2017/18 meeting 4

Meeting: / LGB / Date / Time: / 1st February 2018 at 5:30pm / Location: / Conference Room
Attendees: / Initials / LGB Role & Portfolio: / Attendees: / Initials: / LGB Role & Portfolio:
Pat Glover / PG / Chair – SIMG, Personnel, SEN / Colin Turner / CT / C & CD
Alison Homa / AH / Vice-Chair – SIMG / Emma Stratton / ES / Community
Andrew Bailey / AB / Finance, Premises / James O’Sullivan / Os / SEN, Premises
John Swan / JS / Personnel, Community / Ian Stuart / IS / Associate – C & CD (left at 7pm)
Sharon Marshall / Ht / Headteacher / Giles King-Smith / GKS / Associate – Personnel, Community
Dave Addie / DA / Finance / Jan Gatley / JG / Associate – C & CD, SIMG
Apologies: / Initials / Reason: / Absent without Apology: / Initials:
Dan Turton / DT / Heavy workload
In Attendance: / Initials / Minutes To:
Sophie Broome / Bx / Clerk to Governors / LGB members
School website
Board of Directors

Key: Challenge Actions/Decision

Min. No. / Actions & Decisions: / Owner: / Date Due: / Date Actioned:
1 / Pre-meeting Training/Student Reps
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2 / Apologies, Business Interests, Housekeeping and Correspondence
2.1 / Apologies for absence: Apologies as above.
2.2 / Declarations and confidentiality: Governors were reminded to keep information shared at meetings confidential.
2.3 / Housekeeping:
Social Mobility Report–This national report is very explicit about the levels of deprivation in North Devon and the inequality of funding for education compared with e.g. Hackney.IS noted that rural, isolated, coastal schools were in the worst position, and with that in mind we are actually doing well. JS commented that the report on inspections makes clear there are no excuses, despite the problems of being rural, isolated, coastal. AB noted a correlation between SM and spending, and that the report recommends rural schools to form partnerships with other schools to boost attainment.(AB) Have you formed any relationships with other local schools? Heads of local schools have met and asked to go to the Local Authority, who have agreed to meet them in March.Want to know from LA what their response to report is and if they got an Officer for disadvantaged youth like other LAs? Hthas also asked Bideford MAT CEO – are there any very successful coastal schools we could observe and learn from? All coastal schools seem to be struggling. Only one worth a visit is near Ullswater in Lake District, they cope with similar issues of isolation and are high achieving. PG noted we may have people requesting to come here, andHt agreed as we have a Good Ofsted with not very good data. We do not make our location an excuse although it has to be noted. Htis involved in fairer funding campaign. A letter has gone out around Devon regarding this and PG congratulates author of that letter. Going to be published in a local paper. PG urges all to forward letter to those who it may interest. Make it go viral to raise awareness, people need to be aware of the impact of low funding. Ht noted good ideas and high standards don’t cost anything, but they still need money to make them happen.
Reading – PG noted that there has been a lot of reading sent out recently. No need to read everything – focus on own portfolio groups, and just read the summary box of others. Read agenda, minutes, SEF, SIP, but feel free to skim read. Be selective so as not to get bogged down in the volumes of reading.
2.4 / Correspondence:
Resignations – PG had letter from Debs Ramsey resigning as a governor. Also met with Ian Newell– he is busy with his work so will also step down as a governor.
Transport concerns – copy email from County handed out to governors. Ht wrote to LA regarding a number of problems with the buses. Followed up and have seen improvements – most buses now displaying number. No pass, no travel policy. There was a sudden crackdown which left children stranded. Now they will advise in advance, so children can be prepared.
3 / Minutes of the Previous Meeting
3.1 / The minutes of 14th Decembermeeting were agreed as a true record. Clerk to publish minutes. / Bx / 08/02
3.2 / Matters Arising:
Business Interest forms – Remaining governors signed declarations of interest as per first meeting of each academic year.
NGA Skills Audit – Forms handed to governors who still needed to complete.
NGA Code of Conduct – Governors who had not yet signed a copy did so.
Amanda Spielman Ofsted report – All had received a copy.
