LA /ESSEX PRIMARY HEADS’ ASSOCIATION NORTH-EAST AREA

THURSDAY 1 MARCH 2012

MEETING SUMMARY: ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Agendas and minutes for these meetings available at www.essexprimaryheads.co.uk

Attendance List

DISTRICT AND EPHA AGENDA (a.m.)

Louise Evers, Area Improvement Manager
Simon Billings, North East Chair
North East EPHA update
Workshops:
·  Academy Status
·  Safeguarding / (Notes below)
Welcome to the following new Headteachers:
Edward Constantine Cherry Tree Primary
Barry Hawes Alton Park Juniors
Melody Lowe Greenstead St Andrews Primary & Nursery
(Acting Head)
Jacqueline Martin Langenhoe Primary
Farewell to the following Headteachers:
Diana Cleaver Great Bentley Primary
Barry Nevin Stanway Fiveways Primary
Vaughan Collier (Buttsbury Juniors) and Sue Hammond (The Billericay School)
Simon Billings, Andy Jones and Nigel Hookway
p 1* / AREA AGENDA
Welcome, introductions and update / Terry Reynolds, Director for Learning
P 2 /

Working together – a vision for schools, children and families (West meeting)

/ Dave Hill, Executive Director Schools, Children and Families
p 3 -5 /

Essex Schools and Education Strategy – services to schools and the SEN/AEN strategy

/ Terry Reynolds
p 6 -8 /

Achievement for All – national and local roll out of the programme

/

Alison Fiala, Head of Primary Improvement

Carey Bennet, Regional Lead Achievement for All (3As) Ltd.
School input from the AfA local pilot
p 8-10 / Human Resources update (North East meeting) / Nigel Sawyer, HR Senior Consultant
p 11-13 / Social Care: Local Area Update Safeguarding update – toolkit to support schools’ safeguarding audit of practice / Alastair Gibbons, Head of Local Delivery North East Quadrant
p 13-15 / Statutory Assessment – EY, KS1 & KS2 / Seona Ford, Senior Adviser for Assessment
p 15-16 / School budgets 2012/13 / Yannick Stupples-Whyley, Finance Business Partner, Finance Professional Services
p 16 / Briefing papers:
·  Equality Act 2010 & Public Sector Equality Duty 2011
·  Services to Schools
·  Early Years Foundation Stage
p 17 /

Key dates

/ NORTH EAST EPHA/DISTRICT/ LA meetings during the 2011/2012 academic year held at Weston Homes Community Stadium, Colchester
Thursday 14 June 2012
Headteachers’ Annual Conference 2012
Friday 16 March 2012 Stock Brook Country Club, Nr Billericay
Deputy Headteachers’ Annual Conference 2012
Friday 12 October 2012 Weston Homes Community Stadium
*Page numbers refer to the full minutes (posted on the website) of the Spring term Area meetings with LA Officers and Headteachers.

