Memorandum submitted by the National Confederation
of Parent Teacher Associations
1. THE NATIONAL
CONFEDERATION OF
PARENT TEACHER
ASSOCIATIONS
1.1 The NCPTA is a registered charity that
advances education by promoting partnerships between home and
school through support for Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs).
The organisation represents approximately 7 million parents and
teachers, with more than 13,000 individual PTAs currently in membership
across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.[1]
1.2 The NCPTA celebrates its 50th anniversary
in 2006, having grown out of informal networks of PTAs in the
mid 1950s.
1.3 Services offered to members by the NCPTA
include a national advice line for members, local support through
a team of six regional advisers, information and guidance on a
range of relevant issues (including Gift Aid, child protection
and criminal record checks, health and safety, event licensing
and the use of inflatables at events), special rates with the
Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) Bank (negotiated by the NCPTA on
behalf of members), a model constitution developed in partnership
with the Charity Commission providing a fast track to charity
registration and a web builder product providing members with
an off-the-shelf tailored package making it easy for PTAs to have
a web presence that can be accessed by all parents at the school.
1.4 The NCPTA continues to develop its role
in representing the views of parents both in the media and the
education policy arena. This is a role increasingly demanded by
members[2]
and by the media and education policy sectors: the NCPTA is one
of very few organisations that represents such a large group of
parents and is not limited to a single issue area.
1.5 Membership of the NCPTA provides PTAs
and other home-school alliances with subscription linked insurance.
This policy has been negotiated by the NCPTA on behalf of its
members (and the Scottish Parent Teacher Council) over several
years, is price competitive and specified based on typical PTA
activities. This comprehensive package includes £10 million
public liability, £10 million employer's liability, personal
accident cover and a fidelity guarantee.
2. PARENT TEACHER
ASSOCIATIONS (PTAS)
2.1 Home-school alliances are typically
called Parent Teacher Associations but also include Parents Associations
and Friends Groups, allowing the involvement of a wider group
of supporters including grandparents and other relatives.
2.2 Currently the total number of PTAs in
existence across England, Wales and Northern Ireland is not known.
Neither the Department for Education and Skills nationally nor
Local Authorities (Local Education Authorities) locally survey
schools to obtain this information. Commentators state that most
schools will have a PTA. The NCPTA currently has just over 13,000
associations in membership. There is knowledge of an additional
6,500 PTAs, making a total of 19,500 known PTAs or 71% of all
primary schools, secondary schools and sixth forms within England,
Wales and Northern Ireland having a PTA. The NCPTA is currently
conducting a full survey of all remaining schools to find out
if they have a PTA or if there is interest in establishing an
association.
2.3 Anecdotally, the NCPTA is aware that
PTAs ebb and flow. The crucial factors are support from teachers
and having a highly motivated group of parents. When the children
of the latter leave a school and with them their parents, some
PTAs falter and only really get going again when the next group
of highly motivated parents join the school with their children.
Complete coverage at any one time is therefore unrealistic but
is achievable over a period of time.
2.4 PTA involvement also decreases as children
get older. Most activity is therefore focused at primary school
level. The NCPTA is developing specific support for secondary
school PTAs to try and address this disparity.
2.5 Again anecdotally, the NCPTA is aware
that the vast majority of PTAs focus their activities on fundraising
for the school. Typically this works well. The school provides
a "wish list" to the PTA, giving a guide to the amount
of funds required although there is no requirement on the PTA
to spend funds raised as suggested by the school.
2.6 The total contribution made by the NCPTA's
13,000 members to the education budgets of England, Wales and
Northern Ireland during the last academic year (2003-04) was approximately
£73 million.[3]
Typically a PTA raises about £5,600 per annum irrespective
of the size of the pupil roll and therefore the parent body. 15%
of the NCPTA's members have reported raising in excess of £10,000
per annum; again this is not correlated to the number of pupils
nor the size of the parent body.
