Parental Involvement and Engagement Census
Information on the upcoming census asking parents and carers about the involvement and engagement they have with their children's school.
Research shows that when parents and carers are involved in and engage with their children's learning, and when children and young people live in a supportive home learning environment, it improves children and young people's attainment and achievement.
Parental involvement ensures that parents can help to shape the ethos, activity and priorities for the school in partnership with school leaders. Parental engagement is building, supporting and improving parents’ and families’ interaction with their child’s learning and the positive impact that it can have. Family learning encourages family members to learn together, fostering positive attitudes to lifelong learning.
The Scottish Government wants to improve and increase the ways in which parents, carers and families can work with teachers and partners to support their children and young people. We also want to increase the voice of parents and carers in leading improvements within schools.
To achieve this ambition the Scottish Government, in partnership with local government, developed the "Learning Together" National Action Plan on Parental Involvement, Parental engagement, Family learning and Learning at home. The plan has a number of actions and goals designed to improve the support and information available to all parents.
In order to ensure that the Scottish Government and local authorities are meeting the commitments made in the National Action Plan it is important that we gather the opinions and feedback of parents to evaluate the progress we are making.
The parental Involvement and engagement census will help us with this evaluation, providing the information that both national and local government need to assess the progress of the work currently being undertaken and to identify areas for further improvement based on the direct feedback of parents.
Responses to the PIE Census questions will remain confidential to protect all parents/carers, and access to any data will be severely restricted to those on a strict need to know basis. Any additional information that would directly identify a parent/carer, are kept separate from the data generated by the responses given in the Census.
Schools will not have access to individual level parent/carer data that would identify parents. Where possible, they will see school level results based on grouping together parent/carer responses. For example, an analysis provided to schools may show that 85% of parents/carers within a school reported feeling satisfied with their child’s school, but the school would never know how each individual parent/carer responded to this question.
All local authorities undertaking the Census have undertaken rigorous Data Protection Impact Assessments in line with current legislation. This is to ensure there is a clear strategy for lawfully processing any personal data.
Ideally, parents will use the opportunity provided by the census to provide direct feedback which will help to shape local planning and decision making as well as shaping national priorities and evaluation.
We hope that this census will reach parents from all backgrounds helping us to ensure that parents form all groups and backgrounds are receiving the support that they need to be actively involved and engaged in their children’s education and to identify any groups of parents who may need additional support.
Where can I get more information, or who can I contact to further discuss the Census?
For further information please communicate with Stacey-Ann Lindsay, Curriculum Development, Parental Engagement & Pupil Participation Team, Scottish Government on 0131 244 2977 or e-mail Stacey-ann.Lindsay@gov.scot
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