Parent engagement in Catholic schools

Family involvement and engagement is a key feature of Catholic schools.

As the first educators of your children, you have a great influence on your children’s learning and development during their school years and long afterwards.

We all know that when parents are involved in their children’s education at home, they do better in school. And when parents are involved in school, children go farther in school and the schools they go to are better.

Principals work with their school community to determine which of the following will work best in their context.

School Advisory Councils

School Advisory Councils provide invaluable support to principals as the members provide advice in relation to administration, policy issues and management of educational change.

School Advisory Councils are made up of volunteers from the community.

Support for Schools Advisory Councils is provided by the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office through Senior Education Leaders (SELs).

For further information we encourage you to contact your local principal to discuss how you can get involved.

Parents and Friends Associations (P&F)

P&Fs are guided by a constitution and participate in the spiritual, intellectual, social and physical growth of pupils in Catholic schools by

providing support, information and involvement for parents/carers in children’s learning and the school community ie building community
developing collaboration between parents/carers and school staff
promoting the principles of Catholic education
fostering a distinctive Christian environment in the school
providing a medium for parents/carers to participate at Diocesan, State & National levels

Executive roles

President
Vice president
Treasurer
Secretary
two Diocesan delegates
committee members (the number is determined by each school's P&F constitution - contact your principal to find out more)

Working with the CSPQ Diocese of Toowoomba

CSPQ Diocese of Toowoomba's role is to provide support, information, guidance and encouragement to each of the 31 local associations and Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office.

In addition, it plans and organises seminars and conferences and supports the work of Catholic School Parents Queensland.

Each of our 31 local P&Fs are urged to actively participate in CSPQ Diocese of Toowoomba and is entitled to representation on CSPQ Diocese of Toowoomba by nominating two delegates from each school.

At the State level our Diocese is represented by two delegates from CSPQ Diocese of Toowoomba. Opportunities for other members to be observers at State meetings are available.

Find out how to get involved

If you are interested in discovering more on how you can become involved please talk to your local principal to find out what is happening in your school, how you could become a delegate for your school and how you might attend one of the regular Diocesan meetings.

We also encourage you to visit the Catholic School Parents Queensland website, or call or email their office at any time.

Parent Engagement Networks

An alternative to School Advisory Councils and the P&F is the Parent Engagement Network.

Some schools in the Diocese have adopted this approach as it enables flexible parent engagement. Parents are welcomed to attend forums to share and discuss specific ideas and initiatives and to find out more about how to support their children's learning.

To find out if your school is using Parent Engagement Network contact your local principal.