The National Parent Forum of Scotland (NPFS) is delighted to announce that Margaret Wilson has been appointed as the new Chair of the Forum at the annual general meeting (AGM) on Saturday 19th September 2020.
Margaret has been the NPFS representative for the Falkirk Council area for the last 10 years, and has served as a Vice-Chair of the NPFS for the past 15 months. In her considerable time with the NPFS Margaret has represented parents’ at the Curriculum and Assessment Board, the First Minister’s Reading Challenge, the Education Leadership Forum, and workstreams on the Covid-19 Education Recovery Group.
Margaret has also made a considerable contribution in her role as Chair of the Falkirk Area Parent Forum. In recent months, Margaret hosted a successful online Q&A, posing parents’ questions about the return to school to Officers of Falkirk Council. Margaret was also instrumental in representing parents during critical budgetary changes within her Local Authority. This in turn encouraged other Local Authorities to ensure that the views and experiences of children, young people, and their families are at the forefront of their minds when making policy and budgetary decisions. Margaret’s championing of the Voice of Parents in the Falkirk Area was acknowledged in 2018 with an invitation to the Queen’s Garden Party in Holyrood.
As a mother to three children of both primary and secondary age, Margaret is well placed to understand the rewards and challenges of parenting, and her family are kept busy with lots of out of school activities.Margaret is supported by a strong Leadership Team who were also appointed at the AGM this month. We are pleased to announce that Cheryl Burnett, South Lanarkshire representative, has been re-appointed to her role as Vice-Chair, and Fiona Nicholson, Shetland Representative, is returning to the role of Vice-Chair. The NPFS are also pleased to welcome three new Vice-Chair’s to the leadership team, Susan Bell, representative for South Ayrshire, David MacDonald, representative for Renfrewshire and Barrie Sheppard, representative for North Lanarkshire. Between them the leadership team have over 30 years of experience as representatives for the NPFS, and throughout this time they have both witnessed and been involved with an exceptionally wide range of changes and challenges to Scottish Education.
The NPFS would like to take this opportunity to thank our outgoing Chair and Glasgow Representative Joanna Murphy. Joanna has been an active member of the Forum since its formation in 2009 and has served as both Vice-Chair (2013-2016) and as Chair (2016-2020) of the forum. Joanna has made a considerable contribution to parental involvement and engagement in education throughout her years with the NPFS, including overseeing the development of the ‘In a Nutshell’ publications, overseeing the Review of the Impact of the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement Act) 2006, and contributing to the development of the Learning Together National Action Plan on parental involvement and engagement. Joanna has also been involved in promoting support for children and young people’s mental health and well-being, Parental and School Empowerment, and LGBTQ+ rights. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic Joanna and the NPFS have been proactive in ensuring that the parent voice is heard, representing the NPFS on the Scottish Government Covid-19 Education Recovery Group. Joanna also hosted two online Q&A sessions with the Deputy First Minister, posing questions which had been submitted by parents from all over Scotland.
The NPFS wishes Joanna all the best in her future endeavours, and thank her for her dedication to the organization and its role in encouraging parental engagement and involvement.
The direct contact details for the new Leadership Team are as follows:
CHAIR
Margaret Wilson, chair@npfs.org.uk
VICE-CHAIRS
Cheryl Burnett, south.lanarkshire@npfs.org.uk
Fiona Nicholson, shetland@npfs.org.uk
David MacDonald, renfrewshire@npfs.org.uk
Susan Bell, south.ayrshire@npfs.org.uk
Barrie Sheppard, north.Lanarkshire@npfs.org.uk
For all general enquiries, please contact the NPFS Office Team on office@npfs.org.uk
*NOTES TO EDITORS*
The National Parent Forum of Scotland is a national body led by and for parents. It is an influential national and independent body, working on behalf of parents with children in education across Scotland to help every pre-school and school pupil maximise their potential.
The National Parent Forum of Scotland is comprised of volunteer parent/carer representatives from each of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas. Please visit www.parentforumscotland.org for more details.
The National Parent Forum of Scotland represents parents and carers by engaging with them and parent councils, and we are involved in working with both local and national levels of government to make sure that parents and carers have a full and equal voice in our children’s education.
We aim to fairly represent all parents, and we appreciate that there are a wide range of views and opinions.