Parent councils
The Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006 was established to improve
parents’ involvement in their child’s education and in the life of the
school generally.
The act has led to the establishment of Parent Councils in schools to enable all
parents and carers in South Ayrshire to be:
- Involved with their child’s education and learning
- Welcomed as active participants in the life of the school, and
- Encouraged to express their views on school education generally and work in partnership
with the school
Educational Services recognise that parents are the first and
ongoing educators of their children and know them best. The Scottish (Parental Involvement)
Act 2006 provides us with an opportunity to help parents and schools work together
closely to ensure that children benefit from this shared knowledge and expertise.
Head teachers have an important role in working with parents and helping to take
forward parental involvement in school. Educational Services staff will continue to support schools
in developing their links with parents and
carers into effective and strong Parent Councils. This joint partnership will help
in the drive to ensure all children reach their full potential and take forward
the key areas below:
Learning at home
Educational Services, Head Teachers and school staff all recognise
the vital role that parents and carers play in their children’s learning and
development. Parents can expect to receive information and support from school to
help develop their child’s learning at home.
Home/school partnership
To ensure children get the most out of their time in school, effective home/school
partnerships are needed. Schools will be open to the involvement of parents in the
work they do. School staff will continue to support and develop ways of providing
information that will help them engage with the school and their children’s
learning.
Parental representation
The Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006 gives all parents and carers
of children at school an opportunity to become involved in the life of the school
and to have their views taken in account. All parents with a child at school are
automatically members of the Parent Forum. The Parent Forum will be represented
in each school through a Parent Council. The Parent Council will be helped and supported
by Educational Services staff and the Community Learning and Development team.
We also recognise that not all parents find it easy or straightforward to take up
opportunities to become involved in their child’s education. If barriers to
parental involvement exist, we would wish to listen to parents to address such issues
and help everyone benefit from our plans to work closely together.