St Fillan S Primary School Board

http://www.st-fillans-pri.glasgow.sch.uk/

St Fillan’s Parent Council

Minutes of Meeting

Monday, 15 December 2008

Present Julia McKeown (JM) Parent Council Member John Hutcheson (JH) Head Teacher and Adviser to the Council Stephen O’Donnell (SO) Parent Council Member Liam Coyle (LC) Parent Council Member Margo Brennen (MB) Parent Council Member Elizabeth Nugent (EN) Teaching Representative Eileen Cawley (EC) Parent Council Member Monica McNulty Church Representative Elizabeth Stewart (ES) Clerk to the Board

In attendance Neil Cunninghame Pupil Council Representative Harry Laird Glasgow City Council

Apologies Audrey Harrison (AH) Parent Council Member Eileen Tompkins (ET) Parent Council Member

Agenda Action

1. Home Work Questionnaire Report JM welcomed Neil to the meeting and asked him to give his report on the Pupil Council Homework Questionnaire. Neil explained that the pupil council had issued questionnaires to all children and their replies had been co-ordinated. The questionnaires had been designed to suit the stage of pupils so all felt able to respond. Mrs Nugent co-ordinated the replies and she will now go back to the pupil council with the results. Neil circulated copies of the questionnaires and report. JM thanked Neil for his attendance at the meeting and for his very impressive delivery. JH was asked when the questionnaire would go to parents. JH explained that because the photocopier had broken down he was unable to get this out but hoped to have it issued in the first week of the new term. He also expressed his gratitude to the PTA who were able to provide a new copier. This has come from a firm who are merging with another and a donation to this firm’s charity would be made by the PTA.

2. Minutes of last meeting The minutes of the last meeting were approved.

3. Road and Crossing Patrol Issued Harry Laird (HL) had come along to the meeting to discuss local crossing patrol and traffic issues. EC thanked him for attending and for his openness to co-operate. HL explained that a survey on the number of children crossing Aikenhead Road at King’s Park Avenue had taken place and the outcome had been that there was no immediate need for a crossing patroller. The Parent Council disagreed with this and felt that not only were his numbers low but the degree of traffic needs to be taken into consideration. It was also felt that more children would walk to school if a crossing patroller was in attendance. Also the junction of Menock Road and Aikenhead Road needs attention as a large number of

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children cross this road and it is frequently congested with cars straddling the junction making it difficult for children to cross. HL agreed to extend the time of the green man to assist the children crossing the road. This was welcomed by the Parent Council. HL

HL confirmed that crossing patrollers are recruited by Land Services and if the Parent Council were able to recruit a patroller he would see that they were put at the junction of Aikenhead Road and King’s Park Avenue. EC agreed to draw up an advert to be placed in the Church Bulletin, School website, local shops, etc and HL agreed to assistance as necessary. EC

Discussion also took place with regard to the nursery children and the new P1’s who will be leaving at lunchtime trying to cross Carmunnock Road now that Denis does not cover at this time. JH did indicate that the Council may be changing the time pattern for P1s.

HL was able to confirm that 20’s plenty signs would be coming to Crompton Avenue but did not know of plans for traffic calming. It was agreed that traffic calming was necessary for Crompton Avenue and HL agreed to look into this. He also said that Cathcart and Simshill Community Council may have some money to spend on traffic calming and he would investigate. HL

JM thanked HL for attending and for his support.

4 Head Teacher’s Report 4.1 HMI visit update – JM had sent letter to HMI as previously agreed. JH confirmed that the action plan had been sent to Head Office and he hopes to have the report issued to parents by the end of January. JH

4.2 Other business - A P7 team joined forces with pupils from St Brigit’s and St Albert’s to enter the Young Enterprise Inventors Awards and were successful in the Glasgow challenge and then went on to win the Scottish challenge. The Parent Council passed on their congratulations to the team.

5 St Mirin’s school role Nothing further to report at this stage.

6 Art/Garden Project JM had tried to make contact with Linda McDonald at the Hidden Garden but without success. JM had spoken to Ms Jackson who agreed that we should proceed with a smaller project. AH had spoken to Paul Hodgkiss who had worked with a school in Edinburgh as part of a BBC2 programme and he is interested in coming to talk to us.

JM felt that we should invite 3 artists/designers (who are experienced and can act as ‘main contractor’ and manage a project on site) to respond to our brief and give us their views on what they could do. From the three we would select one. There was concern that this may take some time and we may end up losing the £8k which City Building are holding on our behalf. JH suggested getting the 3 contractors together early January. JM advised that a lot of the work has already been done and it would be a quick exercise to pull a brief together. Ms Jackson would also be asked to pull together the ideas that the children had given re the art project before they moved into the new school. It was JM/JH suggested that perhaps the Parent Council could hold the £8k and JH

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agreed to ask David McGee if this would be possible.

JH agreed to brief Ms Jackson and JM will try to find out more info on the Paul Hodgkiss project from the internet.

7 Youth Club AH had sent note asking JH to look at email and comment. Now have 26 volunteers and hoping to start February/March. JH confirmed they would probably not be able to use the ICT facilities in the school but the Youth Group hoped to get lap tops of their own. EC still waiting on Bank of Scotland advising if they can use the existing youth group bank account.

8 Links with Holyrood Parent Council SOD apologised for not bringing the agenda for the Holyrood Parent Council meeting but he agreed to email this prior to our next meeting. SOD

9 Any other business AH has offered to take on the Clerk duties but JM/ES were not sure if she meant immediately or from next August. This would be clarified as would be her position as a member of the Parent Council/Clerk.

Playground EC asked why the playground could not be salted during the cold snap of weather and why a path from the Kirkwell Gate to the school door could not be made. JH advised that he is not provided with enough salt to clear the playground and if he made a path the children would not stick to it and end up sliding in the playground. He had closed the Kirkwell Gate and the playground for Health & Safety reasons and agreed in future to have a sign put on the gate as early as possible.

MB asked if the bell could be turned off during the Christmas holidays. JH said it could not be turned off but would ask for it to be turned down. JH

10 Next meeting The next meeting will be Monday 12 January 2009 at 7.15pm in the ALL School.

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