NPFS — National Parent Forum of Scotland

This independent research informed the Review of the 2006 Parental Involvement Act. [embeddoc url="https://www.npfs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/edd/2017/07/IpsosFinalAppendix_P.pdf"]

March 2017 Research to inform the review of the impact of the 2006 Parental Involvement Act

Colin Hockaday Lucy Setterfield Rachel Ormston Carolyn lack Ipsos MORI Scotland

Contents Executive summary .............................................................................................................................. 3 Introduction and background ........................................................................................................... 9 Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 10 Literature review ........................................................................................................................... 13 Recent policy developments ......................................................................................................................................... 13 Parental involvement strategies .................................................................................................................................... 13 Home school partnerships ............................................................................................................................................. 15 Learning at home .......................................................................................................................................................... 16 Parental Representation ............................................................................................................................................... 17 Local authority parental strategies ................................................................................................. 18 Home/school partnership – communication .................................................................................. 22 Methods of communication .......................................................................................................................................... 23 Frequency and purpose of communication .................................................................................................................... 26 Providing feedback to the school .................................................................................................................................. 27 Difficulties and limitations ............................................................................................................................................ 27 Home/school partnership – parental involvement in school life ..................................................... 30 Creating a welcoming environment for parents ............................................................................................................. 31 Opportunities available to parents ................................................................................................................................ 32 Parents’ involvement and attendance at school events ................................................................................................. 33 Issues preventing involvement ...................................................................................................................................... 36 Learning at home ........................................................................................................................... 40 Understanding of learning at home ............................................................................................................................... 40 Support provided by schools ......................................................................................................................................... 41 Secondary versus primary ............................................................................................................................................. 43 Practical barriers ........................................................................................................................................................... 44 Parental representation ................................................................................................................. 45 Awareness and role of Parent Councils ......................................................................................................................... 46 Communication – how do people find out about the Parent Council? ........................................................................... 49 Composition – who is (and is not) on Parent Councils? .................................................................................................. 51 Conclusions .................................................................................................................................... 55 Appendix A – Telephone survey .................................................................................................... 57

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N9 - .", (3 0#( ) ." -.,.!3 #(! #( ),' 3 ,-,">)(-/&..#)( 1#." *,(.- ( ,,-5 O9 )- ." -.,.!3 /- ." MKKQ !/#(5 P9 .,.!3 # ,(.#.- .1( #(0)&0'(. #( ." &# ) -"))&>#(0)&0'(. #( &,(#(! .#0#.#-5 Q9 )- ." -.,.!3 "0 &,6 '-/,& #'-6 )$.#0- ( )/.*/.-5 R9 - .", (3 0#( ) *,)!,-->0&)*'(. -#( ." &-. -.,.!35 S9 - ." -.,.!3 #(.,&#(% 1#."6 ), ' #( ).", qthfq f?ymtwny’ -.,.!#-5 Lx ym xywfyl’ tsqns 6tw ns fstymw ktwr7 fsi fhhxxngq yt ufwsyx5 S,(.& #(0)&0'(. -.,.!#- 1, 0#&& )(&#( ), MN qthfq f?ymtwny#-9 " *,(.& #(0)&0'(. ) #, 6SLR7 ns ,- ktw 1"#" -.,.!3 1- (). 0#&& 1, )(.. ( /,.", -#2 ,- *,)0# ." -.,.!3 )( ,+/-.9 )10,6 1 1, /(& .) #( *,(.& #(0)&0'(. -.,.!36 ), )(.. ." 6 ), .", qthfq /."),#.#-9 "#- '(- .". ." ,'#(#(! &'(.- ) ." -.,.!3 '**#(! 1#&& )0, ." MT 1 1, & .) #(.# 3) "#& 1 1, & .) #(.# 3 *,(.& #(0)&0'(. -.,.!#- ), ." '$),#.3 ) &)& /."),#.#-6 ), ." ')-. *,. ."- 1, (). -.,#!". ),1, .) &).9 ." MN *,(.& #(0)&0'(. -.,.!#- .". 1, 0#&& )(&#(– tsq’ xn. 1, -#&3 --#& C9!9 &,&3 &#(% ,)' -"))&->/.#)(>*,(. *!- )( ." qthfq f?ymtwny’ 1-#.D9 "#- '(- .". ), *,(.- .) -- ." #( ),'.#)( 1)/& &-) 0,3 # #/&.9 /,.",'),6 # *,(.- 1, & .) #( ." )/'(..#)(6 ." '$),#.3 1, )(&3 0#&& - *)&#3 )/'(..#)( 1,#..( #( -.3& .". #- (). (--,#&3 --#& .) && *,(.-9 (&3 #0 &)& /."),#.#- *,)0# -/'',3 & &. ), )/'(. .". 1- 1,#..( #( '), --#& '((, ( -*# #&&3 #' . *,(.-9 cms 1fx ym xywfyl’ qfxy ?uifyi1w0n1i5 . 1- &, .". &.")/!" ')-. &)& /."),#.#- " *,(.& #(0)&0'(. -.,.!36 -/-.(.#& (/', " (). ( /*. -#( ."#, ),#!#(& , .#(!9 . -")/& (). .". #. '3 ." - .". ." )/'(. " ( /*. /. 1- (). ' 0#&& )(&#(9

" .& &)1 *,)0#- #( ),'.#)( )( 1"( ." 0#&& -.,.!#- , / .) ,0#1) Table 4.1 Parental involvement strategies by review year MKKR MKKS MKKT MKLK MKLL MKLM MKLN MKLO MKLP MKLQ MKLR )9 ) -.,.!#- / .) ,0#1 N M O N L M L M L P O

Summary of key points • Substantial variation between the approaches of the different local authorities were found in terms of the publically available documentation and information related to parental involvement. • Twenty5three strategies were available online0 a further six were made available on request. However0 we were unable to find a parental involvement strategy0 or contact the Parental Involvement Officer0 for three local authorities. Only six were easily accessible (e.g. clearly linked from schools/education/parents’ pages on the local authority website). • ery few of the local authority strategies were up5to5date0 had details of how/when they would be reviewed0 had evidence of parent consultation. However0 of the 29 that were available0 all followed the 2006 parental involvement guidelines. " A. -..- .". 0,3 qthfq f?ymtwny’ xmt?qi( • *,*, -.,.!3 -..#(! )/. ."#, *)&##- )( *,(.& #(0)&0'(. 1"#" '/-. )0, ."#, /.#- /(, ." . • .% )/(. ) ." 0#1- ) #(.,-. *,.#- C#(&/#(! *,(.-D 1"( 0&)*#(! ), ,0#1#(! -.,.!3 • #(0)&0 *,(.- 1#." # ,#(! 2*,#(- .) (-/, ." -.,.!3 , &.- ." ,) *,(.& 0#1 • .% +/& )**),./(#.#- #(.) )/(. 1"( 0&)*#(! -.,.!39 "#- "*., 2*&),- .) 1". 2.(. ."#- "- ( "#0 ( &-) &))%- . -)' ) ." 0#1*)#(.- ) *,(.- fsi xyfkk n( ,&.#)( .) ." qthfq f?ymtwny’ *,(.& -.,.!#-9 - -.. #( ." '."))&)!36 ." ,0#1 ) *,(.& #(0)&0'(. -.,.!#- 1- ,,# )/. .",)/!" -% ,-,"9 ", ),6 ny #- #'*),.(. .) (). .". ." '**#(! 2,#- 1- )/( #( -)* 4 ym ,-," )0, ." '.,#& .". 1- 0#&& )( )(&#(6 #( #.#)( .) (3 #( ),'.#)( *,)0# ,)' )&&)1 /* '#& 1#." ." *,(.& #(0)&0'(. ) #, ), " &)& /."),#.’) Ly nx #'*),.(. .) (). .". ." . .". ." ,-," .' 1, (). & .) #(.# 3 &)& /."),#.3;- -.,.!3 )- (). (--,#&3 '( .". ny )- (). 2#-.9 )10,6 #. )- *,)0# *#./, ) 1". #- -#&3 0#&& *,(.- - 1&& - ).", #(.,-. *,.#-)

" ,0#1 )/- -,#- ) #!". %3 +/-.#tsx( L9 - ." -.,.!3 )(&#( C), ns fs).", ),'D ( --#& .) *,(.-5 M9 "( 1- ." -.,.!3 &-. /*.>,0#15 Local authority parental strategies

( *)&##- -/" - ( Ctqqhbtktl enq Ewbdkkdmbd9 )10,6 .", 1- &#..& )(-#-.(3 #( ." &#(%- '(.#)(9 ), #(-.(6 1"#& )( qthfq f?ymtwny’ &#(% ." -.,.!3 .) .", ).", *)&##-6 ().", &#(% #. .) LM9 Areas for further consideration Further consideration should be given to improving the consistency of local authority parental involvement strategies. Improvements could be made in four key areas1 7 More regular review and monitoring of the Parental Involvement Strategy 7 Parental Involvement Strategy to contain clear0 measurable aims to ensure progress can be assessed in accordance with the requirements within the ational Improvement Framework and the Delivery Plan for Scottish Education 7 Parental Involvement Strategy to be easily accessible online to parents 7 Strategies to be available in a format that is easily understandable to all parents0 free from argon and technical language.

