Strategic Development and Standards Committee
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Strategic Development and Standards Committee Tuesday, 16 April 2013 at 6.30 pm Present: Luci Amos - Head Teacher Helen Howe - Deputy Head Teacher – Observer Jon Topham - Parent Governor and Chair of Meeting Kay Allen - Parent Governor Lizzie Carrington-Porter Community Governor Laura Lovely - Staff Governor Ian Pickett - LA Governor Jayne Smart Parent Governor Jacqui Cashmore - Clerk
Action
1 Apologies for Absence
Apologies for absence were received from Jennifer Green.
2 Pecuniary Interest Updates
There were no changes to the register and no declarations of interest were raised with regard to items on the agenda.
3 Minutes of the last Meeting held on 29 January 2013
Agreed as a true record.
4 Matters Arising from Minutes of the Meeting held on 29 January 2013
4.1 Governors noted the report and commented on the following items.
4.1.1 Matters arising from 9.10.12 Meeting -Governors section in Newsletter: Kay confirmed she would continue to include a paragraph on Governors in each newsletter.
4.1.2 Matters arising from 9.10.12 Meeting - ICT (4.1.4): Jon and Laura were LL/JT meeting to review the Schools IT systems.
4.1.3 Media Policy (5.1): Laura and Lizzie had met to discuss the possibility of using Twitter as a form of communication to parents. Laura distributed a case study from a school which promoted the use of this social networking site. Laura explained that Twitter is a social networking site with a restriction on the number of characters you can input, it is a free service. If we were to use Twitter as a communication tool to parents, a secure Twitter feed would be set up, which means parents would be invited to follow the school.
Signed: Dated:
Page 1 Action Laura confirmed that a Twitter account called, @HuttonCEPrimary had been set up. Lizzie would be drawing up a survey to ask parents if they would like LC/LL us to communicate with them in this way and would also ask if they used Facebook or other social networking sites. If parents expressed an interest Laura would set up a workshop to provide further information for parents. Lizzie confirmed that they had reservations that Twitter could be used by those that followed to damage the reputation of the school. In the case study parents had been invited to apply to follow the school eg if you signed up to it you could tweet and follow it but if you were not a registered user you would not be able to follow the school. Luci asked if the tweet would be one way or would parents be able to tweet as well? Laura confirmed that parents would be able to tweet but that it would be sold to parents as being out going information only and not used to receive information from parents. Laura said photos can also be used on Twitter but we would not be expecting to use it for that purpose in the beginning.
4.1.4 Freedom of Information Publication Scheme (5.2): Jacqui advised that the ‘Confirmed’ Minutes of meetings were now being sent to Laura for inclusion on the website.
4.1.5 Goal: To ensure lower achieving pupils are making at least nationally LA expected progress (2 sub levels/yr) (6.3). Luci to distribute the updated action sheet to Governors.
4.1.6 Targets set with Local Authority (7): Luci to circulate the schedule of figures LA to Governors.
4.1.7 Review SEF (8): The SEF had been updated via the Heads Report to the FGB Meeting on 5 March 2013.
5 Policies
5.1 Prospectus
5.1.1 Governors reviewed the Prospectus on the school website and it was agreed LA that the following amendments would be made.
General Check the school is referred to as Hutton CE Primary School throughout document. Check all text in document is justified format. The School “We currently have 196 pupils attending the school” to be changed to “we have capacity for 210 pupils.”
