Mullion School

Mullion School

Full Board Meeting / Date:20.09.16
Venue of meeting:B9 Mullion School / Time:17:30
Governors Present:
Neil Gunnell Charles Hodson Simon Tregoning
Wayne Randle Catherine Bird Nina Batley
Steve Wallace Rob Beadle
Roger Combe Martin Grimshaw
Also Present: Debbie Batley- Clerk, Caroline Moore – SENCO, Helen Matthias – School Safeguarding Lead
Apologies received:Sam Bunyan
Apologies accepted: Chair / Action by:
Election of Chair
Nominations for Chair were requested from the board. NG was nominated by CB and seconded by CH, there were no other nominations. NG agreed to fill the position of Chair. CH was nominated as Vice Chair by CB and seconded by MG, there were no other nominations. CH agreed to fill the position of Vice Chair.
Approval of minutes of previous meeting
The minutes from 19.07.16 were approved by the Board.
The part 2 minutes of 19.07.16 were approved by the Board.
Governors declaration of pecuniary interest in relation to any items
appearing on the agenda
There were no declarations of interest.
Matters arising, not covered elsewhere in the agenda and action points from previous minutes
There were no matters arising.
5 / SIP Update - SEN
The Board were informed that in comparison to other schools, there is a higher proportion of SEN pupils within Mullion School.
Concerns over how this could be managed in the future with regards to staffing and resources were raised.
CM praised the school staff for their hard work which enabled the school to include all pupils.
CM raised concerns over the fact that there are requests from parents outside the catchment area for children to attend Mullion. It was expressed that this was due to the school’s continued excellent performance with supporting pupils with SEN. The results this year for SEN pupils were again very good.
The Board were informed that theSEN team had increased to 17 members of staff, holding a variety of qualification levels and that the new staff had integrated very well. However, it was noted that the department is increasingly having to give more support with less funding.
The Governors were made aware that gaining statements for pupils is proving to be difficult and this in turn impacts on funding. CM expressed that the TA team’s work was essential and should be reflected in the amount of pay received.
A Governor congratulated CM on the department’s running and success.
A Governor asked CM for views on the opinion held by some that TA’s were more of ahindrance to pupils learning rather than of benefit. CM explained that there are a number of pupils within school that would not be able to access the curriculum without the support of a TA, specific cases were cited. She also stressed the importance of training for TA’s.
A Governor questioned whether there were issues with consistency when using TA’s in a class. CM explained how the support given from TA’s was designated and that the consistency was good but that there was still degree of flexibility with regards to staff requests for working with different pupils.
A Governor requested a measure of where the level of provision supplied becomes critical. CM informed the board of the process for finding funding for support and that the funding varies according to the level of need of the pupil but that in most cases the school needed to find the first £10,000 per pupil from the school budget to provide the necessary support. It was suggested that the governors speak to the Finance Manager for further details on the funding for SEN pupils. It was explained that providing TA’s as readers and scribes for exams and finding cover for sickness was proving to be difficult.
A Governor asked how many of the current pupils were from within the catchment area. The Board were told that within year seven, 2 out of the 4pupils were from within the catchment, but that more than half of the SEN pupils as a whole were from out of the catchment area. A discussion was held regarding a request for a placement for a pupil with SEN that had been received by CM.
CM explained the factors that were making school a draw for parents of pupils with SEN.The Board questioned the process for allocating places to pupils. CM explained the allocation process including appeals.
A Governor questioned CM’s workload and additional hours. CM stated that changes had been implemented to assist with the workloadbut that the workload would be unmanageable without the assistance of LB and the paperwork that is completed by this member of staff. The Governor asked about the SENCO’s teaching commitment and it was explained that there remained a teaching commitment with this role.
The local offer had been updated, governors had received a copy prior to the meeting. The Board approved the local offer and were happy for CM to publish it.
