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Time frame for developing and reviewing the strategy
This table outlines a general framework for the education authority, parents and schools to develop or review a strategy. The timings are only suggestions and can be changed to match local circumstances.
| Aims | Tasks | Time frame (suggestions) |
|---|
| Identifying issues | Invite contributions - tell parents and schools what is happening and how they can contribute. Hold open discussions to gather views on what the main issues and priorities are for your area. (See examples on pages 67-70.) Arrange support for parents who may need this to contribute effectively - for example, because of disabilities, where English is not their first language. Involve relevant staff and keep them updated. Think about how to involve pupils, e.g. involve the school's Pupil Council. Tell other people in your local community who have an interest. | 6-10 weeks |
|---|
| Writing the draft strategy | Set up a working group to develop a draft strategy for consultation. Working group can comprise school staff and parents, as well as local authority staff. Continue to offer practical support for parents taking part. Build in examples of parents being involved that have worked well in your authority. Involve appropriate parent or community groups to ensure a broad range of experiences and ideas contribute to the strategy. Involve key staff such as headteachers, Quality Improvement Officers, Home School Link Workers, Integrated Children's Services Staff, Educational Psychologists Social Workers, etc. | 4-8 weeks |
|---|
| Consulting on the draft | Share the revised draft strategy with Parent Councils and finalise it. Obtain approval from the education committee for the strategy. | 6-8 weeks |
|---|
| Communicating the strategy | Hold events for people to hear about it. Get publicity for it. Get copies into places that are easily accessible for parents; have summary versions available in different formats and languages. Organise publicity in local newspapers and radio. | Launch event and (ongoing) |
|---|
| Implementing the strategy | Help the schools to think about how they can implement the strategy. Hold a session for staff and parents to look at how the strategy can help promote good partnerships in your school. Encourage the Parent Council to think about how the strategy can be useful to them and promote a good partnership with the school. | Ongoing with specific targets included in planning |
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| Reviewing the strategy | Feed in points and work in partnership with parents and the authority as issues/points arise. Make the links with the on-going involvement of all parents on a day-to-day basis and the ongoing review. Invite schools and parents to take part in a regular review. Involve Parent Councils, staff and pupils in what you are updating. | Suggest every 2-3 years? |
|---|
example 1 - developing a strategy - the Angus Council Model
"It was great the Director of Education allowed the parents to lead the policy on Parental Involvement." Parent, Angus
"Working together with parents in this way has made me realise how much knowledge, skills and experience parents bring. Where I used to contact a colleague to ask for advice, I would contact a parent now too." Member of staff, Angus Council
Parents and staff from Angus Council worked through together to develop a Policy on Parental Involvement. There were a number of steps to the process.
Getting started - identifying the issues
A representative focus group of 15 parents took place with a community learning and development worker, as facilitator. This took the form of a brainstorming session based on:
- What does parental involvement mean?
- Sharing good practice and ideas
- The barriers to parental involvement
Working party to develop the policy
A working party was set up consisting of equal numbers of parents and staff which included a primary and a secondary headteacher, a community learning and development worker, the advice and conciliation officer and the Director of Education. It was set up to take forward ideas from the focus group, to consider what the solutions were to the problems identified, and to continue the process of working together to develop the Policy Document.
Involving more parents
Parents and education staff facilitated focus groups for each local area across Angus to share the policy in its early draft form and gain views on it from more parents. Two parents were invited to attend from each school, one who was on a representative group for parents and one who was not. Parents from the working party and the first brainstorming session lead the focus groups supported by a member of staff. Views were collated and fed into the working party developing the policy.
Staff involvement
A staff focus group took place to ensure their views were included. Staff from each school were invited including staff representing the teaching unions.
Reaching more parents
Further focus group meetings took place in each local area across Angus to provide an update on the draft policy and gather further comments/feedback.
Parents present to staff
Parents presented at the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland conference, headteachers' meetings, and parent representative meetings with elected members. At the parent representative's meeting, 80 parents turned out to comment on the final draft of the policy.
