Connect

We’re working with Connect (formerly the Scottish Parent Teacher Council) to enhance partnerships with parents and support young people’s learning in Scotland’s schools.

The power of working together

Partnership Schools Scotland (PSS) is a way to form school, family and community partnerships to support young people’s wellbeing, progress and achievement in school. The project is supported by  Skills Development Scotland and delivered by Connect.

How does it work?

Supported by Connect, schools form an Action Team for Partnership (ATP) which combines families, school staff, pupils and members of the local community. The ATP work together on mutually agreed goals tailored to the needs of the school and based on existing priorities in the School Improvement Plan.

For example; organising events or activities that help parents to become more confident and able to support their children’s mathematics learning, exploring how parents and schools can better develop career education and awareness of the world of work or how to get everyone involved in improving the school’s outdoor learning space.

The Partnership Schools model was designed, developed and fine-tuned by a team based at Johns Hopkins University in the US over almost 30 years, who now run the National Network of Partnership Schools.

In Year 1, the project worked with 12 schools in three local authority areas: Angus, Edinburgh and Glasgow. SPTC worked closely with each school, parents, the local community and local authority to train and support the work of each team as they planned and took forward a programme of work focused on improving outcomes for pupils.

Why is SDS involved?

We recognise that good communication and strong relationships between families and schools underpins young people’s success in learning and raises their awareness of the range of options available when making informed choices about future learning and career pathways. SDS is supporting this work as part of our commitment to furthering this aim.