Quality standard

Quality statement 4: Schools and colleges involve parents, carers, children and young people

Quality statement 4: Schools and colleges involve parents, carers, children and young people

Quality statement

Schools and colleges involve parents, carers, children and young people in initiatives to reduce alcohol use.

Rationale

A school or college's approach to alcohol in the context of the curriculum and its policies, values and environment is more effective if parents, carers, children and young people are involved. This means that children and young people's views are considered and that parents and carers are included in discussions and decisions in an effort to ensure consistent messages about alcohol outside school or college.

Quality measures

The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.

Structure

Evidence that schools and colleges involve parents, carers, children and young people in initiatives to reduce alcohol use.

Data source: Local data collection. Ofsted inspection reports contain information on the achievement of pupils, quality of teaching, behaviour and safety of pupils and leadership and management for all schools and colleges.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Head teachers and school governors ensure that they consult and involve parents, carers, children and young people in discussions and decisions about, as well as in the implementation of, initiatives to reduce alcohol use. Although alcohol education is not a statutory part of the curriculum, quality statements describe best practice that goes beyond minimum statutory requirements and can be used to help organisations improve quality.

Parents and carers have the chance to be involved in discussions and decisions about ideas and plans that schools and colleges have for reducing alcohol use, and in putting these ideas into practice. This means that parents and carers know about the plans and can support them at home if they choose to.

Children and young people are involved in discussions and decisions about ideas and plans at their school or college for reducing alcohol use. They are also involved in putting these ideas into practice. This means that they will know what is planned and are more likely to back the plans.

Definitions of terms used in this quality statement

Schools

All schools (including academies, free schools and alternative provision academies) and pupil referral units (see the Department for Education's explanation of types of schools) and further education and sixth-form colleges as set out under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 (see the Department for Education's keeping children safe in education). [NICE's guideline on alcohol interventions in secondary and further education]

Colleges

Colleges include:

  • academies and city technology colleges

  • further education colleges and sixth-form colleges.

[Adapted from NICE's guideline on alcohol interventions in secondary and further education]

Involve parents, carers, children and young people

This might include consulting parents, carers, children and young people about initiatives to reduce alcohol use, gathering their opinions through discussions and involving them in decisions about, and in the implementation of, initiatives. [Adapted from NICE's guideline on alcohol interventions in secondary and further education. Also see the section on making it as easy as possible for people to get involved in NICE's guideline on community engagement]

Initiatives to reduce alcohol use

Initiatives to reduce alcohol use might include alcohol education programmes and using a 'whole‑school' approach. A 'whole‑school' approach should cover policy development, the school environment and the professional development of (and support for) staff. [NICE's guideline on alcohol interventions in secondary and further education]