What is the Parent Council?

The Parent Council is a group of parents selected by all parents in the school to represent their views. Parent Councils have an important role to play in school improvement by ensuring that the parental perspective is represented and taken into account.

What is the role of the Parent Council?

The Parent Council helps to create an environment where all parents know that their views matter, and where they feel confident and comfortable putting them forward. They work on behalf of all parents to discuss educational matters that are of importance to all. They do not get involved in individual matters relating to children or staff in the school.

Further information about the role of the Parent Council can be found in Section 2 of the Parent Council resource below.

Resources for Parent Councils

• PDF file: Guidance on the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act (941 KB)
• PDF file: Parent Council Resource - Full document (3.2 MB)
  • PDF file: Parent Council Resource: Section 1 - Background (818 KB)
  • PDF file: Parent Council Resource: Section 2 - What is the role of the parent forum and Parent Council? (527 KB)
  • PDF file: Parent Council Resource: Section 3 - Setting up a Parent Council (864 KB)
  • PDF file: Parent Council Resource: Section 4 - Roles and responsibilities (372 KB)
  • PDF file: Parent Council Resource: Section 5 - Practical issues(544 KB)
  • PDF file: Parent Council Resource: Section 6 - Consulting with parents and the wider community (587 KB)
  • PDF file: Parent Council Resource: Section 7 - Encouraging involvement (478 KB)

Related links

• Connect (formerly the Scottish Parent Teacher Council)
• Further information for parents and parent groups can be found on Connect's YouTube channel.
• National Lottery Good Causes – Information on organisations that distribute public money from the government and the National Lottery.