services – Volunteer Scotland .
Regardless of how a parent run group applies for PVG scheme disclosures, the group must adhere to the Disclosure Scotland Code of Practice, which can be found here. This explains how disclosure information should be used.
If an umbrella body is acting on behalf of the parent run group, the individual will directly share their disclosure information with the parent run group (e.g. Chair of Parent Council).
Disclosures for members of parent run groups must not be shared with organisations for which the individual does not work or volunteer e.g. disclosures applied for by the parent council must not be shared with a school or local authority unless consent is obtained to do so from the individual.
