The power of parent partnerships in Scottish schools: A deep dive into Education Scotland’s frameworks.
- Euan
- May 1
- 14 min read
This week, as part of our 'Framework Focus' we're delving into the various curriculum and inspection frameworks and accreditation guidelines. In each of our posts this week, we share with you the extent to which the organisations mention and discuss, in their literature, the role of parents and carers. And if considerable... we ask teachers and leaders to reflect on the extent to which they are following and adhering consistently and sustainably to the frameworks under which they operate.
In this edition, it's the turn of Education Scotland and the Scottish Government frameworks and standards. We consulted sixteen distinct documents and webpages published by Education Scotland and the Scottish Government prior to writing this piece. Scotland does continue to be a global leader is its commitment to documenting its intentions and plans for enhanced parent engagement in its schools.
Let's find out more.
Parents, carers and legal guardians play a critical role in Scottish education, not only in supporting their own children’s learning, but also in shaping how schools improve. Both Education Scotland (the national improvement agency and inspectorate) and the Scottish Government have developed policies and frameworks to ensure that parents’ voices are heard in school evaluation, planning and decision-making. Research and reviews have repeatedly shown that when parents are meaningfully involved, children do better and schools improve, a national review found that parental involvement in a child’s learning has positive outcomes for the child, their family and their school, and even helps to raise attainment. This article examines how key frameworks address the role of parents and carers, focusing on How Good Is Our School? (4th edition) (Education Scotland’s core self-evaluation framework for schools, known as HGIOS4), and linking it to the broader policy landscape including the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006, its guidance, the National Improvement Framework (NIF), the 2022 Strategic Framework for Parental Involvement, Parental Engagement, Family Learning and Learning at Home, Parentzone Scotland resources, and findings from the National Parent Forum of Scotland. Throughout, we highlight themes of how parents are involved in school improvement and decision-making; how “learning at home” and family learning are framed; the role of Parent Councils in representation; and how inspections and evaluations include parental involvement.
Let us explore each theme in turn.
Parents as partners in school improvement and decision-making.
Scottish education policy views parents and carers as essential partners in school improvement. This means that schools are expected to actively collaborate with the parent community when evaluating how the school is doing and planning for change. Education Scotland’s How Good Is Our School? (4th edition) (HGIOS4) framework embeds this principle: one of its key features of highly-effective practice is that “all staff, pupils, parents and partners are fully involved in improving the life and work of the school.” In practice, that entails including parents’ perspectives in self-evaluation activities (for example, through surveys, focus groups or Parent Council input) and ensuring their views inform the school’s priorities for improvement. HGIOS4 even notes that schools should have “very effective mechanisms to consult with stakeholders and can show how their views inform change and improvement”.
At a policy level, the Scottish Government’s National Improvement Framework (NIF) reinforces this collaborative approach. The NIF identifies “parental engagement” as one of the six key drivers of educational improvement, highlighting that involving parents and families is crucial to raising attainment and promoting equity. The government’s aim, as stated in the NIF, is “to improve and increase the ways in which parents, carers and families can engage with teachers and partners to support their children and increase the voice of parents and carers in leading improvements within schools.” In other words, parents should not be passive observers but active participants in school improvement processes. This could include parents contributing to the formation of the school’s improvement plan, helping to review school policies, or working jointly with staff on initiatives to enhance learning. Indeed, empowering parents in decision-making means involving them “from the beginning to the end of key decision making processes” in schools and ensuring ongoing two-way communication between home and school. Schools are encouraged to create a culture where such collaboration is the norm, not an exception.
In summary, current frameworks set the expectation that schools will treat parents and carers as partners in continuous improvement. When a school is answering the question “How good is our school and how can it improve?”, the answers should be informed by parents alongside staff and pupils. This partnership model is now a cornerstone of how Scottish schools plan improvements and make decisions, reflecting the understanding that families and educators share responsibility for children’s success.
Pause and Reflect: In what ways does your own school (or a school you know) involve parents or carers in shaping its improvement priorities and decisions, and what might be done to strengthen that involvement?
Framing “Learning at Home” and family learning in policy.
One of the strongest themes in Scotland’s approach to parental involvement is the emphasis on learning at home and family learning. These concepts recognise that much of a child’s learning happens beyond the school walls (in everyday interactions at home and in the community) and that supporting this is a vital part of education. The importance of learning at home is explicitly acknowledged in the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006, which places responsibilities on schools and local authorities to help parents support their children’s learning outside of school. The 2006 Act, which is still a key piece of legislation, frames parental involvement in three main ways: learning at home, home–school partnerships, and parental representation. “Learning at home” is listed first, highlighting the “vital role that parents and other carers play in children’s learning and development”.
