Parents as Partners in their Parents as Partners in their Children’s LearningChildren’s Learning

A guide to the A guide to the Scottish Schools Scottish Schools

(Parental Involvement) (Parental Involvement) Act 2006Act 2006

Why parental involvement?Why parental involvement?

Where parents are involved, children do betterWhere parents are involved, children do better and achieve moreand achieve more

What difference do parents What difference do parents make?make?

Children spend only 15% Children spend only 15% of their time in schoolof their time in school

What difference do parents What difference do parents make?make?

85% of the language 85% of the language we use as adults is in we use as adults is in place by the time we place by the time we are five years old and are five years old and 50% is in place by the 50% is in place by the time we are three years time we are three years old.old.

What difference do parents What difference do parents make?make?

Most differences in Most differences in achievement by 14 year achievement by 14 year olds in English, Maths and olds in English, Maths and Science are due to home Science are due to home influences.influences.

What difference do parents What difference do parents make?make?

When parents are actively When parents are actively involved in reading with involved in reading with their children at home their children at home their children’s reading their children’s reading scores improve, on scores improve, on average, by between 12-18 average, by between 12-18 months.months.

What difference do parents What difference do parents make?make?

Doing homework Doing homework regularly through their regularly through their years at school has years at school has roughly the same benefit roughly the same benefit as an extra year’s as an extra year’s schooling.schooling.

Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006

Purpose

To improve the quality of parents’ involvement in their own child’s learning and in education and schools more generally

Part of the Ambitious, Excellent Schools Programme

Objectives

•To modernise and strengthen the system for parental involvement in school education

•To engage parents meaningfully in the education of their children and in the school community

•To achieve a more flexible and inclusive statutory system for parental representation

•To strengthen parents’ rights both collectively and individually

Parents as partners in Parents as partners in children’s learningchildren’s learning

Involving parents to enable all

young peopleto become

Confidentindividuals

Successfullearners

Effectivecontributors

Responsiblecitizens

DutiesDuties

Duties on Government Ministers and Education Duties on Government Ministers and Education Authorities to promote Parental InvolvementAuthorities to promote Parental Involvement

Education Authorities were required toEducation Authorities were required to:: prepare a strategy for parental involvement prepare a strategy for parental involvement give advice and information to parentsgive advice and information to parents promote and support Parent Councilspromote and support Parent Councils establish a complaints procedure for parentsestablish a complaints procedure for parents

What do we mean by parental involvement?What do we mean by parental involvement?

Three elements Three elements Learning at homeLearning at home

parents as first and ongoing educators of their own childrenparents as first and ongoing educators of their own children

Home/School PartnershipHome/School Partnership schools, parents and the community working together to schools, parents and the community working together to

educate children educate children

Parent representationParent representation parents have an opportunity to have their views parents have an opportunity to have their views

represented represented and a voice in the development of education policy at school, local authority and national level.

Learning at home

North Lanarkshire’s home learning initiatives include:

•Family Fun Bags

•Technology kits

•Storybags

•Curiosity Kits

•Storytelling

Home School Partnership

•Parental involvement in life of the school

•Parent Helpers

•Partnership Officers (Secondary Schools)

•Parent Support Workers

Parent Councils

Parent Councils

Previously…

School Boards governed by legislation and, therefore, all following the same pattern.

Parent Councils agreed locally and are all potentially unique.

Parent Forum and Parent CouncilParent Forum and Parent Council

Every parent with a child at the school is a member of Every parent with a child at the school is a member of the the Parent ForumParent Forum..

Parent ForumParent Forum can choose to have their views can choose to have their views represented through a Parent Council represented through a Parent Council

Parent CouncilParent Council smaller body that represents parents views to the smaller body that represents parents views to the

school, local authority and HMIeschool, local authority and HMIe

Establishment of Parent Councils

Parents in every school decided how they would be represented and how their Parent Council would be constituted.

(The legislation did not apply to stand-alone nursery schools or centres.

Parent Council

•Parent Forum decides on shape, composition and constitution of Parent Council.

•In a denominational school, the Parent Council will have a co-opted member nominated by the denominational body.

•Parent Council chairperson must be a parent of a child at the school.

•Meetings open to the public.

•Provision for Combined Parent Council to represent parents in more than one school where that is the wish of the parents.

Functions of Parent Council

• to support the school in raising standards and securing improvements in the quality of education and in developing to the fullest potential the pupils at the school

• to make representations to HT and education authority about arrangements for promoting parental involvement

• to report to parents annually

• to find out the views of the Parent Forum on any matters of interest or concern and reporting to the HT or authority

Functions of Parent Council

• to promote contact between the school and the community or other individuals or groups

• involvement in the appointment of head teachers and depute head teachers

•the power to make representation to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education (HMIe)

Complaints Procedure

North Lanarkshire Council’s complaints procedure for North Lanarkshire Council’s complaints procedure for parentsparents

•Existed before the Act•Allows parents to register concerns with the authority