IMPORTANT NOTICE

This Backchat carries important information about

• changes to the school board legislation
• changes in the requirements for Police Checks

Please make it available to all parents at your school!

Parent Forums to replace school boards

The Scottish Executive has just launched a consultation and draft bill on its proposals to abolish school boards and replace them with parent forums. The new forums will have the powers of existing boards in terms of getting information, making representations on behalf of parents and being involved in the appointment of headteachers and deputes. They may also, if they wish, carry out the social and fundraising functions normally associated with PTAs.

The big difference from boards is that all the parents in the school will be free to design the parents' forum that they want to have. (This contrasts with the current situation where board membership, terms of office and election processes are determined by legislation). It means that different schools can make different decisions. They might, for example, choose to have more parents involved; they might choose to have one or two representatives from each year group; they might choose to have one-year terms of office with the option of reappointment. They might choose to operate with a single large committee to carry out traditional school board and PTA activities; or they might chose to continue with two quite separate committees. The big plus is that it will be for parents to decide. Moreover, parents will be able to change the arrangements in the future if they decide that something different would suit them better.

The local authority will contact parents about setting up a parent forum. The authority may offer a range of different options. The parents can choose to adopt one of these or design their own body. Because the forums will be different in different schools, it will be necessary to write a constitution. However, as with PTAs, this is merely a written-down description of the organisation that's wanted. It is not a fixed proposal that the new bodies will have to comply with.

How will all this be done?

The Executive is running a public consultation until 7 th June. Every parent will be sent a leaflet outlining the proposals and telling them how they can participate. All schools have copies of the full consultation which is entitled Making the difference – improving parents involvement in schools . It is also available from the Scottish Executive (0131 244 4485) or on the Parentzone website www.parentzonescotland.gov.uk

There will also be a series of open public meetings to discuss the proposals.

These changes will affect all parents, not just school boards and PTA committees. They are designed to help more parents get involved in the life of the school and for parents to have more opportunities to raise issues that are of interest to them. We hope you will get involved, pass the information on and support these very positive changes.

We'd also like to draw your attention to the latest leaflets in the Information for Parents series. They are on Parents' Evenings and Sharing Information and are a big improvement on the first leaflet, on homework. Each school has been sent three copies to review and decide how to use:- incorporate the information in a school newsletter or make the leaflets available to all parents. We would urge you to ask to see the leaflets and give your views on their use.

Police Checks & Child Protection – Important Information

1) Part V of the 1997 Police Act laid aside someone's right not to have their record of conviction disclosed in the event of their applying for/being appointed to a child care position. No absolute duty was placed on the person making the appointment to seek a police check, but it was to be done where the risks warranted it e.g. for people working in children's homes. In general, therefore, this legislation had no impact on PTAs as the risks at PTA events were such that there was neither a need nor legal requirement to get helpers police checked. This was the advice that we gave.

2) In 2003 the Protection of Children ( Scotland ) Act was passed. This set up a register of those deemed unfit to work with children. People could be placed on this register following a conviction in a court, if they were dismissed from a post for harming a child or if they left before they could be dismissed. The Act set up a review process to ensure that people are not placed on the register for trivial or mischievous reasons. The Act also made it an offence for anyone on this register to work in child care positions and, in April 2005, it will become an offence for anyone to appoint someone who is on the register to a child care position. The only way it is possible to determine if someone is on the register of those unfit to work with children is to have a police check done. On the surface, this all seems fair and reasonable. After all, it is no more than good practice to ensure that someone appointed to work in a children's home or teach in a school will not harm the children.

The Impact on PTAs

Once again it seemed that this legislation did not affect PTAs who are not really in a child care role but are mainly concerned with raising money and improving home school links. However, problems arise because the legislation gives very wide definitions to terms like “harm”, “child care” and “organisation”. A number of local authorities, unsure themselves as to the scope and meaning of the legislation, are now saying that anyone who organises or helps with activities for school pupils must be checked. Whether this is actually a legal requirement cannot be determined until the law courts have determined the meaning of terms like “child care”, “normal duties” and “harm”.