2.7 Some PTAs do support other forms of
activity other than fundraising. The NCPTA has captured best practice
information of PTAs which run after-school clubs or help deliver
family learning opportunities in school to provide parents with
information of the National Curriculum and how to better support
their children's learning. The extent of additional forms of PTA
activity is yet to be surveyed but anecdotally is believed to
be limited.
3. THE IMPACT
OF PARENTAL
INVOLVEMENT
3.1 The NCPTA's vision is one of effective
partnership between parents and teachers. It believes that this
provides a substantial opportunity to advance education. Broadly
speaking the activities of the home-school partnership are grouped
under the term "parental involvement". (Although as
is acknowledged by Professor Charles Desforges,[4]
parental involvement goes further than just participation in school
events and/or the work of the school and includes good parenting
in the home, intellectual stimulation, parent-child discussion,
good models of constructive social and educational values and
high aspirations relating to personal fulfilment and good citizenship.)
3.2 The peer review conducted by Desforges,
concluded ". . . that parental involvement has a significant
effect on children's achievement . . . Differences in parental
involvement have a much bigger impact on achievement than differences
associated with the effects of school in the primary age range.
Parental involvement continues to have a significant effect through
the age range although the impact for older children becomes more
evident in staying on rates and education aspirations than as
measured achievement".[5]
Desforges acknowledges that is the "at-home" relationship
and modelling of aspirations which play the major part in impact
on school outcomes.[6]
This does not mean that the home-school partnership has no role
to play. Rather its effect is secondary. However, it should be
acknowledged that the home-school relationship can have a positive
influence on what is achieved at home, for example by directing
support for homework.
3.3. Desforges highlights that research
into spontaneous parental involvement best illustrates the positive
impact on children's educational progress. This is not to say
that attempts to intervene to enhance parental involvement are
not successful, but that research into specific programmes has
generically failed to describe the scale of the impacts on pupils'
achievement and adjustment on the basis of the evidence available.[7]
This is most troubling when research has also revealed large differences
between parents in their level of involvement[8]
and that involvement is strongly influenced by the child's attainment:
the greater the attainment, the greater the degree of involvement.[9]
Failure to address this disparity by successfully intervening
to enhance parental involvement would seem to imply that differences
in levels of attainment will only continue if not get worse.
3.4. Desforges highlights that spontaneous
parental involvement includes:
— contacting the child's teacher to
learn about the school's rules and procedures, the curriculum,
homework assessment and the like;
— visits to school to discuss issues
and concerns as these arise;
— participation in school events such
as fetes;
— working in the school in support
of teachers (for example in preparing lesson materials, supervising
sports activities) and otherwise promoting the school community;
and
— taking part in school management
and governance.
3.5. It is clear that whilst PTA activity
is part of the model of parental involvement, this goes significantly
further than fundraising initiated and supported by parents for
the benefit of the school.
4. INTERVENTION
TO ENHANCE
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
4.1. Based on the US experience[10]
of intervention to enhance parental involvement, several principles
are commended as a guide to action:
— collaboration should be pro-active
rather than reactive;
— the engagement of all parents should
be worked for;
— collaboration involves sensitivity
to the wide ranging circumstances of all families; and
— Collaboration recognises and values
the contributions parents have to make to the educational process
Planning for intervention should build on:
— A comprehensive needs analysis;
— The establishment of mutual priorities;
— Whole school evaluation of resources
and necessary organisational adjustments; and
— A public awareness process to help
parents and teachers understand and commit to the strategic plan.
The fundamental management issues remain simple.
They are:
— Promoting parental involvement is
a whole school/community issues;
— It must be worked for in a multi-dimensional
programme; and
— It will bring an achievement bonus
only if the intervention is followed through in the school's development
plan for enhanced achievement goals.
4.2. The NCPTA has developed it own fund
to support the development of parental involvement best practice.
Initially awarded in 2004, the first tranche of five projects
are now complete and the results are being analysed. The NCPTA
will launch a further programme of awards and rewards in early
2006 to both recognise existing best practice in parental involvement,
collate and disseminate this more widely and provide funding for
a further five projects.
