LEIGH ACADEMY
PARENTS’ FORUM
Minutes Of meeting held on Monday 15th September 2014
Attendees:
Academy staff:- Faye McGill-Principal Da Vinci
Sharon Waterman-Principal Darwin
Julia Collins-Principal Chaucer
Joe Swash-Principal Brunel
Parents:
BRUNEL: - Kerry Bates
CHAUCER: Caela Peixoro, Kim Semple, Bola Ajewole, Anthony Ajewole, Sharon Coles, Ann Burch, Jacqueline Ellis, Nicola Shead, Fiona Williams
DA VINCI:- Julie-Anne Rodgers, Titilayo Owootomo
DARWIN: Jan Jennings, Bridget Busfield, Jane Scott, Andrew Collins
Apologies: Sandy Taylor, Mo Jenson, Alice Nolan
MINUTES
- Welcome and apologies
Fiona Williams welcomed everyone, introduced herself and vice-chair JJ and gave apologies for those absent. Explained how parents forum works, six meetings a year. Please email FW to be included on email list.
Julia Collins-Principal Chaucer:
Leigh started this year in position of strength in Leadership team. Strong message in mission statement. The 4 day Personal Development training in August was productive, all teachers moving in same direction.
Sport-U16 girls National Rugby League champions 2nd year running.
Joe Swash-Principal Brunel:
Development area is excellence, for students, including challenging students, to be the best they can be.
Website-statutory obligations need updating. In the process of amending.
Results-Volatility nationally. Change in exams 2014. 53% got A-C in maths and English (above national average), EBAC subject 16% of 50% with bigger push next year, A2 64 % A-C
Faye McGill-Principal Da Vinci
Development area challenge. (Staff development and IPads).
Aim for no lesson to be graded below good across academy. 340 lessons assessed in 2013-14, 21% outstanding. Areas of professional development programme Weds PM, targeting teachers that need support. Encouraging recruitment/retention of staff. Focus narrowing gap-all students regardless of ability to achieve their best. Working on challenging students.
IPads-arrived 15/9. Staff got theirs in July for training. They will make lessons engaging, encourage independent learning. Y7 iPad rollout 19/9, other years 22-24/9. Students bringing own iPads must bring their Apple ID. 29th Sept, all IPads must be up and running.
Follow-me printing will be running by mid Oct. (Print, swipe card, get prints).
The most common insurance claims for IPads at Longfield Academy is cracked screens as they had no cases hence the mandatory (for insurance) IPad covers for Leigh.
Lockers have been installed for PE lessons to house IPads securely.
Home learning-Kevin Brewer arranging timetable across academy to be rolled out by end of this module.
Julia Collins-Principal Chaucer
Development area partnerships. Area includes Trust Inclusives such as educational psychologists, careers advisor, attendance officer, pupil premium students. There is a new Director of Learning for inclusion, vulnerable and special educational needs students. The mission statement is all about students. Previous year pupil premium students (PPS) achievements were 30% less than non PPS. This year that gap reduced to 15%.
Rewards and consequences rolled out across academy and behaviour issues feed back into this. This includes punctuality, detentions. Electronic registration everyday between 8.30 and 8.45. Parents should receive a text if their child is not registered and they have not rung in. Parents should ring before this time if their child is to be absent. Additionally register taken at every lesson.
New tutor groups (vertical tutoring). Tutor time between lesson 1 and 2. Ages 11-15 together in tutor groups and years 11-13 in other tutor groups.
Sharon Waterman-Principal Darwin
Leigh has a cohesive stable team of staff. SW area includes staffing, finance, curriculum, timetable, admissions, business manager links and links to governors.
Consistency is key word. 4 colleges, 4 principals. This presents challenges, but are committed to consistency i.e. same systems and procedures, rewards and consequences, including line managing, lesson observations. All driving standards up.
Leigh has high staff turnover, outer London weighting is achievable 5 minutes west. H/R appointed Richard Taylor and retention of staff is at the heart of the matter, need to support staff through consistency.
Car park-purchase order raised, approval at governor level awaited. This will provide barriers, entry phone, entry plates, sleeping policemen slow ramps, 21 cameras around car park and external perimeter. The flow of car park remain as now to avoid impact on main road.
Parent Pay working well but with low take-up. Sums below £10 need to be paid in cash.
PE kit looks good, many students have replaced items. Needs to be a link to SWI on website to purchase online. Sample sizes at reception.
- Minutes of previous meeting – agreed.
- Members Questions
.Q There is difference in prices between Longfield Wools and Brigade for uniform?
.
Q How many new staff started this September?
A Now fully staffed, Darwin had 2 new staff, about 10/11 across academy. Bigger recruit in May, staff more settled for September. Maths and English and languages strong teams, one science teacher on supply. Re languages 42% achieved A-C up by 30%. Potential to develop this further. Business studies has new vibrant team. There are approx. 100 full time teaching staff.
Q Rewards and consequences-are staff monitored as some don’t use this much?
A Reports run on staff to see if balance is wrong, this would be addressed. More staff can receive this tracking information i.e. tutors. Consistency across academy. Reward cards still used.
Q Who choses rewards?
A Student Voice designed rewards catalogue.
Q Could term dates be included on planner or an app on new IPads?
Q End year report, 10 subjects with only 1 subject with text?
A Y7 would get written reports modules 1 and 5 only.
Principals leave 7:45pm
Q Y11 careers talk content unclear. Letter given to students not on website?
Q Dissatisfaction expressed for Y7 start of year. Lot of information for ‘just out of primary school’ children to absorb in one day (size of school and it’s geography, where classes are, tutors, 4 lunches, timetables, lanyards and so on). Parents have noted some lack of compassion to students by some staff (lost, late finding rooms, wrong lunch etc.). Is there something school could do to help Y7, (day at school in hols (not sports related) or something prior to big start?
Q Some Y7 logins not working –eportal.
Q When is OFSTED next due in?
Q There was an incident in which two fastrack buses narrowly missed students. Parent has taken this up directly with Arriva however, Arriva advise that the crossing over the fastrack is not a ‘designated crossing’. KCC confirm this. Can the school get involved and send letter to KCC to request this ‘designation’ changed?
Q Parents raised concerns over some pupils crossing roads inappropriately or in inappropriate places. Can road safety be emphasised to students.
Q Y10/11 exams confusion to parents, are some exams still taken in Y10?
Q All letters are still not appearing on website?
Q Basic information is still incorrect on website i.e. the names of current principals and where is the mission statement?
- Governors’ update
No update but Ann Burch explained the parent governor’s role and involvement in school.
Meeting ended 8:40.pm
Next meeting Monday 17th November 2014 Board Room.