(&3 (#( ) ." qthfq f?ymtwny’ *,(.& #(0)&0'(. -.,.!#- 1, /*3yt3. . ." .#' ) ." '**#(! 2,#-9 Lx ynw 0oiti uk yn xywfyl’ hotl otkuwsi h’ wxfwin1iutx?ryfyout 1oyn ufwtyx fti ifwwx5 ", 1- )(&3 &#'#. 0#( .". *,(.- ( ,,- 1, #(0)&0 #( ." ,.#)( ) ." -.,.!3 )/'(.-9 ( &0( ) ." &)& /."),#.#- 1 1, & .) #( 0#( .". *,(.- "0 ( )(-/&. #( -)' ),'9 )10,6 ."#- 1- ) .( .",)/!" ." ,(. )/(#& tw 1),%#(! !,)/*6 ,.", ."( 1#." 1#,6 '), ,*,-(..#0 !,)/* ) *,(.-) Ls ytyfq xn. &)& /."),#.#- **, .) "0 )(/. /&& )(-/&..#)( #(.) *,(. 0#1- )( ." -.,.!3 4 &.")/!" (/', ) ."- 1, (). ,(.9 Dux yn xywfyl’ ?x yn MKKQ l?oifti5 ( .,'- ) ." -/-.(.#0 )(.(. ) ." qthfq f?ymtwny’ *,(.& #(0)&0'(. -.,.!#-6 && )&&)1 ." MKKQ !/#(9 Dux yn xywfyl’ iokkwtyofy hy1t ot0ur0sty ot yn rok uk xinuur 1 ot0ur0sty ot rfwtotl fiyo0oyox5 )-. ) ." -.,.!#- # # ,(.#. .1( ." &# ) ." -"))& ( #(0)&0'(. #( &,(#(! .#0#.#- /-#(! ." .", %3 )(*.- &# )/. #( ." .;- !/#(8 )'3"))& *,.(,-"#*6 ,(#(! . )' ( ,(.& ,*,-(..#)(9 )10,6 )/, # ().9 Dux yn xywfyl’ nf0 irfw– sfx?wfhr fosx uhoiyo0x fti u?yu?yx5 ,)0##(! &, #'- ( )$.#0- ), ." -.,.!3 1- (). )'')( #( ." -.,.!#- 1 1, & .) #(.# 39 ." MT 0#&&6 )(&3 )/, "0 &,6 '-/,& #'- ( )$.#0- -*# # .) ." -.,.!3 )/.&#(6 /,.", .", " &#(% ." -.,.!3 .) )/.)'- #( /.#)( ).&(;- Inv fnnc hr ntq rbgnnky ,'1),%9 Lx ynw ft’ 0oiti uk uwulwxx1i0ruusty xoti yn rfxy xywfyl’5 - #-/-- )06 0,3 1 ) ." -.,.!#- 1, /*3yt3.6 " ( #( ),' 3 *,(. ( ,, )(-/&..#)( ), #(&/ -*# # #'- ( )$.#0-9 "#- '(. .". (3 0#( ) *,)!,-->0&)*'(. .) ." -.,.!#- 1- # #/&. .) #(.# 39 Ly nx nrutwyfsy yt (). .". &.")/!" .", 1- () 0#( ) 0&)*'(.6 .". )- (). (--,#&3 '( .". ()( " .%( *&9 Ft?w &)& /."),#.#- *,)0# #( ),'.#)( )( -*.- ) ." -.,.!3 .". " ( "(! #( &#!". ) ,0#1 ) ith?r(..#)( (>), *,(. )(-/&..#)(9 ( /,.", qthfq f?ymtwny’ ' , ,( .) :')(#.),#(!; ." *)&#3 /. # (). *,)0# #( ),'.#)( )( ")1 ."#- 1)/& )(9 Lx yn xywfyl’ otywrotpi 1oyn– uw shiii ot uynw ruifr f?ynuwoy’ xywfylox5 ", 1- &#..& 0#( ) ." *,(.& #(0)&0'(. -.,.!#- #(! ' #( ).", qthfq f?ymtwny’ tw (.#)(& -.,.!#-9 ". -#6 LO &)& /."),#.#- # &#(% .) ).", -.,.!#-6 ')-. )'')(&3 (.#)(& -.,.!#-

.", ), ." )/- ,'#(- )( *,(.& #(0)&0'(.9 ". -#6 .", , #(-.(- 1", *,.##*(.- , ,, .) *,(.& (!!'(. ( 1 "0 ,*),. ."#, )''(.- - -*)%(9 Methods of communication 0,&&6 *,(.- 1, #,&3 "**3 1#." ." &0& ( .3*- ) )''/(#.#)( ."3 1, ,#0#(! ,)' ."#, "#&;- xhmttq) "))&- 1, /-#(! 0,#.3 ) )''/(#.#)(- '.")- .#&), .) # ,(. .3*- ) #( ),'.#)( ( # ,(. /#(-) . 1- &, ,)' )." ." " .", ( *,(. #(.,0#1- .". .", "- ( -"# . .)1,- '),( )''/(#.#)( '.")- ( -"))&- , #(,-#(!&3 /-#(! #!#.& .))&- .) .#0&3 )''/(#. 1#." *,(.-6 ), 2'*& .",)/!" '#&6 /.#)( **-6 &)!-6 ( -)#& '#) thin +e ha*e to sa- that teachers are *er- ood and the- are *er- for+ard thinin/ in !- o$inion/ and the- are doin their *er- est for the schoo 2 he- are for+ard thinin/. +e et te,ts ust no+/ ut the-:re ooin at cheedqdms sdbgmnknfx1 C', tk ,(. )/(#&6 - -./3 LD ,(.- &. .". ." %3 ( #. ) (1, ."()&)!#- 1- .". ."3 *,)0# ."' 1#." !,., #(-#!". #(.) xhmttq3&# ( ." .#0#.#- ."#, "#&,( /(,.))% )( (3 !#0( if’9 /,.",'),6 /- ) **- ( -)#& '# fhht?syx '(. .". #. 1- -#, .) -")1 '',- ) ." '#&36 -/" - !,(*,(.-6 1". "#&,( " ( itnsl fy xhmttq fsi ." .)*#- ."3 1, &,(#(! )/.9 )10,6 .", 1- ( #--/ ) )(-#-.(3 1#."#( -"))&- .". /- ."- ."()&)!#- - y",- ' /- tk ." #!#.& '.")- 0#&& .) ."' .) f 0,3#(! 2.(.9 "#& *,(.- %()1&! .". ."#- 1- #(0#.& - # ,(. #(#0#/&- "0 0,# &0&- ) 2*,#(– fsi htrktwy– 1#." /-#(! **- ( -)#& '#6 #. '(. .mfy ." +/&#.3 ) #( ),'.#)( ."3 ,#0 )/. ."#, "#&;- &,(#(! .#0#.#- )/& "(! ,)' 3, .) 3,) "#& *,(.- !(,&&3 **,)0 ) -"))&- :')0#(! 1#." ." .#'-;6 .", 1- -)' #-!,'(. ,)/( ." /- ) -)#& '#9 ")- 1") .")/!". #. 1- !)) 13 ), -"))&- .) )''/(#. *,#- ." ,.#0 13- ymfy xhmttqx )/& /- -/" **&#.#)(- 6 ), 2'*&6 utxynsl &#0 0#)- ,)' ." &--,))'D9 ( #.#)(6 ."3 &. #. 1- )(0(#(. .) -- ( )/& *,)0# :,&3.#' #(-#!".; #(.) 1". ."#, "#&,( 1, )#(! /,#(! ." 39 "#- '(. .". ."3 " -#- ), #(-.#!.#(! )(0,-.#)(x . ")' 1#." ."#, "#& )/. 1". ."3 1, &,(#(!) he teacher has a *er-/ *er-/ stron +itter feed and that i*es -ou as a $arent infor!ation efore -ou o ho!e and ha*e that con*ersation1 hat did -ou do at schoo toda-. hich - that ti!e the-:re tired and their focus is startin to o111 f -ou can +a in and sa-/ oh/ see -ou did this at schoo 1 C', ) ,sy Ct?shnq6 - -./3 ND )10,6 .", 1, ).", *,(.- 1") 1, (). - )' ),.& 1#." ." /- ) -)#& '# - '(- ), )''/(#.#)(-9 "#- -.'' ,)' .1) '#( )(,(-9 )' *,(.- "& !(,&&3 (!.#0 ..#./- .)1,- -)#& '#– uf,.#/&,&3 #( .,'- ) 3,3- .3 4 ."3 *,-)(&&3 # (). /- #. ( " () #(.(.#)( ) $)#(#(! -#.- #( ),, .) )''/(#. 1#." ."#, "#&;- -"))&9 ), ).", *,(.-6 #. 1- (). .". ."3 # (). 1(. .) /- -)#& '# g?y .". ."3 # (). "0 2*,#( ) ?xnsl ny ( # (). & )( #(. #( )#(! -))

Summary of key points • In general0 parents were fairly satisfied with the type and level of communication they received from their child’s school • There has been a clear move towards modern communication methods and parents were generally positive about this – but there were some reservations about the use of social media in particular • There was concern that moving too quickly to new technology would leave some parents falling behind • Parents preferred the school to contact them directly rather than having to seek out information themselves • Use of email or text to signpost to other more in5depth information was thought to be helpful • Parents would welcome more information on the topics their child is learning in advance • Parents felt schools were not consulting as much as they should or if they did it was after something had happened rather than beforehand. However0 schools found that any attempts at consultation were not widely taken up by parents.

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Home/school partnership – communication

Figure 5.1 How parents usually receive communications from schools0 versus parents’ preferred methods of communication ! !

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Figure 5.2 Frequency of receiving information from their child’s school T) )1 ) .(6 # . && )- ." -"))& !. #( .)/" 1#." 3)/ )/. ." )&&)1#(!5

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)( #- ()(3,-#(.) A /,.", )(-+/( ) ."#- #- .". ." -"))& tsq’ 0&)*x -.,)(! ")'>-"uur *,.(,-"#* 1#." )( *,(.) Oftl?fl hfwwowx .",- -# .". ."3 *,)0# #.#)(& -/**),. ), *,(.- 1") "0 (!&#-" - ( #.#)(& &(!/! 6EAO7 fsi rf’ (). &/(. #( #.", ,#(!6 -*%#(! ), 1,#.#(! #( (!&#-"9 ( ." .1) - -./#- 1", ."3 " -/" '#&#-6 ." -"))& ,,(! .,(-&.#)(- ) #,. )''/(#.#)(- -/" - &..,- ( '#&- 6fqymt?lm .",)/!" #( ),'& '.")-D) )10,6 .", 1, -.#&& &#'#..#)(- ,)/( #(#,. '.")- ) )''/(#.#)(– x?hm fx ." -"))& 1-#. ( -)#& '#6 1"#" 1, (). .,(-&.9 /.#)( **- -/" - '3"))&** ) ) , , -,0# 1",3 ** )(.(. ( ' 0#&& .) *,(.- #( '), ."( SK &(!/!-) )10,6 ymnx # (). **, .) #( /- 3 (3 ) ." -"))&- 1#."#( ." - -./#-9 Areas for further consideration hile schools should continue to embrace new technology0 they should consider retaining other more traditional options for those parents who prefer them. Increase consultation opportunities for the parent forum as a whole. Raise awareness of methods of communication available to parents through the school. Increase the amount of information available on children’s learning. In secondary schools0 provide clarity over who parents should approach (e.g. guidance teacher) if they have an issue they wish to discuss.

