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Parent Forum

Manland School Parent Forum

At Manland Primary School, we are committed to working closely with parents and carers. We value the partnership which exists between school, parents and the community and the part it plays in school improvement. Research has shown that children achieve more when their parents are involved in their education.

The Governing body at Manland Primary School have a very specific strategic role to play in the running of the school and have both legal and statutory responsibilities. Generally, the day to day leadership and management of the school is the responsibility of the Headteacher and other senior leaders employed by the school.

We feel that it is important that parents have a forum where they can express their views, know that they can make a difference, and learn more about how the school operates. The Parents Forum will be a place for parents to learn more about the school and a place for the school to learn more about different ways parents can contribute to their child’s learning journey.

Membership of the Parent Forum

A named parent/carer representatives from each year group will put themselves forward to represent the parent body. They will meet with the Headteacher to establish the parameters of the role and learn more about the commitment involved. In the event of a number of volunteers stepping forward, the role may be shared, or parents may agree to serve for a single academic year, to allow another parent the opportunity.

What is a Parent Forum?

A Parent Forum is a body of parents which represents parents and provides a forum for them to put forward their views to the head teacher and the governing body of their children’s school. Parent Forums are accessible ways to involve more parents in decisions about the school. A Parent Forum is less formal and requires a lesser commitment than being a member of the governing body. It also enables more parents to make a real contribution to their child’s school.

The Governing body remains the decision-making body and provides the strategic leadership of the school. Parent Forums have a consultative and advisory role. They are not a fund-raising body. They are a means of expanding the communications between parents and the school, strengthening the voice of parents and enabling more parents to express their opinions and influence decisions.

The Ofsted self-assessment and inspection arrangements require schools to assess and demonstrate how well they listen to, and act on, parents’ views. Parent Forums are an excellent way to do this.

The Aims of the Parent Forum at Manland is to:

  • work together to improve the education provided for our children
  • share information, knowledge and skills
  • meet in a mutually supportive environment
  • further improve communications between parent/carers and staff/governors

What will our Parent Forum do?

The Manland Parent Forum will focus initially on three key roles:

  • Providing a route through which parents as a group advise the school leadership of their views and for the school leadership to consult and discuss issues with parents
  • Reach out to parents and bringing parents together
  • Enable parents to get involved in the life of the school and contribute to continued school improvement.

Terms of Reference/Core Purpose the Parent Forum will be to:

  • Give notice of meetings and an agenda to Parent Forum members and the Headteacher at least 5 working days in advance of a meeting
  • Advise the school on parental views
  • Be the forum through which the school consults parents
  • Make recommendations (this may be in relation to developing policies, procedures, protocols etc.) to the Senior Leadership Team
  • Follow Manland Primary School’s ‘Code of conduct’
  • Meet termly
  • Keep to time and the agreed agenda
  • Review the impact of its work annually
  • Review terms of reference annually
  • Help other parents better understand the complexities and challenges in leading and managing a school, particularly in relation to competing aims, budget restrictions etc.
  • Sensitively, but clearly outline to other parents what the parent forum is designed to do and what it is not designed to do.
  • Ensure that questions raised and suggestions proffered are done so politely, respectfully and with the best interests of the children and school community.
  • Help to moderate conversations between parents on social media apps used to gather parent views, to ensure they are appropriate, courteous and respectful.
  • Respect confidentiality and understand that there may be times when a discussion had in parent forum may need to remain private
  • Be positive, constructive and solution focused
  • Respect others’ opinions and ideas by letting them finish without interruption
  • Not be the forum for complaints about individual members of staff, pupils, policies or individual issues, but rather draw together themes that emerge.

Parent Forum Minutes 2024-2025

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