The Governing Body for St Joseph S Catholic Primary School

THE GOVERNING BODY FOR ST JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD AT THE SCHOOL

ON TUESDAY 4 JULY 2017

MEMBERS

FOUNDATION GOVERNORS
*Mr Graeme Bass
*Mr Marc Boucherat
Fr Tony Convery
Mr Tom Kearns(Vice Chair)
Mrs Rita Tracey
*Mr Fabio Sidoli
Ms Lisa Sturley (Chair)
*Mrs Melissa Ekwueme
LA GOVERNOR
Mr Ernest Ambe
NON-VOTING OBSERVERS
Miss Z Flitton, / PARENT GOVERNORS
*Mr Richard Gaskill
*Mrs Marilyn Amarteifio
HEADTEACHER GOVERNOR
*DrJames Lane
STAFF GOVERNORS
*Mrs Annette O’Connor
CO-OPTED GOVERNORS
Ms Sarah Ball
1 x Vacancy

*denotes person present

IN ATTENDANCE

Ms Sarah Beaumont (Clerk)

PART I

Opening Prayer

17/80Welcome

In the absence of Chair and Vice-Chair, Richard Gaskill chaired the meeting for its duration, and opened by extending a warm welcome to the new Executive Headteacher and the new Clerk. Introductions were affected round the table.

17/81Acceptance / non-acceptance of apologies for absence

Apologies were submitted and accepted on behalf of Ernest Ambe, Sarah Ball, Fr Tony Convery, Mr Tom Kearns, Lisa Sturley, and Rita Tracey.

17/82Declaration of pecuniary interest and conflict of interest

Dr James Lane declared that he was both Executive Headteacher of the school, and Headteacher of St Francis de Sales RC Junior School.

17/83Approval of Part I Minutes of the previous meetings

The corrected Minutes of the meeting held on 23 May 2017 were CONFIRMED, initialled and signed.

17/84Matters arising from the minutes

Report of the Interim Headteacher (17/64) School Development Plan (SDP) & Self Evaluation Form (SEF):Carried forward advice to Governors to familiarise themselves with the SDP and SEF.

Action: Governors

Reports from Governor Specialisms (17/67) British Values: It was reported that Ernest Ambe had circulated his report to Governors.

Reports from Governor Specialisms (17/67)Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND):Richard Gaskill reported that he had conducted his SEND specialism visit to the school, and had completed a report, which had been filed with the School Office Manager.

Training Link Governors Report (17/68): It was reported that an up to date spreadsheet recording all training undertaken by Governors was being maintained. It was noted that the new programme of Governor Support and Development for the Autumn Term would be circulated by the borough prior to September.

17/85Report of the Executive Headteacher

End of Year Results 2017-17

The Report was tabled, received and noted. Arising from the report:

The Executive Headteacher gave an overview of the data, explaining that because the progress data was not yet available, the data focussed on pupil attainment. It was noted that analysis of pupil progress would be included in the meeting in September or December.

Action: Headteacher/Clerk

A Governor asked about progress made by the KS1 cohort. The Deputy Headteacher responded that the pupils were banded depending on their scores achieved in KS1, and that it was not yet possible to judge their progress against national data, but that indications were that they had made good progress.

Review School Development Plan progress – milestones / exception report

Priority 1: Ensure that the proportion of pupils making expected/more than expected progress from their starting points exceeds national figures and meets/exceeds LA figures

It was noted that this was still to be evaluated.

Priority 2: Strengthen teaching so that the vast majority is good or outstanding

The Headteacher explained that the school’s focus must be on establishing a daily diet of typicality that would result in good or outstanding teaching. He stated that observing an outstanding lesson was only part of the picture and that this had to be supported by high standards in every element of teaching including marking books, pupil assessments, behaviour in class, through to the displays on the walls. He said that he was also concentrating on spreading good practice across the school.

Governors’ attention was drawn to the Learning Pit videothat the Executive Headteacher had circulated prior to the meeting,which showed the encouragement of challenge and enquiry in learning.

The Executive Headteacher also referenced ‘Teach like a Champion’ by Doug Lemov, which was full of techniques to encourage 100% of pupils to give 100% attention 100% of the time. He quoted his own Twitter slogan “High achievement always takes place in a place of high expectation”. He stated that this approach would challenge any teacher that identified any pupils who were going to fail and ‘give up on them’ early on.

Priority 3: Ensure we maintain a good standard of behaviour and safety in school

Governors noted the importance of engaging and differentiating learning tasks that engendered a positive attitude to learning.

Priority 4: Strengthen and develop capacity of SLT to further raise school performance at all levels

The Executive Headteacher stated that he wished to establish consistency in staff performance management.