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Creating a welcoming environment for parents .",- -1 ." #'*),.( ) ,.#(! 1&)'#(! (0#,)('(. ), *,(.- #( ),, .) ()/,! #(0)&0'(. ( /#& ,&.#)(-"#*-9 ,.#(! 1&)'#(! (0#,)('(. 1-6 .", ),6 %3 !)& ), " .",- ( ."3 # ."#- 38 • "0#(! ( ;)*( )), *) • ()/,!#(! &-- .",- .) 1&)'#(! .) *,(.- • 1&)'#(! ." 0#1- ) *,(.- 1"( ."3 2*,-- ."' • !..#(! .) %()1 *,(.- 3 (' C. *,#',3 -"))& &0&D • )'').#(! # ,(. '#&#-; (- C ), 2'*& # ."3 , -*,. ), "0 #.#)(& &,(#(! ), &(!/! (-D • n0#(! -*# # ,- ), ,))'- #. .) *,(.-6 # ."3 ( .) )' #( ( -*% .) ." -"))& 6uwnrfw’ xhmttq7) I .",- &. .". *,(.& #(0)&0'(. &--(- - "#&,( *,)!,-- .")/!" -"))&9 S,(.& #(0)&0'(. #- iussut ot ." ,&3 3,-6 /. 1"( "#&,( ')0 #(.) *,#',3 -"))& *,(.- ) .( - ." -"))& !.- - ,,#, 1"#" rfp- y" xhmttq f '), &)- /.#)(& (0#,)('(.9 .",- &-) )''(. ymfy fx */*#&- ')0 #(.) -)(,3 -"))& ."#- )'- 0( '), *,)'#((.9 e ha*e tried to +ider re$ icate 21 +hat $arenta enae!ent has ooed ie in the $re–fi*e sector21 e tend to find that $arents ha*e a *er- f uid and o$en enae!ent +ith the $re–fi*e esta ish!ents/ ut +hen the chi dren co!e to schoo $arents can so!eti!es *ie+ the schoo different -/ and see a $ri!ar- schoo $erha$s as ein a usier esta ish!ent and the- don:t co!e into the ui din as often as the- +ou d if their chi d +as at a $re–ehud esta ish!ent111 and then that distancin eco!es !ore $rofound +hen the chi dren !o*e into hih schoo 1 C .",6 - -./3 MD ,(.- !, .". ."3 &. 1&)' 1"( ."3 0#-#. ." -"))& ( 1, "**3 .) ) -)6 ."#- ')-.&3 )/,, . *,(.;- 0(#(!- ( -"))& 0(.- -/" - *&3- ( *,#4 !#0#(!;-9 ( ." -/,036 ')-. *,(.- -# .". ."3 1, )' ),.& !..#(! #(0)&0 1#." .#0#.#- y ."#, "#&;- -"))& C#!/, Q9LD 1"#" -/!!-.- " .",- "- -/ #( ,.#(! 1&)'#(! (0#,)('(.9 )10,6 *,(.- 1, '), )' ),.& !..#(! #(0)&0 1#." 1#, -"))& .#0#.#- ,.", ."( &,(#(! .#0#.#- CRSW &. )' ),.& !..#(! #(0)&0 #( 1#, -"))& .#0#.#-6 )'*, 1#." QTW #( &,(#(! .#0#.#-D9 .",x 1, '), &#%&3 ."( ').",- .) & /()' ),.& ..(#(! 1#, -)#& .#0#.#- CLOW ) .",- &. /()' ),.&6 )'*, 1#." QW ) ').",-79 ( %*#(! 1#." ." !(,& .,( ) &)1, #(0)&0'(. #( ." -)(,3 -.),6 .")- 1") "0 "#& . -)(,3 -"))& 1, '), /()' ),.& ."t .")- 1#." "#& #( *,#',3 CLMW 0,-/- QWD9

Summary of key points Creating a welcoming environment for parents was a key goal for the case study schools. However0 they felt that parental involvement lessened as children progress through the education system. Parents felt more comfortable getting involved in wider school activities than learning activities with the most common interaction through traditional opportunities such as parents’ evenings and events such as school plays and concerts. There was a notable difference between parents in the primary and secondary sectors. Those with children at primary school were much more likely to get involved with the life of the school than those with children in the secondary sector. Schools were making opportunities available to parents to get involved but these opportunities were not always taken up0 particularly those focused on learning and teaching (rather than social or fundraising events). There were several reasons for limited involvement from parents. These included1 7 Potentially disadvantaged groups (e.g. those with low levels of literacy0 those from a deprived background0 those with a mental health condition) often had negative experiences of education which discouraged them from getting involved with the school 7 A lack of time due to work commitments0 childcare responsibilities or other family commitments 7 on5residents parents are not always provided with information about the opportunities available to them 7 A lack of awareness of the opportunities available to parents. Introduction " ,(.& (0)&0'(. Ahy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fs *,(.- -.#&& "&&(!- 1"( ,.#(! *,.(,-"#* #( 1"#" *,(.- , #(0)&0 #( -"))& &# 9 Home/school partnership – parental involvement in school life

"#& *,(.- 1, 1, ) -)' ) ." )**),./(#.#- 0#&& . ."#, -"))&6 #. 1- ,, ), *,(.- .) %()1 )/. 0,3 -#(!& ."#(! .". ." -"))& 1- )#(! .) ()/,! *,(.- .) )' '), #(0)&0 #( ."#, "#&;- &,(#(!9 Parents’ involvement and attendance at school events ,#.#)(& )**),./(#.#- ), *,(.- .) !. #(0)&0 1#." ." -"))& -/" - *,(.-; 0(#(!- ( 0(.- -/" - xhmttq uqf’x fsi )(,.- 1, .")/!". 3 " .",-6 *,(.- ( ,(. )/(#&- .) ." ')-. )'')(&3 ..( 0(.-6 &)(! 1#." '.#(!- )( /.#)( ( &,(#(! #( -)(,3 -"))&x– - ."- 1, -( .) '), )'*/&-),39 #(#(!- ,)' ." -/,03 &-) -/**),. ."#-8 TNW ) *,(.- " ..( : )(3yt3)( '.#(! 1#." .", .) #-/-- ."#, "#&;- &,(#(!6 ), 2'*& *,(.- 0(#(! .9; ( SOW ) *,(.- " ..( -"))& 0(.- -/" - )(,.-6 *&3- ), -*),.- 3-9 &.")/!" ."- .1) .3*- ) 0(.- 1, &-) ." ')-. )'')(&3 ..( ), *,(.- ) -)(,3 -"))& "#&,(6 ."3 1, (). - "#!"&3 ..( )'*, .) *,#',3 -"))& *,(.- C#!/, Q)M7) 0,&&6 .", #- ().& # ,( .1( ")1 #(0)&0 *,#',3 ( -)(,3 -"))& *,(.- ,6 1#." *,#',3 *,(.- ..(#(! .#0#.#- . ." -"))& '), ,+/(.&3 ."( -)(,3 -"))& *,(.-9 ( ." &-. -"))& 3,6 *,#',3 *,(.- 1, '), &#%&3 .) "0 ..( ), "&* )/. . 0(.- ."( -)(,3 -"))& *,(.-) " ')-. ().& ) ."- #(! ." (/', ) *,(.- 1") "8 ..( ( )*( .,())( CQLW *,#',3 *,(.- )'*, 1#." MPW -)(,3 *,(.-D7 ..( -"))& /(,#-#(! 0(. CSMW ) *,#',3 *,(.- )'*, 1#." OQW ) -)(,3D ( "&*#(! )/. . -"))& .#0#.#- -/" - .,#*- ), -"))& #-)- ), *,)'- COPW ) *,#',3 *,(.- )'*, 1#." LNW ) -)(,3 *,(.-D9 Figure 6.2 Proportion of parents who have done or attended any of the following0 by primary/secondary school !

Figure 6.1 How comfortable or uncomfortable parents are at getting involved with learning activities and wider activities0 at their child’s school ! "

-8 && Opportunities available to parents .",- &. ."3 , *,)0##(! )**),./(#.#- ), *,(.- .) !. #(0)&0 1#." -"))& &# ( .", ), #,.&3 ), #(#,.&3 #(0)&0 1#." ."#, "#&;- /.#)(9 " ,-," )/( .". ." .#0#.#- 0#&& "0 # ,(. */,*)--6 ,)' !..#(! #(0)&0 1#." -)#& 0(.-6 .) .#0#.#- - ,)/( -/**),.#(! ."#, "#&;- &,(#(! (-9 )' ) ." ."- 1,8 • ..(#(! ), "&*#(! -)#& /(,#-#(! ), -)#& 0(.- C')-.&3 ),!(#- .",)/!" ,(. )/(#&x7 • -"))& 1&%3fwt?six • 0)&/(.,#(! .) "&* 1#." #-)-6 -"))& .,#*- ), ).", )/. ) -"))& .#0#.#- -/" - ." /% ) #(/,!" 1, • ..(#(! &,(#(! 0(.- )( .)*#- -/" - (/',3 ), ." /,,#/&/' • ..(#(! - .3>#( ),'.#)( -'#(,- C ), 2'*& )( "#& )(&#( - .3D • ,#(! .#0#.#-6 #(&/#(! ))% /!– ))% #. ( &.", ( &,. ,#(!)

Certain groups of parents were less likely to get involved with some of the activities than other groups, including fathers m ore so than mothers, parents working full time compared with those working part time and parents from lower socio - economic classifi cation in comparison with those from higher socio - economic classification (Table 6 .1).

In the case studies, although parents working part - time found it difficult to attend around their work schedules or shifts, they were largely able to attend most of the activities they wanted to if they had enough advanced warning in order to plan for this. One parent described how if she or t he child’s father could not attend an activity during working hours, then they could arrange for the grandparents to do so.