4.3. Local Authorities (Local Education
Authorities) are increasingly developing their own programmes
to support parental involvement. Examples include, Newcastle City
Council which published its own guide to developing school parent
partnerships for primary schools in April 2005.[11]
This details the results of research carried out by LEA officers
in conjunction with schools in Newcastle LEA and provides best
practice information for use by other schools in the area. Hampshire
County Council currently has its proposed strategy for supporting
parents out for consultation.[12]
This details priority action areas to increase parental involvement.
4.4. The Scottish Executive has also recently
published the results of its research into parents' views on improving
parental involvement in children's education.[13]
Whilst this research is conducted outside of the geographical
remit of the NCPTA it is noted because parental views are likely
to be typical of those held with England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Also this is the most recent significant piece of research conducted
with parents on the subject of their involvement in their children's
education. This puts forward a number of recommendations to increase
parental involvement including:
— information and support is required
to overcome some existing mindsets, to convince parents of the
significance of their role;
— any promotional campaign should note
that parents are more likely to participate if they perceive a
direct positive impact on their own child;
— there is scope for improving channels
of communication: many that are used with success at pre-school
and primary could be developed at later states for the education
system;
— attention should be paid to the style
and tone of language in all types of communication to parents
to capture their attention in a positive and motivating way;
— there is a need for a more flexible
approach to communication by using different mediums. Communication
works best when it meets local expectations. Communication formats
could usefully be tailored to meet local circumstances; and
— parents would benefit from advice
and support that shows them different ways of getting involved.
5. FORMAL STRUCTURES:
THE FUTURE
OF PARENTAL
INVOLVEMENT AND
INCREASED ATTAINMENT
5.1. The current legal framework places
parents at the heart of school leadership, working with teaching
staff to drive-up standards as parent governors (and many foundation/aided
schools also have parents in non-parent governor roles). As has
already been demonstrated the majority of schools within England,
Wales and Northern Ireland also have some form of home-school
alliance or Parent Teacher Association, (although there remains
no legal framework supporting the development of such home-school
partnerships).
5.2. However, it is clear that the Government's
latest education White Paper seeks to create a school system shaped
by parents. The aspiration is for all schools to have the freedom
to shape their own destiny in the interest of parents and children,
for good schools to be able to expand or take over other schools
to spread their influence and benefit more parents and for parents
to have an easy route to be able to generate change.[14]
Parents will be:
— given the right to form Parent Councils
to influence school decisions on issues such as school meals,
uniform and discipline (such Councils will be required in Trust
schools);
— able to demand new schools and new
provision, backed by a dedicated system of capital funding; and
— given better local complaints procedures
and access to a new national complaints service from Ofsted where
local procedures have been exhausted (including establishing a
new right for parents to complain to Ofsted where they have concerns
which the school is failing to address).
5.3. The NCPTA is concerned about the balance
of what is being proposed in the White Paper and feels it goes
too far towards an ethos of parental power as opposed to a vision
of parents and teachers working in effective partnership to achieve
an increase in attainment. The term "parental power"
has been used extensively by the Secretary of State for Education
and Skills and is implied within the text of the White Paper ("We
must . . . put parents at the centre of our thinking giving them
greater choice and active engagement in their child's learning
and how schools are run[15]
. . . . This will be a system driven by parents doing their best
for their children"[16]).
Parent power and parental involvement are not synonymous. It has
not been proven that any increase in the authority of parents
over the education system will result in an increase in the effectiveness
of the partnership between parents and teachers and hence an increase
in attainment. Nor is there any proven link between parental authority
over the education system and the expansion of parental involvement
(specifically a wider range of parents becoming directly involved
in their children's education).
