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What will Parent Councils do?

The main aim of the Parent Council is to help the school operate as a succesful school. In particular they will have an important role in improving links between parents and the school. They can make sure that parents get the information they need and that the school staff gets feedback on parents' views. The Parent Council can discuss any issue that's of interest to parents, including school policies on bullying, school uniform, drugs, sex education. They might decide to work jointly with the school to set up extra curricular activities and after-school clubs. The Parent Council can also represent parents' views to the education authority and others on those issues that are of concern to parents, pupils and staff. Of course, they could also take on those social and fundraising activities currently run by the PTA. It may sound a bit daunting, but the Parent Council doesn't have to do everything all the time. At the moment, PTAs and school boards focus on one or two activities at any one time. However it is important for the Council to know that it can be involved in this wide range of activities. Probably, its most important job will always be to ensure that there are good links between the Parent Forum and the school and that there is good communication all the way round

We have a really successful PTA. Will we have to disband when Parent Councils start?

PTAs are not affected by this legislation and can continue acting separately. But you must remember that the Parent Forum is exactly the same as the full PTA membership (all the parents in the school) and so it will be open to the parents at a school to decide whether they will have just one group - the Parent Council - to take over the activities of the PTA and the duties of the new Councils. If your PTA has SPTC membership and becomes part of the Parent Council in August 2007, then let us know and we will arrange for your existing membership/insurance to continue under the new name.

What is the Parent Forum?

The Parent Forum consists of all the parents who have a child at your school. They are automatically members, whether they like it or not! It is the same with your PTA - all the parents in the school are members and then the PTA Committee represents those members.
The Parent Forum can expect to:
- Receive information about the school
- Decide on the format of the Parent Council and how it operates
- Identify issues for the Parent Council
- Be consulted by the Parent Council
- Express views through the Parent Council

Unfortunately I am separated from my wife, although I still have contact with my children. Can I get involved in Parent Councils?

Yes, you can. The definition of a "parent" is very wide under this legislation. A parent can be:
1. Non-resident parents
2. Carers
3. Others with parental responsibilities
4. Close relatives caring for children

Do we have to be called a Parent Council?

No, you can call your group anything you want. However, you will be recognised by the legislation and the local authority as a Parent Council.

Do we have to vote for our office bearers at the AGM of the Parent Council?

The same rules apply to PTA/PAs. Your Parent Council needs to decide when it is writing the constitution as to whether office bearers are to be decided at the AGM or at the first Committee meeting. The latter would be preferable as someone may have to resign during the year.

Are there any rules about who we should have on our Parent Council?

Although the number of members is not specified in the legislation, there are certain things that are fixed.
- The majority of Parent Council members must be parents of children at the school
- The headteacher (or his/her representative) has a right to attend all meetings
- In denominational schools, the local church can nominate a representative

Can we include other people on our Parent Council?

Remember that this must be decided by the Parent Forum. However, I am sure that most parents would want representation from the school staff - teachers and support staff. This is already an established tradition with PTAs, but don't forget to ask the staff if they are willing to be represented - it must be a two-way thing.
You may find it useful to co-opt/ask other people to come along on a "needs" basis. For example, if you are going to discuss road safety then you may want to meet with the community police officer. Others may include local councillors, community councillors and other community figures.
Don't forget the pupils! Although it might not be appropriate (or very interesting) for the pupils to send a permanent representative to your meetings, it is a good idea to keep up links with the pupils, eg through exchanging minutes with or asking for ideas from the Pupil Council.

Do we have to get our accounts audited?

Accounts do need to be audited and presented at the AGM, however this does not need to be done by a professional auditor. Try to find someone who is used to this sort of work, eg someone who works in a bank or building society. This person should not be a member of the Parent Council or a relative.

What is the role of the Headteacher on the Parent Council?

The headteacher has a right and a duty to attend meetings of the Parent Council or he/she can send a representative. Of course, it might not always be necessary for the Headteacher to be at a meeting, eg if you are spending most of the time on the organisation of an event, in which case he/she doesn't have to be there.
The Headteacher can be asked by the members to give advice and information to the Parent Council on any school matter they are responsible for.
The Headteacher should give a yearly report to the Parent Council on the school's performance and its ambitions and objectives.

Can a parent be on more than one Parent Council?

Yes, a parent can be a member of more than one Parent Council provided they have a child at the school.

Do we have to write our own constitution?

No, you do not have to but, it is good practice to have a constitution in case of disagreements. It is the same as PTAs in that the constitution should set out the aims of the organisation and to provide a set of rules for how the organisation is to be run. The golden rule when writing a constitution is: "Keep it Simple!"
The advantage of having a constitution is that everyone knows how your Parent Council works. Some of the important things that should be covered are:-
- name
- the aims and objectives
- who the members are
- how the Council is elected
- how nominations for office-bearers are made
- voting procedures
- the need for an annual audit
- how often the Council should report to parents
- arrangements for calling general meetings
- how the constitution can be changed
- winding up procedures

Can our Parent Council be a registered charity?

Your Parent Council can be a charity and to do that you will have to apply to OSCR - the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. You can find out more from their website: www.oscr.org.uk Your Parent Council will have to pass a "charity test" and it is up to OSCR to decide if you meet the charity criteria.

Can we take over a registered charity number belonging to a local group that is disbanding?

You cannot transfer charitable status from one organisation to another and you cannot "take over" a number that is no longer in use.

If a parent wants to be a member of the Parent Council, but someone (e.g the headteacher) considers them to be unsuitable for some reason, how do we handle that?

Is there anything in the legislation that covers this situation?

There is nothing in the legislation about any requirement to check the background of parents who come forward to serve on the Parent Council and nor is there any reason why there should be.
I suspect that this "hypothetical" issue has been raised by the headteacher who is aware that school staff have to undergo disclosure checks. However, the Parent Council members will not, in their normal duties, be in childcare positions and so there is no reason why their backgrounds should be checked.
Parent Councils members will be discussing concerns raised by parents and may be taking part in fundraising events, not regularly looking after/teaching children. However, if a Parent Council member started running a club for the children, (e.g an after-school activity), then at that point he/she would have to undergo a disclosure check because at that point he/she would be moving into a childcare position.
See our Child Protection leaflet for more details.

We recently had a presentation from a local authority official. He stated that existing PTAs or other such bodies would need to consult the Parent Forum to be allowed to continue as they are.

I am concerned as I think he is wrong. I have found nothing in the legislation to indicate that this is the case.

I think that the official has maybe phrased things in the wrong way. The PTA can continue once Parent Councils are in place, however if the Parent Forum (all the parents with children at the school), decide that they want PTA activities done through the Parent Council or want the PTA to become part of/a subcommittee of the Parent Council, then that is obviously what will happen. Having said that, if you get enough support at your events and/or meetings there is nothing that can stop you continuing as a PTA. Remember, the only group that is formed under the legislation is the Parent Forum and it is up to them to deicde what should happen.

Our School Board has funds left over in their bank account. Would we be able to use this money for our Parent Council or do we have to give it to the school or local authority?

You would have to check with your local authority. We have raised this question with a couple of council officials and they have seen no problem with this, however it may be different in your area.