Parental involvement and parent councils

Parents and carers play a vital role in children’s learning.

Most learning happens outside school. When families are involved, children are more likely to succeed at school and throughout life.

In Scotland, parental involvement is supported through the Parent Forum and Parent Council, helping schools and families work together in partnership.

Parent Forum and Parent Council

If you have a child at school, you are automatically part of the Parent Forum.

This means you:

• can share your views about the school
• can take part in discussions about your child’s education
• are part of the wider parent community

Each school also has a Parent Council. This is a group of parents and carers who represent the views of the Parent Forum and work closely with the school.

Parent Councils help to:

• improve communication between families and the school
• support children’s learning and wellbeing
• encourage parents to get involved in school life
• take part in decisions and school improvement discussions

Parent Councils are run by parents and carers and supported by the school and Education Resources.

Our commitment to working with parents

We want all parents and carers to:

• feel welcome and included in school life
• be informed about their child’s learning and progress
• have opportunities to support learning at home
• share views and help shape education services

Strong partnerships between schools and families help children to achieve their best and feel supported in their learning.

Support for Parent Councils – Connect

All Parent Councils in South Lanarkshire are members of Connect, Scotland’s national organisation for parent groups.

This membership is funded by the Council and provides a wide range of support.

What Connect offers

• Insurance cover: covers Parent Council activities, including events and fundraising
• Training and development: online sessions and resources to support Parent Council members
• Advice and support: access to guidance, helplines and expert advice when needed
• Resources and guidance: tools to help run meetings, manage finances and support learning

Connect provides a 'one-stop' support service for Parent Councils and helps ensure good governance, safe practice and effective engagement with schools.

Constitutions

All Parent Councils must have a constitution. This sets out the rules for how the Parent Council is set up, run and managed.

• A toolkit to help prepare a constitution is available in each school or on the Connect website.
• Any changes to the constitution must be shared with the Parent Forum.
• Changes must be agreed at the annual general meeting (AGM).

Getting involved

You can get involved in your child’s school in a way that suits you.  This might include:

• attending Parent Council meetings
• helping with school activities or events
• sharing your views through surveys or consultations
• supporting learning at home

If you would like to join your school’s Parent Council or find out more, contact your school office.

A range of forms are available from Education Resources. For more information or a copy of the forms please fill out the Education enquiry form.