Over time, policy thinking has further refined these ideas. The Scottish Government’s Learning Together national action plan (2018) and the more recent Strategic Framework for Parental Involvement, Parental Engagement, Family Learning and Learning at Home (2022) provide guidance on how to embed support for home and family-based learning. Notably, there is a nuanced distinction made between parental involvement and parental engagement: parental involvement often refers to participation in the life of the school (for example, volunteering at school or attending events), whereas parental engagement refers to parents actively engaging in their child’s learning itself. The 2022 Strategic Framework describes parental engagement as parents “actively and meaningfully engaging in their children’s learning” in various settings, and notes that it represents a greater commitment to the learning process than simply being involved in school activities. There is a continuum between the two, essentially a shift from focusing on the relationship between parents and schools to focusing on the relationship between parents and their children’s learning. The crucial message is that regardless of the setting, when parents support learning, it can make a positive difference.
Family learning is another key term in Scottish policy. Family learning refers to opportunities where children and adult family members learn together, building skills and fostering positive attitudes to learning in a multi-generational way. Education Scotland defines family learning as an approach that “encourages family members to learn together … with a focus on intergenerational learning”, often designed to help parents support their children’s education. A national Family Learning Framework (2018) and earlier review (2016) underpin this definition. In HGIOS4, Quality Indicator 2.5: Family Learning is dedicated to this area and its themes include “Engaging families in learning” and the “quality of family learning programmes”. The framework makes clear that the goal is “increasing the positive impact of working with families to improve learning and achievement”, with an emphasis on schools working in partnership with communities to support families. For example, a school might run family literacy workshops, parenting skill sessions, or invite families to participate in learning projects. In a highly effective school, such programmes are well-attended, co-designed with families, and show evidence of improving outcomes for both children and adult family members. Moreover, the Act’s emphasis on learning at home means schools should also value the everyday learning that happens through routines, play, cultural activities, and homework support, and provide guidance to parents on how to reinforce classroom learning at home.
By explicitly framing learning at home and family learning as integral parts of the education process, Scottish frameworks encourage educators to look beyond the classroom and consider how to empower parents in their role as “first and ongoing educators” of their children. This can include simple measures like sharing tips for home reading or numeracy games, as well as more structured family learning courses. The Parentzone Scotland website (Education Scotland’s site for parents) offers accessible resources in this vein, including ideas for learning activities at home and explanations of the curriculum in plain language. It underlines that as a parent or carer “you can make an enormous difference to your child’s chances of success … at school, at home, and throughout their life”. The clear message across all current policies is that supporting learning at home is not an optional extra, it is a core component of how schools improve attainment and how children thrive.
Pause and reflect: Think about the day-to-day learning that happens in a child’s home environment... how are local schools currently helping parents and families to build on those home experiences, and what new ideas or supports might further strengthen “learning at home” and family learning in your community?
Parent councils and parental representation in schools.
When it comes to formal structures for parent voice, Scotland’s system is anchored by the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006. This Act abolished the old school boards and introduced a more inclusive model: every parent with a child at a public school is automatically a member of that school’s Parent Forum, and the Parent Forum can elect a representative body known as the Parent Council. The legislation aimed to ensure that parents have a strong platform to express their views and shape their child’s school. It places duties on local authorities and schools to promote parental representation so that parents’ opinions are not just heard but taken into account “on matters affecting the education of their children.” In short, Parent Councils were established to give parents a collective voice in how schools operate and improve.
Under the Act and its accompanying guidance, a Parent Council’s role is intentionally broad. A key function is to “support parental involvement in the work and life of the school” and to help all parents be as involved as possible. At the same time, the Parent Council should represent the views of the wider parent body (the Parent Forum) on any issue of concern. This could range from academic matters, school policies and improvement planning, to school ethos, uniform or facilities. Importantly, Parent Councils are meant to work in partnership with the school’s leadership. For example, a headteacher might consult the Parent Council on the draft School Improvement Plan each year or involve them in developing new policies. In many schools, Parent Councils also participate in the recruitment process for senior staff (such as headteachers), sit on committees about school budgets, or coordinate volunteer efforts and community events. The Parentzone Scotland resource describes Parent Councils as having “an important role to play in ensuring that children’s education is enriched by parents’ valuable life experience, individual personal skills and unique knowledge of their own child.” This statement highlights that parents bring perspectives and skills that complement those of educators, ultimately benefiting the school community.