LA /ESSEX PRIMARY HEADS’ ASSOCIATION NORTH EAST AREA

THURSDAY 1 MARCH 2012

ATTENDANCE

Present
William Aylett / Montgomery Juniors / Nerys Maidment / Baynards Primary
Simon Billings / East Chair, St John’s Green Primary / Andrew Macdonald / Langham Primary
Anne Bray / Kirby Primary / Gordon Malcolm / Fordham All Saints CE Primary
Stephen Burnup / Mistley Norman Primary / Jacqueline Martin / Langenhoe Primary
Tracey Cafull / Frobisher Primary & Nursery / Neil Matthews / Heathlands CE Primary
Carol Carllson-Browne / Oakwood Infants / Tracey Mckenzie-Bell
Carl Messer / Prettygate Juniors
St George’s New Town Primary
Mark Carter-Tufnell / Kendall Primary / Valerie Metcalf / Harwich Primary
Anne Clarke / Tendring Primary / Jayne Mitchell / Gosbecks Primary
Diana Cleaver / Great Bentley Primary / Jackie Moore / St George’s Infants & Nursery
Sheena Clover / Parsons Heath CE Primary / John Morgan / Chase Lane Primary & Nursery
Robert Collins / Alresford Primary / Barry Nevin / Stanways Fiveways Primary
Brian Combes / Stanway Primary / Richard Nitsche / St Andrew’s Juniors
John Crane / Rolph CE Primary / Mo Oliver / Home Farm Primary
Joan Dear / Frinton-on-Sea Primary / Lorraine Oldale / Wix and Wrabness Primary
Tania Devereux Boxted St Peter’s/St Andrew’s Wormingford
Fiona Dorey Messing-Cum-Inworth Primary / Julie O’Mara / St George’s CE Primary, Great Bromley
Craig Duncan Queen Boudica Primary / Tracey Oram / Tiptree Heath Primary
Wendy Enguell / Tiptree St Luke’s CE Primary / Donna Parker / Ardleigh St Mary’s CE Primary
Ronnie Farrelly / Holland Park Primary / Joanna Pointing-Newitt / Willow Brook Primary & Nursery
Jenny Firth / Hazelmere Juniors / Clive Reynolds / Hamilton Primary
Alan Garnett / North Primary & Nursery / Sharon Sciachettano / Holland Haven Primary
Linda Gildea / Spring Meadow Primary / Emily Simpson / Frobisher Primary & Nursery
Jeff Graham / St James’ CE Primary / Nicola Sirett / Mersea Island School
Jeremy Hallum / Old Heath Primary / Ruth Slater / St Andrew’s CE Primary, Weeley
Heather Hann / Holy Trinity, Eight Ash Green Primary / Karen Springett
Steve Springett / EPHA Chair, Milldene Primary
The Mayflower Primary
Bridget Harris / St Thomas More’s Catholic Primary / Heather Tetchner / Dedham Primary
Bogusia Holeszowska / St Clare’s Catholic Primary / Lesley Walder / The Bishop William Ward CE Primary
Nigel Hookway / Highwoods Primary / Karen Wallace / Kings Ford Juniors
Richard Hopkins / All Saints CE Primary, Dovercourt / Mark Walter / Monkwick Juniors
Claire Holmes / Monkwick Infant & Nursery / Serena Williams / Roach Vale Primary
Julia Hunt / Brightlingsea Infants / Patricia Wilkie / Layer-de-la-Haye Primary
Nick Hutchings / St Johns CE Primary / Kay Wills / Two Village Primary
Julie Ingram
Carol Jackson / Chappell CE Primary
Prettygate Infants / Paula Wiltshire
Jacky Wood / Broomgrove Infants
Lexden Springs Primary
Victoria Jackson / Great Clacton CE Juniors / David Young / Myland Primary
Sally Leung / Montgomery Infants & Nursery / Ellena Mortimer / Bulmer St Andrews CE Primary
Melody Lowe
In Attendance / Greenstead St Andrews Infant & Nursery / Apologies
Pam Langmead / EPHA Manager / Claire Claydon / Brightlingsea Juniors
Mike Blant / EPHA Liaison Officer / Ed Constantine / Cherry Tree Primary
Andy Jones / Primary Schools Facilitator / Kevin Watts / Northlands Juniors
Vaughan Collier / Buttsbury Juniors / Donna Wenden / Lawford CE Primary
Sue Hammond / The Billericay School / Dave Hill / Executive Director, SCF
Paul Yates / 4MySchools
LA Officers
Terry Reynolds / Director for Learning / Carey Bennet / Regional Lead Achievement for All
Louise Evers / Area Improvement Manager, East / Amanda Goh / Safeguarding & Allegations Officer
Alison Fiala / Head of Primary Improvement / Sue Sapsed / Schools Facilitator
Alastair Gibbons / Local Delivery NE Social Care / Nigel Sawyer / ECC Human Resources
Maureen Hanley
Seona Ford / ECC Local Commissioner
Schools Assessment / Yannick Stupples-Whyley / ECC Finance

If your attendance or apologies have not been noted please contact the EPHA Manager at for amendment.

