Taylor (1977)

Notes on the text
Preliminary pages Membership, Preface, Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Present arrangements for school government
Chapter 3 A new approach to school government
Chapter 4 Membership of the new governing bodies
Chapter 5 Communication and cooperation
Chapter 6 Curriculum
Chapter 7 Finance
Chapter 8 Appointments
Chapter 9 Other functions
Chapter 10 Training the new governors
Chapter 11 Procedural arrangements
Chapter 12 The government of voluntary schools
Chapter 13 Recommendations and implementation
Summary of recommendations

Notes of extension and dissent, minority report

Appendix A Evidence
Appendix B History of school managers and governors
Appendix C Visits
Appendix D Education Act 1944: selected extracts
Appendix E Administrative Memorandum No 25 (1945)
Appendix F Letter to parents
Appendix G Aims into practice

Index

Report of the Committee of Enquiry appointed jointly by the Secretary of State for Education and Science and the Secretary of State for Wales under the chairmanship of Mr Tom Taylor CBE

London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office 1977
© Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.

Appendix F Letter to parents
[pages 213 - 214]

The governing body's letter to parents: idea of the letter which governing bodies might send to parents at the time of their formal acceptance of a place at school

To the Parents of .....

We understand that your child will be coming to this school and as governors we welcome him and hope he will be happy and successful here. He will be in the care of teachers who will do their best to see that he enjoys school and learns well, and we hope that the school will in every way earn your confidence.

We also welcome YOU, his parents. Your support for your child and your interest in the school are vital to his education. Because the part played by parents is so important, the school will always try to involve you in its life and work. You will be invited regularly to meet your child's teachers to hear how he is getting on and perhaps how you can help him. But we hope you will feel that the school is a friendly place where you are welcome at any time, and that you will not wait to be asked to come if you have any worries or questions. A member of staff will always see you by reasonable arrangement. We promise in turn that the school will contact you promptly if any problem arises with your child. You will be fully informed about the school's aims and methods, its rules and the reasons for them. You will see among our names and addresses given below those of governors representing parents. It is your right as parents to be represented, and you may be asked at some time while your child is here to take part in elections for the governing body. The school also recognises parents' rights to form their own organisations and we welcome you to our PTA/Parents' Association/Friends of the School Association, which we encourage and support.

You will know that while your child is a pupil of the school it is your legal duty to see that he attends regularly and punctually; we hope that you will seek the help of the school if you have any difficulties in meeting this obligation. But this letter is not about legal matters: it is about the many ways in which schools and parents can work in willing partnership for the child's good. We have told you about the arrangements which the school makes to keep in close touch with you. You can best help your child if you take full advantage of these arrangements, joining in as often as possible in the consultations with teachers, meetings and activities for parents, and coming to discuss any problem which your advice and support may help the school to solve. You can help us by trying to make sure that any work set by the school is done and by supporting us in our efforts to encourage pleasant and considerate behaviour at school.

This is, in a very important sense, YOUR school, and your child's education is a responsibility we share with you. Please accept this letter of welcome as a promise that we will do our best to win your trust. No school is perfect, teachers are human and have a very difficult job. With parents' help and support they can do it a lot better. You will see that we enclose two copies of this letter. We thought you might like to keep one as a reminder of a big occasion in your child's life. Perhaps you will kindly return the other after filling in the slip confirming that you have accepted the place at the school. We shall then know that an important message has reached you, and we too shall have a reminder of what we hope to achieve, with your help, for your child.

Names and addresses of governors

I confirm that I have accepted a place for my child at .... School in September

Signature of Parent