Schools parents and parental responsibility

In June 2000, the DfES issued guidance to schools called 'Schools, "Parents" and "Parental Responsibility"’.

This guidance makes it clear that everyone who is a parent is entitled to participate in decisions about a child’s education, and explains the rights they have. A parent is defined as:

• all natural parents, whether married or not
• any person who, although not a natural parent, has parental responsibility for a child or a young person
• any person who, although not a natural parent, has care of a child or young person

Separation and divorce do not affect parents’ rights or parental responsibility. They are lost, or partially lost, only if the child is adopted by someone else, or a court order exists that restricts a parent's access to a child.

As far as schools are concerned, all parents, as defined above (and this can mean several people), are entitled to:

• receive information from the school (eg copies of the governors’ annual report, pupil reports and attendance records)
• participate in activities (eg vote in elections for parent governors)
• be asked to give consent (eg to the child taking part in extra-curricular activities)
• be told about meetings involving the child (eg a governors’ meeting on the child’s exclusion, pupil reports)

There has to be a legal reason why schools should not provide the information. If a parent is entitled to the information by law, the school has to provide it.

Parents should address any queries about entitlement to receive information from schools with the headteacher.