6 / Curriculum/T&L
The Head informed the board that the government required 90% of pupils to undertake EBac. A Governor suggested that EBac at 90% was unrealistic.The head requested that further discussion with the governors take place regarding EBac.
It was suggested that there may be an opportunity for school to offer to go into primary feeder schools to aid in teaching MFL.This would allow pupils to be better equipped to take MFL at secondary level and would aid in success at EBac.
A Governor expressed that the History syllabus at GCSE was not pupil friendly and required a high ability level of literacy. It was suggested that the walking talking mocks could be of benefit to History.
A Governor approved the idea of having school staff deliver MFL at the primary schools.
7 / Data Analysis
The Head updated the Board on the building works and improvements which hadtaken place through the summer.
The Board were informed that the summer school had run and had been very successful; funding for this was now at an end and would need to be found by the school to run the event in the future.
An overview of the GCSE results was presented to the Governors, with particular emphasis on the achievements of subjects and the areas for concern.Areas for concern were highlighted as media studies and design technology. The Governors queried the subjects being taught by part time staff. It was noted that the English department results was the best in county this year. The Head explained some of the interventions that had been brought in to school which had affected the English department results. A Governor asked how the results correlated to the predictions and the Head explained that the results had been better than the predictions.
The Head provided the Board with information regarding the levels of progress.
A Governor queried whether school picked the pupils that were allowed to do a subject, the Head explained that the school was inclusive and any pupils could take the subjects available and that it was levels of progress that were important. The Head informed the board that the progress 8 levels were very good. The Head showed the Board the coasting map and explained the data and the implications that it had for Mullion School. A Governor queried the data in relation to academy status and whether Mullion results were shown as a school or academy, the Head explained that they would be shown as a school not an academy.
The Governors were given an update with regards to pupil premium and the results- he explained that Mullion School pupil premium pupils were out performing pupil premium pupils nationally.
The Head explained that he wanted pupils to become independent learners and explained the Commitment Awards that had been introduced to pupils.
Chrome books will be investigated on the return of the Head of Science.
The Head informed the Governors of the recommendations from Challenge Partners.
A Governor queried the policy on home study and planner live, the Head explained that the company had gone bankrupt, school had been using google classroom, the ICT Manager had now written a programme to turn google classroom into an equal to planner live.
The Head explained the implications of the new harder GCSE’s that were being brought in by the government and how they would affect all schools. English and Maths would be the first subjects affected, followed by other subjects in subsequent years. A Governor queried the situation of harder GCSE’s combined with regards to the EBac.
The Board requested that the Head pass on their regards and congratulations on an excellent set of results to the school staff. / WR
8 / Staffing
The Head briefed the Board on the new staff that had joined the school.
GA had resigned from the position of Head of Maths.
MB had taken on the role of PSHE Co-ordinator.
a)CPD. Governors were given information on the training prior to the meeting. The Head explained that staff had to opt into the training that had been made available.
9 / Admissions
The Head explained that the school had had to reject applications from outside of the catchment area this year. Next year the feeder primaries contain numbers that will take school to capacity. A discussion regarding the implications of staffing and resources was held.
10 / Safeguarding
HM informed the Board that attending a recent safeguarding training session had led to the review of several policies within school. See item 12.
HM informed the Board that the school had a responsibility to teach pupils about FGM.
HM distributed the DfE’s Keeping Children Safe In Education publication and requested that the Board confirm to the Clerk at the next meeting that they had read the document. / All, DB
11 / Cooperative Trust/Academisation
The Board were informed that the final date for Governors to decideon the issue of academisationwasweek beginning 5th of December 2016.
There was a discussion on the way in which Governors should meet with school staff as part of the further consultation process.
A Governor expressed that they felt that they would be ill equipped to answer questions from staff.
The Chair explained that the board needed to have met with the staff in order to gain their views on the subject.
A Governor queried whether academisation would have an impact on the amount of paperwork that members of staff would have to complete. The Head explained that County would still have responsibility for such things as Statements and that the paperwork would remain at the same level.
