PARENT COUNCIL CONSTITUTION
Dear parent/guardian,
Parent Councils replaced School Boards in 2007, when a new law known as the Parental Involvement Act came into effect. You can read more about this Act via the relevant link.
Before the Parent Council was formed, each school was asked to draw up a Parent Council Constitution. The Constitution of Mid Yell Junior High School Parent Council was drawn up by various people including some members of the previous School Board, Mr. Mark Lawson the Head Teacher, some members of the Parents’ and Teachers’ Association, some other interested parents, and with support from staff at Yell Community Office and the Education Department.
In the past it had been quite difficult to encourage parents to become involved with the School Board. There may be many reasons for this, but it was felt that the method of selection, which sometimes involved elections, put a lot of people off. We felt trying to encourage more people to become involved was a priority. That is why we decided on a system of “volunteering” to be on the Parent Council, rather than elections.
We have tried to keep the Constitution as flexible as possible. Even once it has been finally approved, it is not “set in stone”. Changes can be made at a later date if necessary, provided the majority of parents agree to any changes.
MID YELL JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PARENT COUNCIL
CONSTITUTION
1.Name
-This is the constitution for Mid Yell Junior High School Parent Council.
-The term “parent ”is used to represent a parent or guardian.
-All parents of children at the school, including the nursery, are members of the Parent Forum.
2.Objects
The objects of the Parent Council are –
· To work in partnership with the school to create a welcoming school which is inclusive for all parents
· To promote partnership between the school, its pupils and all its parents
· To develop and engage in activities which support the education and the welfare of the pupils
· To identify and represent the views of parents regarding the education provided by the school, and other matters affecting the education and welfare of the pupils
3. The membership
-The membership will be a minimum of 6 persons.
- The maximum size will be 12.
-Any parent of a child at the school can volunteer to be a member of the Parent Council.
The Parent Council members will serve for a period of four years
Members must announce their intention to resign from the Council when their youngest child leaves school. To allow time for replacements to be found, members may remain on the Council until the next Annual General Meeting, if their child leaves school at the end of the school year. Otherwise they may remain on the Council for a period of three months.
If vacancies arise, a letter will be sent to parents inviting new volunteers to come forward to join the remaining Council members, giving two weeks notice. If more new parents come forward than the maximum allowed, then new members will be selected out of the volunteers by drawing names from a hat, at a meeting to which members of the Parent Forum have been invited. This would usually be the Annual General Meeting, but a meeting can be organised at another time if needed.
After their allotted time, all members may put themselves forward for membership again if they wish, provided they still have children at the school.
At least two thirds of the Parent Council will be made up of Parent Forum members and up to one-third of the membership reserved for co-opted members. This may include teaching and support staff in the school, and members of the community. It may also include previous members of the Council whose children have now left the school.
The number of parent members of the Parent Council must always be greater than co-opted members.
-Co-opted members will also be invited to serve for a period of four years.
-Co-opted members will have full voting rights at all Parent Council meetings.
If a Parent Council member acts in a way that is considered by other members to undermine the objectives of the Parent Council, their membership of the Parent Council shall be terminated if the majority of members agree. Termination of membership would be confirmed in writing to the member.
4. Officers
The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson will be elected by the Parent Council at the AGM each year.
The office of Secretary/Treasurer is currently held by the Clerk, who is not an actual member of the Parent Council
The Chair of the Parent Council must be the parent of a child at the school. If that child ceases to be a pupil, or if the Chair resigns, a new Chair will be agreed at the next meeting.
5.Accountability
The Council is accountable to the Parent Forum of Mid Yell Junior High School and will make a report to it at least once each year on its activities on behalf of all the parents.
6.Special meetings
If 25 members of the Parent Forum request a special general meeting to discuss issues which fall within the Parent Council’s remit, the Parent Council shall arrange this. The Parent Council shall give all members of the Forum at least two weeks notice of the meeting and, at the same time, circulate notice of the matter, or matters, to be discussed at the meeting.
7.Votes involving all parents
The Parent Council may decide an issue requires a vote involving all parents. In this case, all members of the Parent Forum will be sent a postal vote. Two weeks’ notice will be given for the return of ballot papers.
8.The Parent/Teacher Association (PTA)
This will continue as a sub-group of the Council. The PTA will be invited to select a representative to sit on the Council.
9. The Annual Meeting
This will be held in the second term of the academic year.
. A notice of the meeting including date, time and place will be sent to all members of the Parent Forum at least two weeks in advance.
The meeting will include:
· A report on the work of the Parent Council.
· Election of Parent Council Office bearers, and introduction of new Council members where appropriate.
· Discussion of issues that members of the Parent Forum may wish to raise.
· Approval of the accounts and appointment of the independent examiner for the following year.
· A review of the Constitution.
10.Meetings
-The parent council will meet at least once in every school term.
-The quorum for meetings shall be four.
-Should a vote be necessary to make a decision, all members at the meeting will have one vote, with the Chair having a casting vote in the event of a tie.
-Any two members of the Council can request an additional meeting be held, and all members of the Parent Council will be given at least one week’s notice of the date, time and place of the meeting.
- Meetings of the Parent Council shall be open to the public, unless the Parent Council is discussing an issue it considers confidential. In such circumstances, only members of the Parent Council and the head teacher, or his or her representatives, can attend.
12 Minutes.
Copies of the minutes of all meetings will be available to all parents of children at the school and to all teachers. Copies will be available from the Clerk of the Council (via Burravoe school), from the school office, and on the school website. Copies of the two most recent sets of minutes will be posted on the school notice board and in the local shops.
13 Finance.
- The Treasurer will open a bank or building society account in the name of the Parent Council for all Council funds. Withdrawals will require the signature of the Treasurer and one other Parent Council member.
- The Council may accept donations or grants
- The Clerk will keep an accurate record of all income and expenditure, and will provide a summary if required, and a full account for the Annual Meeting. The independent examiner appointed at the previous Annual Meeting will audit the accounts.
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14.Change in the Constitution
The Parent Council may change its constitution at any time after obtaining consent from members of the Parent Forum. Members of the Parent Forum will be sent a copy of any proposed amendment and given two weeks to respond to the proposal.
15.Dissolution
Should the Parent Council cease to exist, any remaining funds will be passed onto the School Fund to be used for the benefit of the School.