Welcome to the Parent Council Page
Welcome! Hopefully our updated page will help provide you with some background on the Parent Council, who we are and what we do. If you can’t find what you are looking for, then please let us know at viewforthparentcouncil@gmail.com
The aims of the Parent Council are detailed below, however, in summary we represent any parent or carer who has children who attend Viewforth High School.
Collectively all parents and carers are known as the Parent Forum and the Parent Council represent you by discussing, supporting and raising your comments or questions to the school during the Parent Council meetings.
If you have comments or questions that have an impact on a group of pupils, a year group or the wider school community, then please get in touch.
What is the Parent Council?
The Parent Council consists of parents and carers whose children are in S1 through to S6. The Parent Council plays an active role in supporting the work and the life of the school. It also provides opportunities for parents and carers to express their views on children’s education and learning.
What does the Parent Council Do?
The Parent Council meet twice each term. Meetings in this school year will be hybrid with the ability for Parents and Carers to attend both in person at the school and over a Zoom call.
The meetings will be held on a Monday evening at 6pm.
The primary focus of the Parent Council is representing parents’ and carers’ views and working to help support the school and our growing school community. In recent years, we are paying particular focus on fundraising to facilitate extra-curricular activities and equipment for pupils.
What are the aims of the Parent Council?
The aims of the Viewforth High School Parent Council are:
- A) to raise and discuss matters of mutual interest relating to the education and welfare of pupils.
- B) to promote the role of the Parent Council to the Parent Forum in order to encourage optimum parent participation.
- C) to promote close co-operation and communication between parents and teachers.
- D) to promote equality and fairness
- E) to engage in activities which support and advance the education of pupils attending the school.
Full details can be found in the Constitution. – Viewforth HS PC Constitution v2.4
When are the next meetings?
The meeting dates for session 2023-2024 are:
- Monday 30th October 2023
- Monday 4th December 2023
- Monday 15th January 2024
- Monday 11th March 2024
- Monday 22nd April 2024
- Monday 10th June 2024
The meetings will start at 6pm.
You can attend these meetings either:
- in person at the school
- or by joining an online Zoom call.
Please email viewforthparentcouncil@gmail.com so you can be provided the necessary meeting information.
Who are the members of the Parent Council?
Our Parent Council currently consists of the chair (Alex Tomlinson), vice chair (Kirsty Hannigan) treasurer (Mark Reid), 3 members and 1 associate member, who have pupils in various year groups:
S6 Parents
Alex Tomlinson (Chair)
I am currently the Chair of the Parent Council responsible for organising, chairing and recording the minutes of the meetings. I joined the Parent Council in 2018 when my eldest child started at Viewforth. I have two children – Elliot who is in S6 and Toby who is in S2. When not working in front of a computer in the Technology sector, I enjoy going for long family walks with our dog and have a keen interest in lighthouses.
Jennifer Fenelon
I joined the Parent Council in 2020. My daughters are now at Viewforth – one in S4 and one in S6. I am really interested in what goes on at their school and am eager to help and support both them and the school, to make their time there an enjoyable one.
Remember Makina Murray (Ree)
I joined the parent council at the beginning of this school year August 2021. I have a child who is a senior in S6. Originally from Zimbabwe, I have been living in Kirkcaldy for over 20 years now and have just finished Uni this year and have time to get more involved within the school and hopefully have a positive impact on the school and community.
S5 Parents
We have no parents for this year group. If you would like to contribute please email viewforthparentcouncil@gmail.com for further information.
S4 Parents
Jennifer Fenelon – See S6 above
Kirsty Hannigan (Vice Chair)
I was brought up in Glenrothes and moved to Kirkcaldy at 18. I have 2 children at Viewforth, Leon in S4 and Destiny in S1. I joined the Parent Council as I would like to be a part of the school my children are attending.
S3 Parents
Lara Smith
My name is Lara Smith, my son is in S3 and I have two daughters who will travel up to Viewforth in the coming years. I volunteer within the parent council as it creates the opportunity to work within the school community and be involved in my children’s education. I am passionate about community and supporting our children to achieve. I work within the local council as a Housing Officer in Kirkcaldy area and in my free time enjoy music and the great outdoors.
