Parents as Partners in Excellence

The implementation of the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006 has highlighted the role that parents play in ensuring that their children are successful learners who grow into confident adults able to take up their roles as citizens and contribute effectively to society. Schools and parents need to work in partnership in order to achieve these ambitious aims.

The Journey to Excellence identifies three dimensions where it is crucial to involve parents and the community. 

• Dimension 3 - Develops a common vision among children, young people, parents and staff.
• Dimension 5 - Works in partnership with other agencies and its community.
• Dimension 6 - Works together with parents to improve learning.

This seminar will give some background to the Act and how it is being implemented and also explore each of these dimensions giving examples from schools across Scotland on how this is being developed.Information will be provided on the resources available to support the development of partnerships with parents (e.g. the Toolkit and Making the Difference leaflets as well as examples from schools) and suggest ways in which schools might develop their own materials. Techniques for developing positive relationships with parents and considering how to ensure that all parents are supported to be involved in their children’s learning will also be considered.

Celia Burn, Parental Involvement Co-ordinator, LTS

Celia trained as a primary school teacher and taught for a number of years before developing a varied career in community education and in the voluntary childcare sector as a practitioner and manager. In the early 1970’s she worked in Liverpool and set up Home Link which provided a visiting service, drop in centre, toy and book library, food co-operative, ‘You and your child’ classes and adult education. 

This project led to the development of a Liverpool wide initiative called PSP – Parent School Partnership, where parents were encouraged into schools to learn about their children’s education and also to learn themselves. She has had extensive experience of working with parents and schools and has also developed parent education materials at the Open University. Prior to taking up her post with Learning and Teaching Scotland, Celia was Regional Manager with the Sure Start Unit, part of the Department for Education and Skills in England, taking forward this major initiative across the 22 local authorities in the North West region.

She joined LTS on 1st March 2005 as Parental Involvement Coordinator to take forward this agenda within LTS and with parents, local authorities and schools. She has worked closely with SEED in developing materials to support parents and schools in taking forward the Act including the Toolkit and the ‘Making the Difference’ leaflets. She has also organised and run workshops and events for parents and professionals across Scotland.