Table 6 .1 Percentage of parents who had attended/helped out at the activities listed, in the last school year, by gender, employment status and social grade

Overall

Gender

Employment

Socio - economic classification

Male

Female

Full - time

Part - time

Not working

ABs

C1C2s

DEs

Base:

502

184

318

299

151

50*

107

285

100

Attended a one to one meeting with a teacher to discuss your child’s learning

Attended open sessions or afternoons

Attended a school fundraising event

Helped out at school activities such as trips or school discos or proms

Attended a parent’s social awareness/ information event

Attended a parents meeting or event about your child’s learning

Attended school events, such as concerts, plays, sports days.

Helped out with learning activities

-8 && *,#',3 CMPOD6 && -)(,3 CMOSD

(Head teacher, case study 2) The survey findings support this further, with those in lower socio-economic classifications being more likely to not attend school events such as concerts, plays or sports days (19% of those in lower socio-economic classifications, compared with 8% of those in the highest socio-economic classifications); wider school activities that most parents said they had attended (Table 6.1) It was suggested that the reason some of the ‘potentially disadvantaged’ parents may be difficult to involve in school life, is if they have had negative experiences of schools and education themselves. In some cases, it was also thought that this may be heightened for parents who also have low literacy levels, due to a concern that they would “get found out,” especially if they were to attend events to help their child with reading or numeracy, for example. A barrier for a parent can be that they're going to get found out that they’re not as literate or numerate as they should be. (Head teacher, case study 2) Lack of time and parents’ employment commitments Parents saw time as the main barrier to greater involvement in the life of their child’s school. Busy working lives, having young children or children at different schools were just some of the challenges that parents faced when trying to find time to get involved with wider school activities. As already highlighted, the survey found that parents working full-time were less likely than those working part- time to attend certain activities at their child’s school. This was particularly the case among those employed in shift work. Parents and staff noted that parents need to be given sufficient advance notice of upcoming activities in order to maximise participation among parents. Parents at case study school 2 have recently seen the school communicate key dates with them much further in advance than in past school years, and this has been very beneficial; enabling working parents to arrange time off work to be able to attend. The timing at which events and activities are held was also raised. Generally, the ideal time for secondary school parents would be evening, and for primary, at the same time as the school drop off and/or pick up time. It was noted by parents that events at primary schools in the middle of the working day proved difficult to attend, as this would involve in some cases a full day off work. Parents surveyed mostly agreed that schools take the time commitment of parents into account (77%). Only 14% of parents disagreed that this was the case at their school (Figure 6.3). Figure 6.3 Whether parents think that the school takes their commitments into consideration when organising activities Q. To what extend do you agree or disagree with the following statement? My child’s school take the time commitments of parents into consideration when staff organise activities or meetings that parents may be invited to attend.

Parent ouncil members A further key variation was between parents who are members of the Parent ouncil and parents who are not members. Parent ouncil members were more likely than non-members to have done all of the listed activities in Table 6.1, in the last year, with the exception of attending a parents’ meeting or event about a child’s learning. The case studies also found that Parent ouncil members were very involved in the various opportunities for parental involvement provided by the school, as well as those provided by the Parent ouncil themselves, including social or fundraising events. They were fully informed and aware of the opportunities available to them. Primary council members understood that their interest in these activities, in turn made their children more interested in events and other ways to get involved with the school, outside of their classroom. Ipprbp preventing involvement espite the various opportunities available to parents, not all of them were taking these up. ome of the schools found that engaging parents with activities and events at the school was challenging, especially for activities on learning or teaching. Head teachers and Parent ouncil members noted that it is often the same people attending wider activities at the school and as the survey found, often, the same ‘type’ of parents not attending (Table 6.1). easons for limited or a lack of involvement varied, but included the following3 • potentially disadvantaged parents • a lack of time • employment commitments • parental awareness of the opportunities available • not feeling comfortable with the school environment • negative experiences of education The next sections go on to discuss each of these in more detail. Potentially disadvantaged parents chools found parents from deprived backgrounds the most difficult to involve in school life. Head teachers and Parent ouncil members noted that commonly parents from deprived backgrounds or ‘potentially disadvantaged parents’ (such as those with low literacy, from deprived backgrounds or with a mental health condition, for example) do not get involved as much as other parents, if at all. This was especially so for events or activities aimed at developing their child’s learning, although head teachers and Parent ouncil members stated that these parents and children are the ones who would benefit by engaging with school activities. .he biggest thing $e ha#e to o#ercome is engaging $ith hard to reach parents and often the hard to reach parents are parents of children $ho $ould benefit most from that engagement+ $e no$ that if $e could do that $e could impro#e outcomes for those children( but $e do find it difficult to reach some of our families./

further. Their view was that it is best to take a softer approach with these families, building relationships with them over time and gradually making them feel more comfortable with the school. Aoeas or urther consideration Further thought should e given to increasing parental involvement in secondar, schools . while still taking teacher workloads into account. chools should ensure that suicient advance notice o events and activities is provided to ma+imise parent participation. chools should e+plore wa,s o making schools activities more accessile and le+ile or working parents. Further thought should e given to involving potentiall, disadvantaged groups in school lie . although it should e recognised that there will not e a single solution that suits all parents.

Base3 all Parent’s lack of awareness of all of the opportunities available Another issue preventing parental involvement was that not all parents were aware of all of the ways in which they could get involved at their child’s school. Although parents are directly invited to events such as parents’ evenings, direct communication was not used for all school activities. For some parents, this would be dependent on them seeing it in a school newsletter, school website or social media feed, which as highlighted in section 3, was not always the most effective way, for all parents. A lack of communication between a school and a non-resident father in the research meant that he did not always get direct invites to events such as parents’ evening and he was not always aware of other activities such as school discos or upcoming plays. A balance between pupils independent learning and parental involvement at secondary school As previously mentioned, parental involvement becomes less common as children progress into secondary school, with parents less likely to attend events and activities. An element of this is that pupils become more independent at this age, so it may be difficult for parents to find a balance or know what level of involvement is appropriate. Areas for improvement hile schools generally felt that they are performing well, they still recognise that there are challenges. Areas for improvement were increasing parental involvement in the strategic planning of the school and working more closely with ‘potentially disadvantaged’ parents, with the overall aim of encouraging their participation and involvement. chools had conflicting ideas on how to approach these families. One of the case studies targeted ‘potentially disadvantaged’ families and directly invites them to learning activities or events at the school, which these families did attend. hereas, another school avoided this direct approach as they felt it would isolate these families

not reached parents. This meant that the main focus of discussion was on homework and other forms of learning at home were not considered by parents unless prompted. However, there were a small number of parents that did mention wider learning activities such as cultural visits to museums and castles and shared hobbies including photography. This tended to be those who were on the Parent ouncil. There were mixed views on the role that parents should play in learning at home. fome parents thought that they should be fully involved in their child’s learning at home, a view particularly evident among primary parents. Their involvement at home was almost always with reference to supporting literacy and numeracy rather than helping with particular subjects. Others felt that their role was one of encouragement and support, ensuring that homework was completed but that actual help and support should come from the school. Although not exclusively, this was more common among parents with children in secondary school. As previously mentioned, when discussing the role of the parent in learning at home, this was in reference to homework. Only one parent explicitly made the link between what their child was learning at school and their role in expanding on this beyond helping with homework. his is something $e all $ant to no$( $e all $ant to be in#ol#ed and say( $ell you're studying this( $ell ho$ does that relate to something $e're doing at home' Actually $e'#e ust been to the museum did that tie in $ith anything you $ere doing' (Parents, ase tudy 3) hile there was understanding that it was beneficial for parents to become involved in their child’s learning, there was some concern that if there was too much of a focus on learning at home it could widen the deprivation based attainment gap for those children whose parents may be less inclined to support them at home or do not have the time to do so. upport provided , schools ith the exception of one case study, learning at home was an area in which HTs felt they could improve. As such more than one of the case studies had just reviewed, or were in the process of reviewing, their homework policies. fupport was offered in a variety of ways3 • Parents’ evenings ; head teachers felt that parent’s evenings were the main avenue for discussing and encouraging learning at home. However, parents felt that these events could be too rushed to cover everything in detail, particularly if they had more than one child in school or for those with secondary school aged children. Head teachers also acknowledged that relying on this time could be problematic as the often the parents that need the most support did not attend. • ebsite resources/blogs covering what children have been working on. Parents who used these resources found them to be extremely useful. However, as noted in the communication chapter, most parents were unaware that this was available to them and unlikely to actively seek out the information.

ummar, o ke, points ost parents. and to lesser e+tent arent ouncil memers. had limited knowledge o what learning at home meant in the conte+t o the arental nvolvement ct 5;9966. For the most part. thev discussed learning at home s,non,mousl, with homework. suggesting that the roader deinition o learning at home adopted , the ct has not reached parents. While there was understanding that it was eneicial or parents to ecome involved in their child2s learning. there was some concern that i there was too much o a ocus on learning at home it could widen the deprivation attainment gap or those children whose parents ma, e less inclined to support them at home or do not have the time to do so. With the e+ception o one case stud,. learning at home was an area in which head teachers elt the, could improve. s such more than one o the case studies had ust reviewed. or were in the process o obsfbtfkdx their homework policies. s with man, other eatures o parental involvement. those with children in secondar, school ound it more diicult to support their child than those with children in primar, school. t was common or parents to eel unsure aout their ailit, to understand some o the work their child was doing as the, got older. s previousl, discussed. parents did not oten mention other orms o learning activities outside o homework unless prompted. owever. when the, were discussed. some practical arriers were raised/ inancial constraints and a lack o pulic transport in rural areas. ntroduction The Parental Involvement Act (2@@6) recognises the vital role that parents and other carers play in children’s learning and development. Parents are the first and ongoing educators of their own children and, as such, should receive information and support to help develop their child’s learning at home and in the community. In this chapter, we consider evidence from the parent survey and 'ualitative case studies on awareness and understanding of learning at home and the role parents think they have in supporting their child’s learning at home. Later sections will cover the support that schools provide and the potential barriers that parents may face when supporting their child’s learning at home. nderstanding ul learning at home ost parents, and to lesser extent Parent ouncil members, had limited knowledge of what learning at home meant in the context of the Parental Involvement Act (2@@6). For the most part, they discussed learning at home synonymously with homework, suggesting that the broader definition of learning at home adopted by the Act has earning at home

