National Parent Forum of Scotland March 2015 Active Participation
Here at National Parent Forum of Scotland we aim to ensure the parental voice is heard in all discussions around education in Scotland. We gather parents’ views through focus groups, web surveys and through our local representatives and their networks. If you’d like to get in touch with your local representative you can find their details here:
http://www.npfs.org.uk/npfs-area-representatives/
Here’s where we provided an authentic parental perspective at a National level in March – all of these meetings were attended by our volunteer parent representatives. Please email office@npfs.org.uk if you would like more information about any of these meetings, or indeed any other information about NPFS.
National Policy Meetings:
- Education and Culture Committee Evidence on Parental Involvement in Raising Attainment
The Committee scrutinises the policies and performance of the Scottish Government and its agencies by considering relevant legislation; conducting inquiries; scrutinising spending proposals; and carrying out any other work that it considers appropriate.
Our Chair, Iain Ellis MBE gave oral evidence on the committee’s evidence session on March 31st on how parental involvement can affect attainment.
Our written submission can be viewed here:
- Early Years Collaborative Learning Session
The Early Years Collaborative aims to make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up in by improving outcomes, and reducing inequalities, for all babies, children, mothers, fathers and families across Scotland to ensure that all children have the best start in life and are ready to succeed.The Early Years Collaborative (EYC) is an outcomes focused, multi-agency quality improvement programme which will deliver nationally on the vision and priorities of the Early Years Taskforce (more info here http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Young-People/early-years/leadership) and bring focus and clarity to agreed objectives, outputs and outcomes.
- Education Scotland External Reference Review Group
The purpose of the group is to:provide advice, support and challenge to the review of approaches to inspection;help Education Scotland access stakeholders so they can consult widely;helpEducation Scotland better understand the views of stakeholders and take these into account; and help Education Scotland identify and remove barriers to the way forward. Currently NPFS are involved in encouraging Education Scotland to include a review of a school’s parental involvement strategy as part of the inspection process.
- GIRFEC National Implementation Support Group
Reporting to the GIRFEC Programme Board, the main purpose of the National Implementation Support Group (NISG) is to support the development and implementation of Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) across Scotland. Our representative is currently involved in making sure that there are clear coherent publications explaining the implementation of GIRFEC to parents such as this leaflet explaining the consultation:
http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0046/00469648.pdf
- Raising Attainment For all Conference
The Raising Attainment For All Programme was launched in June 2014. Twelve Local Authorities and over 100 schools across Scotland have committed to becoming part of the learning community, which will support the implementation of improvement methodology and enable shared learning across the country. More informationhere: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/Raisingeducationalattainment/RAFA
- National Digital Learning Forum
The National Digital Learning Forum (NDLF) aims to get practitioners involved in evaluating and recommending approaches to digital learning and teaching.
With the help of practitioners, NDLF hopes to achieve the following:
- Identify exemplars and examples of practice where outcomes for learners have been improved, and share these appropriately
- Provide opportunities (through NDLF events) for a range of stakeholders to agree actions to embed, sustain and maintain the relevance of digital learning
- Produce clear communications and engagement channels for stakeholders
- Use evidence from research, conversations and events with stakeholders to underpin the actions of the NDLF to effect change
- Evaluate the impact of the NDLF though evidence that shows its actions are leading to improved outcomes for all learners.
More information here: https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/ndlf
- Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce Learning Event
The Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce was set up in January 2013 to provide recommendations to Scottish Ministers on how Scotland’s approach to vocational education and training could be improved, and how the Scottish Government could get more employers involved in all aspects of education and employing more young people.In June 2014, the Commission published its final report Education Working for All, which set out 39 recommendations. Many of these recommendations are of relevance to school age young people, including that:Preparing all young people for employment should form a core element of Curriculum for Excellence.
Senior phase pathways should include industry-recognised vocational qualifications alongside academic qualifications.
Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), as a whole, is about providing learners with the range of learning pathways that meet their individual needs and aspirations and prepare them for learning, life and work. The Commission’s recommendations sit well with these aims and will be taken forward within the context of CfE in schools, building on the wide range of work that schools and their partners are already doing in this area.
Our vice chair sits on the implementation group, ensuring a parent’s perspective is taken into account and recently representatives and their networks have been involved in providing the team with experiences and recommendations for work experience and career guidance. This learning event was a cross agency / partner event based in Fife.
- Doran Strategic Commissioning Project Board
The strategic review of learning provision for children and young people with complex additional support needs was commissioned by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning. The final Doran Review report provides a set of recommendations aimed at providing better outcomes and experiences for children and young people with complex additional support needs.A Project Board was set up in June 2013 to oversee the delivery of the Strategic Commissioning Project.
Meetings with:
- Craig Flunkert, Scottish Government Skills, Numeracy, Literacy and Parents Team Leader
- Graeme Logan, Education Scotland, Strategic Director
- The Improvement Service
- Partner organisations also working in parental involvement – Woman’s Aid, Save the Children, respect me, Parenting Across Scotland
- The Education Bill Team – we supported the development of this new leaflet for parents explaining the bill which has just been introduced to parliament:
http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/03/4217