The Executive Headteacher stressed Governors’ role in evaluating the impact of school improvement work, and the power of interrogating data.

It was reported that resources to support staff continual professional development (CPD) were stretched, and that the school would be concentrating on establishing ways of sharing good practice between St Joseph’s and St Francis de Sales in order to build practice in all teams.

A Governor commented that staff would benefit from the distance between the two schools in terms of convenience to travel between, but spaced far enough apart and located in different authorities to retain their differences.

It was noted that in terms of preparing for OfSTED inspection, if the school was achieving its priorities it would be successful regardless of any formal preparation undertaken for inspection.

A Governor asked if the School Improvement Plan had now been compiled into one document. Clarification was given that the Barnet Partnership for School Improvement (BPSI) Action Plan that had resulted from the BPSI review had fed into the School Improvement Plan.

A Governor paid tribute to the Executive Headteacher’s clear focus on the quality of teaching and the development of learning which, together with the school’s safeguarding priority, would result in positive outcomes. The Executive Headteacher concluded by stating that the school needed to be committed to relentless focus.

Review attendance – pupils / staff / governors

Pupil Attendance:The report, copies of which had been circulated prior to the meeting, was received and noted. Arising from the report:

Governors noted the breakdown of data into pupil ethnicity, interrogating it in relation to reasons behind pupil absence.

A Governor asked if impact was known following the school’s strict and consistent policy to not authorise any pupil absence. The Executive Headteacher responded that an analysis could be undertaken to compare Term One with Term Two.

A Governor asked if unauthorised absence referred to a child being absent from school due to sickness or to travel. The Executive Headteacher reiterated that no pupil absence was authorised.

A Governor asked how the Executive Headteacher closed down the conversation with parents who challenged the school’s policy. The Executive Headteacher responded that the parent would be advised that if their child’s attendance was less than 95%, then they were at risk of being fined. He stated that the school was particularly interested in identifying patterns of absence, which would also attract action.

A Governor asked how the school dealt with issues that prevented pupils attending school that may occur on the journey to school. The Executive Headteacher responded that the family would be contacted on the first day of each absence.

The Headteacher stated that furthermore, if a family did not promptly return from an unauthorised absence about which they had advised the school, the pupil would be taken off roll.

A Governor asked the national target for pupil attendance. The Executive Headteacher responded that it was currently 96%.

Governors AGREED that the school’s policy on pupil absence was fair and consistent.

Governor Attendance: It was noted that it was a requirement to publish the attendance of Governors at Governing Body meetings on the school website.

Staff Attendance: The Executive Headteacher stated the school’s focus on consistency, supported by school policy, which would include the sickness policy and staff absence policy.

A Governor asked for clarification on trigger points and thresholds when applying procedures in relation to staff absence. It was noted that the staff absence policy had been recently reviewed, and that it would be presented to staff so that it could be adhered to.

Motion of confidentiality

RESOLVED that the business to be discussed be treated asconfidential and not for publication.

Part I resumed

17/86Ratification of the budget

The Executive Headteacher reported that the school had drafted a three year budget recovery plan that met the requirements of the Local Authority.

A Governor asked if the school budget had been ratified. The Executive Headteacher responded that the deadline by which school budgets were to be ratified had now passed. Governors AGREED the budget recovery plan.

17/87Safeguarding update

Graeme Bass, the Safeguarding Governor, reported that all Governors had received Safeguarding training.

It was noted that the school was focussed on building a culture of care, vigilance and support.

The St Joseph’s Child Protection Concern Log was tabled, received and noted.Noted that the form, held on the school’s shared drive, was shared with the designated Safeguarding Lead when completed.

The draft Home School Phone Contract was tabled, received and noted.

The Executive Headteacher talked through the document, stating that this set out the responsibility on parents to keep their children safe, and school rules applying to phone use. It was acknowledged that, by drafting a contract that clearly set out expectations, the school was embracing technology and forcing conversations to take place with parents in order to protect pupils.

A discussion ensued with regard to the minimum age that it was acceptable for a pupil to carry a phone. It was acknowledged that it was expected that pupils in KS1 would not carry a phone, and that KS2 pupils may carry a phone if travelling alone, for added security.

It was AGREED that the Home School Phone Contract would be circulated to parents in September 2017.

17/88Policies to be ratified

The following policies, copies of which had been circulated previously, were considered for ratification:

• Child Going Missing
• Collecting a Child Late

These were RATIFIED.

It was noted that the Staff Disciplinary Policy was to be amended, and would be presented to the Governing Body for ratification at the September meeting.

