Establishing the foundations of life

Inspiring a love of learning now and forever

Governors’ Report to Parents 2017

Published in line with the School Governors’ Annual Reports (Wales) regulations 2011 – Schedule 2

Message from the Chair of Governors

Dear Parents

After another busy year in the life of Ysgol Penyffordd, it gives me pleasure to introduce this report from the Governors to the parents.

In the report we, the Governors, take the opportunity to summarise the responsibilities and activities of the Governing Body. Much of the life of the school, its statistics and achievements are listed in the report, and we hope that this will give an indication of the caring and vibrant learning atmosphere provided at Ysgol Penyffordd.

We have a Governing Body with members from various backgrounds and perspectives. Some of us are Ysgol Penyffordd parents while others have links with the local community. We work very closely with the Head Teacher and the whole staff to see that Ysgol Penyffordd continues to offer the best education possible for your children. The Governors set and oversee the various policies that guide the school towards fulfilling its aims and objectives. Many of the Governors are involved in the life of the school on a regular basis. This involves attending meetings and so much more.

It is undoubtedly the commitment of the Head teacher and the entire school staff, both teaching and non-teaching, which makes Ysgol Penyffordd such a special school, and we offer our thanks to them for that.

Ysgol Penyffordd benefits from the efforts of parents, too, in many ways; the Friends of Penyffordd School continue to support the school financially and socially, and we greatly appreciate their contribution. On an individual basis, too, parents' and friends' generosity with time and resources is invaluable in enhancing the school-life of children at Ysgol Penyffordd.

You will see from the report that the children have enjoyed a great variety of activities this year, both inside and outside the classroom.

The Governors hope that you find the report, interesting and informative. We as governors have a role to play in ensuring that your child has the best chance of success at school. Part of that involves securing good attendance. Please take time to read the section within this report dedicated to attendance. We would also draw your attention to the section about social media, which when used responsibly, can be a valuable means of communication.

The governors are delighted at the prospect of a new build for Ysgol Penyffordd. We, along with the staff and children have been consulted about the design of the building and have been open and honest in order to ensure that the best possible facilities are secured for our children now and in the future. Many of us are residents of the village and are aware that the school should be a good neighbour. Hence, some features of the design, such as the roof, have been changed in order to reflect the context of the school as a village school. We are supporting the school to enact a responsible parking plan, which will be shared with you in the near future. Ultimately, we realise that we are very fortunate to have received funding on such a large scale for this project and are keen to embrace this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Penyffordd.

If you have any questions after reading the report, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We are working hard to ensure that Ysgol Penyffordd continues to be a school that we can all be proud of. Many thanks for your continuing support.

Mark Rothero

Chair of Governors

School Council

“Ysgol Penyffordd is a wonderful environment and there are lots of fun ways to learn. Our education here is very rich, as we learn spellings, Maths, English, Science, P.E., History, Geography, Art Design and Technology, ICT, R.E. and Music which we have our own room for.”

EcoSchool Committee

“Our Eco-School committee consists of representatives from all our classes. We play an important role in decision making and participation inactivities in order to reduce the environmental impact of our school. We have been involved in setting up a nature area, Litter-picking rotas, Recycling, Composting, Walking to School, Trying to Save Water and Energy and Attending meetings with other schools on Fair Trade”.

SUMMARY OF SCHOOL OBJECTIVES

The strategies, targets and objectives contained in our regularly reviewed School Improvement Plan are currently on course for completion by their scheduled dates.

The main targets for 2016/17 year were:

  • To further improve and share the good practice in the teaching of Maths across the school
  • To improve pupils’ ICT skills and to introduce the Digital Competence Framework
  • To further improve behaviour systems across the school

All of the main targets were achieved. Schools from within and out of Flintshire came to visit the school to look at our good practice.

As a result of the work done by the school leadership team and its staff, the school has recently been categorized as a Green A school. This is the highest categorization possible. This means that the school has an excellent capacity for improvement and a minimum requirement for support. The school is self-improving.

The Governors confidently advise that the school has had a very successful year. We recognise the ability, commitment and enthusiasm of all our support staff and the co-operation of the parents in helping the school to continue to achieve this level of success.

financial summary 2016/17

Budget
15/16 / Actual spend
1516 / Difference
Balance from 2015/16 / 50,670
Employees / 715,803 / 823,099 / -107,296
Premises / 67,894 / 43,074 / 24,820
Transport / - / - / -
Supplies / 29,583 / 52,387 / -22,804
Courses / 2,086 / -2,086
Service Level Agreements / 34,558 / 44,991 / -10,433
Income / -110,273.94 / 110,274
TOTAL / 898,508 / 855,379 / 43,129

*Note: No Governor has claimed any monies.