LGB membership of portfolio groups – Open invitation to SIMG for all governors. GKS – personnel and community, JG – CCD and SIMG, Os – SEN and premises.
Health & Safety walks – AB confirmed there has still not been one yet in the new building. Currently risk assessments are being reviewed to ensure sufficient in new school. Possible new format for classroom checklist, sending by email instead. Ht notedH&S advisor, Keith Furseland,has done a H&S walk with Mc. AB to follow-up.
Accelerated Reader results –Literacy programme being followed by Y7 and 8. A quiz which leads to book suggestions and gives a rough reading age. Ht will send out summary report. Dip in book borrowing in Y7 and rise in Y8. Library was very busy which would have had an impact on this. Y8 say running out of ‘good’ AR books. Librarian will do a student voice on what they would like added. Ht noted a disproportionate growth of reading age in PPI students. Y7 51% non-PPI and 60% PPI students showed improvement in reading age.In Y8 41% non-PPI and 59% PPI. Scheme is of value. Does not capture students borrowing books that are not part of the scheme. Reading culture is very well established in KS3 here. Librarian is concerned about the ambiance of the library here for younger students, it is central and much louder in new school. Need to ensure it is welcoming to all. Ht feels scheme is worth investing in.(PG) Do we have funds to boosts supplies? Yes, we have had a donation to the library.
Update to Glossary – Clerk has actioned and will email updated version out to all.
Latest on Governor SEF – Ht noted there will be another one coming next week, following PP2. / AB
Bx / 08/03
08/03
3.3 / Other Matters Arising:
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4. / Reporting & Monitoring – Main Focus, Portfolio Reports and Questions
4.1 / -
SIP ‘Developing the capacity of Middle Leaders’
4.2 / Personnel portfolio report:
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SIP ‘Developing Teaching and Learning’
4.3 / SIMG portfolio report:
No SIMG meeting was held this time around.
4.4 / SEN/Safeguarding portfolio report:
Funding crisis – PG reported with more money, more could be done. Graham Hill (Hi) visited London schools and their students with extreme SEN were getting £20,000 per pupil, ours get £2,000. Shows how well the school is doing with SEN students on such low funding.
Interventions – Cb will report on Y7 interventions at next SEN meeting.
Adopt CP/Safeguarding Policy – PG recommended it was adopted. Ht noted that child on child sexual harassment guidance has been added into the policy.
4.5 / Curriculum portfolio report:
Sex Education Policy – recommend it is adopted. Bx to update policy records and pass to Ns for Directors to adopt.
Music Education guide for governors – PG passed to CT to raise at the next curriculum portfolio.
BTEC courses – (PG) Can we be assured that the educational standards are not compromised by these? Same standards, delivered in a different way. (PG) What is the advantage?One exam instead of two, focus on coursework. (PG)How is the coursework moderated?Assessed by independent verifier, sample of class taken and verified.(PG) Are students enjoying BTEC opportunity? Yes, seem to be, Os has had challenging students spend lunchtime learning voluntarily. It has engaged the students as hoped. / Bx / 08/03
Other Reports
4.6 / Finance portfolio report:
Carry forward– AB noted this is just over £33,000, but that includes carry forward of over £88,000 from previous year. So the in-year deficit is over £50,000. It is balanced but a diminishing carry forward is worrying.
Food – (JS) We are making a profit on food, is it significant? A marginal profit as school is subsidising it.
Hall lettings – charges were discussed in both premises and finance. Idea is to have different rates for additional hours. Preferential rates for regular bookings.
4.7 / Premises portfolio report:
H&S walks – Mc tried emailing out classroom checklist, but most returns were about blinds. Few useful comments about the new building. AB met with H&S portfolio lead from Primary MAT to look at improving monitoring H&S in schools, particularly when there are multiple sites. Preparing questions for the auditor.
Eye tests – AH noted that eye tests are not generally free – yes for some but not all. Ns is checking this.
Defibrillators – (AH) Who pays the costs when they are used? Costs over £100 to replace batteries/wires/pads etc. This should be built into the fundraising. AB mentioned possibility of using AWP sinking fund for this, as that is where defibrillator will be located. DA suggested crowdfunding.
