Parent Council - Meeting 9

Date: September 24th @ 2pm
Parents/Carers Attending: Wise, Omwanghe, Sibanda, Vincent, Reynolds (Murray), Wheal, Atkinson, Harrop

Actions from previous meeting
1. Reading survey
This is to be carried out before Christmas - Mr Harrop volunteered to do this with Miss Sparkes

2. Parent View
Parents were reminded of how to login on the website and informed that the survey would be formally undertaken during the Autumn parents' evening

3. New cook
Parents were reminded that we have a new cook - Michelle - as Mandy has been promoted to area manager

4. Travel Plan – now got Gold
Mr Drakes thanked parents for their help in completing the information used in the Travel Plan assessment. The update is that we have now been awarded Gold status since the last Parent Council meeting. The JTAs will be meeting soon to outline the targets for this year as we hope to become a centre of excellence for cycling

Agenda
1. New staff
Last year the Parent Council raised the point that not all parents were aware of the new adults who had joined the staff. It was agreed that in future we would add photos of new staff to the website so that all members of the school community would know who the adults in school were:

http://broadfordprimary.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/new-staff.html

2. School Expansion
Parents asked for an update on the timelines for expansion. At the last meeting parents had raised concerns about the plan for demolishing the old building and requested details about why the work had not taken place in the Summer holidays. Parents also pointed out that the hall space issue was more likely to come into effect this year as we have an extra class in Y3.

Mr Drakes went through the timetable

• The EFA (Education Funding Agency) and LA are due to meet on Oct 22nd to make further plans for delivering the building work locally. The intention is still to get the work completed for Summer 2016 so that the new block will be ready for Sept 2017.
• The reason that the works were not carried out this Summer was that the PSBP2 (Priority Schools Building Program) schools all have to be surveyed first and then a report compiled. This wasn't ready in time for any work to be commissioned. However in meetings in Sept it was indicated that Broadford will be high on the priority list.
• Since the last Parent Council meeting the school has obtained funding from Veolia for the canopy - parents were shown an image of the likely installation. We are now waiting for planning permission which is expected on Oct 15th. Once that is obtained the grant body can give permission to get underway.
• A further update will be given on the building works for the permanent classrooms at the Parent Governor meeting later in the term (Nov 16th). Value Grade have been appointed as the contractor, but we are still awaiting a date for the pre contract meeting. This normally signals that the works are imminently due to start.

The bulge class has started in Y3 and parents were informed that 23 pupils have already been added to the school roll. Parents asked about the impact at playtime and whether it would reduce play space and equipment for existing pupils. It was explained that the plan is to continue to add extra facilities to the playground: giant climbing tyres, a ladder and outdoor gym equipment. Pupils who had completed the reading challenge had earned £800 towards extra equipment: balls, skipping ropes and building blocks. This would be chosen by the children and the ordered.

3. School Improvement Plan
Parents looked through the latest version of the School Improvement Plan and discussed areas where they may be able to contribute:

1. To embed new curriculum and ensure that all staff are ‘teaching to the top’
2. To embed the new assessment systems and ensure that all stakeholders are aware of progress
3. To further develop leadership capacity throughout the school 
4. To continue developing a culture of continuous improvement that drives progress in teaching and learning 

Parents suggested that they would be able to:

• Survey pupils new to the school in the bulge cohort to check that they had settled in and new of the key expectations
• Come in and take part in Maths Games as part of the Count on Us challenge
• Share with parents the pupil passport and what it is for
• Come and observe some play times to see the new facilities in action and the quality of the behaviour/interactions

Mr Drakes also pointed out that there were a number of opportunities in the diary for parents to be involved:

• Friday 25th November - McMillan Coffee Morning
• Tuesday 29th September - Parent Gym booster session
• Thursday 1st October - Assembly for new parents (Reception, Y3 and other new pupils)
• Thursday 1st October - Y6 Health & Hygiene talk
• Friday 16th October - Reading Volunteers meeting
• October 19th & 20th - Parents Evening (launch of the pupil passports)

4. AOB
The questions asked by parents were:

• Are all new staff aware of the children's reading level from their previous class? There had been some cases where pupils had been placed back a level on the scheme and the books were not challenging enough. Mr Drakes agreed to speak to the teachers and remedy this. It should be the case that all information is handed up to the new teacher so that pupils make a smooth transition.
• A similar issue was raised with the Rock Stars times tables. In the previous year group the pupils had been tackling harder sums. In the new class they seem to have gone back to simpler x tables. Again, Mr Drakes stated that he would speak with class teachers and then get feedback from parents as to whether the situation had changed.

Date of next meeting – Thursday 28th January @ 2pm