Signed: Dated:
Page 2 Action Chair of Governors to be updated. Recent Achievements Ofsted: Include recent letter from Ofsted, or a paragraph about it. SIAS Inspection: “pupil” should be changed to “pupils”. Healthy Schools status: Delete reference to Healthy Schools Plus. The Curriculum Luci and subject staff to review their sections. Out of school activities Delete 2011/12 and change to 2012/13. Delete cooking and stamp club from list of clubs offered. Add philosophy, animation, ball room dancing netball, country dancing, and athletics, to the list of clubs offered. Para 4 change “event” to “events”. Home School Partnership To be updated in line with Policy. How the School is organised: Attendance: To be updated in line with Policy. Jewellery and Personal Possessions: Amend sentence on Make up to read “Make up, nail varnish and false nails must not be worn.” School meals: Amend to read “cooked on site”. Safeguarding children: Sentence on CRB checks to be updated. Admission arrangements Delete sentence starting “This is a voluntary option etc.” Walking to School Change “Lollipop Lady” to Lollipop Person”. Governors To be updated and extra line after FSP bullet point to be deleted. Teaching and Support staff To be updated.
5.2 Strategic Development Plan 2012/15
5.2.1 The Strategic Development Plan for 2012/15 had been written by the SDS Committee in July 2012 and been approved at the FGB Meeting in November 2012, the Plan covers a 3 year period and is reviewed annually by the SDS Committee before being approved at the FGB Meeting in July.
5.2.2 Expression of Interest to manage a new school at Winterstoke Village
Governors agreed that if successful in the bid, this would need to be included in the Plan and if unsuccessful we would need to have an alternative. Interviews had taken place last week and a total of 9 organisations had been interviewed. We were in competition with some bigger organisations including Cabot, Templar and Gems. Weston College & Herons’ Moor had made a joint bid. Ian congratulated Luci on a fantastic presentation in promoting the school. Signed: Dated:
Page 3 Action Out of the 9 organisations selected 3 would be shortlisted. We would know the outcome of the interviews in 2/3 weeks. Once 3 organisations had been shortlisted North Somerset would make a recommendation to the DFE and the DFE would have the final choice.
5.2.3 Community Trusts
Luci updated Governors on a meeting that she had just attended that evening, with Heads in the Cluster. Five schools in the Cluster (Bournville, Oldmixon, Walliscote, Windwhistle and Milton Park) had decided to form a Community Trust, which was an alternative to an Academy. Within this Group there was one school that was doing well and the other schools needed to improve. By forming a Community Trust they hoped they would not be forced into becoming an Academy. The Head, Governing Body and Finance arrangements for each school would remain unchanged. The remaining schools in the Cluster Uphill, Ashcombe and Christchurch had not made a decision on what way they were going. These remaining schools had a good pupil capacity and a similar ethos to Hutton. Luci did not know a huge amount about Community Trusts but had agreed that she would discuss this with Governors. Luci advised that there were community meetings taking place to discuss the Community Trust between Bournville, Oldmixon, Walliscote and Milton Park schools. The meetings were as follows:
Wednesday, 17 April 9-10 am at Walliscote School or 2-3 pm at the Health Living Centre; and
Tuesday, 23 April: 9-10 am Milton School, 2-3 pm Oldmixon School and 7- 8 pm Walliscote School. Luci encouraged Governors to attend these meetings if they were available.
5.2.4 Governors asked Luci if she had an alternative plan, if we were unsuccessful with the bid? Luci confirmed that we would look into linking up with other schools eg Diocese Schools or other CE schools in the area eg St Anne’s, St Mark’s, St George’s or Wrington but the risk with CE schools was that they tended to be smaller village schools, with small numbers of pupils, old buildings and high overhead costs.
5.2.5 Governors agreed that they should research Community Trusts and other collaborations on the DFE website to see whether this could be an alternative option to the bid.
5.2.6 Governors agreed that if unsuccessful in the bid we would still need to link with other schools to move forward.
5.2.7 Academy Conversion
Signed: Dated:
Page 4 Action Trish Martin has sent Luci a project management proposal. The cost of conversion would be £6,500 + VAT and dispersements. She had drawn up a time line from May 2013 to April 2014 showing the key actions and the draw down of money would be July. Governor’s agreed that Luci should go ahead with Trish’s proposal. LA
5.2.8 Governors agreed that the themes of the Strategic Development Plan 2012/15 should remain the same but that they should be expanded on. These themes were:
Future Schools Development; Improve Leadership and Management Structures; and To ensure lower achieving pupils are making at least nationally expected progress
5.2.9 Luci agreed to update the plan and circulate to Governor’s for approval at LA FGB on 10 July 2013.
5.3 Monitoring Evaluation & Review: The Policy was agreed and signed at the meeting.
6 Monitor Strategic Development Plan (2012/13 action plans)
Discussed in Item 5 above.
