PENLLERGAER PRIMARY SCHOOL
TEL: 01792/892354
FAX: 01792/891767
“Our School is for Everyone”
Penllergaer Primary is a Rights Respecting School
Annual Report from Governors to Parents
Academic Year 2012/2013
City & County of Swansea
Dinas a Sir Abertawe
This Annual Report to Parents has been prepared by the school’s Governing Body.
Tenure of Office:
For all governors except Head teachers who are ex officio the term of office will end four years from the date of appointment.
The school’s governors are:
Chairperson of Governors: Mrs. H Roberts
Vice-Chairperson of Governors: Mr. G. Richards
Clerk to Governors: Mrs. Mary Bevan
Governors appointed by the Local Education Authority: Date term of office ends:
Mr. A. Hussey 7th October, 2015
Councillor W. Fitzgerald 31st August, 2016
Rev. A. Bayes 9th December, 2013
Governors appointed by the Minor Authority:
Mrs C. Pugh 13th May, 2016
Governors elected by Parents of Penllergaer Primary School:
Mrs. A. Choudhuri 2nd July, 2016
Mr. W. Meredith 11th May, 2015
Mrs. R. Phillips 4th October, 2015
Co-opted Governing Body Members:
Mrs. E. Davies 19th January, 2017
Mr. G. Richards 7th November, 2016
Mrs. H. Roberts 13th September, 2017
Governors elected by Teaching Staff of Penllergaer Primary School:
Mr. P. Smallbones 25th September, 2015
Governors elected by Support Staff of Penllergaer Primary School:
Mr. J. Haines 10th September, 2015
Headteacher: Mrs. Jayne Woolcock
Deputy Headteacher: Mrs. S. Burns
All governors can be contacted via the school.
PENLLERGAER PRIMARY SCHOOL GOVERNING BODY
RECORD OF MEETINGS DURING ACADEMIC YEAR 2012/2013
Date / Type of meeting02/10/12 / Full Governing Body
20/11/12 / Finance Committee
22/01/13 / Premises Committee
22/01/13 / Performance Management
05/02/13 / Full Governing Body
07/05/13 / Finance Committee
07/05/13 / Curriculum Committee
09/07/13 / Pay Committee
09/07/13 / Full Governing Body
No resolutions were received at the last parents’ meeting.
During the past year the Governing Body has met on a termly basis to review all aspects of school policy and practice. The Premises, Finance, Personnel, Curriculum and Data committees have met to discuss teaching and learning, pupil progress, building issues, health and safety, the budget and its implications on staffing and school initiatives.
Sub committees report to the full governing body as appropriate.
Subject Coordinators and the School Council have made presentations to Governors.
Site meetings with representatives of the City & County of Swansea have also taken place during the year.
Governors have attended various training sessions.
Penllergaer Primary School
School Terms & Holidays
2013/2014
Mid Term HolidaysTerm / Term
Begins / Term
Ends / Begins / Ends / Term Begins / Term Ends / Total Days per Term
Autumn 2013 / Monday
2nd
September / Friday
25th
October / Monday
28th
October / Friday
1st
November / Monday
4th
November / Friday
20th
December
40 / 35 / 75
Spring 2014 / Monday
6th
January / Friday
21st
February / Monday
24th
February / Friday
28th
February / Monday
3rd
March / Friday
11th
April
35 / 30 / 65
Summer 2014 / Monday
28th
April / Friday
23rd
May / Monday
26th
May / Friday
30th
May / Monday
2nd
June / Monday
21st
July
19 / 36 / 55
TOTAL / 195
Bank Holidays
18th April 2014 Good Friday
21st April 2014 Easter Monday
5th May 2014 May Day
26th May 2014 Spring Bank Holiday
INSET
Monday, 2nd September, 2013
Friday, 25th October, 2013
Monday, 6th January, 2014
Monday, 21st July, 2014
1 further date to be arranged.
