A state run school has a duty to provide all persons with parental responsibility (PR) information relating to the child in respect of which they hold PR.
You have parental responsibility for a child if you are:
- Mother
- Father who was married at the time of birth or subsequently married the mother
- Father who has been granted a PR order by the court
- Father who is named on the birth certificate for a child registered after 1.12.03
- Father who has entered into a parental responsibility agreement with mother
- A step parent who has entered into a parental responsibility agreement with both natural parents
- A step parent who has been granted a PR order by the court
- A step parent who is a party to a joint residence order with one or other of the child’s natural parents
- A person who has adopted a child
However, if you have PR and are not the resident parent, the school will not know of your desire to be informed unless you inform them. It is therefore up to you to contact the school and make school aware of your requirement for information and at what level.
For instance, do you really want a copy of all letters home, or just reports? Do you want an offer of photographs outside that of the other parent, or can you share? Do you want to be invited to parent’s evenings separately from the other parent, or are you able to attend together? Do you need a separate invitation to school plays, or will the other parent happily inform you and attend with you?
Once you have considered the level of information you require, put it in writing to the class teacher and the year head. Enclose a bundle of stamped addressed envelopes to make clear you require the information by post (on the basis you are not emptying the school bag and therefore will not receive them other than by post).
Make yourself known to school by asking for a few minutes of the class teacher and or year head’s time to introduce yourself, explain the situation, and make very clear your desire to be involved in the home/school partnership. Do this every time your child moves class, which is usually each academic year.
If some time goes by and you have not received anything, contact the school. It may be that there has been a breakdown in communication internally, or that someone has forgotten that you require the information to be passed this way.
Overall, although the school has a duty to provide the information, it is up to you to obtain it, and some schools will require chasing for various reasons.