7 Review Self Evaluation Form (SEF)
7.1 Luci had updated the SEF through the Head’s Report to the FGB meeting in LA March The SEF would next be updated in Head’s Report to the July FGB Meeting.
7.2 Governors asked if we were on course to achieve our targets.
7.3 Luci said we were fairly confident of achieving our Key Stage 1 targets. We had a rigorous programme in the lower years for bringing children who were new to the school up to the required standard but this was more difficult with children that came in from other schools in higher years.
7.4 Luci confirmed that for Key Stage 2 we may reach our targets on progress but may not on attainment. In Key Stage 2 we had a higher percentage of children with special needs and there had been some challenging children.
7.5 There had also been 7 new children starting at the school and it was noticeable that those children have not been in Hutton for long.
7.6 Governors asked when the next formal assessment was taking place. Luci advised that Year 6 pupils would be sitting their SATS in May. The results of these tests would not be available until November.
7.7 Luci advised that lat year 60% of the cohort had to achieve Level 4 to be Signed: Dated:
Page 5 Action above floor standards but this year this had been increased to 65% of the cohort. The results were measured for English and Maths in previous years but this year would be measured on Reading, Writing and Maths.
7.8 Governors noted that the Raiseonline data covered only one year and asked if there was data for comparing like for like as they were looking for trends.
7.9 Luci believes the school is getting better at addressing issues that come in early on, so our low performing pupils go up as a group rather than separately but there were still some lower achieving pupils in years 4 & 5.
7.10 Luci said other information that will be available to Governors is data dashboard, which gives you results for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Level 2 and above. It shows you Reading, Writing and Maths in graphs over the last 3 years and the national average.
7.11 Governors agreed that some of this information from the data dashboard LA should be included in the Prospectus.
8 Training and Development
Budget Monitoring, 19 June 2013: Lizzie would be attending this training. Ofsted Framework, 11 July 2013: Lizzie would be attending this training. E-Safety Training: Laura to organise a further date for this training. LL Governors who had not already attended would be invited. RaiseonlIne Training: Lizzie, Ian and Kay had attended this training. LA Governors agreed that Maths and English Governors should receive this training as soon as possible. Luci would approach Mary and Jenny to find a suitable date for David Amos to carry out this training. Once a date had been agreed all Governors would be invited. Keeping Children Safe in Education – Consultation: Governors agreed that the Safeguarding Governor (Ruth Bailey) should lead on this. LA/RB Clerk to send consultation email and attachment to all Governors to look at. Governors to send their comments to Ruth to collate. Luci to discuss with Ruth
9 Other Information
9.1 Structure of Governors Meeting: Ian and Luci had discussed changing the LA/IP/Clerk structure of Governors Meetings, to cut down on some meetings and increase others. For example CLEC currently covered Curriculum and Buildings which made it huge. Bearing this in mind we could have a buildings working party looking at maintenance and plans for developing permanent buildings. Ian and Luci would put something together to be discussed at the FGB Meeting in July. Clerk to add to FGB Meeting agenda.
9.2 Website: Ian advised that some information on the website was out of date LL and needed updating. Signed: Dated:
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9.3 Flag pole: Luci advised that the flag pole on the school grounds belonged to the Parish Council and that she had asked the Parish Council to provide insurance for this.
9.4 Subject Meetings: Governors noted that it was the responsibility of the subject Governor to call these meetings.
10 Date of Next Meeting - To be confirmed.
John thanked Governors for attending and the meeting closed at 9.30 pm.
Signed: Dated:
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