Parent Council

Welcome! If your child attends Inverurie Academy, you will automatically become a member of our ‘Parent Forum’. If the terms ‘Parent Forum’ and ‘Parent Council’ are new to you, you will find a short explanation at the end of this page and some links for further information. If you have already had experience of Parent Forums and Councils, you will know that, within Scottish government guidelines, each Parent Forum can choose how to set up their representative Council.

Our Parent Council.

Like most Parent Councils, our meetings are attended by the Rector (or her representative), members of the teaching staff, and representatives of the local community. At Inverurie Academy, our aim is to be as democratic as possible so that any parent might attend and participate in Parent Council meetings. However, we only discuss general matters that relate to school life; this is not somewhere we bring individual problems. We welcome any parent who feels that they have something to contribute to the running of the school community. The only fixed posts on the Council are those of Secretary and Treasurer who are elected from people who regularly attend Parent Council meetings. The post of Chairman is filled on a rotational basis of approximately two meetings each a year. The recent and gratifying increase in numbers serving on the Council has enabled sub-groups to be formed to deal with specific topics such as: Curriculum for Excellence, Fundraising, Communications, Uniform Policy, etc. Other parent members of the Council play an invaluable role in communicating with members of the Parent Forum, bringing general concerns to the attention of the Council, and reporting back.

Your Involvement.

Any member of Inverurie Parent Forum is very welcome to attend the Parent Council meetings. Our Secretary, Dr Paul Schlicke, is our point of contact for all queries and can be reached at inverurieacaparentcouncil@yahoo.co.uk. But you do not have to attend Parent Council meetings to help support the school. The sub-groups are always glad of more support, and individuals can provide valuable links with local businesses, or offer their particular skills by working with the school community.

Current Events.

Information on Inverurie Academy Parent Council events are posted on GLOW. As a member of Inverurie Academy Parent Forum, you will be given a password to access the information.

Background.

The benefits of involving parents and carers in the activities of schools have long been recognized and appreciated by parents and teaching staff alike. In the past, liaison between schools and parents was conducted through the School Board which was consulted on matters such as management, quality control and discipline. A less formal but equally important organization, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), organized events for pupils and their families which, in addition to raising essential funding for school activities and equipment, also helped to unite the school community.

Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006.

In 2006, a review of parental involvement in schools resulted in the formation of a more inclusive parent representative group, the ‘Parent Forum’. All parents and carers of pupils are automatically members of the school’s Parent Forum, which should meet once or twice a year to hear about developments or issues in the school. However, as it would be impractical for the whole Parent Forum to meet with any frequency, it was proposed that a smaller group of their representatives should meet more regularly with members of teaching staff and representatives of the local community, such as local councillors, clergy or police, to enable more in-depth discussion and to take on some of the functions of the previous PTA. These people form the ‘Parent Council’. Further information about Parent Forums and Parent Councils can be found at:

www.scotland.gov.uk
www.sptc.info
www.parentzonescotland.gov.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents
www.opfs.org.uk
www.children1st.org.uk/parentline
www.parentnetworkscotland.org.uk