If you are interested in joing our Parent Forum, please email the school office with your name and contact details.

The Parent Forum will provide a platform for parents to share their views, celebrate what’s going well, and contribute ideas for how we can continue to improve our school. We meet once per term, and the group will also play a role in helping to strengthen our links with the wider community.

Aims:

· Provide a voice for parents in schools on issues that are important to them

· Improve the school’s understanding of how to engage parents in their children’s learning and in the life of the school

· Support the school to develop strong home/school partnerships

· Support improvement by discussing the school’s strengths and areas for development from a parental perspective

· Help make links with the wider community

· Capture the unique and varied skills, interests, knowledge and experience that parents can offer

In the coming months we would like to gather views on:

· What do you think the school does well?

· In what areas do you think the school could improve?

· What are the issues important to parents?

· School handbook/welcome pack for parents - what is important to be in this?

· How best to promote the school?

· Parent survey – what is important to them?

· Look at home/school agreement

· Traffic/parking

Each school community is unique and there is a wide range of educational issues on which parents may wish to contribute their views. These may include:

· How the school communicates with parents

· Tapping into parents' skills, experiences and expertise to enhance learning experiences

· Supporting transitions between key stages such as early learning and childcare settings to primary then onto secondary

· Reviewing and refreshing school policies

· Local issues and any significant changes

At Woodbury Salterton School we wish that:

• The school is a welcoming place with space for parents and clear indications that they are welcome and valued

• There are opportunities for parents to meet with teachers to discuss their child’s progress

• School events and activities take account of any specific cultural or religious festivals that may affect the involvement of some parents

• Parents are able to get actively involved at various times – in both regular (e.g. weekly commitments) and infrequent activities

• The school is aware of any particular difficulties a parent may have in participating in school activities (e.g. through disability, access or language difficulties) and makes arrangements to provide appropriate support

• The School Development Plan provides an opportunity for staff, parents and pupils to have discussions about the different ways parents could be involved in school activities and how these will be developed and supported

• There are social events that build relationships between parents

• No parent is turned away if they volunteer to help and the skills and enthusiasm that parent volunteers bring are matched to the needs of the school

• There are activities that make it easy for families to take part and develop positive relationships with each other, school staff and other families, e.g. outings, picnics, cultural events