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 circumstances relating to children or staff in the school. 

Parent Council business may include:

• facilitating partnerships between home, school and the community
• communication with other parents and local schools
• improvement planning for learning, teaching and parental involvement
• consultations on education and policy
• events such as assemblies, school fairs, and discos
• contributing to the school vision rationale and aims
• growing school and community finances through fundraising and grant applications
• representing the school parent forum locally and nationally

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

Guidance on the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act (PDF 941 KB)

Parent Council Resource - Full document (PDF 3.2 MB)

• Section 1: Background (PDF 818 KB)
• Section 2: What is the role of the parent forum and Parent Council? (PDF 527 KB)
• Section 3: Setting up a Parent Council (PDF 864 KB)
• Section 4: Roles and responsibilities (PDF 372 KB)
• Section 5: Practical issues (PDF 544 KB)
• Section 6: Consulting with parents and the wider community (PDF 587 KB)
• Section 7: Encouraging involvement (PDF 478 KB)