Furthermore, there were others that said they had to approach the school if they needed help but were perfectly happy to do so. Once they had contacted that school, they found that the response was swift and helpful. Tf you ha#e a problem $ith anything( you no$ you can pic up the phone and say( don't no$ ho$ to do this( help. here is someone there to help you. hat's ne#er been an issue( ne#er. (Parent ouncil, ase tudy 1) However, there were those who felt that the schools were not proactive enough in providing resources and support. There were two main elements to this. First, they did not think they knew enough about what their child was doing. econd, parents who re'uired extra help as their child had a particular need e.g. dyslexia or advanced reading skills felt that they had to ‘chase’ schools to get the extra support they needed to help their child at home. thin there could be more( and it's no criticism of this school but education in general( thin it $ould be a good idea for parents $ho $anted it( and it $ouldn't be e#ery parent that $anted to no$ $hat e%actly the child is learning in say three months( si% months( so that you can help( if you $ant to help the child. had to go see out that teacher to say v$hat other support can $e gi#e him at home'’ hat can $e be doing ind of to support the learning that he gets in class and not go completely off tangent. (Parents, ase tudy 4) econdar, versus mofjTov As with many other features of parental involvement, those with children in secondary school found it more difficult to support their child than those with children in primary school. It was common for parents to feel unsure about their ability to understand some of the work their child was doing as they got older. che $ould sho$ me her maths and $ouldn't e#en no$ it $ould go o#er the top of my head. ust get really( really( $orried that $e're a generation behind and it's been so long since $as at school. (Parents, ase tudy 3) Linked to this was the fact that parents in both sectors commented on the differences in learning styles compared with when they were at school. This meant that they felt uncertain about how to help their child, worried that they would teach them the wrong thing. ehen you don't no$ and u or the $ay learnt things at school is so different from the $ay the children are taught no$( it $ould be great. often thin it $ould be great if there $as ust a night that you could go and maybe ust go to your child’s year and see $hat they're learning( so that you can help at home. (Parents, ase tudy 1)

• lectronic homework diaries or apps ; these were appreciated by some but parents felt that not all will be comfortable with newer methods or necessarily have a computer. thin that's something parents ha#e been asing a lot( because $e $ant to be in#ol#ed( $e $ant to no$( mean( $e can see some of the things that are up on the $ebsite $hat they're going to be studying. ut( the home$or diary because $e can log into it and $e can see $hat ind of home$or they'#e got( $hat subects they're doing( that's opening our doors. (Parent ouncil, ase tudy 4) In the survey, views of the support provided for learning at home were generally positive, although more so among primary parents than secondary parents. There was a particular difference for two statements that the school encourages the parent to continue their child’s learning at home in other ways than doing homework and that the school offers suitable support to help parents continue their child’s learning at home. Figure >.: chool support or learning at home , school sector Q. ’m now going to read out some statements. lease tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each statement.

Base3 All The positive views from the survey were supported by the 'ualitative case studies to a large degree as some parents were happy with the resources provided. y son is dysle%ic and get a lot of information from the school to go to things outside the school( lie to learn( that's done by ouncil. (Parent ouncil, ase tudy 2)

ee'#e got an accelerated reader programme that runs( e#ery year parents are in#ited to come in to ha#e information about that to actually ha#e it e%plained ho$ they accelerate reading( reader things going( to encourage you to read $ith your children( there is a lot of information that comes bac. (Parent ouncil, ase tudy 3)

ummar, o ke, points asic awareness o arent ouncils was high among parents in our surve, . @9C said there was a arent ouncil in their child2s school. while ust ?C were unsure 5;C said there was no arent ouncil6. arents were most likel, to know that the arent ouncil was involved in undraising less likel, to report awareness o the arent ouncil pla,ing a role in relation to supporting parental involvement in their child2s learning and in the recruitment o senior school sta. escriptions o the role o arent ouncils oered , participants in the $ualitative research ocused on three road areas . crkaoTfpfkd Tka bsbkts. representing parents2 views. and eeding into school improvement. owever. parents who were not involved with arent ouncils were unclear aout their precise roles and activities. iews on how the arent ouncil communicated and involved the wider parent orum were mi+ed. here was praise or attempts to communicate more activel,. and in dierent wa,s . or e+ample. via Faceook. owever. some parents indicated that some want to know more . or e+ample. parents talked aout wanting to know in advance how the arent ouncil plan to spend mone, the, are aiming to raise. or aout speciics o school plans. here were concerns over the representativeness o arent ouncils and this ocused on two ke, issues/ n there was a perception that having a 1gender3polanced2 arent ouncil remained $uite unusual. n diiculties recruiting ouncil memers rom more deprived. less middle3class. and less educated ackgrounds. n a urther arrier to oining the arent ouncil was that parents were put o , an impression that the, tbob ,cliquey’ and that new memers and new ideas were not welcome. ntroduction Parent ouncils are a mechanism for parental representation in schools. The 2@@6 Act states that each school’s parent forum (the collective name for every parent, carer or guardian at a school) has the right to set up a Parent ouncil. The Act is designed to allow considerable flexibility to Parent ouncils, enabling parents at each school to decide how the Parent ouncil will work and what it focuses on. However, at the same time it anticipates that the Parent ouncil will play a role in three main areas3 - Wupporting the school in its work with pupils ; including, for example, being involved in school planning and policy, building relationships between the school and parents, communicating with parents about school activities, facilitating school events and fundraising. arental representation

ractical arriers As previously discussed, parents did not often mention other forms of learning activities outside of homework unless prompted. However, when they were discussed, some practical barriers were raised3 financial constraints and a lack of public transport in rural areas. reas or consideration he idea o learning at home as a wider concept than ust 1homework2 is promoted to parents. particularl, to those with older children. reater promotion o learning at home could e through schools in the orm o support and inormation ut would also eneit rom more ocus at a national level. reater thought should e given to how to support deprived parents in providing learning at home . and how to support those children who do not receive that support.

Base M 396 (all who report having a Parent ouncil but are not members) escriptions of the role of Parent ouncils offered by participants in the 'ualitative research focused on three broad areas ; fundraising and events, representing parents’ views, and feeding into school improvement (not just the school improvement plan, but also feeding into policies around specific areas like homework, or discussing how to improve the school campus and its surroundings ; including examples where the Parent ouncil had worked actively with the wider community to achieve this). hile Parent ouncil members did identify some issues around keeping members (particularly new members) focused on the ‘big picture’ rather than their own child’s experiences or specific grievances, it was generally felt that this was managed by longer-standing members and/or the chair explaining that this was not the purpose of the Parent ouncil3 hile elements of the three main roles ; fundraising, representation and improvement ; were discussed across the 'ualitative interviews, participants expressed divergent views about how much emphasis was or should be given to each. For example, in one case study it was suggested (by both Parent ouncil members and other parents) that the Parent ouncil only really communicated with parents around ideas and plans for fundraising activities, which appeared to be their main focus. This was a source of some frustration for one ouncil ember who felt they ought to be more involved in scrutinising the school improvement plan and 'uestioning whether targets were being met, but for other ouncil members this appeared to be seen as outside their remit. In contrast, another Parent ouncil described their main focus as driving improvement for pupils. t's about the pupils and dri#ing them for$ard. don't thin it's e#er about the parents or it isn’t for me as such. $ant to see that the pupils are stepping for$ard and that they're going in the right direction from start to finish from 1 to 3 that they are actually( there is paths that they are taing. $ant to be in#ol#ed in those paths to ensure that they are al$ays on the right step( the school is dri#ing them( the community is in#ol#ed. (Parent ouncil ember, ase tudy 4) In one case study school, the fundraising and strategic roles had been split, so that the Parent ouncil focused on school strategy and policy, while fundraising was led by the Parent Teachers Association. This structure was felt to work well by both the Parent ouncil and the Head Teacher, who reported that it prevented an exclusive

- eepresenting the views of parents and carers ; the Parent ouncil has the right to represent the views of parents on a wide variety of educational matters. Guidance for the Act states that it is good practice to ascertain the views of the wider parent forum and that the Parent ouncil should have arrangements in place for doing so. - ncourage links between the school, parents and carers, pupils, pre-school groups and the wider community. In this chapter, we consider evidence from the parent survey and 'ualitative case studies on awareness and understanding of the Parent ouncil and their role. o Parent ouncils, head teachers and parents see the role of the Parent ouncil in similar terms to those envisaged by the Act0 How do Parent ouncils communicate with parents0 And how representative are they ; both in terms of their composition and how effectively they represent the views of the wider parent forum0 A.greness and role ul arent ouncils Basic awareness of Parent ouncils was high among parents in our survey ; 9@% said there was a Parent ouncil in their child’s school, while just 8% were unsure (2% said there was no Parent ouncil). Awareness was slightly higher among the women we spoke to (93% compared with 8E% of men) and among parents of primary aged children (94% compared with 87% of those with secondary aged children). However, in general awareness of the existence of a Parent ouncil at their child’s school was high across all the parents we surveyed. Fundraising tops the list of activities parents are aware of their Parent ouncil getting involved in ; 84% of parents who were aware of their school’s Parent ouncil but were not members reported that the Parent ouncil fundraises for the school (Figure 8.1). Around 6 in 1@ were aware of their Parent ouncil playing a role in representing their views by conveying their concerns to senior management (61%) or asking them how the school is run (E8%). A similar proportion (6@%) were aware of the Parent ouncil contributing to the school improvement plan. Parents were less likely to report awareness of the Parent ouncil playing a role in relation to supporting parental involvement in their child’s learning ; 4E% said their Parent ouncil asked parents’ views about what children are learning in school, and 42% that they provided information about education and learning to parents. Only 38% of parents who were not on the ouncil thought their Parent ouncil helped with recruitment of senior staff. However, among the small group of parents in our survey who were on a Parent ouncil (n M E8), three 'uarters (76%) said they had been involved in senior staff recruitment (as envisaged in the 2@@6 Act). Only around a 'uarter (26%) of parents were aware of the Parent ouncil having had an input to the school handbook. Figure ?.: What parents think the arent ouncil does at their child2s school

here $as nothing about the school saying xactually $e're considering these different things( does anybody ha#e anything to say on it'y hose ind of con#ersations tend to only happen $ith proper bodies( lie the arent ouncil or those groups( $hich gets a bit frustrating for a parent $ho is not in#ol#ed in all of that. t doesn’t allo$ the other parents $ho don't $ant to get in#ol#ed in that. (Parent, ase tudy 3) ommunication . how do people cfka out aout the arent ouncil’ A majority (71%) of parents who took part in our survey said their Parent ouncil kept in touch with them, with over half (EE%) reporting that they heard from them at least once a term. However, parents whose children were at Primary chool reported more fre'uent communication, while 34% of parents whose children were at econdary chool said their Parent ouncil never got in touch with them (compared with 17% of Primary parents ; Figure 8.2).

