Role of HMIE

Role of HMIE

The Act’s intention is that there should be a strong working partnership between schools and parents. It reinforces parents’ voices in the standards and quality of education provided by the school. HMIE provides a guide on How good is our partnership with parents?, designed for use by teachers, managers and parents. This is part of the How good is our school? series of guides to self-evaluation which assist schools to evaluate their own performance in providing education. The guides include self-evaluation indicators covering themes such as reporting pupils’ progress, pastoral care, partnership with parents, and links with local authority or other managing body, other schools, agencies and employers.

The guidance on partnership with parents highlights effective ways in which schools and parents and carers can work together to support children’s learning and identify strengths and areas for improvement. For example, it helps them explore how effective the advice is that is given to parents on how they can support their children’s learning, including homework. It looks at how well the school takes account of the wishes and expectations of all parents. Moreover, it asks how effectively the school and the authority works in partnership with the Parent Forum or Parent Council that represents parents views.

As indicated in Section D, the Act allows a Parent Council to make representations to HMIE on matters of interest or concern to members of the Parent Forum. The Council must, in the first instance, have made such representations to the headteacher, where appropriate, and the education authority. Most issues will be able to be resolved at a local level and representations to HMIE are expected to be the exception, rather than the norm. HMIE must take account of representations received and may use it to inform future education authority and school inspections, where it is reasonable and practical to do so. In all cases, HMIE must reply to the Parent Council.