Can a parent improve a school's fortunes?

If you're working in a STEM field can you see if your employer would link with the school to offer opportunities to pupils?

I work in financial services and my company has partnered a school in a deprived area and runs regular events. I've been there as part of teaching kids about money management for a day, they've had week long enterprise events.

Great advice from Bojo

do you have work contacts in your scientific field? schools often find it difficult to motivate children towards STEM subjects, especially girls, if you have contacts who could offer visits, motivation, work placement ,or if you could do similar yourself I am sure they would be keen on,hearing from you.

You would be able to help much, much, more by being a Governor. Really you would. It could help the whole school in a very meaningful way. This is because you will be engaged with recruiting more pupils, making the school attractive to parents, recruiting the right staff (difficult, but staff want to work in a well run school), improving SLT by performance management, setting targets and strategic aims, and you can engage with Maths/Science and be the Science or Maths Governor. They would welcome you in this role.

I think going into a secondary school and helping in a practical way is fairly unusual and makes more work for the staff quite frankly. As a Governor you can get involved in school trips, accompany university taster courses for science - there are endless things you can do as mentioned above by Rufus but being a Governor gives you more clout to get things going. You are not just an agitating parent!

You would also have a great handle on the progress the children are making and be aware if lack of good maths and science teaching is holding the children back. You, within the umbrella of the Governing Body, and the SLT would be responsible for improvements. There is no better role than this.

All schools are short of money and you cannot squeeze a quart out of pint pot so Governors have to make sure as many parents as possible want to come to their school to raise income by higher numbers on roll. PTA money in small, standard catchment, schools never amounts to much in overall terms. Small and cosy just does not work in the secondary world because the budget will always be tight if there are not enough children and too many needy children. You need a healthy school number and a good balance of children.

You really can help, but in a professional way on the GB, not just a concerned mum who wants to help out.

Don't be put off by some discouraging answers here OP. Contact the head or the school office and offer your skills. The worst they can say is no!

It's true that you don't have to be a parent governor to be a governor IYSWIM but the school GB will have articles of association that will limit type and number of governors so that option may not be open to you anyway. PTFA is a good idea but they are mostly about fundraising- excellent and essential of course but sounds like not what you're looking for. What about setting up a Parent Council? Sort of a halfway between GB/SLT and parents? The best PCs can liaise between the two and come up with ways to improve communication, volunteering etc. Also, I may be jaded and cynical but seeing what the SLTs response to something like a PC is can sometimes tell you a lot about why they are in a position of requires improvement in the first place.

Parents have helped in the schools where I've taught in the following ways. All were appreciated!

Volunteer TA
Listen to students reading
Display board assistance
Fund raising/PTFA - even just donating prizes
Mentor a student
Allow work experience students in your place of work
Help with mock interviews
Help with raising aspiration e.g. Career talk
Public praise if/when deserved e.g. Letter to local paper, talk positively to Y5/6 parents
Assist with a club e.g. Cookery, calligraphy, chess
Send teaching staff lots of cakes and chocolates (Ok, that one's a lie).

Definitely go and have a chat asking if there is any way you can support the school.
Why not? Engaged parents are a huge plus and you are clearly one.
My child goes to a secondary that is undersubscribed and in a disadvantaged area. I have found that they are happy to talk to me about ways that I can perhaps be supportive.
Governors are an option. Discuss if interested.
Supporting science- well ask... may bite your hand off.
Parent Forum to take part in?
Is there a PTA?
Good luck...

You can offer your help to the school, but I don't know whether or not it would be accepted. Unlike at primary schools, secondary schools don't tend to use parent helpers as much. I can only think of one time we used one, and she was a friend of a friend of one of the teachers in our department.

I have a maths degree.
I would be terrified of teaching/running a lunchtime support class!

I would be more than happy to do 1-1 support a but a bunch of teenagers - I'd run a mile!

If you did Maths A level & have a PhD will they let you teach/run lunchtime support classes?

So many schools being put into RI now it is ridiculous. Most of them are doing more and teaching better than ever. I honestly wouldn't worry to much. If you support your child and he works reasonably hard he can be very successful. A raft of parents supporting their children like that can make a difference.

A science PhD however probably means the OP also did science A levels and is therefore likely to be confident and competent in a least 2 of the 3 disciplines to GCSE and probably A level. Which could be a very helpful resource, potentially.

But how many PhDs are in KS3/KS4 relevant areas , and how many are completely esoteric?

Almost all state schools are underfunded I'm afraid, that's just the current situation. The biggest impact on your child's success is the attitude of his parents and the support they give him.

What about mentoring PP kid (or 5) who is keen on or struggles with science?
Being able to meet once a week after school as an extra 'educated' adult and someone else with time to help with their academics?

Do we take it (from your username) that you're a geneticist? Because suggesting you "help out with science" is otherwise laughable. I'm sorry to be blunt, but presumably they already have teachers?
The main way to help schools (other than backing up all their policies at home, i.e. behaviour, homework etc) is money. That's how fee-paying schools do so well- money can improve facilities, number of staff available, extra-curricular opportunities etc etc. Are they in need of a new science block/sixth form block/sports hall?
You say it's disadvantaged compared with others in the area, but what are those disadvantages?

My children go to a secondary school that is "inadequate". All 3 are doing well and I can only echo above - I'm very strict about homework being done, we have a very positive attitude to learning in the house generally and have always made sure they have resources for whatever lesson they are doing. I make a point of emailing teachers to thank them after they have organised activities.

Being at a failing school doesn't mean all children will fail, the same as being at an outstanding school doesn't guarantee success.

I am sure they would welcome you as a volunteer TA

yoni you are being a bit harsh there. I get the impression OP wants to help.
You could do the following:
help run the PTA and raise funds for equipment
offer to run a science club
offer to help in the library
offer to go on school trips - but you would need a DBS check
Maybe rally round and see if other parents can support too & go to the head and ask if he/she wants anything in particular supporting

Can I be blunt OP? You sound pretty arrogant. What skills and experience do you have that you think will help the school?

There's no 'just' about being a governor. It's a big commitment. They are the people ultimately responsible for schools finances, appointments, etc.