Our New Advice

In the circumstances we feel obliged to change our advice. In the lack of any clear definition, we would suggest that anyone involved in activities for children like school discos should be police checked to see whether or not they are on the register of those deemed unfit to work with children. This should be done by the PTA itself, not by the school or local authority, as PTAs are independent organisations. It can be done, free of cost, through the Central Registered Body in Scotland (CRBS) which can also provide further advice and information. You can contact CRBS as follows; by phone 01786 849777, by email info@crbs.org.uk and by post CRBS, Unit 55, Stirling Enterprise Park , Stirling FK7 7RP. Their website is www.crbs.org.uk

And now for something completely different! In 2004 we ran a survey on advertising in schools. Whilst there was no strong demand for schools to become advertising-free zones, there was a feeling that there should be better guidelines on the use of advertising. We have now drawn up a brief checklist of points that are worth considering when the issue of advertising in the school comes up. We've included it for your consideration, for you to use, comment on and add to. Feedback and comments to us would be very welcome.

It's getting to that time of year when secondary pupils from S4 upwards are turning their attention to SQA exams. (The starting date for Standard Grade exams is 3 rd May and for National Courses is 13 th May). For more information and a full timetable go to the SQA website www.sqa.org.uk Meanwhile, if your teenager is finding it hard to study, point him or her in the direction of the BBC's helpful bitesize revision website. Youngsters can often be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff they need to learn, but the bitesize website breaks subjects down into manageable chunks and makes it much easier for youngsters to cope with revision. The website is www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize

We recently had the pleasure of attending a presentation of the BBC's extensive education output. Most exciting by far was being able to make rain forest sounds, using a range of percussion instruments under the guidance of the BBC Symphony Orchestra's education officer. The orchestra goes into schools to work with pupils and for more information go on their website www.bbc.co.uk/bbcsso

CONFERENCE: HEALTHY SCHOOL- GROUNDS

“Grounds for Learning” is holding a conference on Friday 18th March at the Scottish Natural Heritage Conference Centre, Battleby, Perth . This event aims to help with ideas and practical activities for spending more time in your school grounds.

The theme this year is Healthy School Grounds. Participants will be able to take part in a series of hands-on workshops, including experiential learning & emotional health; health & safety designing for challenge; and environmental art for mental health & social awareness.

SPTC will fund a limited number of places. If your PTA/PA is a member of SPTC and you would like help to attend, please look at our Support Fund section in "About the SPTC" on our website www.sptc.info If you would like to know more about Grounds for Learning, go to their website at www.gflscotland.org.uk

We frequently select a few questions from the many that we receive from parents via our helpline (0131 226 4378) or website to include in Backchat. A list of all questions -with their answers - is on the website at www.sptc.info If you have a question which is not addressed there, please get in touch with us.

We are planning a Spring Ceilidh and would like to donate a percentage of funds raised to the Tsunami Appeal. Are we slowed to do this?

We do not see any problems in donating profits to this appeal, unless this is specifically ruled out in your constitution. Most PTAs are there “to support the school and home-school links”. If the school/pupils are making an effort to support a particular cause, then the PTA is fulfilling its objective by coming in behind the school/pupils and similarly supporting this cause. The PTA can support the school in ways other than by buying computers, etc or by paying for trips for the children. Supporting school effort is also supporting the school and pupils.

This year we are holding our Family Disco in the local Village Hall. Will we still be covered by our public liability insurance even though we are not in the school?

The public liability insurance that you receive through your SPTC membership will protect your PTA wherever and whenever you hold your event. Remember that events must be organised through the PTA/PA Committee – members of the organisation cannot organise anything independently.

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?

LET US ORGANISE A REGIONAL MEETING

Do you have any questions about the proposed introduction of parent forums, about police checks, public liability insurance or any other PTA business from fundraising ideas to how to hold an AGM? We will come and run a meeting for you and other local schools. All we need is one school to host the event and provide refreshments; we will do the rest – we'll even pay for the school let!

If you are interested, please contact the office on 0131 226 4378 or email: sptc@sptc.info