SST AUTUMN TERM 2015: ACTIVITY REPORT FOR GOVERNORS

This report has been produced for SST member schools, to be used in Full Governing Body Meetings to ensure member schools’ Governors are fully informed about SST activities. If there are any questions about our activities or events, please contact Alex or Gail Murphy

OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO LEARNING
Challenge the Gap – a working party / The Challenge the Gap Working Party met once this Autumn Term. A new Pupil Premium Lead Network was launched after half term by this group. Activities focus on four areas: Strategic; Working with others; Teaching and Learning; Enhancing Pupil Opportunities.
In Year Fair Access – Primary Schools / A panel for placing Hard-to-Place pupils (as categorized under the IYFA Protocol 15/16) has been a pilot project since December 2014. On 30 November primary Headteachers voted to make this panel permanent.
Multi-Agency liaison and support on behalf of our members: / Regular Termly Meetings with NE Children’s Services:Autumn Meeting postponed to 7 January 2015 due to illness.
ADHD Parent Support Co-ordination meeting: Met with 123 Magic practitioners (a parenting course particularly helpful with ADHD) on 7 September to discuss courses offered in schools, Children’s Centres and local third sector to discuss sharing spare spaces locally. This project is ongoing.
Signposting Multi-Agency Information (Monday Mailing, Networks, Website):Early Help Networks, Children’s Services Information, TaMHS Network, Surrey Supporting Families, Food Banks CAMHS, Area Education Office (Eg. Surrey’s DSL Network), Speech and Language Support, NE Headteachers Quadrant Meetings and many more.
East To West in Secondary Schools:Project Management of a 2 year contract in all Spelthorne Secondary Schools of East to West Relational Workers. East to West has also begun to work in some of our primary schools.
Facilitating Spelthorne Home School Link Worker workforce cohesion: / Up-to-date Spelthorne-wide contact lists maintained. Targeted information distributed to HSLWs when relevant.
Supporting the Meadows Nurture Group: / Early intervention supporting vulnerable Foundation and KS1 children. SST supporting Spelthorne School with this facility. Nurture Group opento all Spelthorne primaries and other Surrey schools within 30 minutes’ travel. Attendance at Surrey Nurture Group Strategy Meetings.
11-19 Inclusion Group: Temporary Alternative Provision Project / Sharing internal exclusion settings between local schools to add another layer to behaviour policies. This term, the 11-19 Inclusion Group worked on a protocol and toolkit to facilitate this project. The protocol has been trialed, adjusted according to findings and will be finalized by January 2016 for continued use between secondary schools.
LEARNING
Local, cost effective CPD Programme / Responsive to members’ needs, our CPD programme is widely advertised on direct email and Monday Mailings.
The SST NQT Training Programme is fully funded by the SST for member schools. This year there are 73 NQTs in member schools (both primary and secondary, this high number has meant that some courses are run twice to accommodate numbers. The Autumn programme was as follows:
  • NQT Making the Most of your Induction (Secondary), 9 September
  • NQT Mentor (Primary), 15 September
  • NQT Assessor, 16 September
  • NQT Making the Most of your Induction (Primary), 16 September and 23 September (two dates, one course)
  • NQT Safeguarding, 17 September
  • NQT Behaviour Management, 29 September and 7 October (2 dates, one course)
  • NQT Assertiveness, 20 & 21 October, 24&25 November (2-day course run twice)
  • NQT Introduction to SEN 2 & 3 December (2 dates, one course)
Other Autumn Term 2015 CPD Course are listed:
  • Boosting Reading Potential, 15 & 24 September
  • Safer Recruitment, 22 and 24 September
  • NPQML (Middle Leaders), 1 October and 12 November
  • DSL New to Role, 2 October
  • Coaching and Mentoring ( by St. Mary’s College, Twickenham), 15 October
  • NPQSL (Senior Leaders), 21 October, 13 November, 25 February 16 and 19 April 16
  • Managing Medicine (Asthma, Epilepsy), 4 November 2015
  • DSL Update, 5 November
  • Safeguarding (Termly Catch-all), 10 November
  • Headteachers’ Residential, 18-20 November. Speakers: Jean Gross CBE (Resilient Pupils/Resilient Parents); Sir John Jones (The Magic Weaving Business); Will Ryan (Inspirational Leaders); Andy Vass (Talk sense to yourself).
  • Managing Complaints, 24 November
  • First Aid FAST 3, 19 & 26 November
  • First Aid Online Upgrade FAST 5
  • First Aid Online Upgrade Pediatric

