OATHALL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oathall Community College Full Governing Body Minutes 12 December 2016
OATHALL COMMUNITY COLLEGE MEETING OF THE FULL GOVERNING BODY MINUTES OF A MEETING HELD ON 12 DECEMBER 2016
1
Present:
Martin Ashman, Brenda Brown, Stewart Boyling, Rowena Chalk (CHAIR), Pete Robinson, Anne Pieckielon, Debbie Rendall, Eddie Rodriguez (HEADTEACHER), Sue Stockwell, Nicky Wastie
In Attendance:
Mark Willer (part) Sally Foster
Minutes:
Moira Day
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Mike Lewis and Rod Haw accepted. Pete Robinson was welcomed to the meeting as new Staff Governor and Sally Foster was introduced as the new Clerk.
2
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Declarations will be taken as items arise.
3
CDP STRAND 3 – COMMUNITY & CULTURE MKW was welcomed to the meeting. Safeguarding and attendance reports had been circulated to governors in advance of the meeting, and MKW tabled further (unvalidated) data extracted from the inspection dashboard dated 25 November 2016. MKW highlighted three areas of focus from the CDP – the House system; Attendance; and Behaviour for Learning. House System – the House system has now been fully integrated and has led to some realignment of the pastoral framework. There is effective communication between Heads of House (HofH), particularly within behavioural issues where the four HofH work together when issues have arisen. Inclusion processes are working well The introduction of non-teaching staff into the roles of Assistant HofH has also strengthened the system. A full range of training sessions both in and out of school is being offered, together with ‘on the job’ training and it is anticipated that all will be fully embedded by the start of the next academic year. MKW expressed gratitude for the resources and funding which has enabled this. A full range of activities now take place within the House system, such as competitions and enrichment opportunities. The question of House identification is still under discussion. Student voice is playing a large role in this, and there is a strong indication from girls that they would like the equality of
Page 1 of 5
Oathall Community College Full Governing Body Minutes 12 December 2016
wearing a tie, which could be colour-coded to House. Behaviour for Learning – MKW and TDH have split the Behaviour policy into two sections, the first being labelled ‘behaviour for learning’ which covers routine behaviour, including adherence to uniform. The second part relates to non-routine behaviour, such as hate or racist incidents and drug or alcohol related issues. In a staff survey, 95% agreed behaviour for learning was perceived ‘good’. TDH liaised with Heads of Faculty to bring about a more transparent system, and staff and pupils have engaged with this. Quality assurance will look at data and then report back to staff and parents on the actual impact of the new behaviour policy. Attendance – a clear priority is to improve attendance. Data over the last 4 years shows there is some improvement, but 2015/16 was the first year when no improvement was made on previous years. Oathall is still slightly below the national average for attendance, and of course this is still not good enough. Looking at the data in more detail, persistent absence is above the national average figure, and within this the majority of cases fall within the 90-80%. MKW explained there is a robust system of warning letters to parents, and a proactive methodology where attendance is rewarded on a termly basis, but there are a number of students who do not attend well, largely drawn from Free School Meals (FSM) combined with SEN students. MA asked if these students had been questioned about why they do not MKW attend school, and MKW felt this a good action point to take away. MKW explained the process, being that a letter is sent out to parents when attendance of a student falls below 95%. This is followed by a second letter/phone call and the third level is an in-school meeting with relevant parties. There appears to be no correlation to specific post-code areas or feeder schools. The budget for resources to focus on this area is low, with Oathall being in one of the worstfunded authorities in the UK, and discussion took place around the table on methods of intervention. Exclusions – the number of exclusions are declining, even amongst FSM groups, so there is clear indication that this gap is narrowing. The thresholds for exclusion have not changed. Safeguarding – MKW believes all appropriate safeguarding procedures specifically around child protection are in place and working. All staff have been trained to the correct level. Student voice indicates 94% of students feel safe at school, and 92% of parents feel their child is safe at school. Student voice agrees that bullying is being dealt with efficiently, and the Police Liaison Officer becomes involved very quickly. There are very few repeat behaviours amongst the bullies. ‘Prevent Duty’ – One referral was made through the Channel process this year and the student’s family was visited at home as part of that process. Some reservations have been voiced about the process, and community cohesion plays a large part. MA asked how the new system was being judged as a success, and ERZ explained that HofH were invited to an open meeting, and that responses were picked up through parent voice, student voice and other agencies. RC thanked MKW for his presentation, and he left the meeting.
