Walshestown National School

Policyand Communication/Guardians

Policy on Relationship and Communication with Parents

Introduction

Introductory Statementto Characteristic Spirit of the school

Parents and the Board of Management

The Parents Association

Communication Between Parents and Teachers

Appendix

Introductory Statement:
This policy was drawn up by the Principal, teachers and Parents/Guardians of St.Paul's N.S., Walshestown at a series of consultative meetings which took place between March 2010 and March 2010


Rationale:
The school acknowledges that Parents/Guardians are the primary educators of their children. This policy seeks to accentuate the relationship between the school and the Parents/Guardians and to develop communication.
'The school is regarded and extension of the home and an active partnership between Parents/Guardians and teachers makes this a reality, especially in the eyes of the young child, who is the central figure.
Research shows that parental interests and attitudes to school, to books and to education are the single most important influence on a child's learning'.
Parents/Guardians Association - Making them Work, NPC-P
The relationship between Parents/Guardians and the school is outlined in several sections of the Education Act 1988. In particular, it should be noted that the school is required to:
Promote the moral, spiritual, social and personal development of students and provide health education for them, in consultation with their Parents/Guardians, having regard to the characteristic spirit of the school.

Manage the school on behalf of the patron and for the benefit of the students and their Parents/Guardians and to provide or cause to be provided an appropriate education for each student at the school for which that Board has responsibility.

to Characteristic Spirit of the School
The Mission Statement of St. Paul's N.S. is :
To develop in each pupil the highest level of attainment in all areas of the curriculum, consistent with each child's ability.

To develop in each pupil a manner of behaviour which incorporates
An attitude for caring for and responsibility to other people.values and spiritual development consistent with the Christian ethos of the school.High degree of self-esteem and self-worth.awareness of the environment.
This work can best be done where there is a high level of co-operation between school and Parents/Guardians.

Aims
Through the implementation of this policy we strive to:
Build a school community committed to supporting all the pupils.procedures for the sharing of information between school and Parents/Guardians.and extend the educational opportunities provided for pupils by encouraging the involvement of Parents/Guardians.


B. Parents and the Board of Management
In line with the Church's teaching and the provisions of the Irish Constitution, the Board of Management acknowledges that Parents are the primary educators of their children. Much of the protection for catholic schools derives from rights granted to the Parents under the provisions of the Constitution. Board of Management strives to ensure that Parents find the school an open, welcoming, inclusive place. There is a Parents Association in the school.Parents Association promotes the interests of the students in a school in cooperation with the Board, Principal, teachers and students of the school and for that purpose may -
Advise the Principal or the Board on any matter relating to the school and the Principal or Board, as the case may be, shall have regard to any such advice, anda programme of activities which will promote the involvement of Parents, in consultation with the Principal, in the operation of the school.
The Board encourages contact between school, parents of students in the school and the community and strives to facilitate and give all reasonable assistance to parents and the Parents Association.Parents Association, following consultation with its members has made rules governing its meetings and the business and conduct of its affairs.
The Parents Association is affiliated to a National Association of Parents and the rules referred to are in accordance with guidelines issued by the National Association of Parents with the concurrence of the Minister.National Parents Council Primary Head Office is as 12 Marlborough Court, Dublin1. Tel 01-8874034
In a spirit of collaboration and trust, the Parents Association recognises that there are areas of school activity that belong to the professional work of the teachers. There is also a recognition that certain areas of responsibility belong to the Board of Management.

The Parents Association is entitled to raise funds for the administration and activities of the Association. Full accounts must be maintained and presented at the Parents Association AGM, in accordance with the rules of the Association.
The Parents Association should consult with the Board about fundraising for the school or any school projects. The approval of the Board is needed before these funds are raised. The expenditures of these funds is by the Board of Management, in consultation with the Parents Association. The Board prepares a total account of income and expenditure at the end of each school year and this is available to Parents. (Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure, Section 19)funds raised must be used for the purpose(s) for which the money was collected. If, in exceptional circumstances, it becomes unnecessary for the Board to use all the funds collected for the purpose specified, the Board will communicate with the Parents Association and, where appropriate, the local community. In any event, the funds must be used for the school. The change of purpose for which the funds are used will be decided by the Board in consultation with the Parents' Association committee.
The Board, in consultation with the school Principal, ensures that arrangements are made for Parents to meet class teachers on a regular basis.will naturally be concerned about the welfare and progress of their children. They are entitled to have access to records kept by the school relating to the progress and education of their child. (Educational Act 1998.9 (g))a Parents has a particular difficulty about any aspect of the school's work, the matter should be referred in the first instance to the class teacher and subsequently, if necessary to the Principal. The matter should be dealt with informally, if possible.
If it becomes necessary to deal more formally with the matter, the agreed complaints procedure should be followed.
Anonymous complaints about teachers or about any matter connected with the school will not be considered by the Board of Management. Individual members of the Board have agreed to not bring such messages to the Board of Management meeting. Board members should advise people who approach them with complaints or requests that the matter should be referred to the Principal or to the Chairperson of the Board as appropriate.
Copies of all circulars from the Department of Education are available to Parents.

The Parents are informed annually of the school financial situation.

Parents Association
The Parents Association promotes the interests of the students in the school in co-operation with the board, Principal, teachers and students of a school and for that purpose may
Advise the Principal or the Board on any matter relating to the school and the Principal or the Board, as the case may be, shall have regard to any such advice.