Plastic – (AH) Do we have the green schools mark? No, but looking at going down the no plastic route. Lorna Young (Yg),Rob Whitney (Wt) and Joe Matthews (Mj) are looking into this overall – eco-friendly uniform, cardboard food packaging etc. PG passes on support of this.
Young Enterprise – Have written a book about plastics in the sea, on sale now.
Dust control – AB noted BAM need to be more proactive. Ht agrees and has raised this. January was a very wet month and there is still so much dust. Inadequate measures in place. Ht will raise again at next meeting with BAM.
Asbestos – parental concerns, but BAM have addressed this. No asbestos in demolition.
4.8 / Community portfolio report:
Admissions Policy adopted – passed on to Directors to determine.
Parking – issue with residents on Worth Road. Petition and letter from MP. Went to the BAM Head Office. Police contacted, but residents were told we are not doing anything wrong. Holiday Park letting us use their car park but still not enough space. PG wrote holding letter, but explained problem is time limited. However, BAM HO insisted more parking found on site, and this week they have opened up 12 spaces at the back of the old school. There will be incremental improvement as the old school is demolished. Builders have done what they can as a result of the petition.(DA) What is the timeline for completion? Moving into Art and DT at Easter, then landscaping and then finished. All car parking likely to be available again by the Summer.
GDPR– General Data Protection Regulations. (AB) Are we ready for this? Ht confirmed it is being worked on. Implication for school is that our data is held byexternal bodies, e.g. SIMS, Sisra. A list being drawn up of everything we hold re. students and staff with outside bodies, and will then make sure they are in line with GDPR. Deadline is May. (JS) Which portfolio will look at this? Personnel and safeguarding – should be addressed in both of these. PG noted there might be an issue with the Terms of Reference for these portfolios. Terms of reference need to be reviewed to include this. / Ht/PG/Bx / End of Spring Term
Further main focus – Training on DfE Analyse School Performance (ASP)
4.9 / Intro from PG – Ht will share with us the validated GCSE results. We were disappointed with the progress, although the achievement was good in particular the SEN achievement.
RAISEonline was the Ofsted document compiling results – now replaced by Analyse School Performance (ASP) which is not as detailed. Get the same data three times – raw results in August, unvalidated data in November to check and then final data in January. Attainment not too far off where it should be, particularly in context, but progress disappointing.
We have higher % of girls, middle band for free school meals (Ht surprised by this, but band is very wide and we are on the cusp of higher band), top quintile for SEN.
Free school meals (FSM) – Ht noted large number of students about to come off FSM register, who we think are still entitled to it. LA and school written to parents but still not all responded. Therefore students are finding out at tills they have no money, and school are subsidising. Ht thinks issue with parents not re-applying is because system has gone online only. Offered help to parents, but so far not taken up. Cut off point was this week and still approx. 50 students had no money on finger. School is continuing to subsidise those students at the moment. If parents do not make application it affects PPI funding down the line and affects short-term funding as we are subsidising children we are sure are entitled to FSM.
Attendance – generally pleased, although recently hit by flu.
Persistent absence – national trend is rising, we are staying level.
Destinations – very proud of these figures. 2017 – only 3 Y11 and 3 Sixth Form did not have clear destinations.
Exclusions – well below National Average, particularly impressive given the school has been a building site.
Progress – disappointing, lots of red boxes. Although pleased with data for low ability students.
Attainment – English and Maths not far off National Average. London average for disadvantaged studentsgrade 4+ is 51%, average outside of London is 36%. Attainment for our disadvantaged students is very good.
All governors to read through ASP handout, makes notes and it will be discussed at the next full governors meeting.
SATs/CATs data – (JS) Who does the testing at KS2 to produce the prior attainment data? It comes from the SATs. This is a concern, huge discrepancy between SATs and CATs results. School uses CATs to pick up any additional needs that have not been picked up by the SATs.(CT) Are SATs coached?Yes, SATs are coached, CATs are not.(CT) Are any of the SATs/CATs results similar?Yes for some high ability students, but generally a huge discrepancy.AH noted that SATs are in May and CATs are in early September, straight after the school holidays. That is a long gap. Ht noted that the school uses targets as a goal, ensures students are not demotivated by high targets.(JS) Some schools are showing data where SATs results are accurate, are there any examples of good practice as to how schools achieve this, and what is going wrong in this area? Is this an issue nationally?Ht noted that if feeder schools are not good, or are not specifically coaching for SATs, then data will be more accurate. (JS) Achievement is what counts to the students, why is progress so important? Historically schools whose main intake were bright young children were just coasting, unfair advantage to schools in privileged areas otherwise. Therefore need to show progress made, not just attainment.Going forward core skills should be more embedded by the new curriculum, so this should improve.