A Governor queried the financing for SEN if school became an academy, it was explained that the funding would remain the same.
A Governor queried the scope to change the admissions policy as an academy, it was explained that the policy could possibly be changed but there would be limitations on the changes that could be made and any changes would need to be approved by the Admissions Board.
A Governor queried whether it would be a good idea for Governors to meet with SLT prior to meeting all the staff.
A Governor suggested that it may be of benefit if governors from an existing academy came in to speak with Governors at Mullion.
The Head suggested that the Governors needed further meetings in order for them to fully discuss and understand the structure of the academy.
A Governor gave their insights into the process at its current stage and the way forward with regards to the articles.
Governors voiced that the budget and staffing needed to be discussed. It was also suggested that the financial implications and risks of joining with other schools needed to be addressed and reassurances needed to be given.
A Governor asked whether the staff were happy with the answers to the questions that had been asked by school staff. The Head explained that due to the school holidays there had not been a meeting with staff at this time in order to ask them.
The Trustees and Governors would be invited to the next staff meeting on 4th October at 16.15 to meet with school staff.
Governors will meet with school staff at school on Wednesday 12th October between 13.00 and 17.00.
CB and NG to meet with the Finance Manager at 16.15 on Monday 27th September in school. / WR
All
NG, CB, MC
12 / Policy Review
It was explained that the policies recently reviewed by HM needed to cross reference each other and had needed updating. HM had reviewed and updated the policies but the e-safety policy still required further work. The Board were informed that the Governor with responsibility for ICT was scheduled to attend a meeting at school with the ICT Manager and new ICT teacher to support with this.
The Board were informed that the Staff Conduct Policy would need to be updated.
A Governor expressed the view that some of these policies would be applicable to all schools and as such could be a generic policy provided by the government. The Governor was concerned that HM had had to spend so much time working with these policies.
A Governor queried theprocess for school being absent from the anti-bullying policy, the Governor was directed to the procedures section and the Head explained that changes had been made to the ethos policy last year in order to make the process and consequences clearer and not conflict.
The Governor expressed that the reporting system for bullying was not clear, a Governor expressed that they read that the reporting was to be done by everyone. The Governor queried whether the pupils and staff are aware of and could identify the low level bullying issues that may be going on and the stage at which a member of staff refers an incident of perceived bullying to HM. HM clarified the difference between unkind behaviour and bullying. It was explained that staff report incidents of perceived bullying to HM and that it is investigated. The consequences are published in the ethos and behaviour policy.
A Governor raised a georaphical error within the FGM policy, also a reference to another school within the policy should be changed.
A Governor queried the section in the Public Sector Education Duty policy and the Governors visiting the departments within school on an annual basis. It was clarified that Heads of Departments are attending the full board meetings on a rotational basis. The Head to circulate the dates of Head of Department meetings to Governors for them to use to facilitate in organising dates for Governors to come into school.
a)FGM policy – The Board were happy to approve the policy subject to the required amendments.
b)Anti-bullying policy - The Board approved this policy.
c)E-Safety Policy – to be reviewed at a future meeting once updated.
d)Preventing Extremism and Radicalisation Policy- The Board approved this policy.
e)Public Sector Education Duty- The Board approved this policy. / RB
WR
WR
DB
Any Other Business
The Chair requested confirmation from the Head that work was in progress towards the information update on the web-site. The Head confirmed that work was in progress to ensure that the website information was up to date.
The Chair asked Governors to forward their profiles to SB.
The Chair suggested that Governors attend school inset days. A Governor requested that Governors are informed by email about inset days.
The Chair explained that the SENCO holds a meeting and that SEN Governors may wish to attend.
H&S Governors confirmed as SW and RC.
The Chair requested a Governor be responsible for governor training, CH volunteered for this role. / All
WR/DB
Confirm Dates & times of future meetings:
Next meeting confirmed as 18th October 2016. Apologies received from CB in advance for this meeting.

Signed by the Chair of Governors______