Page 2 of 5
Oathall Community College Full Governing Body Minutes 12 December 2016
4
APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 14 NOVEMBER 2016 The minutes of the meeting were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chair. AP asked that the minute relating to her position as Parent Governor be amended as she was happy to remain a governor, but did not want to go through the election process again.
5
MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES GOVERNANCE WORKING PARTY – Full report circulated in advance of the meeting by AP. The suggested activities contained within the report were accepted, although reservations were expressed by the Chair and Headteacher that the proposal to meet with a cross-section of staff twice a year could bypass formal protocol. AP and MA will liaise with the Headteacher’s PA to co-ordinate some of the suggestions and to enable this, AP was MA/AP invited to remain on the Board as an Associate Member for this purpose. RC suggested that the lanyards worn with ID badges be governor-specific to aid recognition within the college. HOMEWORK – ERZ advised this is being investigated with HofF. MA asked that the time ERZ guidance contained in the revised policy be incorporated on the college website. STAFF WELFARE SURVEY – JG will make a full report next year.
JG
SINGLE CENTRAL REGISTER – SS has inspected and signed. This item to be completed termly. PARENT VIEW/OFSTED WEBSITE – AP has examined and made recommendation in a written report prior to the meeting. Action closed. FUNDING AVAILABLE UNDER SECTION 106 MONEY discretion of the Local Authority. Action closed.
ERZ has been advised this is at the
6 FORM PROVISION – ERZ reported no change in the interviewing procedures by St Pauls College, but felt this did not put Oathall students at any disadvantage. Action closed. TH
SKILLS GAPS – A further Skills Audit will be carried out following the parent governor election in Clerk the New Year.
RC
BENCHMARKING - RC is still investigating.
MISSION STATEMENT/VISION FOR GOVERNORS – (ML to liaise with ERZ to formulate a Mission ML/ERZ Statement or vision for governors.) This can be incorporated into the Governance Working MA/AP Party. OFSTED CRITERIA MEETING – this was unavoidably cancelled and will carry forward to next year when a new date will be set. Clerk will reissue paperwork around this matter. 6
URGENT MATTERS There were no urgent matters
7
POLICIES & PROCEDURES REVIEW Governors reviewed the following policy. INCLUSION POLICY - reviewed
and approved.
Page 3 of 5
Clerk
Oathall Community College Full Governing Body Minutes 12 December 2016
ANNUAL SAFEGUARDING REPORT TO LCSB – SB & SS have reviewed and approved this report, and it has been sent to the Safeguarding Board. 8
BUSINESS REPORT JG circulated papers in advance of the meeting and DR reported meeting with her when financial matters were discussed. AP expressed thanks to JG for the clarity of her reporting. Security Issues – although the unauthorised intruders on the site can be identified, the Police have advised there is little they can do.
9
ACADEMIES & LOCALITY ISSUES A meeting will be held in January when Jill McCall (a contact of JG) will address governors on the subject of multi-academy trusts to enable better understanding of any future picture.
10
HEADTEACHER’S REPORT Premises – Security fencing almost complete, and electrics in place for access control gates. It was hoped the project will be finished by the end of term. Student Matters – KS4 DT provision is moving to the new framework, and the timescale means that the current Year 9 will make their GCSE options in January from vocational certificates in Food & Nutrition; Materials Technology; Child Care; and a GCSE in Engineering. A revised KS3 programme will support this for future years. Referring back to the Behaviour Policy, ERZ explained that a small number of students have been creating a disproportionate amount of issues, and a trial is underway to remove those students from the classroom for a short period of time and be kept under the direct supervision of a member of the SLT. This seemed to be working, and MA commented it sent a very powerful message and allowed teaching staff to get on with their job. Data – unvalidated RAISEonLine data is now available, and ERZ will circulate this to governors. Paul Murphy, the school SIP (and Ofsted Inspector) has highlighted the need for shadow data to sit behind the RAISE data. When in place, this highlights that 4 particular students make a big impact on data. AP asked how the RAISEonLine data benchmarked against other schools in our area, and ERZ thought a similar picture emerged. A number of rigorous questions have been formulated to aid challenge to the data, and ERZ suggested that a small number of governors work with him and TDH in the new year to look at this in detail, and report back. Action to carry forward to 2017. Staff Matters – one teacher long-term sick leave continues, with cover. The WRL coordinator has now returned on a phased basis. DT teacher vacancy has been filled by a temporary appointment as has a PE teacher. SAM Block Project – Money has now been secured, and a first site meeting has taken place with the contractors. The time scale has been presented, which is slightly longer than previously discussed. A number of enabling works will be undertaken on our behalf, and the final details of these will be agreed in January. ERZ expressed thanks to governors who attended the Concert last week, and reminded everyone of the Carols in the Barn tomorrow night. Head’s Conference/Funding – Very little to report, but pressure is still being put on MPs with
Page 4 of 5
ERZ
Action (challenge data)
Oathall Community College Full Governing Body Minutes 12 December 2016
regard to the lack of funding. Radical changes are being discussed to help Headteachers function. 11
OUTSIDE SCHOOL VISITS Nothing to report.
