SST SUMMMER 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 LEARNINGChallenge the Gap – a working party / The Challenge the Gap Working Party met twice over the Summer Term, and agreed a structure for this new project area. Activities will focus on four areas: Strategic; Working with others; Teaching and Learning; Enhancing Pupil Opportunities.
In Year Fair Access – Primary Schools / We continue to work on this project in partnership with the NE Area Education Office and Surrey Admissions. The panel meets after our Confederation Meetings (8 May/3 July). COGs were given further detail of this project at their network on 15 May. Protocols and points weighting systems have been agreed but we continue to shape this panel with our schools. Surrey hopes to roll this model out to the rest of the county when perfected.
Multi-Agency liaison and support on behalf of our members: / Regular Termly Meetings with NE Children’s Services:Postponed to Autumn 2015 to allow time and staff to be released for the Early Help in Spelthorne event listed below.
Early Help in Spelthorne Event: 22 April, Kenyngton Manor Primary School. Meeting to explore how Early Help has embedded in Spelthorne, and whether anything further needed to be done to ensure its success in our schools. Follow-on meeting from Family Forums. 37 Delegates attended: 17 from local organisations and 20 from our schools.
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.
SEND 14 / Discussed at SST SENCO Network meetings to ensure all Spelthorne schools have a clear understanding of the changes.Summer Term meetings: 28 April and 7 July.The group followed case studies through the new EHCP process.
Spelthorne NESSS Outreach Project / The North East Short Stay School’s (NESSS) Outreach Worker supports secondary school pupils most at risk of exclusion to stay in education. This project continues in Spelthorne secondary schools and originated from Inclusion Group discussions.
LEARNING
Local, cost effective CPD Programme / Responsive to members’ needs, our CPD programme is widely advertised on direct email and Monday Mailings.
Writing Moderation Sessions:
- Year 6 and Year 7, 22 April, Echelford Primary School
- Year 2, 29 April, Hawkedale Infant School
- Year 1, 22 June, Our Lady of the Rosary RC Primary School
- Year 5, 30 June, St. Michael RC Primary School
Safeguarding (Catch all): 21 April, Saxon Primary School
Safeguarding (Governors): 28 April, St. Nicholas C of E Primary School, Shepperton
HLTA- SST Cohort: 19/22 May and 8 June, Echelford Primary School
HLTA Access Maths: 23 June, EcheldfordPrimary School
Nurture Group Information Twilight for Practitioners: 24 June, The Meadow Nurture Group
HLTA Access Test English: 25 June, Echelford Primary School
Portable Appliance Testing: 3 June, Echelford Primary School
First Aid (Fast 5): 7 May, Echelford Primary School
More Able, Gifted and Talented Events / The SST Spelthorne Primary Maths Challenge ran at Chennestone Primary School on Friday 12 June, now in its third year, it involved 52 Year 6 more able, gifted and talented mathematicians from 13 schools. This network now has an established calendar of events for more able children: Battle of the Books (Y1&2) runs in Spring, the Maths Challenge (Y6) in the Summer and a General Knowledge Challenge (Y3&4) runs in Autumn. These events are run by the More Able, Gifted and Talented Network.
Supporting Transition Y6-Y7: / Parent Transition Information Morning for Children with SEN Support:Now in its second year, this information morning run with Surrey SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SSIASS)was shared by all Spelthorne primary schools, aimed at parents of SEN Support children in Y4/5 to help parents prepare for choosing the best secondary school for their child. Thursday 25 June, Kenyngton Manor Primary School.
Year 6 Life Skills Workshops: morning workshop for our Year 6 pupils run in 16 out of 18 primary schools after SATs week. The SST gave schools a 40 % subsidy for these workshops. Excellent feedback was received as in previous years.
Collation of Secondary Autumn Open Evenings: SST collates this information annually and distributes to primary schools for parents of children in years 5 and 6.
SENCO & Inclusion Market Place: Monday 15 June, The Thames Club. Expanding on the established SENCO Market Place, this event helped primary schools to pass information relevant to support pupil progress to secondary schools in a one-stop-shop. A small selection of relevant organisationsalso had ‘market stalls’.
Beanstalk Reading Helpers in Spelthorne / Work continues with the national charity Beanstalk to provide reading helper volunteers in our schools, for targeted children to support literacy progress. Beanstalk ran a volunteer recruitment event this Summer on 23 April in Staines-upon-Thames.
NETWORKING AND SUPPORT
SST-run meetings and networks: / Confederation Meetings: 8 May/3 JulyThe Thames Club.
Spelthorne Primary In Year Fair Access Panels: section at the end of Confederation Meetings as listed above.
Management & Projects Meetings: 28 April/8 JuneManor Mead School
11-19 Steering Group: 14 May/2 July, Thamesmead School
11-19 Curriculum Group: 20 May /8 July, St. Paul’s Catholic College
11-19 Inclusion Group: 12 May/26 June, Bishop Wand C of E School
Chair of Governors Network: 13 May, St. Nicholas C of E Primary School. Included presentation and discussion about In Year Fair Access Primary Panel.
SENCo Network: 28 April and 7 July 1.30pm, Spelthorne School
SENCo Borough Network (Babcock): 14 July, The Thames Club
Bursar & Admin Network: Tuesday 19 May presentations by 5 alternative school lunch catering companies followed by a network meeting. The Hazelwood Centre, Sunbury-on-Thames. Staff from 18 schools attended. The current supplier, Surrey Commercial Services, was invited to give an update to schools of improvements made in service since 19 May, on 15 July.
Deputy Headteacher/Asst. Headteacher Network: 16 April and 4 June. Shared assessment processes.
More Able Network: 22 April, Chennestone Primary School
Local Music Network: Termly meeting at St. Michael’s RC Primary School.
Monday Mailings and SST website facilitatesinformation sharing: / Monday Mailing now distributing to over 200 contacts weekly in term time. SST website includes areas for information sharing.
Signposting to and involvement in other local networks: / 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.
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.
Working together on School Places: Primary and Secondary Phase / Facilitating liaison with Melanie Harris, School Commissioning Officer and our member schools to support good communication about school places.
Spelthorne Primary IYFA Panel / Detailed in ‘Overcoming Barriers to Learning’, this project involves lobbying agencies to work together more effectively, and to provide better information to schools so that they can make informed decisions about the best settings for pupils.
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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Summer Term 2015
Enhancing Achievement for our Children and Young People