Figure ?.; ow oten. i at all. does the arent ouncil gets in touch with ,ou-

fundraising focus and meant the Parent ouncil could focus more time and resources on driving school improvement. hile head teachers clearly valued the fundraising role of Parent ouncils, those interviewed in our case studies also valued their input to school policy and strategy ; one Head Teacher claimed that he treated Parent ouncil meetings the same as he would a senior staff meeting and viewed them as integral to any school strategy or decision-making process. Parent ouncil members who took part in our survey certainly believed their views were taken seriously ; 9 in 1@ felt the Head Teacher took the views of the Parent ouncil into consideration to a great extent (E7%) or to some extent (31%). A majority (7E%) of parents who were not involved with the Parent ouncil also felt the Head Teacher took Parent ouncil views into account. In addition to differences in how much they focused on fundraising vs. other activities, case study Parent ouncils also varied in how they approached ‘representing’ the views of the wider parent forum. hile all felt they had a role to play in providing a ,#oice for parents’, they differed in how actively or formally they sought input from the wider parent body, or whether they relied more on informal discussions ,at the school gate’. Parent ouncils clearly saw themselves as having a role as a conduit for conveying parent concerns to school management. However, while Parent ouncils had adopted a range of ways of communicating with parents to let them know what they were doing and ask for ideas (see next section for details), they appeared to be primarily reliant on parents approaching them with issues, rather than more actively gathering wider views. xceptions to this included a case study Parent ouncil carrying out a survey of all parents (although parents expressed scepticism about how effective this was in engaging all parents), and another which said they had actively sought parents’ suggestions about what would most improve the school for pupils and then taken this as their focus for action. Parent ouncils indicated that they found making parents’ voices heard the most ‘challenging’ element of their role, and that constraints around school funding might be making balancing this role with their fundraising remit even more difficult. Parents who were not involved with Parent ouncils were unclear about their precise roles and activities. hile they tended to mention a fundraising role, they were less clear about whether or how Parent ouncils represent the views of the wider parent forum. One view was that Parent ouncil members do this indirectly, as parents themselves. It was suggested that other parents are generally happy to rely on them to do this effectively and would only get in touch with them directly if there was something they felt particularly strongly about. A related view was that if parents had an issue, they would go directly to the school with it rather than raising it via the Parent ouncil. Indeed, our survey suggests that only 1% of parents would normally choose to feed back to the school about their child’s education via the Parent ouncil. There was also some scepticism among parents about whether or not Parent ouncils could feasibly represent the views of all parents. However, at the same time, parents expressed frustration that they were not involved in strategic discussions about the school, which they saw as limited to the Parent ouncil ; indicating that parents do want to feed in their views more directly in some cases. arent ouncils can’t represent all parents’ #ie$s. $ould say the maority of parents $ouldn’t get in#ol#ed $ith the school any$ay or $ill be arm’s length for $hate#er reason they are. o( there is no $ay a arent ouncil can e#er represent the #ie$s of all the parents. thin the arent ouncil can probably( dare say( at its best represents the #ie$s of the people $ho are concerned and are in that room and are in#ol#ed enough( and thin that ust comes bac to the personalities that are in#ol#ed. (Parent, ase tudy 3)

Parents who were not on the Parent ouncil expressed mixed views on how well the Parent ouncil communicate with the parent forum. There was praise for attempts to communicate more actively, and in different ways ; for example, via Facebook. One view was that the information is there and parents are aware of it, but that they do not pay much attention to it3 'm ust a bit ignorant because don't pay an a$ful lot of attention to it. thin '#e ust maybe got to that stage as $ell( mine are nearly through the school so( but again thin that information is all there( because it comes out in ne$sletters or it’s mentioned at these nights that the arent ouncil ha#e been in#ol#ed or the A ha#e been running and you’ll get funds for certain things and that. (Parent, ase tudy 1) However, discussions with parents also indicated that that some want to know more ; for example, parents talked about wanting to know in advance how the Parent ouncil plan to spend money they are aiming to raise, or about specifics of school plans, or about what is on the agenda for upcoming ouncil meetings3 ut( they don't say $hat it's about. .his is $hat $e're going to be taling about or this is $hat $e spoe about the last time. #en if you can't mae it send us your #ie$s on these things and $e’ll discuss it there the best $e can( ob#iously it $ill be great to ha#e you/( all of that. + at the moment the arent ouncil does say( come and oin( but it doesn't say come to the meeting to say about $hat( and most parents $on't do that( ind of ust turn up( and go( .$hat’s happening'/ (Parent, ase tudy 3) omposition . who is ‘Tka is not6 on arent ouncily’ Thirteen percent of parents in our survey were on the Parent ouncil. This is considerably higher than the proportion of all parents who are members of Parent ouncils, indicating that our sample may be more involved with school activities than average. However, the actual number of Parent ouncillors within our survey (n M E8) was too small to provide a robust breakdown of the characteristics of Parent ouncillors, so we are reliant on our 'ualitative case studies to explore the profile of Parent ouncils. Two key issues of ‘representativeness’ emerged in discussion - gender, and socio-economic class. Gbkabo3alance Although Parent ouncils in all four case study areas included both men and women, there were more women than men overall and there was a perception that having a ‘gender-balanced’ Parent ouncil remained 'uite unusual. One male Parent ouncil member said he had, on occasion, felt uncomfortable as a result of some of the suggested fundraising activities being very female-oriented. buiou3economic class Parent ouncil members, other parents and head teachers all recognised difficulties recruiting more ouncil members from more deprived, less middle-class, and less formally educated backgrounds as a major issue3

Base3 Primary M 19E; econdary M 2@1 Parent ouncils identified a variety of ways in which they had tried to communicate what their activities to parents, including3 - Informally, through conversations at the school gates - ia ocial edia, including setting up a Parent ouncil Facebook Group and Twitter account - Through letters home, sections in the school newsletter, and through a specific Parent ouncil newsletter - On the school webpages - Producing a video of the pupils highlighting how money raised by the Parent ouncil had been spent - arrying out a survey of parents - Through attending events, particularly those aimed at new parents (induction days, coffee mornings and welcome nights were all mentioned).

thin the only problem is actually reaching all the parents across the board( really you're trying to get e#erybody in#ol#ed. hat $e did do last year $as that 1 coffee morning $ith rs ( $as because ob#iously they are ne$ to the school it $as to try to get them in#ol#ed( $e had $ee coffee mornings that $ere right at nine o’cloc and it $as really to grab them to ust come up stairs( fi#e minutes ha#e a coffee( $e're not discussing curriculum for e%cellence( $e're ust saying xhello( ho$ $as your $eeend( $hat did you do( $hat are you ha#ing for dinner'/ (Parent ouncil, ase tudy 1) As indicated above, however, there was variation both across these methods and between Parent ouncils in how far communication is perceived to be two-way (actively seeking input rather than just telling parents what has been happening) and in what it focused on (e.g. fundraising vs. school strategy discussions).

Base M 396 (all who report having a Parent ouncil but are not members) Groups that were particularly likely to say they would be interested but did not have the time included3 men (4E% compared with 33% of women); those who were working full-time (42% compared with 32% of part-time workers and 28% of those who were not working); and those from higher socio-economic groups (4E% of those in high socio-economic classifications, compared with 27% of those in low socio-economic classifications). Those whose children were in secondary school were more likely to say outright that they would not be interested in joining the Parent ouncil (6@%, compared with 46% of Primary parents). ualitative interviews indicated that while some parents wanted to be more involved in school activities, they felt unable to dedicate the amount of time they believed was re'uired if you joined the ouncil. At the same time, they were appreciative of the time and effort that Parent ouncillors do put in3 used to thin ho$ tremendous is that person. could ne#er do that( $ould ne#er ha#e the time( $ouldn't ha#e the( don't lie to say it( the $illingness( because they do( they put e#erything into it. (Parent, ase tudy 4) On the other hand, parents also suggested that they could be put off Parent ouncils by an impression that they were ‘cliuey’ and that new members and new ideas were not welcome3 $ent to oin the arent ouncil and ne#er $ent bac had a really bad e%perience + ecause thought ’ll go along( ’ll help out( but it $as a cliue of $omen $ho did the same ob e#ery year( $eren’t really interested( they $anted people to commit to go to e#ery meeting all the time( $hich you couldn't do u hich couldn't do( $as $oring( and as an outsider didn't feel $elcome. (Parent, ase tudy 3)