12
LINK GOVERNOR REPORT SB reminded governors that the new list of courses for the spring term had been published, and asked that any training be advised to the Clerk.
13
GOVERNORS’ VISITS AND INDIVIDUAL REPORTS BB reported bringing a group of 8 Year 5 students from Lindfield Primary to masterclasses held at Oathall and congratulated the staff here. All students had enjoyed their time. MA & AP reported having lunch in the school canteen recently and commended the students on their excellent behaviour. NW thanked the college for an excellent Concert. She also reported invigilating an Art Photography Mock Exam over 5 hours, during which the students behaved very well. DR had visited the college for a meeting with JG and one with MKW as part of the Strand consultation. She also enjoyed the Concert.
14
CHAIR’S REPORT RC reported that the letter inviting parent nominations for the two parent governor vacancies th had gone out, with a closing date of 9 January. She thanked AP for her time as Parent Governor and presented her with champagne and a card. As ML was not present, she will deliver his. RC then presented MD with flowers, card and gift in appreciation of her time as Clerk to the Governors.
15
ANY OTHER BUSINESS There was no further business.
The meeting closed at 9.10pm DATE & VENUE OF NEXT MEETINGS (all to be held at 7.00 pm in VLC) Spring Term 2017: 30 January; 6 March; 3 April Summer Term 2017: 15 May; 19 June; 17 July
Distribution: Governing Body, Leadership Team, Head’s PA, WSCC
Page 5 of 5
OATHALL COMMUNITY COLLEGE MEETING OF THE FULL GOVERNING BODY MINUTES OF A MEETING HELD ON 12 DECEMBER 2016
1
Present:
Martin Ashman, Brenda Brown, Stewart Boyling, Rowena Chalk (CHAIR), Pete Robinson, Anne Pieckielon, Debbie Rendall, Eddie Rodriguez (HEADTEACHER), Sue Stockwell, Nicky Wastie
In Attendance:
Mark Willer (part) Sally Foster
Minutes:
Moira Day
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies for absence were received from Mike Lewis and Rod Haw accepted. Pete Robinson was welcomed to the meeting as new Staff Governor and Sally Foster was introduced as the new Clerk.
2
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Declarations will be taken as items arise.
3
CDP STRAND 3 – COMMUNITY & CULTURE MKW was welcomed to the meeting. Safeguarding and attendance reports had been circulated to governors in advance of the meeting, and MKW tabled further (unvalidated) data extracted from the inspection dashboard dated 25 November 2016. MKW highlighted three areas of focus from the CDP – the House system; Attendance; and Behaviour for Learning. House System – the House system has now been fully integrated and has led to some realignment of the pastoral framework. There is effective communication between Heads of House (HofH), particularly within behavioural issues where the four HofH work together when issues have arisen. Inclusion processes are working well The introduction of non-teaching staff into the roles of Assistant HofH has also strengthened the system. A full range of training sessions both in and out of school is being offered, together with ‘on the job’ training and it is anticipated that all will be fully embedded by the start of the next academic year. MKW expressed gratitude for the resources and funding which has enabled this. A full range of activities now take place within the House system, such as competitions and enrichment opportunities. The question of House identification is still under discussion. Student voice is playing a large role in this, and there is a strong indication from girls that they would like the equality of
Page 1 of 5
Oathall Community College Full Governing Body Minutes 12 December 2016
wearing a tie, which could be colour-coded to House. Behaviour for Learning – MKW and TDH have split the Behaviour policy into two sections, the first being labelled ‘behaviour for learning’ which covers routine behaviour, including adherence to uniform. The second part relates to non-routine behaviour, such as hate or racist incidents and drug or alcohol related issues. In a staff survey, 95% agreed behaviour for learning was perceived ‘good’. TDH liaised with Heads of Faculty to bring about a more transparent system, and staff and pupils have engaged with this. Quality assurance will look at data and then report back to staff and parents on the actual impact of the new behaviour policy. Attendance – a clear priority is to improve attendance. Data over the last 4 years shows there is some improvement, but 2015/16 was the first year when no improvement was made on previous years. Oathall is still slightly below the national average for attendance, and of course this is still not good enough. Looking at the data in more detail, persistent