What is a Parent Council? All parents, carers and guardians of a child in a school are automatically members of the 'Parent Forum' for that school.
The 'Parent Forum' can choose to set up a 'Parent Council' to represent all of the parents. The 'Parent Forum' will agree its constitution, including how many members it will have and how they will be selected.
The 'Parent Council' must report back to the 'Parent Forum' about what it is doing, at least once a year.
What can a 'Parent Council' do? The functions of a 'Parent Council' are set out in the "Parental Involvement Act 2006". They cover four main areas:
supporting the school in its work with pupils and parents
representing the views of parents
promoting contact between the school, parents, pupils, providers of nursery education and the community
reporting to the Parent Forum
Most 'Parent Councils' are also involved in fundraising and organising social activities, often through a sub-committee. This allows them to take advantage of the insurance policy which is provided through our group membership of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council.
'Parent Council' members are also involved in the recruitment of senior staff (Headteachers and Deputes) in a school. Only members who have completed the appropriate staff recruitment training course can take part in a recruitment panel.
How can I get involved? All 'Parent Council' meetings are open to members of the 'Parent Forum' for that school, and many are open to the public. To find out more about your school's 'Parent Council', please contact the Headteacher at your school (see the 'CONTACT' section of this website).