Beyond individual schools, parental representation extends to local authority and national levels. Many local authorities have a parent representative forum or strategy group (sometimes called a Parents’ Parliament or similar) that brings together Parent Council members from different schools. Nationally, the National Parent Forum of Scotland (NPFS) was set up in 2009 to enable Parent Councils to discuss and raise issues at the Scottish education policy level. NPFS works closely with government and Education Scotland, ensuring that parents’ perspectives inform national decisions (for instance, NPFS has been involved in consultations on curriculum reforms and conducted the independent review of the 2006 Act’s impact). The NPFS’s Review of the impact of the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006 (2017) found that while the Act had succeeded in creating the Parent Forum/Council structure and there were many examples of strong practice, there were still inconsistencies in how well Parent Councils operated across the country. Many parents were not fully aware of the Act or their entitlements, and the review recommended steps to strengthen how Parent Councils function. For example, it called for more training for Parent Council members and clearer guidance to help these councils understand their role. It also suggested exploring additional or alternative ways to include the voices of parents who might not engage with a formal council (recognising that traditional committee meetings don’t suit everyone). These recommendations have influenced subsequent policy. For instance, the 2018 Learning Together Action Plan and the 2022 Strategic Framework both stress building the capacity of Parent Councils and also finding flexible approaches to reach a wider range of parents.
Today, nearly two decades since the Act, Parent Councils are a fixture in almost every school, and they continue to evolve. Education Scotland provides support through publications and the Parentzone website (which links to the official Guidance on the 2006 Act for local authorities, schools and councils). A good Parent Council will work hand-in-hand with the headteacher and act as a conduit between school and families. However, the effectiveness of Parent Councils can vary. Some are highly active and influential in their schools, while others struggle to engage beyond a small core of volunteers. The goal of current policy is to help all Parent Councils become more effective, inclusive, and representative. This might include measures such as ensuring meeting times and formats are accessible, using digital tools to gather wider parent views, or linking Parent Council activities with school improvement targets so that the partnership has real impact. Ultimately, the Parent Council is one important mechanism (though not the only one) by which parental voice is formally included in school governance and improvement.
Pause and reflect: How well do Parent Councils (or similar parent groups) represent the voice of all parents in a school, and what innovative approaches could be used to include those parents who don’t normally engage with the Parent Council?
Including parents in school inspections and evaluations.
School inspections in Scotland, carried out by HM Inspectors from Education Scotland, are another arena where the role of parents and carers is explicitly addressed. Modern inspection frameworks are designed not just to scrutinise a school’s performance, but also to consider the views of stakeholders, including parents, as part of the evidence. Education Scotland works “in partnership with stakeholders in designing quality frameworks” for inspection, which ensures that aspects of parental involvement, engagement, and family learning are built into the very criteria by which schools are evaluated. For example, within the HGIOS4 quality indicators that inspectors use, there are specific references to parents. Quality Indicator 2.7: Partnerships looks at how a school works with its partners (which include parents, community groups, other agencies) and the impact of these partnerships on learners. One theme of QI 2.7 is the “Impact on learners” , under which inspectors will consider how effectively the school’s partnership with parents is supporting student outcomes. Likewise, Quality Indicator 2.5: Family Learning can be used by inspectors (it is often a “choice” QI in school inspections) to evaluate the “quality of family learning programmes” and how well the school is engaging families in learning. In practice, this means an inspection team will look at things like: Does the school offer initiatives to help parents support learning? How many parents participate? What do parents say about the school’s communication and partnership efforts? Are there improvements in pupils’ engagement or achievement linked to family learning? The school’s own self-evaluation in these areas, often drawn from HGIOS4, should provide evidence, and parents’ input is a part of that self-evaluation.
The inspection process directly gathers parents’ views as well. Before an inspection, Education Scotland distributes online questionnaires to parents (as well as to pupils, staff and community partners). These pre-inspection surveys invite parents to share their opinions on various aspects of the school. For instance, the quality of teaching, how well the school communicates with them, how it deals with concerns, and how much it encourages and enables parental involvement. There is also an open comment section for any aspect a parent wishes to highlight. Inspectors analyse the questionnaire results to identify strengths or concerns. During the inspection week, parents are given opportunities to speak with inspectors: typically, a meeting is arranged between the inspection team and a group of parents (often facilitated via the Parent Council or a random selection of volunteer parents). In that meeting, parents can elaborate on their experiences and contribute candid views. All these inputs, survey data and meeting discussions, feed into the inspectors’ overall evaluation of the school. The inspection team explicitly considers how well the school engages parents and the community. As the 2022 Strategic Framework notes, “HM Inspectors evaluate engagement with parents, and … how partnerships are impacting on the engagement of parents in their children’s learning.” In other words, a school that excels in involving parents will have that recognised in its inspection report (often under leadership or partnership sections), whereas a school that neglects this aspect may be advised on it as an area for improvement.
