'Closer ties Needed' Between Parents & Schools

Parents in Scotland need a strong relationship with schools to ensure children are achieving their best.

A study conducted by the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (SPICe) has found more than 71percent of parents "strongly agree" that it is important they work together with their child's school.

But those with children at non-state schools were provided with more information about their youngster's progress.

The online survey asked about communication with schools, involvement with the Parent Teacher Council and sought ideas on how schools and parents might work together.

The majority (56percent) of parents were from Edinburgh, with 22percent of respondents having children in independent schools.

Committee Convener Stewart Maxwell MSP said:

“Parents and guardians play a crucial role in their children’s education and we wanted to hear from them about the part they play in their child’s education.

“Whilst this is clearly an Edinburgh-centric sample, it paints an important picture about the need for schools and parents to work closer together in order that children can achieve their very best at school. This is something we can all agree is desirable.

“The survey also reveals that those with children in independent schools find it easier to get information about how their child is progressing than those in state schools. Our Committee will explore whether there are lessons to be learned about keeping parents informed.”

89% of parents whose children went to independent primary school’s agreed or strongly agreed information helped them support their child’s learning. This compares to 61%of those with children at state primary school.

Other results from the survey include:

• 78% of respondents are confident the school will help them with their child’s learning.
• Around a third of respondents with children in state school’s are actively involved in the parent council compared with only 6% of independent school parents.
• Communication was a key theme with parents seeking good communication about how their children were progressing.