Parents and carers as partners in their children’s education
The Parental Engagement Strategy aims to build on good practice and create further opportunities for partnership working between schools and parents/carers; supporting parents and carers as partners in their children’s education and welcoming their involvement in school life.
Cllr John Finlayson, Education Chair said: “There are great benefits to parents/carers being involved in their children’s learning from helping them with homework and forming stronger connections with the school through events and volunteering opportunities. But what we mean by the term ‘parental engagement’ is parents/carers having input in their children’s education on a deeper level. We see parents/carers as our partners in our work to provide a quality education and that the values taught in schools reflect the surrounding communities. This strategy looks at the channels of communication and engagement that we have with parents and carers to share suggestions and feedback, and how we can make them feel confident and welcome to do so.”
Schools will keep parents/carers informed of what is being taught in the classroom. Information can be found through a variety of channels including the school handbook, information evenings, newsletters, the parent council, and updates from the class teacher.
Learning should also be encouraged to continue when at home. Parents and carers can provide key support to their child by helping and encouraging them with their homework. Opportunities are also available to help build confidence around certain topics such as literacy and numeracy.
Parents/carers are automatically members of their school’s Parent Forum. This forum is key in facilitating discussion and allowing the views of parents to be heard. The Parent Council may then express and represent these views to their school and the Council as a statutory body.
The strategy itself received input from parents and carers through a questionnaire to gain feedback from 64 schools from both urban and rural areas. The questionnaire also sought input from parent council representatives, as well as school leaders, school staff, and third sector organisations. The approach will continue to develop through ongoing engagement with schools and parent groups.