Meeting 1 - July 4th 2013
Attendance
M Drakes, L Nicholls, E Owsley, R Borrell, L Stevens, A Stevens, N Bloy, K Trew, C Mason, L Chatterton, K Crawley
· Purpose of Parents’ Council
MD welcomed all parents to the first parent’s council and thanked everyone for attending. MD explained the rationale for the meeting and asked parents what outcomes they were hoping for, which included;
1. Working alongside school staff to further develop the school and the progress of the children.
2. Become more involved in school life.
3. Clarification on school policies, routines and practices.
4. Further develop informal and formal communication processes.
· Feedback on areas of strength for school – parents’ voice
1. Communication – email enquiries, messages to office, face to face discussions. Mrs Mason said that they felt the staff were welcoming and it was easy to get to see them. Previously the teachers had seemed stand offish and remote, but in the last two years this has really changed for the better.
2. Information on website and use of blog. Parents said that they love the photographs and getting to see more of what their children are doing.
3. Rewards – attendance, good work, good behavior, reading etc. Mrs Stevens pointed out that her children felt as if everything they did was recognized and celebrated: sport, reading, effort
4. Read, Write, inc. program and the impact on pupils learning. Mrs Borrell commented on the difference in attainment and progress she had seen between her children as the scheme has become more embedded.
5. Trips, swimming, outdoor learning. All parents said how much these trips had added to their children’s enjoyment of school. Mrs Cawley compared the number of trips Emma had done in one year compared to those her son had experienced during a longer period at the school and how much Emma had enjoyed them.
6. Ethos / spirit of the school. Parents commented on the welcome at the gate in the morning. All said that the visibility of the staff, cheery welcome, helpful office staff and friendly teachers created a really positive ethos. The combination of all the above made it a place where their children really wanted to come to school.
· School Improvement Plan 2013-14
All parents received a draft copy of the priorities identified for the year ahead; these were discussed with particular attention to sections regarding parental involvement.
All the parents present stated that they felt all the training areas for parents were covered. They were asked for further suggestions but felt that the key areas were all taken care of.
· Training/workshop opportunities for parents
Parents suggested that they would like more clarification regarding curriculum subject content to eradicate any contradictions at home with pupils. Mr Drakes explained that the next year would see a period of transition for two reasons:
1. The gradual change of the school to two forms of entry so that particular areas of learning can be assigned to definite Year groups
2. The changes to the National Curriculum which come into place for 2014 mean that the curriculum will have to be reviewed. This would be the last year where Year 6 will be studying the Second World War
Parents had appreciated the opportunities offered by the FoB to get qualifications in Food Hygiene and First Aid. This is planned to continue next year.
· Suggestions for further improvement
1. Communication – daily communication with class teacher could be further improved, particularly if the subject is sensitive or requires careful handling. Email contact was one suggestion discussed. It was pointed out by Mrs Owsley that some working parents can find it difficult to get to the school and this would help. Additionally parents don’t get to speak to the teacher first thing in the morning and it would allow the passing on of notes/messages. Mr Drakes said that he would look into email addresses for teachers being made available.
2. Attendance – rewards based on class data. Mrs Mason pointed out that some classes find it very difficult to win the class award if there is a child who is persistently off. It was discussed that there are also many rewards for individuals regarding attendance so that children do receive recognition for their own attendance and punctuality. Nursery attendance was discussed, however, as nursery children are not statutory school age we cannot enforce an attendance target. Nursery staff will continue to reward regular attendance within the nursery setting. Since the meeting one class – where winning the class award has been a struggle – has managed to earn a cupcake party and has won the attendance league.
3. Reading in school – children read regularly within their RWI groups, this will be communicated more clearly to parents. Mrs Owsley and Mrs Bloy raised the possibility that the children could be heard to read for 5mins twice a week. It was pointed out that with 30 pupils that equates to over 330mins of reading. If both the teacher and the TA are involved that leaves 28 other children who are not being looked after. Mrs Nicholls explained that the children do read every day in their Read Write Inc group and that they are heard by their teacher as part of that. We agreed that we would look at ways of trying to record this in their reading records in a way that is manageable.
4. Trips – ensuring that they are relevant and have a focus for learning. Whilst this was not the fault of the school, parents pointed out that the Bedfords Park trip focused on bugs rather than the intended plants. This was due to a limited number of rangers being available. Because we have split year group classes the teachers have to keep finding new places to go - especially since we are now doing a trip per term. This will settle down as the school becomes a two forms of entry school.
