Parent Councils
The Parental Involvement Act introduced Parent Councils as the new representative body for parents in schools. As of August 2007 School Boards no longer exist.
The Scottish Government have issued a set of Starter Kit Leaflets for the new Parent Councils.
Stirling Council has also issued specific guidance on Public Liability Insurance for Parent Councils.
Parent Councils are there to represent the views of all parents in the school. Consultations in all schools took place over the first half of 2007 to find out from parents how they wanted to be involved. The aims of the Parent Councils will differ from school to school, but in all cases they are there to:
- work in partnership with the school and to create a welcoming place which is inclusive for all parents
- to promote partnership between the school, its pupils, its parents and the local community
- to identify and represent the views of all parents
- to develop and engage in activities which support the education and welfare of the pupils (for some schools this includes fundraising and social events)
All parents are encouraged to become involved in their Parent Council in a way that suits them and their circumstances. For some parents this will be serving on the organising committee, for others it will be joining in with specific areas of work such as fundraising, helping with the school fete, developing the website or working on the school garden. There are lots of ways that parents can contribute and Parent Council representatives or headteachers in schools will be happy to discuss this with parents.
Summary Report from Scottish Government on National Parent Body and statement from Maureen Watt, Minister for Schools and Skills.
Parent Councils and the Data Protection Act
Examples of how schools have involved and consulted parents.
Guidance on involving pupils in Parent Councils.
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