Financial Statement
For the financial year 01/04/2012-31/03/2013
Budget Share from LEA - £1,233,892
Income
Foundation Phase £ 750
Bank Interest £ 0
SEG grant £ 17,517
Catering Refund £ 0
Staff Meals £ 1,312
Welsh Assembly £ 3,511
Miscellaneous £ 10,586
NQT £ 981
Insurance £ 65
Outdoor Pursuits £ 0
After School Club £ 22,791
Pupil Deprivation Grant £ 13,950
GTCW £ 990
To Fund ICT project £ 7,400
Total Income - £ 79,853
Budget Share & Income - £1,313,745
Total Expenditure - £1,313,529
No expenses were claimed by Governors
We are still supporting a “Splash Appeal” which aims to raise towards £1 million to construct a hydrotherapy pool which would benefit local special needs pupils as well as adult community groups. The fund currently stands at £133,573
The PTA have supported the school throughout the year with various fundraising initiatives and have contributed towards ICT equipment and the cost of Theatre productions.
School Prospectus
Governor details have been updated and the format has been redesigned. No other changes have been made to the school brochure since its last publication other than toilet facilities, updated national curriculum and school attendance results, safeguarding arrangements and outcomes of awards achieved. National Curriculum end of key stage assessments are also published in this report. A copy of our School Prospectus is given to all new and prospective parents.
Appointments
Mr. Morgan was appointed for the Spring Term 2013 to cover Mrs. Cardiff who undertook a Welsh Sabbatical.
We have employed several new Teaching Assistants this academic year:
Miss F. Jones, Miss R. Sinnott, Mr. R. Jenkins and Mr. F. Green.
Progress on our School Development Plan (SDP)
All parents are made aware of the focus via newsletters and parent meetings, our school website and noticeboards. A recent external Performance Management assessment was complimentary of the school’s developmental ethos and performance. The mission statement of “Our School is for Everyone” encompasses all of our targets which range from performance in standardised tests to implementation of staff Performance Management, from reviewing policies to encouraging further parental involvement in school. The SDP is available at the school office should any parent wish to read it in more detail.
Our SDP runs from each academic year – September to July. Just by visiting the school you will observe the impact and effectiveness of meeting these targets. Our targets are devised using a number of sources - analysis of end of academic year data from National and standardised tests and teacher assessments, comparisons of Penllergaer School performance against similar schools in the LA and Wales, local and national priorities, Estyn recommendations, staff, parent, pupil and governor questionnaires and monitoring and audits undertaken by the Head teacher, Senior Management Team, Subject Coordinators and external advisors.
All objectives set for 2012/2013 have been met. They focused on:
• To improve standards in welsh
• To develop pupils numeracy skills across the school in order to raise standards in mathematics
• To develop pupils investigative skills in science
• To produce a school-based on-entry assessment for new pupils
• To consistently provide appropriate challenging learning activities for all pupils.
• To further develop the application of ICT as a key skill across the curriculum
• To strengthen pupils’ skills in extended writing
• To ensure leadership at all levels provides high quality innovative organisation and deployment of staff for benefit of all learners.
Governors receive termly updates on progress being made. The evaluation of the SDP 2012/13 has been posted on our school website.
We are in a time of significant change in primary education and planning and assessment of a skills continuum is at the heart of this change in addition to raising standards in reading, writing and numeracy. National Tests were implemented in Reading and Numeracy in May, 2013 for all pupils from Y2 to Y6.
Curriculum/Learning Resources:
All subject polices are annually updated and new skills based curriculum planning is continually reviewed. Members of staff have worked closely with the Head teacher regarding School Self-evaluation, Assessment for Learning Strategies and raising standards in reading and Mr Roger Davies and Mr. Euros Jones, (LA School Development Advisors), have been supportive in updating the School’s Regional Support, Challenge and Intervention Framework (RSCIF) which is required of all schools in the region, and reviewing the school’s progress towards its stated aims.
We have continued to develop our school library into a multi-media suite and develop our extensive school grounds. We obtained another Swansea in Bloom award in the Premier League category, again this year. A huge thanks to Mrs Lidiard, Mr Haines and the gardening team for their hard work.
The school has further developed Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship. This has been rewarded by the confirmation that we met the criteria to achieve the Peace Mala Award. We also have Schools Eco Status. Our assessors spoke
highly of the creative work undertaken by staff and pupils. Health and the Environment also forms the basis for the school’s involvement in its International Projects. The school has been involved with a new Comenius Project with schools from Finland, Turkey and Spain. This project has developed our pupils understanding of global citizenship and given them a greater insight, tolerance of cultural diversity. The school has successfully had its Healthy Schools National Quality Award Status renewed. We hosted four teachers from Finland and one from Spain this year as part of our Comenius Project ‘Europe in our Home’. Twelve Y5/6 pupils and four staff visited Finland in May 2013.