absence is above the national average figure, and within this the majority of cases fall within the 90-80%. MKW explained there is a robust system of warning letters to parents, and a proactive methodology where attendance is rewarded on a termly basis, but there are a number of students who do not attend well, largely drawn from Free School Meals (FSM) combined with SEN students. MA asked if these students had been questioned about why they do not MKW attend school, and MKW felt this a good action point to take away. MKW explained the process, being that a letter is sent out to parents when attendance of a student falls below 95%. This is followed by a second letter/phone call and the third level is an in-school meeting with relevant parties. There appears to be no correlation to specific post-code areas or feeder schools. The budget for resources to focus on this area is low, with Oathall being in one of the worstfunded authorities in the UK, and discussion took place around the table on methods of intervention. Exclusions – the number of exclusions are declining, even amongst FSM groups, so there is clear indication that this gap is narrowing. The thresholds for exclusion have not changed. Safeguarding – MKW believes all appropriate safeguarding procedures specifically around child protection are in place and working. All staff have been trained to the correct level. Student voice indicates 94% of students feel safe at school, and 92% of parents feel their child is safe at school. Student voice agrees that bullying is being dealt with efficiently, and the Police Liaison Officer becomes involved very quickly. There are very few repeat behaviours amongst the bullies. ‘Prevent Duty’ – One referral was made through the Channel process this year and the student’s family was visited at home as part of that process. Some reservations have been voiced about the process, and community cohesion plays a large part. MA asked how the new system was being judged as a success, and ERZ explained that HofH were invited to an open meeting, and that responses were picked up through parent voice, student voice and other agencies. RC thanked MKW for his presentation, and he left the meeting.
Page 2 of 5
Oathall Community College Full Governing Body Minutes 12 December 2016
4
APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 14 NOVEMBER 2016 The minutes of the meeting were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chair. AP asked that the minute relating to her position as Parent Governor be amended as she was happy to remain a governor, but did not want to go through the election process again.
5
MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES GOVERNANCE WORKING PARTY – Full report circulated in advance of the meeting by AP. The suggested activities contained within the report were accepted, although reservations were expressed by the Chair and Headteacher that the proposal to meet with a cross-section of staff twice a year could bypass formal protocol. AP and MA will liaise with the Headteacher’s PA to co-ordinate some of the suggestions and to enable this, AP was MA/AP invited to remain on the Board as an Associate Member for this purpose. RC suggested that the lanyards worn with ID badges be governor-specific to aid recognition within the college. HOMEWORK – ERZ advised this is being investigated with HofF. MA asked that the time ERZ guidance contained in the revised policy be incorporated on the college website. STAFF WELFARE SURVEY – JG will make a full report next year.
JG
SINGLE CENTRAL REGISTER – SS has inspected and signed. This item to be completed termly. PARENT VIEW/OFSTED WEBSITE – AP has examined and made recommendation in a written report prior to the meeting. Action closed. FUNDING AVAILABLE UNDER SECTION 106 MONEY discretion of the Local Authority. Action closed.
ERZ has been advised this is at the
6 FORM PROVISION – ERZ reported no change in the interviewing procedures by St Pauls College, but felt this did not put Oathall students at any disadvantage. Action closed. TH
SKILLS GAPS – A further Skills Audit will be carried out following the parent governor election in Clerk the New Year.
RC
BENCHMARKING - RC is still investigating.
MISSION STATEMENT/VISION FOR GOVERNORS – (ML to liaise with ERZ to formulate a Mission ML/ERZ Statement or vision for governors.) This can be incorporated into the Governance Working MA/AP Party. OFSTED CRITERIA MEETING – this was unavoidably cancelled and will carry forward to next year when a new date will be set. Clerk will reissue paperwork around this matter. 6
URGENT MATTERS There were no urgent matters
7
POLICIES & PROCEDURES REVIEW Governors reviewed the following policy. INCLUSION POLICY - reviewed
and approved.
