- Title or Description
- Parent councils
- FOI Number
- 2024371
- Date Received
- 28/03/2024
- Type of Request
- FOI
- Request or Question
-
1. How does your local authority support its parent councils? For example, do you provide support by providing any of the following:* a direct grant or allocated budget
* a grant via the school
* training
* insurance
* access to advice and support
* employing and/or paying for a clerk .
2. Is there a local authority Area Forum (or similar) for Parent Council Chairs (or Parent Council members) where they can discuss issues of common interest? If yes: * What is it called?
* Who sets the agenda for the Area Forum?
* Who runs and chairs the meeting of the Area Forum?
* Does the Area Forum have legal status i.e. as a local authority sub-committee? If yes, please explain
* What other ways does your local authority have for gathering the views of Parent Councils?
Parental Engagement and Representation
3. Does your local authority have a parental involvement officer? If yes, what percentage of their role is dedicated to parental involvement in their job specification?
4. Does your local authority have a parent/carer representative (or more than one) on the Education/Children and Families (or equivalent) Committee? If yes:
how is the parent representative chosen? For example, are they elected?
* does the parent representative have voting rights?
* is the parent representative able to gather parent/carer views and if so how do they do this?
* how is the parent representative supported in their role by your local authority? 5. Is there a pupil representative on the Education or Children and Families Committee?
6. Is there a parent representative on the education appeals committee? (for school placing requests etc)
7. As a local authority, how else do you support parental engagement? E.g. up-to-date website content; dedicated parental engagement email address; using social media; staff training etc. - Response
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Scottish Borders provide a grant which parent councils can apply for. This session it has been open for applications on two occasions so as to cover the changes which might have happened as to positions of responsibility. At the start of the session we offer an information session with various individuals from Scottish Borders Council to support a number of areas re fund raising etc.
Parent Council Chairs meeting
Discussion between council staff and parent council rep.
Education officer
No
Mainly meetings are held on-line but planning a summer fayre type event to bring individuals together.
No
Yes
Representative comes from an ask to the parent council chairs group.
The parent council rep does not have voting rights in our scheme of administration.
It states:
(b) Nine additional non-voting members, comprising: three persons interested in the promotion of religious education appointed in accordance with Section 124 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 as amended by Section 31 of the Local Government Etc. (Scotland) Act 1994
two teachers in the employment of the Council appointed from nominations to be made in accordance with Appendix 2 to this Scheme; two representatives from Parent Councils, one from the Primary Sector, and one from the Secondary Sector; and two pupil representatives.
Yes varies but as we move to a cluster model with our schools, they is the possibility of this developing in this direction over time. Regular/termly meetings with chair rep and education officer.
Yes, there are 2 pupil representatives on the Education Sub Committee. Yes there are 2 secondary parent council chairs on the education appeals committee. The local authority has a Partnership with Parents Framework which provides schools and settings with guidance on parental engagement.