5. Including children who are absent in sharing assembly. Mrs Mason pointed out that some children may be absent in the run up to the assembly and it means they don’t get given a line. Couldn’t teachers have a prepared card which those children could just read out.
6. Attendance of parents at sporting events and allowing the pupils to practice before taking part in any event. There have been some events where not many parents came out to watch the pupils. This specifically referred to the Drapers Academy Sports Day. Mrs Nicholls explained that we had been told no parents were allowed, which was why we did not encourage spectators. However many did turn up from other schools and were then let in. As we are appointing a specialist PE teacher and a Sports Coach from September we expect to be better able to ensure the children are well practiced before an event.
7. Consistency – newsletters, merits, house points, certificates, homework, E for Excellence trophy. All parents pointed out that there is some inconsistency with how spellings/homework are given out. Mrs Owsley has one child who has been getting it and one who doesn’t. This understandably leads to difficulties at home. Mrs Nicholls explained that we have a number of new staff starting in September. As part of their induction and the first INSET day, we will go through a weekly overview so that staff are very clear on expectations. This also forms part of the standards which inform their appraisals.
8. Information for parents on which staff are leaving. MD will have to ask staff permission first. Once it is agreed it will be published in a newsletter.
9. Payment of trips over time. Mrs Owsley suggested that parents could be asked to spread their contributions for trips over the year, rather than get big bills in one lump. A contribution of £30 per child per year would cover all of the visits out and the experiences that we bring into school. This could be spread over 10 months and would mean a one child £3 per month, two children £6 per month. Mr Drakes said that he would speak to the bursar to see how this could be set up.
· Date of next meeting:
Mr Drakes and Mrs Nicholls thanked the parents for a very positive meeting with lots of good ideas.
The next meeting was set for: Thursday 10th October @ 9am
Action Plan
M Drakes, L Nicholls, E Owsley, R Borrell, L Stevens, A Stevens, N Bloy, K Trew, C Mason, L Chatterton, K Crawley
· Purpose of Parents’ Council
MD welcomed all parents to the first parent’s council and thanked everyone for attending. MD explained the rationale for the meeting and asked parents what outcomes they were hoping for, which included;
1. Working alongside school staff to further develop the school and the progress of the children.
2. Become more involved in school life.
3. Clarification on school policies, routines and practices.
4. Further develop informal and formal communication processes.
· Feedback on areas of strength for school – parents’ voice
1. Communication – email enquiries, messages to office, face to face discussions. Mrs Mason said that they felt the staff were welcoming and it was easy to get to see them. Previously the teachers had seemed stand offish and remote, but in the last two years this has really changed for the better.
2. Information on website and use of blog. Parents said that they love the photographs and getting to see more of what their children are doing.
3. Rewards – attendance, good work, good behavior, reading etc. Mrs Stevens pointed out that her children felt as if everything they did was recognized and celebrated: sport, reading, effort
4. Read, Write, inc. program and the impact on pupils learning. Mrs Borrell commented on the difference in attainment and progress she had seen between her children as the scheme has become more embedded.
5. Trips, swimming, outdoor learning. All parents said how much these trips had added to their children’s enjoyment of school. Mrs Cawley compared the number of trips Emma had done in one year compared to those her son had experienced during a longer period at the school and how much Emma had enjoyed them.
6. Ethos / spirit of the school. Parents commented on the welcome at the gate in the morning. All said that the visibility of the staff, cheery welcome, helpful office staff and friendly teachers created a really positive ethos. The combination of all the above made it a place where their children really wanted to come to school.
· School Improvement Plan 2013-14
All parents received a draft copy of the priorities identified for the year ahead; these were discussed with particular attention to sections regarding parental involvement.
All the parents present stated that they felt all the training areas for parents were covered. They were asked for further suggestions but felt that the key areas were all taken care of.
· Training/workshop opportunities for parents
Parents suggested that they would like more clarification regarding curriculum subject content to eradicate any contradictions at home with pupils. Mr Drakes explained that the next year would see a period of transition for two reasons:
1. The gradual change of the school to two forms of entry so that particular areas of learning can be assigned to definite Year groups
2. The changes to the National Curriculum which come into place for 2014 mean that the curriculum will have to be reviewed. This would be the last year where Year 6 will be studying the Second World War
Parents had appreciated the opportunities offered by the FoB to get qualifications in Food Hygiene and First Aid. This is planned to continue next year.