Pupil Deprivation Grant

The Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG) is one of the Welsh Government’s principal means of providing financial support for three main priorities for schools:

· Improving standards of literacy

· Improving standards of numeracy

· Reducing the impact of poverty on educational attainment

The grant is to be utilised to overcome any additional barriers that learners from disadvantaged backgrounds face which may prevent them from attaining as well as their peers.

Each school is required to draw up a plan and publish how this grant is utilised on sustainable interventions to improve the attainment of children who may be disadvantaged due to family financial circumstances or background.

In September 2017 Ysgol Penyffordd had 285 pupils on roll; the school’s Free School Meal and looked-after children (LAC) population was 5.1%.

The total allocation of the PDG to this school for April 2017 – March 2018 is £20,850 and the school has undertaken the following activities to support pupils facing these challenges.

·Provide increased support for wellbeing including a nurture group on both sites

· Making family engagement a key priority – involving family members in their child’s learning in a wide variety of ways

·Funding music lessons and residential trips for pupils who are eligible for free school meals.

Ysgol Penyffordd’s PDG plans will be regularly scrutinised by the Governing Body and monitored by the Local Authority.

FOPS donations 2016- 2017

FOPS donated over £11,300 to the school last year. The school purchased laptops and ipads for the Infant and Juniors sites. FOPS funds were also used to subsidise the cost of educational visits and experiences for the children in school, including theatre and residential visits.The contribution of FOPS is enormous and very much appreciated.

RASCALS

RASCALS after- school club is now well-established on both sites. The club offers high quality after-school care for children throughout the school.

Below is a list of the after school clubs which have been offered by the school.

Gardening,Football, Netball, ICT, Ukulele,Eco-Club, Cheerleading, and Choir. The governors would like it noted that the clubs are run on a voluntary basis by staff, in their own time, and would like to express their gratitude to the staff for their dedication.

ATTENDANCE

Percentage of Sessions
Attendances / 95.5%

School Attendance Policy

Good attendance is vitally important to a child’s development. A telephone message to explain a child’s absence is required or a note must be sent on the child’s return to school. All absences are logged on the school’s electronic register and our figures are reported to our Local Authority. Holidays must not exceed ten days during the academic year and holiday forms must be signed in advance then approved by the Head Teacher. It is not an automatic right to expect that authorisation will be granted. It is advised that parents do not book holidays before receiving authorisation from the school.Consideration is given to the child’s previous attendance, plus the proximity to assessment periods. These forms are available from school.

The school monitors absence very closely. Parents receive letters detailing the attendance of each child. The children respond well to the attendance cup which is awarded weekly. Please support the school by ensuring that your child attends school wherever possible and avoid term-time holidays.

Matters discussed during governors meetings 2016-2017

19th September 2016

  • The chair and vice-chair were elected:Mark Rothero and Sara Jones
  • Sub-committees and link governors were agreed. Governors are part of school improvement teams within school and help to ensure that good progress is being made in these areas.
  • Dates for school improvement team meetings were set.
  • The family engagement booklet was shared with governors so that they could attend family events.
  • An update was given on the progress towards the new school build

7th November, 2016

  • A new parent governor and minor authority governor were welcomed to the meeting.
  • The Healthy Schools Coordinator within the Healthy Schools Team at Flintshire County Council attended the meeting to clarify Welsh Government guidance recommendations for delivery of Personal Development and Relationships Education, within primary schools.
  • Key members of staff and governors are leading developments in Maths and they outlined positive progress. The staff and governor team met to discuss the good practice in the school.
  • Family engagement sessions took place
  • The ICT Lead staff shared progress in this area.
  • The behaviour systems team have worked on developing Class Dojos and restorative justice, which are very effective.

16th January 2017

  • There was a vacancy for a minor authority governor.
  • Four E Cadet pupils from Juniors gave a presentation to Governors on the Internet safety programme they are using, and the ‘SMART and THINK’ code.
  • The ICT Lead staff updated Governors on school’s current ICT developments towards ‘The New Curriculum for Wales’. Training has been delivered to staff. Another member of staff is attending middle leadership training with a focus on ICT.
  • FOPS donations have funded the purchase of laptops and ipads.
  • Statutory policies have been updated.
  • Governors are to meet for two afternoons to conduct a thorough self-evaluation.
  • Consultation Document reference proposed changes to the Governance of the Governing Body
  • A hand-out ‘Proposals for the new Governance Framework’ including the ‘The Role of the Governing Body’ and The Role of the Head’ was read and provided to Governors.
  • The Chair requested the Governing Body to consider if they were happy to accept the proposed new build site at Abbots Lane, and the response to be noted in the recorded minutes. The majority of Governors present agreed and accepted the new build proposed site at Abbots Lane. One Governor asked for their objection to the site to be noted but stated that they would accept the majority decision and work with the Governing Body to ensure the children and the village received a school fit for the 21st century, which would provide the best possible facilities and an exceptional learning environment.
  • Planning meetings for the new build have taken place and further meetings are in the diary. The Senior Leadership Team have visited other new builds to look at facilities.