Independent Learning Tracker – Ht reported on what the school is doing to improve progress. Big push on homework and independent learning. Paul Roberts (Rr) compiling weekly tracker to log what has been set, use of Show My Homework, use of GCSE Pod, anecdotal info from staff. Students who are not using the resources available to them are being rounded up at lunchtimes and encouraged.
Mentors – all PPI students in Y11 have been assigned a mentor. Ht shared PPt that was presented to mentors.
PPI students – (PG)Is there special focus on supporting PPI students? Yes, all got a mentor,books get marked first, focal point for achievement meetings.(PG) What is being done to remove barriers to learning for disadvantaged students?If within our means to provide something they need and not got, then we will get it for them. We have bought computers with the sixth form bursary for loan, but also got library and computer rooms open break, lunch and after school. Os mentioned homework club every lunch for poor achievers. PGapplauds shift to pupil responsibility and independent learning. / LGB / 08/03
5 / Policies and Procedures
5.1 / Directors due to determine Admissions Policy 2019/20 – covered in item 4.8
6 / Governance
6.1 / Training for Governors:
Learning Walk – PG and AH met with Rr in Maths dept, Y11. Went into 6+ rooms, looked through books, talked to students. Feedback to Rr. AH noted all teachers showed seating plans, with PPI students marked on it discretely. PG noted that there was discrepancy in marking. Ht, Rr, Sianna Clarke (Lg), Mat Cooper (Cr) and Matt Mawson (Mm) went through all Y11 books to address variation. Problem raised by governors, open invite to dept to discuss books, revision strategies. Very useful things came from a new pair of eyes seeing the books. Noted that the mocks have given Y11 the wake-up call they needed. PG saw excellent practice of oral rehearsal in one classroom, but room for development in others. PG urges all governors to go on a learning walk. Ht suggests they focus on Y11.
CPD survey– back from teaching staff and it is very positive. Ht will send the results to everyone.
DA missed training–DA missed a Babcock training session in Plymouthdue to heavy traffic and would like to know if we were charged for it still? Clerk to follow up with Ns. / LGB
Ht
Bx / 08/03
08/03
08/03
6.2 / Items from Annual Cycle:
Review impact of training and identify further need – (PG) What would be relevant for training at next LGB meeting?Ht noted safeguarding profile to stay high and will cover child on child sexual harassment and how it is defined in a school context. Also include new careers education guidance. Two recent bits of DfE guidance, both pastoral based. PG would also like to get younger students in for next meeting. (AB)Can we do a book scrutiny? Ht thinks more valuable to do a learning walk and do it in the lesson while students are using the books. Staff workload is another live issue. DfE guidance on this which could be shared with governors, re. working smarter with data and marking etc.
6 monthly review of effectiveness of governance – SEF review below ticks this off. / PG/Bx / 08/03
6.3 / Competency Framework for Governors:
Simple SEF form – AH deals with all training and skill development. PG suggested once portfolios have settled down they will look at this and link to possible training courses. / AH/PG / End of Spring Term
7 / Part II
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8 / Any Other Business
8.1 / Suggestions box –1) Jo Brailey(Br) –get an old car to shuttle students around. Ht would really like that as it could have school logo on it and be used to go to houses where there are attendance issues etc. 2) Cressida Ward (Wx) – she would like to use Facebook live for some events, which would mean she would need to have a device. AH noted some students do not give photo permissions, this is a problem. Htasked forWx to bring this up at line managers meeting. / Os / 08/03
Meeting Closed: 7:30pm
Date/Time of Next Meeting: / 8th March 2018, 5pm / Location: / Conference Room

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