· Suggestions for further improvement
1. Communication – daily communication with class teacher could be further improved, particularly if the subject is sensitive or requires careful handling. Email contact was one suggestion discussed. It was pointed out by Mrs Owsley that some working parents can find it difficult to get to the school and this would help. Additionally parents don’t get to speak to the teacher first thing in the morning and it would allow the passing on of notes/messages. Mr Drakes said that he would look into email addresses for teachers being made available.
2. Attendance – rewards based on class data. Mrs Mason pointed out that some classes find it very difficult to win the class award if there is a child who is persistently off. It was discussed that there are also many rewards for individuals regarding attendance so that children do receive recognition for their own attendance and punctuality. Nursery attendance was discussed, however, as nursery children are not statutory school age we cannot enforce an attendance target. Nursery staff will continue to reward regular attendance within the nursery setting. Since the meeting one class – where winning the class award has been a struggle – has managed to earn a cupcake party and has won the attendance league.
3. Reading in school – children read regularly within their RWI groups, this will be communicated more clearly to parents. Mrs Owsley and Mrs Bloy raised the possibility that the children could be heard to read for 5mins twice a week. It was pointed out that with 30 pupils that equates to over 330mins of reading. If both the teacher and the TA are involved that leaves 28 other children who are not being looked after. Mrs Nicholls explained that the children do read every day in their Read Write Inc group and that they are heard by their teacher as part of that. We agreed that we would look at ways of trying to record this in their reading records in a way that is manageable.
4. Trips – ensuring that they are relevant and have a focus for learning. Whilst this was not the fault of the school, parents pointed out that the Bedfords Park trip focused on bugs rather than the intended plants. This was due to a limited number of rangers being available. Because we have split year group classes the teachers have to keep finding new places to go - especially since we are now doing a trip per term. This will settle down as the school becomes a two forms of entry school.
5. Including children who are absent in sharing assembly. Mrs Mason pointed out that some children may be absent in the run up to the assembly and it means they don’t get given a line. Couldn’t teachers have a prepared card which those children could just read out.
6. Attendance of parents at sporting events and allowing the pupils to practice before taking part in any event. There have been some events where not many parents came out to watch the pupils. This specifically referred to the Drapers Academy Sports Day. Mrs Nicholls explained that we had been told no parents were allowed, which was why we did not encourage spectators. However many did turn up from other schools and were then let in. As we are appointing a specialist PE teacher and a Sports Coach from September we expect to be better able to ensure the children are well practiced before an event.
7. Consistency – newsletters, merits, house points, certificates, homework, E for Excellence trophy. All parents pointed out that there is some inconsistency with how spellings/homework are given out. Mrs Owsley has one child who has been getting it and one who doesn’t. This understandably leads to difficulties at home. Mrs Nicholls explained that we have a number of new staff starting in September. As part of their induction and the first INSET day, we will go through a weekly overview so that staff are very clear on expectations. This also forms part of the standards which inform their appraisals.
8. Information for parents on which staff are leaving. MD will have to ask staff permission first. Once it is agreed it will be published in a newsletter.
9. Payment of trips over time. Mrs Owsley suggested that parents could be asked to spread their contributions for trips over the year, rather than get big bills in one lump. A contribution of £30 per child per year would cover all of the visits out and the experiences that we bring into school. This could be spread over 10 months and would mean a one child £3 per month, two children £6 per month. Mr Drakes said that he would speak to the bursar to see how this could be set up.
· Date of next meeting:
Mr Drakes and Mrs Nicholls thanked the parents for a very positive meeting with lots of good ideas.
The next meeting was set for: Thursday 10th October @ 9am
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What?
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How?
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Who?
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Daily communication with parents
regarding more sensitive issues.
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Discuss ways in which parents
and teachers can communicate daily. (email, home school book, reading
records)
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SLT and class teachers
|
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Information regarding reading in
RWI groups.
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RWI information meeting, model
lesson and workshops.
Weekly information regarding
work each week.
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LN
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Ensuring that trips have a
relevant focus for learning.
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Evaluate the effectiveness of
the trip after; ensure that research and pre visits are carried out.
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Class teachers
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Consistency between classes.
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Issue staff and parents with a
weekly tracker so that all stake holders are aware of routines. Complete
staff handbook with information regarding merits, house points etc.
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SLT and class teachers.
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Information regarding staff
leavers.
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MD will ask permission of
relevant staff.
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MD
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