30th March 2017

  • A visit from the GwE Challenge Advisor took place.Progression and challenge judged to be good. A fun numeracy day is planned. Staff have attended training from Gareth Metcalfe and booked for him to deliver training in school- May 23rd at Infants and May 24th at Juniors where he will be leading lessons. Twilight training for staff is to follow on 23rd until 6:30pm. All Governors were invited to attend.
  • ICT- Lead staff attended training on the Digital Competence Framework. Hwb is now used by pupils and may be used at home with a signed agreement from parents. There are plans to deliver advice surrounding Internet safety, parental controls and family accounts to parents at the start of the e-safety parental workshops. During the summer term an information visit by the NSPCC is planned for parents for advice around ICT safety.
  • E-Cadets have delivered a presentation to parents ‘Information which can and can’t be shared’.
  • Behaviour Systems Lead Staff continued to lead and the systems in place are positive and effective. All actions on the behavioursystems plan are complete. Four members of staff are to attend Nurture Group training with a view to establishing nurture groups next year. (By the end of 2017)
  • Staffing- Mrs Foley reduced her hours to 3 days and returns from Maternity leave after the Easter break. Miss Shaw has been appointed to cover the 2 days.
  • Current Pupils on roll 287.
  • A finance summary was shared with governors.
  • The school plans to implement a cashless online payment system. Staff have visited other schools where the system is working positively.
  • A recent change to catering services has taken place; catering provision is now purchased by FCC and provided by a private company.
  • Funding for Inclusion is now increasingly delegated to schools. Support for pupils 1-1 will come out of school budgets.
  • Feedback from the Governors away day at the Beaufort Hotel is positive. A date for completion is to take place on in May at the Infants site.
  • Governors shared details of governor training,
  • Governors Involvement in School
  • A timetabled observation day is planned for June. Governors will have the opportunity to observe lessons and talk with teachers and pupils.
  • Confirmation has been received from Flintshire County Council that Wynne Construction has been appointed as the new build contractor. It is planned that the Head and Deputies will visit Anglesey where Wynne have recently competed a new build school. A community consultation period will start in the near future, and a web site is currently in preparation to be available soon.

8th May, 2017

  • The Chair led a welcome to the new Governors, Sue Lewis and Jill Pye who have joined the Governing Body and buddy governors were assigned.
  • Mandatory governor training was discussed.
  • A sub-committees review took place and a Child Protection safeguarding governor was appointed.
  • Representatives from Wynne Construction and Flintshire County Council have met with staff and children. They are to meet with governors regarding the new build. The Senior Leadership team have visited sites in Bangor and Holyhead at the start of the consultation process. The consultation process will include local residents once a draft plan is in place.
  • Update on Additional Learning Needs/Inclusion Funding
  • The Chair and Head Teacher recently attended a Head Teachers’ briefing on additional needs funding and changes. Staff training is being accessed to support in house training. Currently CAMHS are undergoing changes and there is a long waiting list for external support.
  • Nurture Group Training Feedback- four members of staff recently attended 2 days ‘A Theory of Nurture Groups’ training in Telford, with day 3 planned to take place in the next few weeks. This training will help to provide support for groups of children.

3rd July, 2017

  • Due to new work commitments, the Clerk has tendered her resignation. Everyone wished her well in her new career.
  • A Hiring and Lettings Committee is to be reinstated to draft a new policy for the new build and the intervening period.
  • A full and thorough evaluation of Maths, ICT and Behaviour systems and the core subject data for 2016-17 was discussed. The Maths team, staff and governors agreed that standards in Maths are good and that the school has a clear plan for further development. The ICT team agreed that good progress had been made and the team had a clear vision for future developments. The Behaviour systems team completed all actions successfully and will monitor the priority.
  • Attendance fell in the academic year 2016-17 and will form part of the School Improvement Plan for 2017-18. Governors will be consulted on monitoring strategies.
  • A number of Governors have submitted written reports about their experience of the recent Governors in School day and one governor read details of her experience, thanking the staff and the children for the experience.
  • An update was given on the new build. The design of the roof has been changed. (nb: this has subsequently been changed to a pitched roof). However, the outside space has increased from 716m2 to 969m2. The architects are going to meet with the Eco-Council. School are going to approach the PTA and look for fundraising opportunities for additional outdoor equipment along with equipment which will be provided during the build.

The 2017 Governing body