Adopt a programme of activities which will promote the involvement of Parents, in consultation with the Principal, in the operation of the school, (Act 1998 section 26.2)
The Board shall promote contact between the school Principal, parents of students in that school and the community, and shall facilitate and give all reasonable assistance to the Parents Association when it is established. (Act 1998 , 26.3)

The Aims of the Parents Association are:
To work in partnership with the Principal, Board of Management and the whole school community to promote the interests of all the students in the school.

To advise the Principal or Board on any matter relating to the school

To support and empower parents to be active in the best interests of their children's educational lives.

To enable parents to play a meaningful role in supporting the aims and objectives of the school and to ensure parents are meaningfully consulted in the development of relevant school policies.

To ensure that Parents, Board of Management, Principal & Staff work together to ensure the smooth operation of the school adhering, to agreed policies and procedures.

To enable parents to contribute to an enhanced learning environment for pupils.

To ensure that the work of the whole school community is at all times focused on the collective needs of all the children in the school.

To identify and make available the skills and talents of individual parents that may be valuable to the school.
All Parents of children in the school are members of the Parents Association. These parents elect a committee to work on their behalf from one year to the next.

The Parents Committee meeting agenda may include a report from the Parents' representatives on the Board of Management. This works well if the Board of Management also includes a report from the Parents' representative about the Parents Committee activities. Reports brought from the Parents Committee to the Board and also from the Board to the Parents Committee must be agreed reports which have the approval of all Committee and Board members respectively. Confidentiality must be maintained at all times.

An agreed report is issued to the Principal and the Board of Management following each Parents Committee Meeting.

Any two reps from the Committee may arrange to see the Principal regarding any issue which may arise.

There will be an agreed report at end of each Board of Management meeting for Parents Committee

The Board of Management will meet once a year with the Parents Committee

The Board of Management financial statements will be available for the Parents Committee AGM

Names and contact details of the current members of the Parents Committee are included in the Appendix Section.

The Parents Committee, as representatives of all parents in school, will be consulted and involved in the drawing up and ratification of any school policy that directly affects the children or themselves. School policies are available to be viewed at any time in the school or copies are available to parents on request.
The curriculum policies have been drawn up based on the curriculum prescribed by the Department of Education. These are also available in the school.
involvement of parents and their active participation in life of the school enhances co-operation and interaction between home and school. This may be achieved by:

Parents or family members providing information and expertise to the teachers to support areas of the curriculum.or family members speaking to classes (in consultation with the class teacher) on topics to support areas of the curriculum.activities organised by the Parents Association.

D. COMMUNICATION

It is recognised that the vast majority of communications between parents/Guardians and teachers will not require meetings and will often be verbal and requiring minimal time. Such communications are always encouraged and are necessary and important part of school life.

Each child has a Homework Journal. Parents/Guardians should sign this journal each night on completion of the homework. Each weekly section of the journal provides a place where parents/Guardians can enter messages or comments and parents/Guardians are encouraged to avail of this.

Also included in the Homework journal is a section where parents/guardians can enter information on their child's absences from school. Parents/Guardians should use this section rather than sending individual notes. Infants do not have a Homework journal so these parents should continue to communicate by note.

Teachers will use the Homework Journal to send information to parents/Guardians, usually information that pertains to that child only and is not of a serious or important nature.

General notes which apply to a large number of children or classes will be given separately to each child (or often the eldest sibling). Parents/Guardians should regularly check their child's schoolbag to see if such notes have been sent. The school also operates a Text-a-Parent service.

General notes may occasionally be enclosed in an envelope if they contain material which may be deemed confidential or unsuitable for children. Such envelopes should not be opened by children.

Occasionally there may be matters of a serious nature which may entail formal letters to parents/Guardians to be posted.


Parents/Guardians may request a meeting with their child's teacher at any time. Teachers should be given sufficient notice (at least 24 hours) of such a meeting to allow for time to prepare for it (e.g. to arrange cover for their class). Parents/Guardians should give teachers some idea of matters which may be discussed at such a meeting so that teachers can have ready whatever resources may be required e.g. samples of children's work.

Teachers will be unable to leave their classes for an unscheduled meeting. Also teachers cannot discuss matters pertaining to other children, staff members, or other members of the school community.

Teachers may request meetings with a child's parents/Guardians from time to time. Notice will be given to parents/Guardians of such a meeting to ensure a time suitable to both parties. Parents/Guardians will be given an indication of the content of such a meeting to enable them to prepare for it.

Teachers and parents/Guardians may wish to record decisions agreed at such meetings outlined above. All records will be confidential to the person who makes them.

Formal Parent-Teacher meetings will take place once a year, usually in the last term. At this meeting parents/Guardians will be given a copy of their child's Annual Report, including Standardised Test results.

In accordance with the school's Data Protection Policy, parents/Guardians are entitled to have access to in the prescribed manner to records and data kept by the school relating to themselves and to their children.

The Board of Management has outlined a procedure for processing complaints from parents/Guardians. This procedure should be adhered to in all cases. A copy of the complaints procedure is included in this policy.
and Reviewpolicy was ratified by the Board of Management on : ___________________________
: _____________________________________ Chairperson, BOM
policy will be reviewed by : _______________________

COMPLAINT PROCEDURE