Parent Council Constitution – St Brigid’s Primary, Glasgow
1. This is the constitution for St Brigid’s Primary School Parent Council.
2. The objectives 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, its parents and the Church
· To develop and engage in activities which support the education and welfare of the pupils
· To identify and represent the views of parents on educational and other matters
· To report to Parent Forum* on the work of the Parent Council
3. The membership of the Parent Council will be a minimum of 4 parents of children attending the school. The maximum size is 9 parents, where possible, representing the different stages of the school eg. 3 members with children in the lower school, 3 in the middle school and 3 in the upper school. A quorum for Parent Council meetings will be 4 parent members.
4. The Parent Council will be selected for a period of 2 years, after which members may put themselves forward for re-selection, if there are un-filled vacancies. Any parent of a child at St Brigid’s Primary can volunteer to become a member of the Parent Council. In the event that the number of volunteers exceeds the number of places stated in clause 3 above, members will be selected by drawing names out of a hat. Anyone not selected to be a member of the Parent Council may be offered a role in any sub-groups set up by the Parent Council.
5. The Parent Council may co-opt up to 3 people, 1 of which must be a Church Representative. The others can be from any source deemed appropriate e.g. from the community and the school. Co-opted members will be invited to serve for 1 year.
6. The Head Teacher of St Brigid’s Primary has a right and a duty to attend all meetings of the Parent Council or to be represented.
7. The Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer of the Parent Council will be appointed by the Parent Council immediately following its formation. The Parent Council is free to pay for the service of a Clerk with funds provided by the Education Authority for that purpose and these funds shall be clearly shown in the accounts of the Parent Council. The Parent Council must be chaired by a parent of a child attending St Brigid’s Primary School. All Office Bearers will serve for 1 year, after which members may put themselves forward for re-selection, if there are un-filled vacancies.
8. The Parent Council is accountable to the Parent Forum of St Brigid’s Primary School and will report to the Forum at least once a year on its activities on behalf of all parents. If 25% of members of the Parent Forum request a Special General Meeting to discuss issues falling within the remit of the Parent Council, the Parent Council shall arrange this. The Parent Council shall give all members of the Parent Forum at least 2 week’s notice of the meeting and shall, at the same time, circulate notice of the matter, or matters, to be discussed at the meeting.
9. The Annual General Meeting of the Parent Council will be held in the Autumn Term of each school year. A notice of the meeting, including date, time and place will be sent to all members of the Parent Forum at least 2 weeks in advance. The meeting will include:
· A report on the work of the Parent Council and its sub-committees
· Selection of new parent members to fill any vacancies on the Parent Council
· Discussion of issues that the Parent Forum may wish to raise
· Approval of the accounts and appointment of an auditor
· Report from the Head Teacher
10. The Parent Council will meet at least once during each school term. Should a vote be necessary to make a decision, each parent member at the meeting will have 1 vote, with the Chair having a casting vote, in the event of a tie. Any 2 members of the Parent Council can request that an additional meeting be held and all members of the Parent Council will be given at least 1 week’s notice of the date, time and place of the meeting.
11. 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 the parent members agree. Termination of membership will be confirmed in writing to the member.
12. Copies of the minutes of all meetings of the Parent Council will be displayed on the school notice board and will be available on request from the school office. Availability of the minutes will be highlighted in the school newsletter and electronic communication encouraged.
13. Meetings of the Parent Council shall be open to the public unless the Parent Council is discussing an issue, which it considers should be dealt with on a confidential basis. In such circumstances, only members of the Parent Council and the Head Teacher, or his or her representative, can attend.
14. The Treasurer will keep an accurate record of all income and expenditure and will provide a summary at each Parent Council meeting and a full account at the AGM. Withdrawals will require the signature of 2 office bearers of the Parent Council. The accounts will be audited annually prior to the AGM. The Parent Council will be responsible for ensuring that all funds are used to support the objectives of the Parent Council.
15. The Parent Council may change its constitution after obtaining consent from the members of the Parent Forum. Members of the Parent Forum will be sent a copy of any proposed amendment and shall be given reasonable time to respond to the proposal.
16. Should the Parent Council cease to exist, any remaining funds will be used for the benefit of St Brigid’s Primary School.
Glossary of terms:
Parent – The term parent includes guardian and any person who has responsibility in relation to, or has the care of, a pupil attending the School.
Parent Council – The Parent Council is a group of parents/carers established to represent all the parents/carers of children at the school.
Parent Forum - The Parent Forum is made up of all parents/carers who have a child or young person at St Brigid’s Primary.