5.4. There are a range of provisions within
the White Paper which are evidently aimed at increasing the numbers
of parents directly involved in their children's education and
the extent of this involvement. These include welcoming parents
who may find it difficult to be involved, the right for parents
to have regular and high quality information about what their
child is learning, the provision of a single point of contact
for parents within school, the use of ICT to provide parents with
quick and easy access to information and the provision of materials
for parents to use at home to support their child's learning and
study skills. Whilst these are all welcomed, the NCPTA questions
the degree to which they will be effective without formal compulsion
on schools and/or specific funding for each proposal. The NCPTA
therefore doubts that this will deliver the hoped for increase
in parental involvement.
5.5. These concerns aside, the NCPTA also
doubts that even if fully funded and implemented, these suggestions
would deliver the multi-dimensional approach that research into
parental involvement has highlighted is required.[17]
A comprehensive initiative to enhance parental involvement would
have to expect to provide services to ameliorate the following
problems facing some parents:
— the effects of extreme poverty;
— the effects of substance abuse and
of domestic violence;
— the effects of psychosocial illness,
notably depression;
— the impact of a difficult child;
— the effect of barriers set up by
schools;
— the inappropriate values and beliefs
underlying a fatalistic view of education; and
— parental lack of confidence in or
knowledge about how to be appropriately involved.
5.6. The failure to address the needs of
those parents currently outside of the education system is probably
best demonstrated by recommendations for school discipline. Whilst
the NCPTA is sensitive to the sometimes overwhelming effect the
bad behaviour of a limited number of pupils can have on the education
of a whole class or cohort, we feel plans to extend the use of
parenting orders and fines may exacerbate underlying issues. Whilst
it is acknowledged parenting orders can be positive in some situations,
their use along with fines may actually further alienate some
parents from their children's education and therefore be wholly
counterproductive. Again, what is needed is a multi-dimensional
approach which responds to and addresses some of the issues preventing
parental involvement. Indeed, a multi-dimensional approach that
increases parental involvement may pre-empt some inappropriate
behaviour and hence the need for parenting orders and fines.
5.7. The educational system that may be
delivered by the White Paper is of great concern. The vision is
of a system driven by parents doing their best for their children.
However, research has already shown that parental involvement
is strongly influenced by the child's attainment: the greater
the attainment, the greater the degree of involvement.[18]
Therefore, will this simply give greater authority over the education
system to parents of those children already doing well and so
further isolate those alienated from the education system and
not active in support of their children's education? This is seen
as increasingly likely when the high level of skills and confidence
parents will require to take an active part in a Parents' Council,
or to be able to demand a new school or new provision are considered.
5.8. The view that the main provisions of
the White Paper will only reinforce existing barriers to participation
is supported by the research recently conducted by the Scottish
Executive.[19]
This found that there is clear scope for steps to be taken to
overcome the barriers to parental involvement. Parents would benefit
from advice and support that shows them different ways of getting
involved. Some families would appreciate help to overcome personal
obstacles and enable them to attend events, such as child care
or transportation and the availability of teachers outside standard
school times. Parents with limited time wish for more opportunities
for small or infrequent forms of support for the school itself.
There is also a need for reforms to parental representation, both
by working to overcome the current images of PTAs and School Boards,
broadening Board membership and offering alternative options for
parents to voice their opinions. Therefore, rather than focusing
on allowing those parents already actively involved in their child's
education to have a greater influence on the education system,
what is required is an innovative range of ways to engage parents
that currently have little or no involvement.
5.9. The NCPTA welcomes the specific suggestion
of Parents' Councils, but only where these are about better facilitating
the working relationship between parents and teachers for the
benefit of attainment. It is also noted that governing bodies
are only encouraged as opposed to required to establish Parents'
Councils. Whist Trust schools are required to set-up a Parents'
Council, this is only where the Trust appoints the majority of
the governors, undermining the role of parents as governors and
therefore as part of the school leadership team. Care would also
need to be taken in establishing and developing Parents' Councils
to ensure that they actively seek to engage as wide a range of
parents and parental views as is possible.
5.10. The NCPTA notes plans to launch a
national campaign, led by the Specialists Schools and Academies
Trust and including other key partners such as the Secondary Heads
Association and parents' organisations to develop further and
share schools' experience of the benefits of parental engagement.
