Anyone in a SCHOOL that has set up a PARENT COUNCIL?????

[drosophila]

If so, has it nmade a difference?

Anyone????

Interesting - I'd never heard of such a thing. I suspect most "activist" parents would find themselves on either the PTA or the governing body, or slip in a little "lobbying" of the relevant subject coordinator in their area of personal interest.

Sorry not to be of more help, but this should serve as a bump.

I'll find a link in a min but yes there is info on the DFES website about it.

no, just PTA here..

Parent Involvement info here

Thanks for the link

Our school recently sent home a letter about a 'Focus Group'. I applied to be on it but haven't heard any further details yet.

I don't know if it will make much difference because it is already a good school. It's in the nature of these things that the best schools will be the first to implement this, and the worst schools the last to implement.

Our school has several informal working groups of parents which will eventually make recommendations to the Governors. One of the issues they're working on is after school clubs, where I think your school is streets ahead, drosophila .

HAL, do you know the school?

Yes. I knew several people from your area through the antenatal class I went to when expecting DS1 (who is 12), and through my local one o'clock club, but they've all moved away or their children have gone on to secondary school by now.

What did your friends think about the school? Generally I find it very good and DS is doing really well but the recent league tables worried me and I can't reconcile the results with what I feel/know about the school. DS is only 7 but I find myself worrying about what secondary he will get in to. Crazy isn't it?

Why can't I just be happy he is doing well now and take each year as it comes? I think I am worried that he will be moving on from what I think is an excellent teacher next year and I have no idea what his next teacher will be like.

Anyway parent council/forum is an excellent thing and I can't wait untill it gets off the ground (new year I hope).

In Scotland School Boards and PTAs will be no more from August 2007 and all schools have to consult parents before setting up a Parent Council or Forum. Not sure what differences there will be in schools which previously had well-supported Boards and PTAs, but the system does need a shake up.

On the whole, my friends liked the school and felt that their children had done well there. One moved out of the area between Reception and Year 1 to a little church school where she found that her daughter was more stretched academically, but her descriptions of the bullying at the new school (picking with children with SN and those who couldn't afford the latest craze or couldn't dance like the Powerpuff Girls) made me quite glad my children were at an ordinary scruffy state primary where that sort of thing would not be tolerated. Another moved to a church school (on religious grounds, unusually ) and really missed the special needs provision at your son's school.

I think you are right to be concerned about any knock-on effects problems at the primary school might have when you come to apply to secondary schools, and I really admire the way you are looking out for all the children, not just your own. But I think it's a bit early to worry about specific details unless you are considering going private or long-term tutoring.

(I did nothing until DS1 was in Year 5, at which point we had a chat about what might be desirable qualities in a secondary school and we both did some internet research. We came up with a list of schools to consider further at that stage, and realised that test preparation would be necessary. So I acquired some test papers and looked to see whether there were any major gaps in his knowledge, concluded that there weren't too many, patched them, and left things alone until the summer holidays before year 6 when he did a bit of test practice, and the first half-term mad scramble round schools. And he got in to his first choice, so did not suffer from my laid back attitude.)

Thanks Hall, have had a wonderful Christmas play so feeling very positive just now. It is deffo one of their strengths.

The school I taught in set up a parents forum that meets every half term. Any parent/ career can attend share there views and opinons. The deputy head represents the schol and the Head of our Early Years Centre chairs it (seen as neutral figure). To begin with it was alot of demands and compaints (some very valid) that we acted upon asap. Although complaints / suggestions for improvements are taken very seriously we now ask parents for a postive comment about the school (mainly so they remember why they choose to send there children there) It tends to be the same parents who attend but they have made very helpful suggestions to improve the school.