St Mary’s NS, Ballyconnell, Tullow,
Co. Carlow

Roll No: 00977B

Created: February 2019

Ratified: March 2019

Due for Review:
Partial Review:

Full Review: 2024

Introduction

This policy was formulated March 2015. The Principal and the parent representatives on the Board of Management were involved in devising the policy. Members of the Parents Association and parents involved in activities in the school reviewed the draft copy before it was presented to the board.

Rationale

This policy was devised to maximise the benefits to pupil learning by promoting a partnership between the parents and the school as set down by the Education Act 1998, with the aim of promoting the moral, spiritual, social, and personal development of students and to provide health education for them, in consultation with their parents/guardians.

Relationship to Ethos of the School

St Mary’s NS seeks to enable each child to develop his/her potential in a caring environment where each child is respected and valued. This work can best be done where there is a high level of openness and co-operation between staff, parents/guardians and pupils.

Aims

In introducing this policy, we hope:

• To validate and encourage parental involvement in the education and wellbeing of their child/children in school.

• To build a school community committed to supporting all of its pupils in a holistic way.

• To establish procedures for the sharing of information in relation to pupil progress and attainment.

• To enrich and extend the educational opportunities provided in the school for pupils by accessing the skills and talents of parents/guardians.

  Content

  Parental involvement is addressed in the following areas:

1. Support of the child’s learning

2. Parents Association

3. Board of Management

4. Policy Formation

5. Communication

6. Education Welfare Officer

1. Support of the Child’s Learning

We would like to acknowledge the strong support parents in our school give to their children’s education. They can attend parent-teacher meetings and meetings with support teachers as needed. They meet regularly with teachers and advise teachers as to the needs and concerns of children. They seek and act upon the advice of teachers. They support homework, help children, and sign notebooks. They ensure that children have the provisions needed for school. They attend school events involving their children. Individual parents give their time and expertise to help with policy formation, in-school activities, and extra-curricular events.

2. Parents Association

The Parents Association (PA) works in partnership with the whole school community for the benefit of the children in the school. They help to support and empower parents/guardians to be active in the best interests of their children’s lives in school.
Parents/guardians are invited to join the Association and play an active part by attending meetings and partaking in any activities organised by the Association.
The officers of the Parents Association communicate with the school via the Principal providing advice, suggestions, and practical support as to enhance and improve the educational experience of the children in the school. The Principal attends the AGM of the Association and any other meetings, if asked. There is regular informal communication between the secretary of the PA and the Principal.
The PA is active in fund-raising to provide additional facilities, resources, and experiences in consultation with the parents and the Principal.

3. Board of Management

The parents’ representatives on the Board of Management, according to the Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure, DES 2007, assist the Board in managing the school for the benefit of the students and their parents/guardians.

The current Parent Representatives are John Lacey and Caroline Keogh. They are active and committed board members.

4. Policy Formation and Implementation

Currently, parents/guardians who have expertise and or/interest in any particular policy area are invited to partake in policy formation. However, we would seek to formalise this by having a parent representative from the Board of Management and a representative from the Parents Association take an active role in policy formation. We would also seek to continue to utilise the skills of individual parents for specific policies. Parents/guardians have a role to play in ensuring that procedures outlined in policies are adhered to. All organisational policies, when ratified, are posted on the school website.

Parents/guardians with particular knowledge or skills in any curricular area may, at the invitation of the teacher, and with approval of the Principal, be invited to share their expertise with pupils.

5. Communication

Parent/Teacher Meetings

Parent/teacher meetings are generally held in November of each year. Individual appointment times are agreed between the teacher and the parent.
Parents are free to make individual appointments with their child’s class teacher or learning support/resource teacher at other times other than parent/teacher meetings. The class teacher or learning support teacher may also make an appointment to meet the parents when considered necessary. Parents regularly meet teachers informally or phone the school if they are unable to meet face-to-face.
Induction meetings are held for parents of new junior infants in June.

Special Educational Teachers (SET)

The class teacher informs parents/guardians of their child’s progress and discuss any extra support that the child may require. Parents/guardians of children in receipt of resource hours sanctioned by the SENO are invited to support plan meetings and are kept fully informed of all developments. Parents/guardians of children attending learning support are invited to attend meetings with the class teacher and learning support teacher to discuss and provide input for classroom support plans or Support Plans/Plus as appropriate. Support Plan Meetings are generally held in September and again in February.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Parents/guardians are advised of any extra-curricular activities that are available to their child.

School Reports

Reports are sent to parents/guardians at the end of every school year. All school reports are sent in the middle of June to allow parents adequate time before end of term to discuss any concerns they have in relation to school reports. Results of standardised tests in Maths and English are included in reports for children from first to sixth class.

Website

The school has an active website which keeps parents up to date with events in individual classes and in the school in general. All letters and policies are posted on the website. We intend that increasing the use of the website will reduce the need for notes and letters.

Text-a-Parent

All parents’ mobile numbers are updated in September by the school secretary. Text-a-Parent system is used to remind parents of important events and of any school closures.

Homework

Parents/guardians are required to sign the pupils’ homework each night.

School Events

Parents/guardians are invited to concerts, masses, and any other events as appropriate. We had our first open day in November 2014. We intend that this will be a regular part of our school calendar.
Notices regarding upcoming events, adult education classes, and services available for parents and children are displayed on notice boards in the main hall. The Parents Association also have a display board and suggestion box for their use.

6. Education Welfare Officer

It is our school policy to notify parents when their child has missed 10 days or more at the end of each quarter when making a return to the NEWB. Parents are informed that at 20 days the school has no choice but to report the absence to the Welfare Board.

Formulation Process

This policy is a statement of current practice in the school and of some envisaged developments in parental involvements. The Principal, in consultation with one of the parents’ representatives on the Board of Management developed the policy. Before presentation to the Board of Management, it will also be shown to the chairperson or secretary of the Parents Association to seek their input. It will also be shown to parents currently involved in school activities.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Parents/guardians are welcome in our school and invited to support all activities their children are involved in. They are assured that their concerns will be heard and acted on. Increased parental involvement in school activities results in an overall benefit to pupil learning. The success of this policy will be measured by the continued involvement of parents in all aspects of their children’s education and an increased involvement in policy formation.

Review and Ratification

This document will be presented to the Board of Management for ratification in February 2019. If approved by the Board, it will become policy and will be posted on the school website. It will be due for review in 2024. If a policy-formation committee is formalised in the school, this policy will be reviewed to reflect this. Parents will be informed, and the updated policy will be presented to the Board.