The Parent Council at North Berwick High School consists of a group of parents who represent the voice of the Parent Forum. The Parent Forum consists of the parents and carers of every pupil in the school. We offer a point of contact, providing a platform for the discussion of general issues raised by parents with regard to the school and pupils’ education.
As well as representing parents, the Parent Council works closely with the school’s Senior Management Team to support the aims of the school. We identify issues where we might be able to add value and help out, and we work together to take these forwards. Often, the Parent Council carries out its work through subgroups, which inevitably vary from year to year according to the school’s needs. Our sub-groups consist of both parent members and staff and we work together, hopefully helping to improve many diverse aspects of pupils’ life in our school. At present, we are focusing on Recognising Success; Indoor Sports Facilities; Communications; Parental Support of Trips and Curriculum Development, which is looking at the national changes to the education framework that are ever evolving.
One of our major success stories from recent years includes the Parent Council – initiated Careers Fair, offering information about options for pupils once they leave school. These evenings are well attended by pupils and was supported greatly by the wider parent forum.
We are fortunate in that all of our meetings are well attended by our Head Teacher, Mrs Michelle Moore, our Depute Head Teachers, various staff members and senior pupils, as well as our local councillors. At many of our meetings we invite a speaker, often a member of the school staff, to explain more about a particular initiative or subject area or even external speakers like the North Berwick Youth Project leaders.
The Parent Council meets six times per academic year with an AGM in September, when Parent Council members are elected by the Parent Forum. Dates and minutes of meetings are posted on the school website: just click on ‘Parents’ on the Home page and then ‘Parent Council’ to find all the information. You do not have to be a member of the Parent Council to attend our meetings: we welcome all parents who wish to be involved. We are a diverse group of people with varying skills and ideas which, hopefully, bring a benefit to the school.
We are trying hard to improve the way we communicate with the wider Parent Forum and are now regularly updating our Facebook page ‘North Berwick High School Parent Council’ with relevant information and links as information comes to us.
As well as encouraging your involvement, it’s important to emphasise that we are a point of contact for parents. If you have any general issues or concerns that you wish to raise, please do contact us on our dedicated direct email account: parent.council.nbhs@gmail.com
Chair