Page 3 of 5
Clerk
Oathall Community College Full Governing Body Minutes 12 December 2016
ANNUAL SAFEGUARDING REPORT TO LCSB – SB & SS have reviewed and approved this report, and it has been sent to the Safeguarding Board. 8
BUSINESS REPORT JG circulated papers in advance of the meeting and DR reported meeting with her when financial matters were discussed. AP expressed thanks to JG for the clarity of her reporting. Security Issues – although the unauthorised intruders on the site can be identified, the Police have advised there is little they can do.
9
ACADEMIES & LOCALITY ISSUES A meeting will be held in January when Jill McCall (a contact of JG) will address governors on the subject of multi-academy trusts to enable better understanding of any future picture.
10
HEADTEACHER’S REPORT Premises – Security fencing almost complete, and electrics in place for access control gates. It was hoped the project will be finished by the end of term. Student Matters – KS4 DT provision is moving to the new framework, and the timescale means that the current Year 9 will make their GCSE options in January from vocational certificates in Food & Nutrition; Materials Technology; Child Care; and a GCSE in Engineering. A revised KS3 programme will support this for future years. Referring back to the Behaviour Policy, ERZ explained that a small number of students have been creating a disproportionate amount of issues, and a trial is underway to remove those students from the classroom for a short period of time and be kept under the direct supervision of a member of the SLT. This seemed to be working, and MA commented it sent a very powerful message and allowed teaching staff to get on with their job. Data – unvalidated RAISEonLine data is now available, and ERZ will circulate this to governors. Paul Murphy, the school SIP (and Ofsted Inspector) has highlighted the need for shadow data to sit behind the RAISE data. When in place, this highlights that 4 particular students make a big impact on data. AP asked how the RAISEonLine data benchmarked against other schools in our area, and ERZ thought a similar picture emerged. A number of rigorous questions have been formulated to aid challenge to the data, and ERZ suggested that a small number of governors work with him and TDH in the new year to look at this in detail, and report back. Action to carry forward to 2017. Staff Matters – one teacher long-term sick leave continues, with cover. The WRL coordinator has now returned on a phased basis. DT teacher vacancy has been filled by a temporary appointment as has a PE teacher. SAM Block Project – Money has now been secured, and a first site meeting has taken place with the contractors. The time scale has been presented, which is slightly longer than previously discussed. A number of enabling works will be undertaken on our behalf, and the final details of these will be agreed in January. ERZ expressed thanks to governors who attended the Concert last week, and reminded everyone of the Carols in the Barn tomorrow night. Head’s Conference/Funding – Very little to report, but pressure is still being put on MPs with
Page 4 of 5
ERZ
Action (challenge data)
Oathall Community College Full Governing Body Minutes 12 December 2016
regard to the lack of funding. Radical changes are being discussed to help Headteachers function. 11
OUTSIDE SCHOOL VISITS Nothing to report.
12
LINK GOVERNOR REPORT SB reminded governors that the new list of courses for the spring term had been published, and asked that any training be advised to the Clerk.
13
GOVERNORS’ VISITS AND INDIVIDUAL REPORTS BB reported bringing a group of 8 Year 5 students from Lindfield Primary to masterclasses held at Oathall and congratulated the staff here. All students had enjoyed their time. MA & AP reported having lunch in the school canteen recently and commended the students on their excellent behaviour. NW thanked the college for an excellent Concert. She also reported invigilating an Art Photography Mock Exam over 5 hours, during which the students behaved very well. DR had visited the college for a meeting with JG and one with MKW as part of the Strand consultation. She also enjoyed the Concert.
14
CHAIR’S REPORT RC reported that the letter inviting parent nominations for the two parent governor vacancies th had gone out, with a closing date of 9 January. She thanked AP for her time as Parent Governor and presented her with champagne and a card. As ML was not present, she will deliver his. RC then presented MD with flowers, card and gift in appreciation of her time as Clerk to the Governors.
15
ANY OTHER BUSINESS There was no further business.
The meeting closed at 9.10pm DATE & VENUE OF NEXT MEETINGS (all to be held at 7.00 pm in VLC) Spring Term 2017: 30 January; 6 March; 3 April Summer Term 2017: 15 May; 19 June; 17 July
Distribution: Governing Body, Leadership Team, Head’s PA, WSCC
Page 5 of 5
