St Laurence School Association (SLSA)

Minutes of Meeting held on Tuesday 28th June 2016

Present: Robert Beesley (Chair), Valerie Jukes, (Minutes Secretary), Maria Adlam-Apps (Treasurer), Tim Walker

Apologies: Helen Peters (Vice Chair), Alison Brown

Minutes of last meeting dated 26th April 2016

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

Follow up from previous minutes

SLSA poster-board within the School
RB will update the board once again following this meeting.

New parent’s questionnaire

Permission has been obtained from the school to include the SLSA questionnaire in the new parent’s induction pack.

Grounds Development

The school Bursar has confirmed that parents could offer their services to support the grounds development and that they would be covered by the school insurance so long as they were working under the direction of those employed by the school to oversee the project. Requests for those who might be able to volunteer this sort of assistance will be included in the new parent’s questionnaire.

Uniform Sale

This will take place on 7th July at the Induction Evening. Requests for donations of uniform have been sent out via Connect and Show My Homework.

Music dvd

RB reported that half the music dvds from the spring concert had been sold and this had brought in £150. The cost of making the dvds was £151.80. So all the remaining dvds are now with the school and can be used for promotion purposes.

Treasurer’s Report

MA submitted her report. There is £3699 in current account and £11400 in donations account. The profit from the Quiz Show was £537. MA has an appointment arranged to set up online banking for the SLSA account.
MA suggested we should aim to keep £3600 available for next year’s events. It was noted that the fireworks have a separate account.

It was agreed that money should be transferred over from the donations account to the current account to deal with funding for the bids from the school.

Bids for funds

It was agreed to fund the following bids which had been received from the school:

Subject area / Request / Reason / Cost / Comment
English / large, class dictionaries / thesauruses (5 of each) / supply new teaching rooms / 150.00 / SLSA funded some two years ago
English / small, desk dictionaries / thesauruses / replace used ones / 50.00 / SLSA funded some two years ago
Performing Arts / parts for portable staging / safety / 317.00 / additional parts will make 4 tiered seating available at all times
Dance / lighting stands (2), bar additions (2), power adapters (6) / flexibility in use / 440.00 / will add side show lighting, rather than ground mounts; adding height, colour and coverage in performances
Science / specific equipment for practicals (6 flasks) / changes to A level courses / 178.86 / A level chemistry
Science / microscope slides / to make up to a class set / 250.00 / KS3, GCSE students need to draw and analyse such slides in practicals
Additional Needs / A4 tinted exercise books (year’s supply) / students joining the school from primary / 311.40 / benefit to dyslexic students
Additional Needs / phonetic spellchecker (5) / increasing use in primary schools / 89.90 / use in Study Support initially
Additional Needs / DASH handwriting test assessment / gives evidence for additional time requirments for exams / 129.00 / GCSE and other students can have added time in exams
Additional Needs / netbooks (2) / can be borrowed by those with handwriting difficulties / 620.00 / SLSA funded some over 5 years, they wear out (!)
Sixth Form / exam period wellbeing goods / snacks before long exams / 300.00 / provides a calm, relaxed atmosphere for last minute nerves, etc
Year 7 / Visit from Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment / Contribution to cost of the week-long project / 1000.00 / This was provided last year for the first time as the school no longer receives additional money for performance arts.

It was agreed that the SLSA would fund up to 50% of the cost of the next three items. This would be on the basis that fundraising for these items could happen within the school and the SLSA would match whatever the school raises up to a maximum of 50% of the total costs shown below.

Sixth Form / picnic benches (4) / outside sixth form building / 1052.00 / only one bench currently
Outdoor Education / contact crampons (20 sets) / mountaineering group trips / 1200.00 / intention to hire these to students and recoup costs
Outdoor Education / ice axes (20) / mountaineering group trips / 1020.00 / intention to hire these to students and recoup costs

It was agreed that more information about this item was required. RB would find out whether this was a one-off payment or an annual licence fee.

Science / Kerboodle student support resource / more for home learning / 562.50 (KS4), 300 (A level) / KS4 and A level chemistry students

There had been a further request for assistance with funding renovation work to the tarmac surrounding the courtyard trees. However, MA reported that according to the constitution of the SLSA, it was not within our remit to donate money to maintain the fabric of the school. It was therefore decided that the SLSA could not agree to contribute towards the renovation of the tarmac surrounding. RB would write and explain this to the school bursar.

SLSA Affinity Card Initiative
RB reported that this card has now been launched under the banner “Bradford Bridge”. The school bursar had felt that the card should be separate in name from the school and the SLSA. The scheme will consist of selling a £9 card to members of the public who can nominate one of the Bradford on Avon cluster of schools to receive £6 of the fee into their PTA funds. The remaining £3 is used for the administrative running costs and for producing the next year’s card.

So far this has been advertised in “The Gudgeon”, promoted at Winsley School Fair and information about this will be included in the new parent’s induction packs. It will also be advertised in Connect and can then be bought via Paypal. Holders of the card can then receive discounts at various Bradford on Avon businesses.

RB will be advertising this with the cluster schools.

Street Party

RB reported that the Street Party has been cancelled. The meeting held to discuss it had had insufficient attendance to enable the organisation of the Street Party to go ahead. As the organisation had reached the point where costs would start to be incurred, it was thought better to cancel it at this stage. The only payments made so far were for the Lottery Licence but this lasts for a year and could be used for another event.

There was some discussion about alternative events which could replace the Street Party. Ideas included a “Community Day” and “Festival in a Day” but no decisions were made.

Events for 2016/17

The following events are likely to run next year:-

Fashion Show – currently no year 11 parents on SLSA committee
Quiz Night
Used Uniform
Fireworks
Refreshments for school show
Raffle
Art display project and Art Show

New parent’s questionnaire

It was agreed that this would include an invitation to assist with the Fireworks, Refreshments and Quiz Night and also request offers for volunteers to assist with the grounds development. This request will also be included in Connect.

Future of the SLSA

RB raised the issue that perhaps the SLSA should be dissolved as there is very little support for it. It was agreed that this should be discussed at the first meeting in the new Academic Year. RB would look for a suitable date.

Next Meeting Agenda: date to be arranged

Annual General Meeting

1.  Financial report

2.  Election of officers

3.  Forward planning for Fashion Show

4.  Report on results of Parent Questionnaires

5.  Discuss future of the SLSA

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