Parent & Governor Meeting: Minutes 10th November

Governors attending:

Mrs Gordon – Chair

Mr Norman – Vice Chair

10 families were represented at the meeting, with parents of children in: Nursery, Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 4 & Year 5.

Welcome from Chair of Governors

• Gill Gordon opened the meeting by welcoming parents and reminding them that they could always email in questions if:
• They thought of something after the meeting
• They wanted to ask but were unable to attend
• They didn’t want to ask the question themselves in front of the group

Action from previous meeting

• Parents asked for more opportunities for the pupils to cook as part of the curriculum. In previous years parents had contributed money each term for the pupils to cook a variety of foods: additional cookery equipment to be ordered
• Training is covered in the agenda below

Curriculum Review

• New curriculum overview – reflecting different content from 2014 – now available on the website.
• Pupil Passport being drafted:
• Set out yearly expectations
• Provide parents with ways in which they can support learning
• Make clear the opportunities that children are entitled to in each Year group
• Parent Council suggestions for curriculum development: local history, careers

Action

Parents thought that the passport information covered the areas that they wanted to know about but asked if:

• There could be a help page for English and Maths on the website that they could refer to for support

Maths

• Expectations for new curriculum – see attached handout
• Mayor of London – Count on Us Challenge: we are the only Havering school to be accepted for the 2014-15 competition
• New visual calculations policy to be published shortly: help parents/teachers/ children see progression in calculations for all four operations
• Maths Parties for each class – parents invited to attend and take part with their children

Coconut – 14th November	Maple – 21st November	Elm – 28th November
Willow – 5th December	Birch – 19th December

• Stubbers meeting for Year 5&6 November 18^th @ 2pm

Action

Parents agreed that the statements were clear but asked for:

• Glossary for key terms: factor, multiple, prime number
• Calculations policy for parents to refer to that shows the methods used in school
• Training for parents on how the methods are taught in the classroom

Update on pupil numbers & Attendance

• School roll number now stands at 451
• Attendance figures have been revised upwards since Friday assembly – 244 again managed 100% in the last half term
• Whole school figure so far is 96% for the year
• End of term date December 19^th.
• Pupils return to school January 5^th

Expansion & build update

• Parental support needed to complain to the council about delays

councillorMeg.Davis@havering.gov.uk         mary.pattinson@havering.gov.uk

• Expansion likely to at least 3FE, possibly 4FE
• Council’s plan is to refurbish the old building – issue to do with cost
• Does not take into account issue with ‘variance’ that could occur
• Not in keeping with plans for Branfil when that expanded

Action

Parents were going to email Meg Davis and Mary Pattinson to voice their concerns that:

• Permanent Y6 classrooms now unlikely to be completed by September 2015
• Councillors had promised to demolish the old building – now it was good enough to stay
• Level of investment does not compare to other schools: Branfil
• Current Y6 pupils already segregated from the rest of school in temporary accommodation
• Standards may be affected by prolonged delay about expansion and nature of it – parents, pupils and staff have worked very hard to improve the school.

Forthcoming visits and enrichment

Y4 Drapers 10th Nov Pantomime 11th Nov Year 2 Firestation trip 12th Nov EYFS Saty & Play 17th Nov Year 2 Freshwater Theatre 17th Nov Reading Volunteers 20th Nov More Able Maths Day 20th Nov

Year 3&4 Freshwater Theatre 20th Nov Police Community Event 20th Nov All day bike club 21st Nov Xmas Bazaar 22nd November Y6 Drapers 24th Nov Holocaust Survivor 1st Dec Hog Hill Cycling Day 19th Dec

Community

Spiritual experiences

• element to the curriculum being planned with Rev Rich Shorter
• Year 4 to be first focus
• Children to perform at St George’s Church in December

Foodbank

• Great response from parents – over 700 items collected
• Schools in area provided over 6 tonnes of food
• Drive to collect advent calendars for families in difficulty – in by the 21^st November please

Choir performances

• A number of events in local community (BRAG, Salvation Army, My Place): 25^th Nov, 4^th, 6^th, 10^th, 11^th, 12^th, 15^th, 16^th, 17^th December

Parent Council

Mythbusting reminder:

• There is no requirement to be a ‘member’
• You do not have to be ‘invited’
• It is open to all parents – but we are aware that many have jobs/commitments which make it difficult for them to attend
• All views are welcome and respected

Feedback from last meeting

• New H&S parent volunteers – Rachel Borrell & Lilly Reynolds Nan
• Parents to meet new pupils and get their views of the school – Mrs Moss, Mr & Mrs Harrop
• Parents to help get the Parent View website updated – Lilly Reynolds Nan & Harrops

Parent Training

• Havering College did provide behaviour training as requested – 6 families completed the course
• Internet safety and maths to be offered shortly
• Additional resources to be placed on the website: OUP Maths, RWI videos

Training/information for parents

SEN Coffee morning on 13^th November @ 9am

Staffing

No additional news to report

AOB & Date of next meeting

Next Meeting

Parent Council 15^th January @ 2pm

Parent Governor Monday 9^th March @ 9am

Close of meeting

Mrs Gordon thanked parents for attending and reminded them that they can contact her via the office