Parent Matters
Parent Responsibilities and Home-school Agreements
“Parent” is defined in section 576 of the Education Act 1996. The definition includes:
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all natural parents including those who are not married
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any person who has parental responsibility but is not a natural parent
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any person who has care of a child
All such persons have entitlements under education law and have the right to be involved in major decisions affecting their child’s education. The rights of parenthood do not cease if the parents separate or divorce unless the child is adopted.
Parents of a child of compulsory school age must ensure that he/she receives efficient full-time education and parents whose child is on a school register have a duty to ensure that their child attends regularly.
Responsibilities of parents / carers and home-school agreements
The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 set out that: “All maintained schools, city technology colleges and city colleges for the technology of the arts adopt a home-school agreement and associated parental declaration”. SCE schools also adopt home-school agreements with parents.
Home-school agreements are reviewed from time to time by the School Governance Committee in consultation with parents. On the admission of a child to school, parents of all children of compulsory school age are invited to sign the home-school agreement to confirm that they understand and accept the contents of the agreement. There is, however, no obligation to sign the agreement and the child’s admission will not be refused if parents are unwilling to sign it.
A home-school agreement is a statement explaining:
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the school's aims and values
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the school's responsibilities towards its pupils who are of compulsory school age
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the responsibilities of the pupil's parents
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what the school expects of its pupils
Updated: 5/06/07
