At St John’s C of E Academy, we are committed to working closely with parents and carers. We value the partnership which exists between school, parents and the community and the part it plays in achieving our mission and school improvement. We want to hear the views of parents and carers, and involve them as much as possible in the life and work of the school.

Reflecting our values of Teamwork and Stewardship, St John’s established a Parent Council in 2018, in order to build even stronger relationships across our school community.

What is a Parent Council?

· A Parent Council is a representative group of parents, chosen by the parents of children in each class. It provides opportunity for parent views to be shared with the Head Teacher and the governing body of the school and input into the school improvement process. This strengthens the voice of parents, and enabling more parents to express their opinions and influence decisions.

· The specific role of the Parent Council is to be a consultative and advisory forum. It is distinct from the Parents Association (with its focus on fundraising for the school) and the Board of Governors (which provides the strategic leadership and decision-making for the school).

What does our St John’s Parent Council do?

• Provides a clear channel for the collective views of parents to be identified and represented to the governing body and school leadership
• Develops and reviews activities that enable parents to get involved in the life of the school, including supporting learning activities inside and outside of school hours
• Supports communication between school and parents—reaching out to all parents/carers of the school and promote a welcoming, inclusive school community

What kinds of things has the Parent Council achieved so far?

We have responded to feedback and ideas from parents and carers of the St John’s children, and developed several annual events and projects, such as

• The annual Parent Forum to engage and hear from parents and carers on issues related to the school
• Careers Day, an annual opportunity for Years 5 and 6 children to hear in person from various professionals in a range of careers, and ask them questions
• Thank a Teacher Day

We’ve also provided organisational support for several school activities, such as the annual Wellbeing Day and related fun activities throughout the year, including the twice-weekly Wellbeing craft clubs, Mellow Mondays and Feelgood Fridays, and Values Day, when the St John’s values are celebrated and explored.

The Parent Council is always on the lookout for ways to help St Johns – children, staff and the parent and carer community – to shine. We work hard to embody the values of the school, and build a strong communication network so that everyone is included, and everyone can fulfil their potential.

How can I get involved?

Every year group has a parent representative, who aims to serve on the council for two years. We meet once every half term to discuss events and projects, but the main work happens within the school community: when there’s an activity to support, members of the council ask for input and support from parents and carers across all the year groups. It’s your skills, creativity and enthusiasm that make the difference! Each year group has a parent/carer WhatsApp group, where a lot of information is shared, as well as in person at the school-gate.

Meet the Parent Council Members