One head teacher commented that while approximately 9@% of the catchment area for the school was in areas classed as I 1 (the most deprived areas in cotland), the Parent ouncil was almost entirely made up of parents from more affluent areas. Parent ouncil members expressed a strong desire to get parents from different backgrounds involved, but indicated that they were not always sure how to go about this, in some cases indicating a sense of resignation that ,no matter $hat’ some parents will not attend things at school3 thin it's tricy( don't no$ ho$ to target them to be honest. (Parent ouncil, ase tudy 2). Interviewees put forward various explanations as to why it is so difficult to get people from more deprived backgrounds involved. One suggestion was that those whose own engagement with education may have ended early may feel less comfortable in formal, meeting settings like those typically adopted for Parent ouncils. Another was that Parent ouncils have a ‘middle-class professional’ image which can be off-putting. Both parents who had themselves joined Parent ouncils, and those who had not, indicated that they could find the idea of meetings intimidating, feel out of place, and not be sure whether they could contribute3 mean again came in as a ne$ parent and $as #ery much lie . don't no$/ and literally sat at the meetings for a huge number of times( ust sat and said not #ery much. (Parent ouncil, ase tudy 2) $ouldn't class myself as academic and it terrifies me some of the things. ou thin these people are so educated. (Parent ouncil, ase tudy 1) articipant 1) he image is #ery professional( #ery no$ledgeable( and $ould feel uncomfortable and out of place. articipant 2) t does seem that $ay( because some of the people you do actually come across at arent ouncilr they are standing up and they are presenting( and they are uite confident( and it's usually the bloes that you see more than the females. (Parents, ase tudy 4) omments from both Head teachers and parents suggested that even the name ‘Parent ouncil’ could be off- putting for some parents ; ‘it sounds scary’ (Parent, ase tudy 3). ther arriers to oining arent ouncils egardless of gender or background, time was seen as a major barrier to parents joining Parent ouncils. This was confirmed by our survey3 among those who were not current members, around half (46%) said they would in principle be interested in joining, but only 8% were definitely interested ; 38% said they would not have the time (Figure 8.3). Figure ?.3 nterest in oining the arent ouncil at child2s school

Overall, parents were fairly satisfied with the relationship they have with their child’s school. hile there were some issues, communication was thought to be good and they felt they had ample opportunity to get involved with school life. The main concern for most parents was one of time and having the flexibility to get involved around their other work and family commitments. However, this overarching viewpoint hides three key issues. First, this does not apply to all parents e'ually, while schools are effectively involving some parents in their child’s school life and learning there are certain groups that are not being included to the same extent3 • Potentially disadvantaged vulnerable groups ; those from deprived backgrounds, those with mental health problems, and those with negative experiences of, and attitudes towards, education. • on-resident parents. • Those with language or literacy barriers. econd, there was a clear divide between the primary and secondary sector. As children progress through the education system parents become less involved. This is in part due to different systems in place in secondary school, for example that a child has several teachers instead of just one. However, there was also a sense of trepidation in that way in which parents considered their child’s learning at secondary school. It was common for them to feel less able to understand the learning their child is undertaking. Third, while parents were happy with the level of communication that they received from the school, their role was very much one of passive consumption and not active contribution. It should be borne in mind that parents were happy with this model but in order to encourage full engagement between the parents and school it may be that more active participation is re'uired. Learning at home is a key area in which improvements can be made as most parents did not have a full understanding of what this entailed as laid out in the 2@16 Act. They most commonly spoke of learning at home in reference to helping their child with their homework. ven among those who did see a role for themselves beyond assistance with homework, they commented on practical aspects of learning, for example visits to historic sites. There was no mention of the more intangible aspects of learning at home in which parents play a key role such as developing respect, resilience and self-confidence. Furthermore, schools felt that this was an area in which they could provide more support to parents as they did not, on the whole, provide resources unless re'uested. Parent ouncils were in place across all of the case study schools. For the most part they were felt to be working well, with effective engagement with the school. However, there were several areas that re'uire more consideration3 • the wider parent forum does not have a high level of awareness of the work of the Parent ouncil • there is a lack of clarity over the roles and responsibilities of the Parent ouncil, particularly in relation to the management of the school onclusions

Parent ouncil members also described having encountered a degree of ‘cli'ueiness’ when they first joined, and said they had worked hard to ensure that the Parent ouncil was more open to new members, including ensuring that hairs are only in place for a fixed term. nowing how to join the Parent ouncil does not appear to be a barrier in general ; 78% of survey respondents said they knew how to join the Parent ouncil, although men were less likely than women to say they knew how to join (68% compared with 83%). reas or consideration reater clarit, is re$uired in relation to the roles and responsiilities o the arent ouncil 5oth or new council memers and the wider parent orum6. arent ouncils should use multiple channels o communication to encourage a two3wa, conversation with the parent orum and not rel, solel, on inormal 1at the school gates2 discussion. here remains a need to encourage more men to oin arent ouncils. While there is no straightorward solution to this. ensuring that discussions are inclusive and activities do not appear to e+clude athers is a pre3re$uisite. ngaging more parents rom deprived and less ormall, educated ackgrounds is a maor challenge or arent ouncils. ore guidance and support as to how to encourage parents rom dierent ackgrounds to oin arent ouncils ma, e needed. he ;996 ct states that it is up to parents to decide what to call their arent ouncil . suggestions on how to 1rerand2 them to sound less intimidating and ormal might e helpul.

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16-025668-01 National Parent Forum Scotland Questionnaire.V9

<INSERT INTRODUCTION> Good morning/afternoon/evening. My name is XXX. I’m calling from Ipsos MORI Scotland, the independent research organisation. We’re conducting a short survey on behalf of the National Parent Forum of Scotland to help inform an independent review of parent involvement in education, and are interested to hear your opinions

Qa Can you spare around 15 minutes to answer some questions please? Yes 1 CONTINUE TO Qb No 2 CLOSE

ADD IF NECESSARY: “I’d like to assure you that all of the information you provide will be treated in the strictest confidence and used for research purposes only. It will not be possible to identify any particular individuals or addresses in the results.”

MRS STATEMENT: Before we begin, I'd like to inform you that Ipsos MORI is a member of the Market Research Society. All information that you give us will be treated in the strictest confidence and your identity will not be passed on to a third party or connected to your answers in any way without your consent.

Screening

Qb Firstly, can I just check, are you a parent or legal guardian of a child at either primary or secondary school. By this, I mean you have parental responsibility and are a primary care giver for that child.

(INTERVIEWER NOTE: This should refer to the past school year which finished in July) Yes, primary CHECK QUOTA Yes, secondary CHECK QUOTA Yes, both a child/ children in primary and secondary education CHECK QUOTA No CLOSE Refused CLOSE

• there is still a lack of representation from certain types of parents in Parent ouncil’s (those with deprived backgrounds, men, ethnic minorities) meaning it is more difficult for them to represent the views of the whole parent forum ubstantial variation between the approaches of the different local authorities were found in terms of the publically available documentation and information related to parental involvement. ery few of the local authority strategies were up-to-date, had details of how/when they would be reviewed, had evidence of parent consultation or had clear objectives. However, of the 29 that were available, all followed the 2@@6 parental involvement guidelines.

58 59

Home/ school partnership

ASK ALL Q1 Within the last school year, have you done any of the following at your child’s <primary/secondary> school?

READ OUT. ROTATE A-H. SINGLE CODE

Yes No Don’t know (DNRO) A Attended a one to one meeting with a teacher to discuss your child’s learning, for example: a parent’s evening, parent consultation, or progress meeting 1 2 3 B Attended open sessions or afternoons (IF NECESSARY: when you can go into the school and get involved with learning activities) 1 2 3 C Attended a school fundraising event 1 2 3 D Helped out at school activities such as trips or school discos or proms 1 2 3 E Attended a parent’s social awareness/ information event, for example: on drugs or community safety 1 2 3 F Attended a parents meeting or event about your child’s learning, for example: how to help your child with reading, information about exams, or a careers event 1 2 3 G Attended school events, such as concerts, plays, sports days. 1 2 3 H Helped out with learning activities, for example: after- school clubs, paired reading, helping in the classroom. 1 2 3

For the purpose of this survey, please could you answer the questions based on your child at [primary/secondary] school.

Qbiii And do you have more than one child at <TEXT SUB PRIMARY/SECONDARY> school?

(INTERVIEWER NOTE: This should refer to the past school year which finished in July)

IF REFUSED/NECESSARY - THIS IS ONLY SO WE KNOW WHAT CONTEXT TO ASK THE QUESTIONS IN Yes 1 No 2

ALL WHO SAY CODE 1 @QBiii For this survey, please answer all the questions relating to the child in <TEXT SUB PRIMARY/SECONDARY> school whose birthday is coming up next

SEX INTERVIEWER CODE: Gender of participant

Male CHECK QUOTA Female CHECK QUOTA

60 61 Though school social media pages (for example; Twitter, Facebook) 5 Parent section on school website 6 In school newsletter 7 Other (Please write in) 8 Don’t receive any information from the school 9 Don’t know 10

ASK ALL Q3b And how do you prefer to receive information from your child’s school?

DO NOT READ OUT SINGLE CODE ONLY

Verbally/ face to face 1 Letter sent home 2 Email directly to yourself/ other parent 3 Texts directly to yourself/ other parent 4 Though school social media pages 5 Parent section on school website 6 In school newsletter 7 Other (Please write in) 8 None 9 Don’t know 10

ASK ALL Q4 To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement…?

My child’s school takes the time commitments of parents into consideration when staff organise activities or meetings that parents may be invited to attend.

READ OUT. SINGLE CODE ONLY Strongly agree 1

ASK ALL Q2 How often, if at all, does the school get in touch with you about the following?

READ OUT. ROTATE A-D SINGLE CODE ONLY

Monthly

Once

every

term

Once

every

school

year

Never

Don’ t

know

(DO

NOT

READ

OUT)

A General information about the school 1 2 3 4 5 B Information about how your child is progressing with their learning 1 2 3 4 5 C Information about which topics your child is currently learning about 1 2 3 4 5 D Information on ways to help your child continue learning at home 1 2 3 4 5

ASK ALL Q3a How do you usually receive information, if at all, from your child’s school?

DO NOT READ OUT MULTICODE Verbally/ face to face 1 Letter sent home 2 Email directly to yourself or other parent 3 Texts directly to yourself or other parent 4

62 63 Q6 How would you normally feed back to the school about your child’s education? (DO NOT READ OUT) MULTICODE Through the Parent Council 1 Parent’s evening or other one to one meeting with your child’s teacher 2 Speaking with the head teacher 3 Speaking with the class teacher 4 Emailing head teacher 5 Emailing class teacher 6 Other (please write in) 7 I don’t feed back to the school 8 Don’t know 9

ASK ALL Q7 I’m now going to read out some statements. Please tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each statement.