From the policy perspective, including parents in inspections serves two purposes: it validates the importance of the parent perspective, and it provides an external check on whether schools are truly implementing the parental involvement and engagement strategies that national policy expects. The published inspection reports usually mention something about the school’s relationship with parents. For example, a report might commend the school for its strong partnerships with families or note high levels of satisfaction from parents. Conversely, if parents indicated issues, for example, they don’t feel well-informed, or they want more say in decisions, the report will likely reflect that under points for action. Inspection therefore acts as both a mirror and a motivator for schools regarding parental involvement.
It’s worth noting that Education Scotland also conducts thematic inspections and publishes guidance on family engagement. Over the years, the inspection process itself has evolved to be more inclusive. Gone are the days of inspectors swooping in with little stakeholder input; now parental and pupil voice are standard parts of the evidence. Even in joint inspections (for example, combined inspections by Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate for early years settings), there are specific measures to gauge parent/carer engagement. This reflects a system-wide commitment that parents and carers are not on the sidelines of education but are central to the conversation about quality and improvement.
When Scottish schools are inspected or evaluated, parents have a seat at the table. Their feedback can highlight successes (such as effective communication or welcoming school climate) or flag concerns, and this in turn can influence the school’s improvement journey post-inspection. Education Scotland and the Scottish Government view this inclusion as vital: it keeps schools attentive to parents’ needs and perspectives, and it reinforces the idea that achieving the best outcomes for learners is a shared endeavour between schools and families.
Pause and reflect: Consider the ways in which parent and carer feedback is currently gathered and acted upon during school inspections or evaluations... do you feel these methods give a true and full picture of parent opinions, and how might schools and inspectors further improve the process of listening to every parent’s voice?
The role of parents, carers, and guardians in Scotland's school improvement frameworks is integral. From contributing to self-evaluations and school decision-making to supporting learning at home and participating in inspections, their involvement helps shape educational quality and outcomes. The frameworks—led by Education Scotland’s How Good Is Our School? and supported by key policies like the Parental Involvement Act (2006) and the National Improvement Framework—are built on the principle that schools and families are partners in the educational journey. As we move forward, strengthening these partnerships will be essential to improving learning experiences and ensuring that all children, regardless of background, have the support they need to succeed.
Invitation to reflect.
At &Parents, we invite you to pause and reflect honestly: how deeply are you living the standards regarding parents your frameworks demand? Are parents real partners in your school, or are they engaged particularly when it comes to the inspection parental surveys going out? Sustainability means going beyond compliance. It means building engagement into the everyday culture of your school.
This isn’t about self-criticism. It’s about strengthening what already exists. Reflection gives you the chance to notice what’s working, face where gaps remain, and take ownership of the next steps.
Act on your reflection. Map where you meet expectations and where you don't. Share it openly with your team. Set one small, specific action that moves parent partnership from paper into daily practice. Compliance is the minimum. True parent-school collaboration is the goal.
Changes to your school's practice can cement enhanced student academic and holistic outcomes, increase student and staff retention, and overall school improvement.
At &Parents, we help schools move beyond words. Through consultancy, workshops, coaching and audits, we work with you to embed strong, sustainable parent partnerships into everyday practice. If you're ready to turn reflection into action, we’re ready to support you.
** Note: &Parents has no affiliation to Education Scotland or the Scottish Government and this piece is completely independent of any organisation. This article has not been commissioned by the Education Scotland, the Scottish Government, or any other organisation. All rights to any standards, and documents mentioned in this piece belong to Education Scotland and the Scottish Government.
Sources (expandable list)
Education Scotland. (2015). How Good Is Our School? (4th edition). Education Scotland.
Scottish Government. (2006). Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006.
National Parent Forum of Scotland. (2017). Review of the Impact of the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006.
Scottish Government. (2012). National Parenting Strategy: Making a Positive Difference to Children, Young People and Families.
Education Scotland. (2022). Strategic Framework for Parental Involvement, Parental Engagement, Family Learning and Learning at Home.
Education Scotland. (n.d.). Parentzone Scotland. Available at: https://education.gov.scot/parentzone/
Education Scotland. (2025). Achieving Excellence and Equity: 2025 National Improvement Framework Improvement Plan.
Scottish Government. (2015). National Improvement Framework for Scottish Education.
Education Scotland. (2023). Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC). Available at: https://www.gov.scot/policies/children-and-families/girfec/
Education Scotland. (2023). How Good Is Our School? (HGIOS4). Available at: https://education.gov.scot/resources/h/gios4