NORTH EAST EPHA DISTRICT MEETING MINUTES 1 MARCH 2012 /
1. /

WELCOME

Louise Evers, North East Area Improvement Adviser, and Simon Billings, Chair of EEPHA, welcomed colleagues to the meeting.
The first part of the meeting gave headteachers a chance to discuss issues that had arisen at the meeting with Local Authority officers – minutes of this part of the meeting are included as part of the Composite minutes of the spring term meetings, available on the EPHA website.
2.
i)
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iii)
iv)
v)
vi)
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viii)
ix)
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xii) / NORTH EAST EPHA UPDATE
The following new Headteachers were welcomed to the North East Area:
Edward Constantine Cherry Tree Primary
Barry Hawes Alton Park Juniors
Melody Lowe Greenstead St Andrews Primary ( Nursery (Acting Head)
Jacqueline Martin Langenhoe Primary
Thank you and farewell to the following Headteachers:
Diana Cleaver Great Bentley Primary
Barry Nevin Stanway Fiveways Primary
Louise Evers, the North East Area Improvement Manager, was thanked for the work that she has done with EEPHA and North East headteachers in the last few years. It was noted that it was not yet clear what role Louise will have in the new structure, but it was hoped that she will continue to work with headteachers and attend the Area Headteacher meetings. In the meantime, Simon thanked her for her support and contribution and stressed how much EEPHA has appreciated her input.
Simon announced that, very sadly, Peter Mayles, former headteacher at St Andrew’s Juniors, Colchester had recently died, having retired two years ago. The headteachers expressed their condolences and sympathy to his friends and family.
Safeguarding - Child Protection checklist
A Child Protection best practice checklist has been produced by the North East Stay Safe group and will be a live document available on line at http://www.essexprimaryheads.co.uk/info-and-documents/safeguarding
This is not a statutory document, but can be used as an audit tool by headteachers and governors to check their safeguarding practice.
Headteachers were reminded that Child Protection records need to be kept by schools for 25 years (from the date of birth). When a child transfers to another school or educational establishment, his/her records must be copied and forwarded to the new organisation.
Colchester Social Care surgeries
It was noted that Colchester primary and secondary headteachers were invited to attend a Social Care surgery recently. A small number attended and found the session valuable, but it was felt that numbers were low as the invitation had gone out to schools rather late. It has been agreed that the dates will be circulated to Colchester schools by the EPHA Manager in future. Colchester headteachers were urged to use this service; if it is deemed successful it will be rolled out across the area.
Report from Karen Springett, EPHA Chair
a) Appointment of the new Director for Education
Karen noted that she was on the appointment panel for the new ECC Director of Education, replacing Terry Reynolds, who retires in May. Dr Tim Coulson, currently working in Campden, was appointed and will attend the summer term headteacher meetings.
b) National Network of Chairs of Headteacher Groups
Exciting developments are going on with the formation of a national network executive, capable of influencing government policy and strategy with input from the practitioners who know most about schools, children and their needs. This executive body would provides opportunities for local groups of headteachers to feed collective views onto the regional bodies and thence onto the national executive which would then take a stance on an issue to take to DfE, knowing that the majority of headteacher groups have contributed to, and supported, that view.
Karen gave feedback from the meeting held on 25th January 2012
The purpose and organisation of the group was agreed – There is a need to be able to respond quickly to requests from DfE and an agreed process will be written into the constitution.
Teaching schools were discussed in by most groups and most expressed concerns over the lack of clarity in the information available to heads. Andy Buck (National Director for Teaching Schools Programme) spoke to one regional group and they found him very helpful. Other regions might consider inviting him to speak.
There has been discussion on what type of new partnerships schools are forming or are they going it alone? Should there be some kind of local or regional coordination for partnerships? What kind of trusts/companies are being set up?
Academies – some concern where non-local sponsors are being sought. There is a very varied pattern of academy conversions across the country.
What is the agenda for schools ‘post LA control’ (also post NCSL after 2014).
No notice inspections and proposed changes to Ofsted categories have been discussed.
Michael Gove’s recent quote was mentioned – maintained schools are the enemies of hope (not certain of actual quote).
Health and Safety guidance is to be reduced/simplified – ‘common safety – common sense’
RAISE will be considered by the group. Many heads consider it too long and complex while missing some essential data.
Curriculum Review
This has been halted temporarily so that comparisons with other countries education systems can be reconsidered – can like for like comparisons really be made? Emphasis on acquisition of knowledge rather than skills is a concern for many. Standards are expected to drop immediately after the introduction of the new curriculum. It will be introduced in September 2014.
Next meeting 25th April 2012.
Ofsted consultation
Headteachers were reminded that there is currently a consultation by Ofsted on a new framework for September 2012. This has been emailed to all schools and a link is available on the home page of the EPHA website. Headteachers are encouraged to respond to the consultation and to ask their staff and governors to contribute.
EPHA website
Headteachers were reminded to refer to the EPHA website, www.essexprimaryheads.co.uk for up to date information, documents and templates, and minutes and presentations from meetings. The website now includes a dedicated safeguarding page.
EPHA Newsletter
The spring term newsletter was circulated at the meeting. The newsletter includes a reminder to headteachers of what they get for their annual EPHA subscription.
The current annual subscription to EPHA is £100 (increasing to £120 in the 2012/13 financial year). In return for this subscription, headteachers will receive the following benefits:
·  A termly meeting for headteachers in each of the four areas of Essex
A chance for all headteachers to meet with colleagues across their area, network and share good practice, find out about current local and national issues, and feed back their concerns and successes to the LA and other heads. All that, and a free lunch!
·  The termly Executive meetings and the Area Development Group meetings
Headteachers are elected to the EPHA Executive to represent every area, district and Local Delivery Group in Essex; they meet termly to discuss national, county and local issues, with the aim of ensuring that the primary voice is heard in Essex and plays a part in driving forward the school improvement agenda.
Increasingly, the Executive meets with national leaders in education, including representatives from the National College, as well as the Cabinet Member for Schools in Essex. We know that it is vital for headteachers to collaborate and cooperate with their local schools, but also feel that it is essential for the Essex primary voice to be heard at the strategic level in local and national politics. The Chair of EPHA is on the board of the National Network for Chairs of Headteacher Associations, a group that has direct access to NCSL, the DfE and Ofsted.
EPHA Executive members also offer vital support to new and established headteachers across the county.
ü  An annual Headteachers’ conference and a Deputy Headteachers’ conference.