S2 Parents
Alex Tomlinson – See S6 above
S1 Parents
Kirsty Hannigan – See S4 above
Mark Reid (Treasurer)
I have been the Treasurer of the Parent Council since September 2021. In my spare time I enjoy hanging out with the family and cycling through the pot-hole strewn backroads of Fife (hence the slightly strange picture!).
Associate Members
Leona Tomlinson
I joined the Parent Council in June 2023 as an Associate Member. I have 2 boys at Viewforth, Elliot in S6 and Toby in S2. I enjoy family walks with our dog, visiting lighthouses and listening to classical music. I joined to help source and submit funding applications, help out at events and to assist the Parent Council members when needed.
Recent grant awards
Viewforth High School Parent Council were successfully awarded a donation for our school food bank from the ASDA October 2023 Community Budget.
The Parent Council would like to thank all members of the School Community who voted for the ASDA Green Token Event run from January to April 2023 with the goal of supporting the School Foodbank. Viewforth reached 1st place and was awarded £500.
The Parent Council have been generously awarded £744 by the Asda Foundation
How do I join the Parent Council?
We are always looking to welcome new members to join the Parent Council. If you are interested in joining or would like to come along to a meeting to see what we do first before making the decision to join, then please contact us at: viewforthparentcouncil@gmail.com
Alternatively, you can join the Parent Council as an Associate Member. The primary role of an Associate Member is to offer assistance to the Parent Council when required.
This may be for example helping out at a fundraising event (once Covid restrictions allow), baking for an event, selling raffle tickets etc. You would not be required to attend all meetings, just ones that would benefit from your attendance. As an Associate Member you would not be able to vote on Parent Council matters. This would require full membership. If you are interested in becoming an Associate Member please email viewforthparentcouncil@gmail.com. It would also be helpful if you could detail what skills you have / what areas you would be interested in helping in, for e.g baking.
Minutes of Previous Meetings
- Viewforth High School Minutes 25-01-20 (Meeting Dated 25th January 2021)
- Viewforth High School Minutes 08_03_2021 (Meeting Dated 8th March 2021)
- Viewforth High School Minutes 26_04_2021 (Meeting Dated 26th April 2021)
- Viewforth High School Minutes 14_06_2021 (Meeting Dated 14th June 2021)
- Viewforth High School AGM Minutes 06-09-21 (Meeting Dated 6th September 2021)
- Viewforth High School Minutes 08_11_2021 (Meeting Dated 8th November 2021)
- Viewforth High School Minutes 06_12_2021 (Meeting Dated 6th December 2021)
- Viewforth High School Minutes 24_01_22 (Meeting Dated 24 January 2022)
- Viewforth High School Minutes 07_03_22 (Meeting Dated 7 March 2022)
- Viewforth High School Minutes 13_06_22 (Meeting Dated 13 June 2022)
- Viewforth High School AGM Minutes 05-09-22 (Meeting Dated 5 September 2022)
- Viewforth High School Minutes 26_09_2022 (Meeting Dated 26 September 2022)
- Viewforth High School Minutes 07_11_2022 (Meeting Dated 7 November 2022)
- Viewforth High School Minutes 05_12_2022 (Meeting Dated 5th December 2022)
- Viewforth High School Minutes 13-03-2023 (Meeting Dated 13th March 2023)
- Viewforth High School Minutes 15-05-2023 (Meeting Dated 15th May 2023)
- Viewforth High School Minutes 19-06-2023 (Meeting Dated 19th June 2023)
- Viewforth High School Minutes 18-09-2023 (Meeting Dated 18th September 2023)
- Viewforth High School Minutes – 30-10-23 (Meeting Dated 30th October 2023)
Useful Links
- Connect – Making family engagement in children’s learning and school lives as good as it can be.
- Education Scotland – Supporting quality and improvement in Scottish education.
- Education Scotland’s ParentZone – Providing support and information to parents, children and schools.
- National Parent Forum for Scotland –Represents Parent Councils across Scotland.
- Guidelines for the role of Treasurer – Treasurer Role