Whilst the NCPTA welcomes this initiative, it is concerned that
no contact has been made with the NCPTA to secure its support
either before or after the campaign was announced. This dismays
the NCPTA, given it represents a large group of parents and is
publicly recognised as being unique in so doing. This is especially
the case when the contribution of PTAs is itself welcomed in the
White Paper. The NCPTA would also be concerned if the campaign
were likely to focus on demonstrating the benefits of parental
involvement which are already well substantiated[20]
as opposed to delivering the multi-dimensional approach recommended
by Desforges.[21]
5.11. The NCPTA would like to highlight
the following as key to achieving an increase in parental involvement:
— a clear understanding of what is
meant by parental involvement and how this differs from parental
power. The peer review conduct by Desforges is strongly recommended
for further reference;[22]
— the research already conducted into
parental involvement (as reviewed by Desforges) and its key findings
should be acknowledged and form the basis for the future development
of parental involvement initiatives;
— a comprehensive approach to enhancing
parental involvement is required to address the multidimensional
barriers preventing some parents from becoming involved in their
children's education. This would directly respond to research
conducted with parents,[23]
and should be supported by a formal requirement on schools and
specified funding. To further embed parental involvement into
the ethos of the education system, this should be included within
teacher training and continuing professional development;
— further research should focus on
the effective delivery of interventions to enhance parental involvement;
and
— innovation should be supported and
encouraged to develop parental involvement schemes that are successful
in engaging the most alienated of parents.
December 2005
1 The NCPTA has a sister organisation in Scotland
called the Scottish Parent Teacher Council. Back
2
A survey of NCPTA members conducted in May 2005 called on the
organisation to represent the views of parents and teachers on
a wide range of educational subjects (66% of those surveyed). Back
3
Based on the NCPTA's annual survey of members conducted in May
2005, representing a £5 million increase in the amount reported
as raised by members in 2002-03 or growth in excess of 7% and
therefore well above the rate of inflation. Back
4
The Impact of Parental Involvement, Parental Support and Family
Education on Pupil Achievement and Adjustment: A Literature Report
(DfES Research Report 433), 2003: Executive Summary. Back
5
Page 80, para 9.2.2. Back
6
Page 80, para 9.2.3. Back
7
The Impact of Parental Involvement, Parental Support and Family
Education on Pupil Achievement and Adjustment: A Literature Report
(DfES Research Report 433), 2003: Page 80, para 9.3.3. Back
8
Page 80, para 9.2.4. Back
9
Page 79, para 9.2.1. Back
10
Page 83, para 9.7.2-9.8. Back
11
Developing School/Parent Partnerships: Guidance and Information
for Primary Schools (Chris Constable with Jay Atwal). Back
12
Successful Outcomes for children through support for parents:
The Hampshire Strategy for Supporting Parents. Back
13
Parents' views on improving parental involvement in children's
education, Scottish Executive, Edinburgh 2005. Back
14
Higher Standards, Better Schools for All: More Choice for Parents
and Pupil: Department for Education and Skills, October 2005 para
2.2. Back
15
Forward by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills. Back
16
para 1.36. Back
17
The Impact of Parental Involvement, Parental Support and Family
Education on Pupil Achievement and Adjustment: A Literature Report
(DfES Research Report 433), 2003: page 82, para 9.5. Back
18
Page 79, para 9.2.1. Back
19
Parents' views on improving parental involvement in children's
education, Scottish Executive, Edinburgh 2005. Back
20
The Impact of Parental Involvement, Parental Support and Family
Education on Pupil Achievement and Adjustment: A Literature Report
(DfES Research Report 433), 2003: Page 80, para 9.2.2. Back
21
page 84, para 9.9-9.10.1. Back
22
The Impact of Parental Involvement, Parental Support and Family
Education on Pupil Achievement and Adjustment: A Literature Report
(DfES Research Report 433), 2003. Back
23
Parents' views on improving parental involvement in children's
education, Scottish Executive, Edinburgh 2005. Back
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