Pontarddulais Comprehensive School teachers have visited us to strengthen links between our schools and to ensure the children’s smooth transition from the Primary to the Secondary stage. A range of meetings and joint training events have been held between the Comprehensive and other schools in our cluster to enable the sharing of good practice and to secure continuity and progression for all children. Transition has focused on standardisation and moderation of pupils work as well as raising standards in reading and writing.
Arrangements for the teaching of Welsh
Penllergaer is an English medium school and all correspondence is provided in English only. Welsh is taught as a second language from Nursery age. The National Curriculum requires certain levels of competence in oracy, writing and reading Welsh, which children will be expected to attain by Year 6. It is the school's aim to use the Welsh language in such a way as to ensure that children see, hear and use it as a natural part of school life. It is given a prominent role in many school activities. Children also have an opportunity to learn about Welsh culture and heritage, as well as the language of Wales, through such activities as St. David's Day celebrations. Our teaching of Welsh is supported by the LA’s team of peripatetic Welsh teachers', 'Athrawon Bro', who visit the school once a fortnight to work alongside teachers and pupils in promoting the Welsh Language. All staffs undertake relevant training to improve their competency in teaching and learning Welsh.
PMLD pupils are disapplied from Welsh and some pupils who have an Educational Statement may also be disapplied.
ICT
We have a rolling programme of upgrading our whiteboard projectors and leasing of laptops to serve our mobile wireless computer suites. Our ICT Co-ordinators, Mr. Smallbones and Mr. Davies oversee the installation and use of these valuable learning aids. They also ensure staff are kept abreast on new developments as well as train staff in the use of ICT to promote teaching and learning. Staff have continued to receive ICT training. The school has embraced the use of mobile technologies to enhance teaching and learning and has purchased i-pads and apple TVs. Our new school website www.penllergaer.swansea.sch.uk is regularly updated and Y5/6 pupils upload a web blog on a weekly basis. We can also be followed on twitter @PenllergaerP
National Curriculum Assessment
Penllergaer has developed its own robust tracking system that enables the school to produce individual pupil profiles covering a range of assessment scores and data on each pupil. These profiles contain information regarding attendance, academic progress and well-being. NFER standardised tests and National Numeracy and Reading tests have been completed by all children from Year 2 through to Year 6. The results from all pupil assessments are mapped onto our individual electronic pupil tracking cards. These help us to accurately plot individual pupil progress as well as cohort progress (which we use to review teaching and learning) and set future targets for improvement. Cohorts can be tracked and compared to LA and All Wales Family Groups, as well as National standards so we can compare our pupils’ standards with similar schools.
Analysis of teacher assessment and standardised test scores taken over the past year show we are continuing to narrow the gap between girls and boys achievement to such a degree that there is very little gender difference. Some of the strategies we have employed include Philosophy for Children lessons that develop pupils’ thinking, communication and problem solving skills through topics such as exploring the world of work, the environment, global citizenship and sustainability. We also use formative assessment for learning strategies that include Talking pairs / verbalising – peer learning/marking, use of mind mapping, children leading the learning, use of media e.g. DVD film clips, use of a range of texts and various other teaching methodologies. These have all proved highly successful.
Teacher Assessment results continue to show improvement and this reflects the high quality teaching in the school. The results are ahead of targets set by the Welsh Assembly and the aim of the school is to maintain this high standard. The senior management team is responsible for scrutinising planning and evaluation practices.
Performance targets were presented to the Governing Body last Autumn for the current years 2-6 classes. These are year on year improvement targets for each child and not percentage increases for the cohorts. Our progress regarding these targets can be found in the table towards the end of this report and illustrates the high expectations we have of our pupils.
Staffing and Continued Professional Development.
Mrs. K. Morgan is the school’s Staff Development Officer. She manages teacher programmes on behalf of the Headteacher while Mrs. H. Jones and Mrs. M. Bevan carry out the same duties for support staff. All staff undertake annual Performance Management/Review meetings with the Headteacher or with a nominated senior manager. School staff have attended courses in curricular areas such as reading, writing, mathematics, welsh, restorative practice, science, and IT to provide a wide variety of experiences and have been released to address subject responsibilities. A full list and the impact of attending such professional development opportunities can be obtained from the school office.