Trustee S Meeting

1. Apologies for absence

Apologies were received from Nicky Davies, Fiona Dumbelton and Gordon Leary.

2. Declaration of Interest

No personal or prejudicial interests in any matters on the agenda were declared.

3. Minutes from Previous Meeting a) APA noted an error on Page 3 – ‘is built’ not ‘it built’. b) RBL informed Trustees that the Community Meeting had still not taken place – KGA to follow this up with Chris Hollins. c) RFO informed the Trustee’s that she had been advised not to complete the APO1 forms yet as Ash Green are undergoing a multi-academy conversion, which is currently with the DFE and is hoped to be in place for January 2016. Once the Academy process has been finalised RFO will happy to complete the APO1. d) RBL reported that the ‘Launch’ Newsletter had been done. Trustees decided that the School Council from THS and The Priory should do a Summer Term Newsletter. e) APA asked for an update on the ordering of the mobile iPad Minis. RBL reported that the iPads had been ordered and received and are currently being used by the primary school students at all sites. f) RBL informed Trustees that the launch of the RTC will take place at Britannia Stadium on 30th June 2015 and have a primary school focus on creative literacy. RBL is to receive flyers for the event and primaries will also receive a link from GBM to sign up for the event.

1 There will also be workshops taking place on the 3rd Thursday of every month at Trentham High School, Upper Sky Lounge. D&T and Languages are the first two.

4. Trust Finances

TAL reported that the dormant accounts for 2014/2015 had been submitted and accepted by Companies House. The Accounts Report was signed by APA.

5. Trentham Learning Partnership – Update and Evaluation

KGA presented the TLP Evaluation to Trustees. It was reported that the partnership with The Priory has been very successful in Maths and Science. Judith Gibson runs a Year 5 and 6 After School Club and Adam Day is working with the lower ability students. With regards to English both THS and The Priory will be looking at a Literacy and Reading Scheme at the next Joint Inset Day, which is for all teaching staff from both schools.

KGA informed Trustees that Science in both primaries has been very positive, and that coming into the primary schools has inspired the staff at THS in all aspects. KGA also reported that there is a ‘Fairness, Awareness and Diversity’ week in June 2015, where THS students will work with The Priory students and parents will be invited to come and view what they have done.

RBL reiterated that THS has been working successfully with The Priory with regards to the Learning Partnership but not to the same extent with Ash Green. RBL expressed her view that Ash Green were at a different point in the partnership and that the need to keep the link with Ash Green is very important.

RFO explained that Ash Green do want to be involved in the Partnership more once the multi-academy conversion has taken place. Both primaries will be involved in the Year 5 and Year 6 Transition Days on 11th and 25th June 2015 and Ash Green in the Summer Term activities.

IHO stated that the Partnership has massive potential but it is better to have a staged approach over the next 6 to 12 months. The Partnership will only work if all parties commit to the plan.

RBL expressed her concern with THS becoming isolated, as we will be the only LA maintained secondary school and that is it imperative we get the same outcome with Ofsted as both Ash Green and The Priory going forward. It is important that the three schools work together as THS are concerned about the loss of numbers from Ash Green. We currently have students starting in September 2015 from 24 Primary Schools. Only half the cohort is made up of Ash Green and Priory students where in the past it has been at least two thirds.

The question was asked that if you are part of a multi-academy whether or not you could move to a different multi-academy. This can only happen if you are a converter academy, not a sponsored academy. This would be an advantage to the school if the multi-academy were failing.

RBL reported that next year THS would set work for the Year 6 students at the primaries so that THS can assess the students in Literacy, Numeracy and Science. This is so the students are not confronted with tests as soon as they arrive at THS. RBL went on to explain that this benchmarking is very important so that the students can be set and timetabled more efficiently and it will give THS a starting point to measure their progress 2 and improve transition. RBL also reported that there would be no KS3 markers in September 2015 and that whole school will work at GCSE standard, starting in Year 7. All assessments will be based on GCSE grades and not levels.

APA informed the Trustees that Painsley already have students producing GCSE grade A work in Year 7.

RBL and PKE to arrange a date for the next TLP meeting next half term.

IHO asked that once the transition events had taken place in June whether it would be a good idea to produce a Newsletter in early July. KGA agreed that the School Council would put this together.

6. Articles of Association

The final amendments where agreed by all Trustees.

7. Any Other Items.

RBL reiterated the improvement since the start of the Trentham Learning Partnership and the importance of keeping communications open.

8. Urgent Business – at the discretion of the Chair

No urgent business to report.

9. Date and time of next meeting

AGM will take place on Monday 5th October 2015 at 5.00pm in E4.

Trustees Meetings will take place on Monday 18th January 2016 (Spring Term) and Monday 9th May 2016 (Summer Term), at 5.00pm in E4.