Developing a strategy

Developing a strategy for parental involvement

Section 2 (1) of the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006 requires every education authority to prepare a strategy for parental involvement.

The strategy should describe how the education authority will fulfil its duty to:

• Promote the involvement of parents in the education provided by the school to their child and to pupils generally at their child's school
• Give advice and information to parents
• Promote the establishment of Parent Councils
• Give advice and information to Parent Councils and support their operation
• Take account of the needs of looked-after children
• Consider how the strategy will promote equal opportunities
• Establish a complaints procedure in respect of the authority's functions under the Act.

The complaints procedure must be included in the strategy document.

The following checklist takes account of the requirements in the Act and is based around two key issues: the education authority's duty to promote parental involvement in school education; and parents' capacity to support children's education and engage effectively with schools.

Effective parental involvement is the joint responsibility of professionals and parents. The questions are designed to help education authorities develop an appropriate strategy for parental involvement in their area and to support parents' involvement in the development and review of that strategy.

Reference is made to parents' representatives - this means the Parent Council.