READ OUT. ROTATE

Strongly

agree

Tend

agree

Neither

agree

nor

disagree

T end

disagree

Strongly

disag ree

Don’t

know

(DNRO)

I feel comfortable giving my views and opinions about the school to teaching staff 1 2 3 4 5 6 The school takes the views of parents into account when making changes to what happens in the school 1 2 3 4 5 6 I feel comfortable asking teaching staff questions about my child’s learning 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tend to agree 2 Neither agree nor disagree 3 Tend to disagree 4 Strongly disagree 5 Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT) 6

ASK ALL Q5a How comfortable, or uncomfortable, do you feel about getting involved with learning activities at your child’s school, for example: paired reading, helping in the classroom or with after school clubs.

READ OUT.SINGLE CODE ONLY Very comfortable 1 Fairly comfortable 2 Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 3 Fairly uncomfortable 4 Very uncomfortable 5 Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT) 6

ASK ALL Q5b How comfortable, or uncomfortable, do you feel about getting involved with wider school activities, for example: helping with school trips or social events, attending school plays or performances.

READ OUT. SINGLE CODE ONLY Very comfortable 1 Fairly comfortable 2 Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 3 Fairly uncomfortable 4 Very uncomfortable 5 Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT) 6

64 65 No 2 Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT) 3

ASK ALL WHO ANSWER CODE 1 AT Q10a Q10 b Has the Parent Council ever helped to recruit a senior member of staff?

SINGLE CODE Yes 1 No 2 Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT) 3

ASK ALL WHO ANSWER CODE 1 AT Q9 Q11 To what extent, if at all, do you think the head teacher takes the views and suggestions of the Parent Council into consideration?

READ OUT. SINGLE CODE To a great extent 1 To some extent 2 Just a little 3 Not at all 4 Don’t know/ unsure 5

ASK ALL WHO ANSWER CODES 2 or 3 AT Q9 Q12a If there was a Parent Council at your child’s school, would you be interested in joining it?

READ OUT. SINGLE CODE Yes- definitely 1 Yes- but I don’t have the time 2 No 3 Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT) 4

ASK ALL WHO ANSWER CODES 2 OR 3 AT Q10a Q12b Would you be interested in joining the Parent Council at your child’s school?

READ OUT. SINGLE CODE The school tries to find out parents’ views about how well it is doing for example: consultation events and questionnaires 1 2 3 4 5 6 The school handbook is useful 1 2 3 4 5 6

Parental representation

ASK ALL Q8 Schools are encouraged to use a variety of ways to encourage all parents to raise issues, be consulted on school policy and give their views. The “Parent Forum” is the name given to the entire body of all parents, not just those on the Parent Council. Were you aware that there is such a thing as a “Parent Forum”?

SINGLE CODE Yes 1 No 2 Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT) 3

ASK ALL Q9 Parent Councils are a formal committee of parents who attempt to represent the views of parents and to work closely with the school management team and the parents to support the improvement of the school. They might also be called a “Parent Partnership” or have another name. Is there a Parent Council or similar representative body at your child’s school?

SINGLE CODE Yes 1 No 2 Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT) 3

ASK ALL WHO ANSWER CODE 1 AT Q9 Q10a Are you a member of the Parent Council?

SINGLE CODE Yes 1

66 67 C Provides information about education and learning to parents 1 2 3 D Asks parents for their views on how the school is run 1 2 3 E Fundraises for the school 1 2 3 F Helps to develop the School Improvement Plan 1 2 3 G Helps to develop the School Handbook 1 2 3 H Helps with the recruitment of senior staff members, for example: the head teacher 1 2 3

ASK ALL WHO ANSWER CODE 2 OR 3 AT Q10a Q16 How often, if at all, does the Parent Council get in touch with you?

READ OUT. REVERSE Once a month 1 Once a school term 2 Once a school year 3 Never 4 Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT) 5

ASK ALL WHO ANSWER CODES 2 or 3 AT Q9 Q17 If there was a Parent Council at your child’s school, what do you think it should do?

PRE-CODED LIST DO NOT READ OUT MULTICODE Asks parents’ views about the topics their child is learning 1 Tells the school management team when parents have concerns 2 Provides information about education and learning to parents 3 Yes- definitely 1 Yes- but I don’t have the time 2 No 3 Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT) 4

ASK ALL WHO ANSWER CODES 2 OR 3 AT Q10a Q13 Do you know how to join the Parent Council at your child’s school?

DO NOT READ OUT SINGLE CODE Yes 1 No 2 Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT) 3

ASK ALL WHO ANSWER CODE 2 OR 3 AT Q10a Q14 To what extent, if at all, do you think the views and suggestions of the Parent Council are valued by the school’s senior management team?

READ OUT. SINGLE CODE To a great extent 1 To some extent 2 Just a little 3 Not at all 4 Don’t know/ unsure (DO NOT READ OUT) 5

ASK ALL WHO ANSWER CODE 2 2 OR 3 AT Q10a Q15 Which if any of the following does the Parent Council at your child’s school do?

READ OUT. ROTATE

Yes No Don’t know (DNRO) A Asks parents’ views about what the children in the school are learning

1 2 3 B Tells the school management team when parents have concerns 1 2 3

68 69

Demographics

READ OUT: I’d like to finish by asking some questions about you and your household…

ASK ALL Q19 What is your marital status?

DO NOT READ OUT. SINGLE CODE

Never married and never registered a same-sex civil partnership 1 Married 2 In a registered same-sex civil partnership 3 Separated, but still legally married 4 Separated, but still legally in a same-sex civil partnership. 5 Divorced 6 Formerly in a same-sex civil partnership which is now legally dissolved. 7 Widowed. 8 Surviving partner from a same-sex civil partnership 9 Prefer not to say 10

Asks parents for their views on how the school is run 4 Fundraises for the school 5 OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY) 6

Learning at home

ASK ALL Q18 I’m now going to read out some statements. Please tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with each statement.

READ OUT. ROTATE A-F. SINGLE CODE

Strongly

agree

Tend

agree

Neither

a gree

nor

disagree

Tend

disagree

Strongly

disagree

Don’t

know

A The school encourages me to ensure my child does their set homework 1 2 3 4 5 6 B The school encourages me to continue my child’s learning at home in other ways than doing homework 1 2 3 4 5 6 C The school offers suitable support to help me continue my child’s learning at home 1 2 3 4 5 6 D I know where to go to for additional support if my child is experiencing difficulties with their learning 1 2 3 4 5 6 E I know where to find additional support or resources in my community to help me continue my child’s learning at home (IF NECESSARY: libraries, community centre, community learning workers, home school link workers) 1 2 3 4 5 6 F It’s easy for me to talk to teachers about how I can continue my child’s learning at home 1 2 3 4 5 6

70 71

ASK ALL Q20 Do you provide regular unpaid help or care to family members, friends, neighbours or others because they have either long-term physical or mental health disabilities or problems related to old-age?

DO NOT READ OUT. SINGLE CODE Yes 1 No 2 Prefer not to say 3

ALL WHO SAID THEY HAVE A CHILD IN PRIMARY SCHOOL Q21 What year was the child that you have answered the survey about in?

(INTERVIEWER NOTE: This should refer to the past school year which finished in July) SINGLE CODE P1 1 P2 2 P3 3 P4 4 P5 5 P6 6 P7 7 Prefer not to say 8

ASK ALL WRK And are you…

READ OUT

CHECK QUOTA Working 30 hours or more a week (Full time) 1 Working 8 - 29 hours a week (Part-time) 2 CHECK QUOTA Not working (under 8 hrs) – looking after home 3 Not working (under 8 hrs) - unemployed 4 Not working (under 8 hrs) - unemployed (not registered but seeking work) 5 Not working (under 8 hrs) - retired 6 Not working (under 8 hrs) - student 7 Not working (under 8 hrs) - other (inc. sick or disabled) 8 Other WRITE IN 9 Don’t know 10

72 73 Q25 Is English your first language? Yes 1 No 2 Prefer not to say 3

ASK ALL Q26 How confident do you feel with reading and writing English?

READ OUT. SINGLE CODE

Very confident 1 Fairly confident 2 Not very confident 3 Not at all confident 4 Don’t know (DO NOT READ OUT) 5

ASK ALL Q27 How would you describe your ethnicity?

DO NOT READ OUT. SINGLE CODE.

White- Scottish 1 White- Other British 2 White- Irish 3 Any other white 4 Mixed or multiple ethnicities 5 Indian 6 Pakistani 7 Bangladeshi 8 Chinese 9 African 10 Caribbean or Black 11 ALL WHO SAID THEY HAVE A CHILD IN SECONDARY SCHOOL Q22 What year was the child that you have answered the survey about in? SINGLE CODE (INTERVIEWER NOTE: This should refer to the past school year which finished in July) S1 1 S2 2 S3 3 S4 4 S5 5 S6 6 Prefer not to say 7

ASK ALL Q23 Could you tell me whether you have any physical or mental health condition or illness lasting or expected to last 12 months or more? (this could include any additional learning needs, such as dyslexia)

SINGLE CODE Yes, I have a physical or mental health condition or illness 1 No I do not have a physical or mental health condition or illness 2 Prefer not to say 3

Q24 Could you tell me whether your child has any physical or mental health condition or illness lasting or expected to last 12 months or more? (this could include any additional learning needs, such as dyslexia) SINGLE CODE Yes, my child has a physical or mental health condition or illness 1 No, my child does not have a physical or mental health condition or illness 2 Prefer not to say 3

ASK ALL

74 Arab 12 Any other ethnic background SPECIFY 13 Prefer not to say 14

Q28 Finally, what is your postcode? REPEAT POSTCODE BACK TO RESPONDENT USING THE PHONETIC ALPHABET (e.g A for Alpha, B for Bravo etc)

IF NECESSARY: THE REASON WE NEED THE POSTCODE IS BECAUSE WE ARE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT HOW PEOPLE ANSWER QUESTIONS, BASED ON THEIR DIFFERENT AREAS (PLEASE RECORD) 1 REFUSED 2

COMPLETE - THANK RESPONDENT AND CLOSE

Thank you on behalf of Ipsos MORI. If you have any queries regarding the survey or our company, I can give you the telephone number of the company or the Market Research Society Freephone number.

PROVIDE AS NECESSARY: Company Number - 0131 561 4603 MRS Freephone Number - 0500 39 69 99 Job number – 16-025668-01

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Ipsos MORI research

March 2017 Research to inform the review of the impact of the 2006 Parental Involvement Act

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