More Able, Gifted and Talented Events / The General Knowledge Challenge (Y3&4)ran this term on 24 November at Ashford Park Primary School. This quiz was won by Laleham C of E Primary School, 17 schools participated (64 Pupils).
Beanstalk Reading Helpers in Spelthorne / The national charity Beanstalk continues to provide reading helper volunteers in our schools, for targeted children to support literacy progress. The SST continues its programme of subsidizing one reading helper for one year per participating school.
NETWORKING AND SUPPORT
SST-run meetings and networks: / Confederation Meetings: 8 October, Holiday Inn, Shepperton
Spelthorne Primary In Year Fair Access Panels: after 8 October Confederation Meeting, and on 30 November at Chennestone Primary School
Management & Projects Meetings:23 September/5 November, Manor Mead School
11-19 Steering Group: 9 October/ 3 December, Thomas Knyvett College
11-19 Curriculum Group:, 26 November, St. Paul’s Catholic College
11-19 Inclusion Group: 30 September/25 November,Thamesmead School
Pupil Premium Network Launch: 3 November, The Thames Club. Presentation by James Richardson of Education Endowment Foundation “Using the Sutton Trust Toolkit Effectively”. 24 Pupil Premium Leads attended.
Chair of Governors Network:21 October, Riverbridge Primary School. Included a Spelthorne-specific presentation on Surrey Supporting Families. Follow-up survey to determine usefulness of this network was sent by email after this meeting. To date 5 schools have responded.
SENCo Network: 10 November, Bishop Wand C of E School
SENCo Borough Network (Babcock):21 September, The Thames Club
Bursar & Admin Network: 1 December, St. Nicholas Cof E Primary School. Focus on recruitment.
Deputy Headteacher/Asst. Headteacher Network: 29 September, Spelthorne School.
More Able Network:13 October, Chennestone Primary School
Local Music Network: Termly meeting at St. Michael’s RC Primary School.
Monday Mailings and SST website facilitatesinformation sharing and signposting: / Monday Mailing now distributing to over 200 contacts weekly in term time. SST website includes areas for information sharing. . Signposting on Monday Mailings or via direct email as appropriate. Includes Surrey SENCO Network, TAMHS, Early Help and many more. Regular networking with other confederations in Surrey
Involvement in local networks: / Membership of Spelthorne Education Action Group, currently looking at Education Funding and supporting disadvantaged children and young people in Spelthorne. Opportunity to network with outside agencies such as local charities and the Police and with Spelthorne and Surrey Councillors.
WORKING TOGETHER FOR CHANGE
Keeping informed of local issues: / By attending local meetings and networks, inviting representatives from local organisations to SST events and keeping up-to-date with local publications, the SST endeavours to maintain a comprehensive knowledge of the local and national educational landscape.
Swift, collated response to issues/
Lobbying for change where and when needed: / When necessary, the SST can communicate information to members, collate members’ views on issues and create a cohesive group response.
Lobbying for Change: Pupil Referral Unit Top-Up Funding / This term the SST has supported the 11-19 Learning Network to lobby for a fairer funding formula for Pupil Referral Unit top-up funding. Consultation on the issue is expected to reach PRUs in Spring 2016. The 11-19 Steering Group has registered its support of a fairer system.
GOVERNANCE, FUNDING AND TRANSPARENCY
Structure: / Manor Mead School in Shepperton is the administrator and host school to the SST. On behalf of member schools, Manor Mead School employs 2 members of full-time staff and oversees financial administration in accordance with Surrey guidance. The Management & Projects team line manage SST Staff and approves all projects and expenditure.
Financial Reporting: / Financial Monitoring Reports tabled at Management & Projects Team Meetings and distributed to all members at Confederation Meetings.
Finances for FY15/16 were approved at the MPT meeting on Tuesday 28 April 2015. Member schools received an approved budget along with SST Partnership Agreement and Terms of Reference on Friday 8 May 2015 at the Confederation Meeting.
Funding: FY15/16 Surrey CC Confederation sustainability funding agreed at schools forum.
Primary allocation paid directly to the SST, Secondary & Special school allocation was devolved directly to schools. / Primary Allocation:£71,180 Received directly from Surrey
Secondary Allocation :£35,000 Invoiced by SST at £7000 per school to Bishop Wand, Matthew Arnold, St Paul’s, Thamesmead & Thomas Knyvett
Special Allocation:£317 Invoiced by SST to Manor Mead
Other:£350 Invoiced by SST Fordway
Membership subscription fee FY15/16 / The Management & Projects Team agreed on 28 April 15 that the amounts listed above would become the subscription fee for membership of the SST in FY15/16. It was agreed that no per pupil levy would be set for FY15/16.
28 out of the 29 schools in Spelthorne are members of Spelthorne Schools Together (this includes the Short Stay School The Fordway Centre).
Evaluation of projects / Projects are evaluated, and the results and feedback discussed at MPT meetings to assess value for money, and decide future tranches and projects.

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Autumn Term 2015

7 January 2016Enhancing Achievement for our Children and Young People