"We couldn't believe what we had said in the focus group was actually written into the policy." Parent
Final checks
The draft policy was sent out to all schools, support services, parents who had been involved in its development and all parent representative groups. Further changes were made at working party meetings. Parents and the Director of Education attended a 'Partnership with Parents' conference which provided further ideas for the policy. The final policy was then agreed and a date set for review.
Launch of policy and spreading the word
An Action Group was formed to plan for the policy launch conference and to support the ongoing work with the policy. Some parents who had not been previously involved and staff from other areas of work e.g. the early years worker from the child care partnership were included.
Parents' conference
A conference was held in Angus College to launch the policy. Workshops were led by parents, supported by staff, and covered many areas highlighting where parents are involved in their children's education. Professional actors demonstrated barriers to parental involvement through short sketches.
Roll out to schools
Local Action Teams were established within each local area to support schools and parents to work together to develop their own policies and organise a local events which had a team of actors involved.
Benefits included:
- Staff and parents working together
- Everyone having an equal say
- Bringing together ideas that lead to solutions
- Attention to language and jargon in the policy
"And we still have a long way to go." Parents and staff
Activity 1
an open space event to identify key issues
| Purpose - To gather ideas and views on themes
for the strategy framework - People to be able to participate
easily and express their views - You want people to learn from
each other - You want a session that is lively and fun
|  | Who will be involved? - Parents who are not actively involved
as well as parents who are part of
representative bodies - Teachers, support staff and senior
managers - Young people
|
The 'Open Space' Event
An open space event can be an excellent way for a wide range of staff and parents working together to explore good practice or identify issues. Open space events are best run with a minimum number of around 20 with the maximum about 100. Allocate people to groups before the event if possible.
In advance of the event participants identify the theme/s for discussion. A speaker is needed to lead the event. The leader opens the event by introducing the theme. The theme is then discussed in groups of between 4 and 10 people and participants identify issues. Delegates are not expected to 'represent' the views of their school or council; their individual views and ideas are what will count.
Example of a key theme
How do we work together to promote parental involvement to help children to do their best and be all they can be?
Issues for discussion:
- What can schools do?
- What can parents do?
- What can others do?
Running the meeting
Participants are asked to:
- Identify their 'issues and ideas' related to the theme
- Discuss their issue
- Identify causes and possible solutions to problems/issues identified
- Prioritise three key action points to resolve the issues.
Outcomes: A report of the event is then prepared and shared with participants, the education authority, parents and the school. Actions agreed can then be used to advise development of the education authority strategy.
example 2 - a parents' conference - 'a gaithering o' fowk, tae hae their say'
Aberdeen City Council organised a conference with the aim of achieving effective involvement of parents in education. The conference was attended by parents, teachers, school staff, community staff and representatives from voluntary organisations. The work of local staff supporting and encouraging attendance was seen as crucial to ensuring the attendance of a range of parents. Some of the parents present indicated that this was the first time they had attended a conference. Childcare facilities, transport and entertainment for children all helped parents to attend the conference.
"Brilliant day let's have some more.
Positive outlook for my own and others - children for the future.
Great venue - very positive feel to the day. Fulfilled the 3 F's (family, fun, food)."
On the day
The day consisted of a presentation followed by workshops covering the wide range of ways parents are involved in their children's education. The workshops encouraged participation and give delegates an opportunity to discuss issues and share experiences.
The workshops were an opportunity for participants to voice their opinion on how they thought Aberdeen City Council should design its policy on involving parents and carers in their children's learning. Questions in the workshops were based around:
Where does learning take place?
Who is involved?
What can parents contribute?
What barriers exist to parental involvement?
What reduces the barriers and how can we eliminate them?
After lunch, delegates were re-energized through the 'Family Learning Surprise'. This involved a 5-minute maths aerobics session which consisted of spins, steps and hops. At the end of the conference delegates were asked to give feedback. The high number of responses (93%) reflected the general 'buzz' generated by the conference.
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