Action: Clerk

17/89Reports of Committees

Finance / Pay & Personnel: Richard Gaskill gave a verbal report, stating that the committee had discussed:

• The school Budget (covered in 17/86)
• Revitalising staff appraisal systems
• Staff recruitment

Premises / H&S: GraemeBass gave a verbal report of the recent meeting, attended by Nigel Speers, Assistant Director (Capital Strategy) from the Diocese of Westminster, Gael Williams, Jim Keegan from Diocese Property Services, and Neil Marlow, Head of School Improvement.

TL&A / Data: Marc Boucherat reported that the committee would be meeting the following week, which would be timed to enable the committee to scrutinise results and outcomes.

It was noted that the minutes of the previous committee meeting had been circulated and that the meeting had focussed on questions around the progress and accuracy of assessment of pupils in Year 5.

A Governor asked if there was a relationship between good pupil progress and phonics and early acquisition of language. The Deputy Headteacher responded that outcomes were cohort-specific and support was targeted accordingly.

Catholic & Pastoral Life: Graeme Bass reported that the committee had reviewed the two policies ratified under 17/88. The report circulated previously by Ernest Ambe was received and noted.

It was reported that the RE Development Plan had been discussed with Father Tony Convery earlier that day.

17/90Reports from Governor specialisms

Safeguarding: Graeme Bass, the Safeguarding Governor, reported that, in addition to all Governors attending safeguarding training, he had attended Safeguarding Level 3 training arranged by Barnet Governor Services. This had included provision of a Safeguarding Audit that was to be completed by the school.

The Executive Headteacher stated that this would be considered at the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) Away Day.

It was noted that the audit would aid the Governing Body to secure knowledge of the school’s processes in relation to safeguarding including policies, the role of the designated officer, and the maintenance of the Single Central Register.

A Governor asked if the school could employ the services of a highly trained professional to check the Single Central Register. The Safeguarding Governor responded that the school was acting on recommendations resulting from the BPSI review that had been undertaken. It was noted that there were no information gaps in the Single Central Register, and that information on new staff joining the school in September would be added.

Health and Safety: Marylin Amarteifio, the Health and Safety Governor, reported that she had toured the school, with particular focus on checking fire exits and fire safety. Her report would be written and submit to the school office to put on the school shared drive.

Action: Marylin Amarteifio

A Governor asked if frequency for this inspection had been set. The Health and Safety Governor responded that this could be undertaken termly and reported back to the Governing Body.

The Health and Safety Governor asked for clarity regarding the use of fire extinguishers. The Deputy Headteacher responded that in the event of a fire, the policy was to evacuate and safely get pupils out of the building, unless the exit was blocked and it was necessary to tackle the fire with a fire extinguisher.

It was noted that a whole-school fire risk assessment had been undertaken in May 2016, that had reported there to be no concerns.

It was noted that, in light of the recent tragic fire at Grenfell Tower, Barnet’s priority was to ensure that all buildings were safe. It was noted that an audit had been undertaken and that the report of this was anticipated shortly. It was noted that it was the school’s priority to address any outstanding actions.

British Values: It was noted that Ernest Ambe had circulated his report to Governors (as covered under 17/84).

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND):Richard Gaskill, the SEND Governor, reported on his recent visit to the school, stating that he had seen a few interventions in place, which had included those for pupils who need broader support. He had scrutinised the commitment to and understanding of undertaking these within the staff team, sometimes at the expense of other priorities. He stated that the interventions were a way of addressing gaps in pupil progress and attainment and that extra money was used to provide staff to support pupils being taken out of class in groups to help them engage better with learning.

He stressed the need for the outcomes of interventions to be measurable and consistent. He added that he had experienced some frustration in not being able to see some interventions that had been rearranged due to timetabling.

The Staff Governor commented that the staff had met since this visit, and that the importance of interventions had been emphasised. A more recent series of Learning Walks had since been undertaken, which had successfully demonstrated the value of interventions in practice.

Pupil Premium: Marc Boucherat, the Pupil Premium Governor, reported that he was to visit the school during the following week. He stated that the performance of pupils eligible for Pupil Premium was under scrutiny, including that of Year 6 pupils where they were performing below those not eligible for Pupil Premium, and that of Year 4 pupils, some of whom were performing significantly below their peers. He stressed that accuracy of data was key. It was noted that the report needed to be posted on the school websiteto show the school’s actions to narrow any progress and attainment gap.

The Deputy Headteacher responded that the school’s Pupil Premium strategy looked at the performance of all year groups and the impact of those interventions in orderto evaluate whether the money was being used effectively. It was noted that it was not always possible to measure impact in data, but that a measure was still necessary in order to analyse success.Impact could be reflected pupil in attendance or engagement with the rest of the class.

It was acknowledged that focus on embedding a culture of learning was a longer term project that was not driven by a single document.